304 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 



The internal trunk lines are, as a rule, of hard-drawn copper 

 of from 2 to 2 '5 mm. diameter. They are metallic circuits, and 

 are crossed, not twisted : the crossing is properly carried out, 

 and the lines are consequently quite free from overhearing and 

 inductive noises. Translators are, of course, placed between 

 the metallic circuits and the subscribers' single wires. The inter- 

 national trunk to Stockholm, unlike all the others, was erected 

 and is maintained by the Norwegian Government on the Norse 

 side of the frontier. Unlike all the others, too, it is twisted so 

 as to complete a revolution at every eighth pole. On the 

 Norwegian side it is wholly composed of 3*3 mm. hard-drawn 

 copper. The line is understood to be quite silent and the speak- 

 ing very good. 



PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 



In Christiania the foremen receive 4^. 6^/., the skilled wire- 

 men from 35. to 4-i\, and the labourers from 2s. 6d. to 3^. per 

 working day of nine hours. 



PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 



After two years of training and occasional employment as 

 reserve operators, during which time they are paid by the hour, 

 girls are appointed to the permanent staff at a salary of 2/. 15^. *jd. 

 per month ; after two years' service the pay is advanced to 

 3/. is. \d. per month ; and subsequently, by two-yearly increments 

 of $s. 6d. per month, to 3/. ijs. &/,, which is the maximum for a 

 simple operator. The daily work is six hours. They take turns 

 at night and Sunday duty without extra pay. 



STATISTICS 



In Christiania town there are (November 1894) 4,174 instru- 

 ments in connection with the exchange, of which 3,786 are on 

 direct wires. Including the suburbs, the number of instruments 

 is 4,627. 



