444 THE INDIANV EMPIRE [CHAP.
ments of Government; and, where the requirements of the
public in this direction cannot be met by private companies, it
also undertakes the provision of telephones for municipalities
and other local bodies, as well as for private customers. The
following figures show the extent of the departmental opera-
tions in telephone work, excluding systems supplied for the
use of railways or canals:-
YEAR. No. of No. of No of private Amount of
YAR. echages. exo h.ofiace yearly sub-
|ex YER c exchanges line offices. o
e, onnextons. _ s criptions.
Rs.
1882 8 56 I47 40,o69
1890 13 93 224 53,794
9goo 46 401 555 1,6I,127
1903 71 838 708 1,95,692
Indo- The Indo-European Telegraph department has charge of
European that portion of the system of telegraphs between England and-
Telegraph Karachi which is owned by the Government of India. It
ment. includes: (i) The Persian Gulf section, which runs from
Karachi to the head of the Persian Gulf, and connects the
Indian telegraph lines, which terminate at Karachi, with the
Persian section at Bushire and the Turkish telegraphs at Fao.
The system consists of one cable and an overhead line from
Karachi to Jask, about 660 miles west of Karachi, and of
cables thence to the head of the Persian Gulf. There is also
a cable from Maskat which connects with the system at Jask.
(ii) The Persian section, which runs from Bushire, through
Shiraz and Ispahan, to Teheran, consists of an overhead line
worked under a concession from the Persian Government.
The duties of the Persian section include the maintenance of
the Persian Government line from Teheran to Meshed, and of
the line now being constructed from Kashan to the Baluchistan
frontier, via Yezd and Kerman.
The Indo-European Telegraph department is under the
direct control of the Secretary of State for India, and is
administered by a Director-in-Chief who has his head-quarters
in London. The Persian Gulf and the Persian sections are
each under a Director, with head-quarters at Karachi and
Teheran respectively.
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