Norway 281 



lines beyond the immediate precincts of the town, a policy which 

 gave umbrage to the country folk, who wanted to share in the 

 benefits flowing from telephonic communication, and ultimately 

 led to the formation of the Drammen Uplands Telephone Com- 

 pany, which obtained a concession for a tract of country around 

 Drammen measuring 230 kilometers from north to south and 

 extending over five counties, forming the largest concessionary 

 tract in Norway. It began business in June 1890, and at 

 December 31, 1894, owned 24 switch-rooms, 2,500 kilometers 

 of routes, comprising 770 kilometers of poles and i, 080 kilometers 

 of metallic circuits, all for the benefit of 292 subscribers. The 

 principal places within its area are the townlets of Kongsberg 

 and Honefros. The annual subscription, which is inclusive, and 

 covers lines not exceeding two kilometers in length, is 5/. i is. id., 

 for which sum free communication over the whole of the com- 

 pany's area is allowed. Up to December 31, 1894, the system 

 had cost 9,8 1 5/., and the receipts for 1894 amounted to 2,3327., 

 the repairs to 373/., and the net profit to 7527. Since its com- 

 mencement the company has regularly paid a dividend of 6 

 per cent. Last year 900 kilometers of new line were run. The 

 success of this Drammen Uplands Telephone Company is most 

 interesting, and most creditable to the managers. The company 

 has shown how a large tract of sparsely populated country, 

 containing nothing larger than a village, can be telephoned and 

 maintained year after year at a handsome profit. It is a lesson 

 which the author fears will nevertheless be quite without effect on 

 the British Post Office. It should be added that the whole of 

 the Uplands system is in trunk communication with Drammen 

 town, Christiania, and the network of lines radiating therefrom. 



The third exchange established in Norway was that of 

 Trondhjem (population 30,000), commenced in 1881 by a private 

 concessionary, and worked by him until 1889, when it was pur- 

 chased by the Town Council for 1,6507. At that time it numbered 

 315 subscribers ; in October 1894 these had increased to 700. 

 The rate, which is an inclusive one and represents all the expense 

 for which a subscriber is liable, is only 27. IQS. per annum for 

 business connections, and i7. 55. for private houses within a 

 radius of one and a half kilometers. At the end of 1892 the total 



