Norway 305 



No statistics for the whole of Norway of later date than 1892 

 are forthcoming. In that year the total number of subscribers 

 was returned as 9,490, making use of 10,437 instruments. The 

 total length of their wires was 11,878 kilometers, of which 

 Christiania possessed 4,210, Bergen 1,322, Drammen 355, and 

 Trondhjem 350 kilometers ; and of the trunk lines, 4,908 kilo- 

 meters. The number of exchanges was 175 ; of public telephone 

 stations, 546. The trunk talks numbered 391,966 ; and the tele- 

 grams telephoned 78,323, of which 43,594 were credited to 

 Christiania. The total amount of receipts was 31, 1367. ; of work- 

 ing expenses and repairs, 19,7627. ; and of capital expended in con- 

 struction, 118,7907. The cost of connecting each subscriber, even 

 adding in the cost of the trunks, which we must do as it is not 

 returned separately, was consequently only a little over i2/., truly 

 a marvellous result when it is borne in mind that most of the 

 material and apparatus used had to be imported and to pay duty 

 at the Norwegian Custom House. The figure of 1 2/. per subscriber, 

 however, tallies well with experience in Great Britain when 

 results have not been vitiated by incompetence and mismanage- 

 ment. 



In order to show how a \l, 8s. n</. inclusive rate can be made 

 to pay in a capital city, the accounts of the Christiania Telephone 

 Company for 1893 are, with the kind permission of Mr. Knud 

 Bryn, annexed. 



