handle in an intermediate position. The intermediate positions- f the starting ay
devices of large motors must be perceptible and clearly visible. NE
13. Motors which have to run a driving gear must preferably ‘esr »d offi
a loose belt pulley or with uncoupled friction clutch. The electricis smvice ~
may require this in special cases. Lo
14. In dusty places, entirely inclosed motors with radiator or a cooling device
or motors which absorb cool air should be preferred.
X-RAY AND THERAPEUTIC EQUIPMENT

2

nt

The standing of the medical profession is high in the Netherland
East Indies, and consequently there is a good but limited market
for X-ray and therapeutic equipment. Prior to 1927 German manufacturers
 controlled this market. In that year, however, an Amercan
 firm making this class of equipment appointed a large engineering
concern as its representative and assigned a factory representative
to the Netherland East Indies to work with its agent. The results
have been encouraging, and at present the agents have realized the
possi of the line to the extent of carrying a representative
stock.
Despite the fact that the prices of the American equipment are
more than double those of similar German and Dutch equipment
(the latter has only recently been introduced), its popularity is
increasing because of various features not included in other machines
and because of the policy of the local agents in giving free service.
Sales have been helped considerably by demonstrations in charge of
a trained factory technical man before prominent Government officials
 and physicians. American firms manufacturing this type of
equipment and desirous of marketing it in the Netherland East
Indies could hardly hope to do so by correspondence alone. The
3 companies that at present control the market, 1 American,
1 German, and 1 Dutch company, all have their own salesmen
in Java.
ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION
TELEPHONES

Local telephone companies have been in operation in the Netherland
 East Indies since 1884, when private companies opened exchanges
 in Batavia, Surabaya, and Semarang. These plants were
later taken over and operated by the Government, which at the
present time owns and operates all the telephone service of the islands
with the exception of the lines owned by the Deli Railway Co. on
the northeast coast of Sumatra. At the end of 1928 there were 45,201
subscribers to Government telephones. During that year local calls
totaled 73,000,000, while long-distance calls totaled 2,131,643. The
revenue from the Government telephone service amounted to 11,219,-121
 florins in 1928.
Although experiments have been conducted with American telephone
 apparatus and some has been installed in the islands, the
majority of the equipment comes from Germany. Most of the local
plants have only simple magneto switchboards. At the end of 1928
the following types of local plants were employed by the Government
telephone service:
Common-battery, multiple-manual switchboards____..___.__..___________
Common-battery, multiple-manual switchboard with automatic selective
cord switching