Belgium '- 101 



Workmen commence as lads at is. tod. per day, j \yh^iijremp 

 to go on the roofs, they get 2s. per day, afterwards rising to 25. 2d. 

 and 2s. ^d. Assistant foremen get 2$. id. per day. All workmen 

 are allowed lod. per day when engaged away from home. In the 

 summer the men are supplied with cocoa, and in winter with 

 brandy, a pint to every ten men daily, gratis. They are expected 

 to make grog of the brandy, which, with the cocoa, is supplied 

 partly with the object of preventing the men drinking unboiled 

 water of bad quality. The hours are ten per day, less one hour for 

 dinner and half an hour for breakfast, making a working day of 

 eight and a half hours. Carpenters, masons, plumbers, and other 

 skilled workmen incidentally required receive 2s. 8</. per day. 



PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 



Girls are taken on at eighteen years of age and commence with 

 32$. per month, rising gradually to a maximum of 685-. per month. 

 On entry they have to pass an examination in common subjects. 

 The daily duty is from seven to eight hours. Night duty is 

 performed by men. 



STATISTICS 



The continuous growth of the telephonic telegram traffic is 

 illustrated by the following figures : 



Number of telegrams ; Number of telegrams 



telephoned throughout telephoned throughout 



Year Belgium Year Belgium 



1887 ...... 469,823 1891 ...... 873,266 



1888 ...... 587,383 1892 ...... 900,933 



1889 ...... 691,098 1893 ...... 946,168 



1890 ...... 800,269 1894 ...... 1,023,396* 



* Estimated from August traffic. 



The 1894 traffic means receipts for the Telegraph Department 

 amounting to at least 2o,ooo/., which the officials consider more 

 than balances any loss through trunk-line competition. As the 

 telegraph revenue continues to increase year by year, this view is 

 no doubt correct. 



