Milford chronicle., 1905-06-02
TaE TELEPHONE AND TIE FARMER.
Some New and Valuable Utilities
Brought to the Front.

Nothing so favorably characterizes the
tendencies OF the presen: day as the increas-
ing ability OF the agricultural classes to util-
izs all the best appliances Of modern eiviliza-
ton. When the telephone was hrst intro
duced, about 25 years ago, no one could have
imagined that II would ever be more than a
convenient instrument for the transaction OF
business in large cities, but It may already be
classed among the actual necessaries OF the
progressive farmers existence.
| One OF the uses TO which the rural telephone
may be applied is that Of facilitating the al
ready marvellous efficiency OF the farmers
free delivery service. II has been noticed
that telephones follow rural delivery With re-
markable prom mptaess-mOre than 10000 tel
ephones having been placed in farming dis
tricts along routes followed by the postal
carriers within three years. To connect this
with the postal service, it is not necessary for
the government TO build Its own lines but II
is proposed to issue special telephone
stamp" which will enable the farmer to ad-
dress a message to the postm at the rail-
road station from which the carrier starts
which message will be forwarded and the re-
ply transmitted without burdensOme charge
for tb8 ssfpies.s
~
Fairbanks 6yi Speech IN the Senate, in which
be strongly urged The employment OF tele-
phones for delivering emergent letters or let
ters OF special i'm pOrtance, under such condi-
tlons as to impose no additional expense
upon the government, but on the contrary,
to yield a revenue.
Something of this sort is now carried on
in large city postohices, where telephones are
used to expedite the transmission ofspecial
delivery letters between the central office and
territory covered by postal stations.
Another proposed means OF utilizing tee
phones on a large scale for the benefit OF the
farmers is that OF so connecting them as TO
gain the benefit OF associated effort in utiliz-
ing market reports and handling produce II
Is suggested that through a Farmers National
Telephone System the market requirements
and conditions may be communicated from
a central headquarters daily to recogn zed
agents at numerous division points. Thence
they may be transmitted to individuals in
each territory covered, whereby marketing
produce may be controlled. and the supply
directed to the best markets, each market
being supplied with the maximum It can
consume, ,and no surplus allowed to accumu-
late at any point
The working out OF these suggestions will
be a matter of time and skilful handling
But the fact that the attention ofenterprising
men has turned in this direction shows a
healthful tendency toward still further en-
plOying this most useful Of modern inves-
tious.
The amazing development of the service
in three decades gives premonition of what
may be accomplished within a corresponding
period in the future. In 1880 there was an av-
erage OF 923 persons per telephone II the
United States. In 1902 there was an average
of only "a persons per telephone. The esti-
mated number Of messages transmitted bv
telephone in this country during 1902 was So
times the number of commercial telegraph
messages during the same year, and more
than equalled the humber Of pieces OF first
class mail matter that passed through the
pOstoffices during that year. We have no
authentic statistics OF late date, but we know
the increase has been more rapid since 1902
than ever before.
II will be both interesting and profitable to 7
observe the encouraging developments of the I
telephone service along practical lines which /
will be specially beneficial to the farmers of
the country. THE SENTRY.