io8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



small island of Zealand, there are 900 more. How many are 

 there in Islington? Possibly 100, although that is extremely 

 doubtful. 



The International Bell Telephone Company commenced work 

 in Copenhagen in 1880, and held the ground without competi- 

 tion until the sale in 1882 of the system to a local association 

 called the Copenhagen Telephone Company, which, under the 

 able management of Mr. E. B. Petersen, has not only preserved 

 the monopoly, but has extended its system until the highly- 

 creditable development mentioned above has been reached. The 

 absence of competition has prevented the low rates enjoyed by 

 the subscribers in Stockholm and Christiania being attained, and 

 the handsome figure, redolent of telephonic clover, of 87. 6s. 8d. 

 per annum is still maintained in the Danish metropolis. It is 

 not, therefore, surprising to learn that the company maintains a 

 dividend of about 7 per cent, on its capital of ii2,ooo/., a capital 

 which has not only sufficed to construct the Copenhagen exchange, 

 but to cover Zealand with trunk lines too. And it must be 

 clearly understood that the rate of 87. 6s. %d. covers not only 

 communication within Copenhagen itself, but with every sub- 

 scriber in the island of Zealand, whether a member of the 

 Copenhagen company or any other. As Zealand measures some 

 eighty miles from north to south and sixty miles from east to 

 west, and contains some 900 subscribers outside the limits of 

 Copenhagen, the liberality of this arrangement is beyond question. 



The geographical character of Denmark has not favoured the 

 erection of long-distance trunks. Within the three chief divisions, 

 Zealand, Funen, and Jutland, the country has long been well 

 telephoned, the local companies being left to construct what 

 trunks they chose free from Government interference. It was 

 not until the question of joining up the three divisions and of 

 making a connection with Sweden, works necessitating the use of 

 submarine cables, came to the front, that the State bestirred itself. 

 The Royal Telegraph Department then announced that it would 

 itself undertake the construction and maintenance of these through 

 main lines ; and accordingly it has recently established commu- 

 nication with Sweden by utilising an old telegraph cable, and 

 opened a line to Funen, which is to be extended as soon as 



