282 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



capital expenditure was 6,ooo/. ; the annual income, 1,2407. ; the 

 working expenses and maintenance, i,ooo/. ; and the profits 2407., 

 equal to 4 per cent, on the capital. This is a good specimen of 

 what may be done by a municipality owning its own telephones. 

 It cannot be said that the cheapness is due to indifferent work, 

 because the lines are well constructed of bronze wire strung on 

 substantial wooden and iron poles and standards, while the 

 switch-boards are Ericsson's make, as are also most of the sub- 

 scribers' instruments. The municipality, as controlling the roads 

 and streets, may have some advantage over a company in the 

 matter of way-leaves, but it possesses no rights over private 

 property. It must be remembered, too, that, unlike the practice 

 in many of the Norwegian systems, the Trondhjem subscribers' 

 instruments are provided by the exchange and are included in 

 the subscription. 



The Bergen (population 53,000) exchange was begun in 1882 

 by a local company, and is noteworthy as being the first in 

 Norway in connection with which the subscribers were required 

 to pay for their own instruments. These are sold to them by the 

 company, and their purchase amounts in effect to an entrance 

 fee, similar to that payable in Sweden, of some 2/. ics. The 

 maintenance of the instruments after erection is included in the 

 annual subscription. In Bergen itself the company finds and 

 maintains the lines, but subscribers located outside the town have 

 to pay the first cost of their wires according to a distance scale. 

 The annual subscription, which, with the above-noted exceptions, 

 is an inclusive one, is 3/. 8s. ioj^7. per annum, both in town and 

 country. For this, day and night service is given, and the 

 company can afford to assign its girl operators a maximum 

 duty of six hours daily. At December 31, 1894, the number of 

 subscribers was 1,439, renting 1,516 instruments, of which 35 

 were connected to country branch switch-rooms. The capital 

 expended on construction to the same date was io,46o/. In 1893 

 the total income was 4,2447. ; in 1894, 4,6217., out of which, after 

 paying all expenses and providing for the maintenance of the 

 system, the usual dividend of 6 per cent, per annum was paid to 

 the shareholders. The instruments used are magnetos of the 

 best type, and the equipment generally is creditable. A con- 



