428 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



the tapping, and the risk of a premature disconnection that is such 

 a grave defect when the subscribers ring through to each other in 

 the absence of a proper ring-off system. Subscribers who have to 

 leave their instruments for a few minutes to consult books, &c., 

 are warned against touching their bells when ready to recom- 

 mence ; and after having rung -off are counselled not to ring for a 

 new connection before the lapse of half a minute. To help the 

 operators tapping to ascertain the stage which a conversation has 

 reached, subscribers are requested to terminate every question or 

 sentence that is not the final one with the words ' Please answer,' 

 and at the end of the talk to say ' Finished ! ' In asking for suburban 

 and short-trunk talks the caller first mentions the switch-room to 

 which his client is connected, and keeps his telephone to his ear 

 until he finds himself in communication with that switch-room ; 

 he then gives the number and name of the person wanted, and again 

 waits with his telephone to his ear until he hears his friend's voice. 

 In long-trunk talks the subscriber mentions the town, number and 

 name of the person he wants, and hangs up his telephone till 

 his bell sounds. The plan of waiting with telephone to ear 

 is no doubt tiring and trying to the patience, but it is probably 

 the quicker, and more satisfactory in the long run than such a 

 perpetual sounding of bells, mostly without any ascertainable 

 significance, as prevails, for example, in London. At all events it 

 saves the generators and bells from needless wear and tear. But 

 there will be no approach to perfection in telephone switching 

 in Wiirtemberg or anywhere else without a disconnection 

 signal that cannot be confounded with a call or a ring- 

 through. 



HOURS OF SERVICE 



In this particular Wiirtemberg lags behind many other 

 countries conspicuously. Stuttgart exchange is open from 7 A.M. 

 till 10 P.M. all the year round ; the other exchanges, from 7 A.M. in 

 summer, or 8 A.M. in winter, till 6 P.M. This limitation of the ser- 

 vice is regrettable, seeing the many uses to which the telephone 

 is put at night. 



