German Empire 181 



to give them exchange communication through this switch-board. 

 There is a special tariff (see Tariffs] for such extensions. The 

 proprietor renders himself responsible for all payments, and col- 

 lects subscriptions from his tenants. If any of them neglects to 

 pay he is the loser. 



2. Intercommunication between a town and its suburbs 

 and, in some cases, other small towns not very far removed. For 

 example, the Berlin suburban intercourse includes Spandau (8 

 miles), Kopenick (9 miles), and Potsdam (15 miles) ; the Leipzig 

 includes Markranstadt (8 miles) ; the Frankfort-on-Main includes 

 Homburg (10 miles), Hanau (13 miles), and Mayence (20 miles). 

 For this suburban intercourse an additional yearly subscription or 

 a fee per communication has to be paid. The connecting lines 

 between these district centres are metallic circuits. 



3. Long-distance internal trunk communication. Herein 

 the policy of the Imperial Administration must be acknowledged to 

 be most liberal and praiseworthy. The charge for three minutes is 

 50 pfennige (5^.) up to about thirty kilometers the exact distance 

 varying in different districts and i mark (is.) for any distance 

 beyond. This means that between any two connected points of 

 the German Empire (excepting Bavaria and Wiirtemberg) a three 

 minute conversation may be had for one shilling. The trunk 

 system is already very extensive, and is growing every month. It 

 has penetrated to every corner of Germany, from the Baltic to the 

 Neckar, and from Saxony to the North Sea and the frontiers of 

 France. Already the distances which may be spoken over exceed 

 450 miles. 



The Imperial Administration admits urgent or express talks 

 over the trunk lines at triple the unit charge. No talk may be 

 prolonged beyond three minutes if the line is wanted by others. 

 When orders given for trunk communications cannot be executed 

 for reasons beyond the control of the Administration the caller 

 must pay a whole unit fee. Such reasons include the failure of 

 the called subscriber to answer, or the absence of the caller at the 

 moment when the connection is ready. When a communication 

 cannot be given at once, the caller may cancel it at any time before 

 the operator has asked the distant station for it ; if that stage has 

 been reached, the caller must pay whether he speaks or not. 



