F.—9

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service subscription covers an unlimited number of local calls, but not trunk calls, which niusl in all cases be paid for at the usual tariff, the charge varying according to distance. There will be no unlimited-service rate for "ten-party lines." Agreements are, as a rule, for three years, but where the work of construction is specially expensive, agreements for a longer period may be required, and some additional charge beyond the tariff charge may be necessary. Extension lines are not provided in connection with party lines. Special Conditions of the Service. 1. A portion of a " party line " is in every case used in common by two or more subscribers. The premises to be connected by a party line must lie in the same direction from an exchange. 2. A subscriber shall not be entitled to interrupt or otherwise interfere with the conversation of any other subscriber connected with the same party line. When one of the subscribers to a party line is speaking over the circuit, no local calls for the other subscribers can be effected. 3. But the Postmaster-General reserves to himself the right to interrupt any local conversation of a subscriber if a trunk call is received from or for any other subscriber connected with the same party line. 4. Secrecy between the several subscribers connected with a party line cannot be given. In the County of London the rates of subscription for exchange circuits are as follows: — I. Ordinary message-rate service: — (a.) Charges for connection with any exchange in the County of London within two miles of the subscriber's premises:— £ s. d. Annual subscription ... ... ... ... ... 500 Message fees: Id. for each call to a subscriber on any exchange in the County of London ; 2d. for each call to a subscriber on any exchange outside the County of London but within the London area. (6.) Charges for connection with any exchange outside the County of London within two miles of the subscriber's premises: — Annual subscription ... ... ... ... ... 400 Message fees: Id. for each call to a subscriber on the same exchange; 2d. for each call to a subscriber on any other exchange in the London area. The minimum yearly amount payable by each subscriber for message fees is ... ... ... ... ... 1100 11. Party-line message-rate service: — Annual subscriptions: — («.) For connection with any exchange, except the Central Exchange, by means of a line used by not more than two subscribers ... ... ... ... ... 300 (b.) For connection with any exchange outside the County of London by means of a line used by more than two and not more than ten subscribers ... ... ... ... 200 Subscriptions at party-line rates cannot be accepted from subscribers on the Central Exchange, or at the lower party-line rate from subscribers on any exchange in the County of London. Message fees for calls originated by party-line subscribers will be the same as for calls by subscribers at the ordinary message rate, but the minimum yearly amount payable for message fees by each party-line subscriber is ... ... ... ... ... 300 111. Unlimited service: — Annual subscriptions for connection with any exchange within two miles of the subscriber's premises, together with an unlimited number of calls :—- --(a.) For the first line ... ... ... ... ••• 17 0 0 (6.) For each additional line connecting any premises of the same subscriber with an exchange ... ... 14 0 0 IV. Call-office fee: — For any call from a call office to any subscriber in the London area, for each period of three minutes .... ... ... ... 0 0 2 V. Additional annual charges: — (a.) Where the premises of any subscriber at the ordinary message rate or at the limited-service rate are more than two miles from the exchange, for every additional quarter of a mile ... 1 5 0 (6.) Where the main circuit of a party line exceeds two miles in length, for each additional quarter of a mile, for each subscriber ... ... ... •• ■■• ■■• 010 0 (c.) Where the spur circuit of a party line exceeds 220 yards in length, for each additional quarter of a mile, for the subscriber served by the spur circuit ... ... ■ 150