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exchange, while another has perhaps two or three. Thus the basic impulse feehas been deducted from the previous automatic charge, and local calls arecharged on a time basis.The local fee in Mariehamn is now 2 marks a minute, and for calls to ruraldistricts 5 marks a minute—the same charge as within the rural network.The tariffs of the manual group are 15 marks per 3 minute call to ruraldistricts and 5 marks per local call.When the ARM 50 stage was taken into use, 5-digit numbering was adoptedthroughout the entire automatic area including Mariehamn. By this meansMariehamn. which is growing steadily at a rate of nearly 100 subscribers ayear, was assured of an adequate number reserve. At the same time thefuture connection of the outlying islands to the automatic area will be ableto take place without friction.Staff PolicyAn important role in any reconstruction project of this magnitude, involvinglarge investments and difficulty in obtaining capital, is played by thestaff, whose competence and proficiency will have a decisive effect on thefinal success. Special attention must be paid to the powers of leadership,sense of responsibility and proficiency of foremen and others in keypositions. If the care of pole lines, cables and exchange equipment—not tomention stores, office work and motor vehicles—can be entrusted to capablehands, the managing director and chief engineer will be freed from manyunnecessary worries and the company will save substantial sums every year.Thought must likewise be devoted to the training of craftsmen and to thequestion of how to get trained staff to remain in the company's service. Itmay be pointed out here that Alands Telefonandelslag pays 50 % of the costof correspondence courses taken by its employees whenever such studies areconsidered of benefit to the company. In addition, the company pays for thetraining of capable fitters at Helsinki and Stockholm.With a view to binding the staff to the company, all salaried employees 24years of age and with 3 years in the company's service are granted a pensioninsurance. The insurance includes full retiring age pension in addition toinvalidity and family pension and funeral expenses. The company pays 2 /3,and the employee Vs. of the premium. The employee's share amounts on anaverage to 6 % of his salary. Other social benefits, such as staff housing etc.,are provided as far as the company's finances permit.Public RelationsAn important factor—perhaps the most important for successful operation—is good relations with subscribers. A speedy trouble clearing service, politenesson the part of repairmen, the production of visible results, and anefficient information service in regard to all changes affecting subscribers,are examples of the means to strengthen these relations.—At a later stage asystem of systematic observation of traffic conditions should be started, basedon statistics, and the results should be used to maintain the quality of serviceabove a minimum level of profitability and satisfaction to subscribers.By the time Alands Telefonandelslag has completed the mechanization ofits area in 1960, it will have roughly 4,000 dial subscribers. Of the remainingmagneto subscribers, it should be possible to link up the 300 Foglo lineswith the rest of the network. Under present conditions, on the other hand,it is hardly conceivable that the 400 P.T.T. subscribers in the outerarchipelago can be put on dial service without great financial sacrifice. Buttechnical progress is rapid, and within a few years the conditions will bechanged by the electrification of the archipelago—a fundamental condition forthe fullscale conversion of this part of the area to automatic working.13