' ':"** -B^vr 



248 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



Britain at least as early as 1881, six years before any trunks were 

 erected in Holland. Advantage has been taken of the railways 

 for the later extensions. The Netherlands Bell Company likes tall 

 poles for its trunks, and on some routes there are long stretches of 

 5o-feet poles, which lift the wires well above the trees. Fig. 90 

 shows a Dutch trunk route with 54-feet poles. The wire used 

 is 3 mm. hard copper, and the insulators are large double-shed 

 white porcelain. The wires are crossed, not twisted, but the 

 Dutch Government is understood to contemplate the twisting of 

 the projected international trunk line to Belgium as far as the 

 frontier. The Netherlands Bell Company, which is to construct 

 the line, well aware of the uselessness and drawbacks of such a pro- 

 ceeding, has protested and may succeed in getting the intention 

 altered. The speaking over the trunks is very good, but the 

 distances are not, of course, great. 



PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 



Foremen receive from 3 to 4 florins (4$. \\d. to 6s. 7^.) per 

 day ; skilled wiremen, 4^. zd. ; and labourers, 3*96^. per hour. 

 When working away from home the men's actual expenses are 

 paid. Working hours are from 7 A.M. till 6 P.M., with one and a 

 half hours off for meals. 



PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 



Girls, when taken on at the age of seventeen years, receive 

 6s. 7</. per week, and rise by degrees to gs. io\d. as ordinary 

 operators. The average pay of this class at Amsterdam is at 

 present Ss. $d. per week. - The trunk operators and those who 

 attend at the telegraph office for the telephoning of telegrams are 

 required to understand English, German, and French in addition 

 to their own language, and are paid from i6s. 6d. to 195. 9^. 

 per week, according to length of service. These amounts include 

 a small premium payable on each telegram handled without error. 

 Applicants for vacancies must produce high-school certificates of 

 intelligence and industry. 



