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Show I EUROPEAN , TELEPHONES. After an experiment in government ' operation extending over a period of : nineteen years, the Italian telephone system was returned to private con-j con-j trol. An Associated Press dispatch giv- ing news of the change stated that the government had failed to extend the system in keeping with the increased in-creased requirements, and that the service had deteriorated to a marked mark-ed degree, hence the demand for private pri-vate operation. In taking this step, Italy followed follow-ed the example of Greece and Spain, which countries earlier relinquished government control of telephones. Poland Po-land has transferred a number of its exchanges in the larger cities to private pri-vate corporations in which the government gov-ernment is only a minority stock- holder. The telephone systems of Norway, Sweden and Denmark, said to be among the best in Europe, have al- I ways been largely controlled by private pri-vate interests. While in the United States the tele- i phone has been a favorite topic for jokesmiths, we have incomparably the greatest system in the world, both in extent and efficiency of service. We have 14 telephones for each 100 population, popu-lation, while Canada has 11, Denmrak 8, Sweden 7, Norway 6, Australia 5, Germany 4. Great Britain less than 3, France less than 2. Omaha has more telephones in pro- j portion to population than any other j city in the world, having 3o telephones tele-phones to every 100 inhabitants. In the development of this important impor-tant public utility, at least, it appears ap-pears that the principle of private i ownership has been amply vindicated. |