144 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



Were it not that they make exceptions in the cases of Paris and 

 Lyons, the two most active telegraphic centres in France, where the 

 subscribers who want their telegrams telephoned have to pay an 

 additional subscription of 2/. per annum, one would have imagined 

 that the necessity of compensating for the draining effects of the 

 trunk lines on the telegraphic system by encouraging the telephone 

 as a feeder had been duly recognised. Outside Paris and Lyons 

 the only obligation imposed on the subscriber is a deposit to cover 

 the value of his telegrams ; but everywhere the language used 

 must be French, and no message must exceed fifty words in 

 length. In Paris, copies of telegrams telephoned to subscribers 

 are posted ; elsewhere, delivered by messenger. 



6. Telephoning of messages for local delivery. Subscribers 

 from their own instruments, and non -subscribers from the public 

 stations, between the hours of 7 A.M. (8A.M. in winter) and 9 P.M., 

 may telephone messages in French to the telegraph office to be 

 written out and delivered by messenger to addresses in the same 

 town. The charge is not by word, as in most other countries, 

 but by the time occupied in taking down the message, the rate 

 being 4'8^. per five minutes or fraction thereof. The service is 

 consequently dearer than elsewhere, at least for short messages. 

 Matter for mailing, as letters and post-cards, cannot be telephoned. 



7. Public telephone stations. There are some 350 of these 

 in France, generally situated at post and telegraph offices. Sub- 

 scribers may use them for local talks without charge on producing 

 a card of identity bearing a photograph of the person to whom it 

 is issued. Payments are managed exclusively by the aid of 

 telephone tickets, which are on sale at the public stations and 

 elsewhere. The right to use the public stations for local talks 

 may be acquired, if desired, by a non-subscriber for an annual 

 payment, which varies with the town. Messages for local delivery 

 may be telephoned from these stations, but long-distance telegrams 

 cannot be sent. 



8. Municipal telephone stations. Towns or communes 

 desiring telegraphic or telephonic communication which the State 

 is not willing to undertake may demand a connection to the 

 nearest telegraph or telephone office on advancing the money 

 necessary to defray the cost of the installation. This is fixed at 



