352 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



which all the local subscribers are represented by multiple jacks. 

 From this special section proceed calling wires, operated by plugs 

 and indicators, to each of the operators in the trunk switching- 

 room of the State exchange, as well as a sufficient number of 

 metallic circuits reserved for switching through subscribers. The 

 trunk tables at the State exchange, marked i to 6 in the figure, 

 are situated in a separate room and accommodate only four trunks 

 each. A General Company's subscriber wanting a State sub- 

 scriber in another town is plugged through by his own local 

 operator to the special trunk section, where his demand is dealt 

 with by one of several trunk operators. If an immediate con- 

 nection is wanted, it is obtained, if possible, from the State 

 operator at once ; if the subscriber wishes to engage one of the 

 trunks for a certain specified time later in the day, the company's 

 operator negotiates the matter with the State operator and 

 subsequently notifies the caller as to the result. 



The junction wires to the branch switch-rooms, and to the 

 State exchange for Stockholm communications, do not pass 

 through the special trunk section of the board, but each operator 

 at the main board has several direct lines to each of the other 

 switch-rooms through which she obtains the connections asked 

 for by her own set of subscribers. Fig. 120 shows the general 

 arrangements at both the State and the company's exchanges. 

 Effectively, the main difference between the General Company's 

 (double-cord) system and the State's (single-cord) is that no local 

 jack or drop is needed in the latter, the Qoo-ohm indicator serving 

 for both calling and terminating. On the other hand and this 

 complicates and renders the construction much more expensive 

 the key A, with a plug and cord, is needed for every subscriber. 

 The mass of mechanism required for a io,ooo-line board may 

 therefore be imagined. The key A, on being lifted from its 

 normal position of rest, makes a contact which puts on the 

 engaged test. The General Company's connections are much 

 more numerous than those of the State, averaging at least ten per 

 day. Each operator takes one hundred subscribers. As in the 

 State system, the subscribers ring each other and drop the ring-off 

 indicators at least once every connection. The time saved in 

 shunting the ringing from the switch- room to the subscriber's 



