Italy 263 



leaves, for it decrees that telephone wires may be passed without 

 fixing over both public and private lands and properties, or in 

 front of buildings provided the view from windows or other 

 openings is not interfered with. But no wires may be fixed to a 

 building without the consent of the proprietor interested, while 

 the local authority is given power to rate such fixtures for the 

 benefit of its funds. Concessionaries are warned that when it is 

 necessary to fix telephone wires to public monuments which have 

 an artistic or historical value, it will be necessary to take steps to 

 protect the said monuments from damage, and to preserve their 

 artistic effect. Evidently all faith in human nature has not 

 departed from the Italian Parliament when it is willing to trust 

 its public monuments to the artistic taste of telephone men, even 

 though they be countrymen of Michael Angelo, in want of a way- 

 leave. 



SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS' 

 INSTRUMENTS 



With a separate company in almost every town, the practice 

 as regards switch-boards and instruments is naturally very mixed. 

 French apparatus is used to a considerable extent, many of the 

 concessionary companies being of French origin ; but there is 

 also much of English, American, Swiss, Belgian, and German 

 manufacture. The Societa Telefonica Lombarda (Telephone 

 Company of Lombardy), one of the largest and most progressive 

 of the companies, has a multiple board for 1,600 single lines,, 

 supplied by the Western Electric Company, at its Milan exchange. 

 The board, which possesses no special features, is now (February 

 1895) nearly full, there being 1,450 subscribers connected to it. 

 The same company at its Como and Monza exchanges has non- 

 multiple boards made by the Officina Elettrica de Milano after 

 English models. The subscribers' instruments in these towns 

 comprise magneto, back-board, battery-box, Blake transmitter and 

 Bell receiver, all of the type and arrangement familiar in Great 

 Britain. Called subscribers are rung by the operator. At Brescia, 

 where there are metallic circuits, the Hipp form of Runnings 

 transmitter, without induction coil, is used. The operators are 



