Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-08-21
AItxamntia 6azettt.
FRIDAi EVENING. AUG. 81. 1908.
French Subscribers Protest
AGAINST State Service.


AGAINST State Service.
From day to day the telephone crisis
grows worse. In spite OF the promises
of the administration, the subscribers
have experienced no notable improve
ment in the wretched telephone serv-
ice Nor does the future appear any
more promising than the present.
The Association OF Telephone Sub
scribers has now been at work FOR
four wears. and no one can accuse ~
of having lacked In good VIII. pa
thence and dlslnterestedness. We have
studied the telephone question IN place
of an administration asleep IN routine
with the assistance OF eminent spe'
cialists of France and foreign coun-
tries we have established programme
of reform.
This programme NJ Berard promised
10 study, but he only eluded the ques-
ton and made the subscribers a source
of ridicule. His successor, NJ. Simyan'
has studied the problem, having recog-
nized its utility and urgency, ana
adopted it entirely in principle Un-
fortunately the draft of law which ne
presented is absolutely imperfect and
inapplicable, due both to tho wording
and to the opposition that the propc
sition has already met In 1e chamber
and the systematic hostility IL the al
ministration.
Again, parliament by itself Is power
less to reform the telephone service
and to put on foot rational and CO.
herent project. for the administration
will not furnish the necessary informa'
ton.
We thus have a complete failure OF
reform.
To be patient any longer In the pres
ence OF this lamentable failure OF the
administration is impossible. An ener-
gettc and radical remedy is necessary
for an anarchic situation. We DO not
any longer care for promises which are
never fulfilled and which after four
years Of delay and waiting end In TO-
tai ruin.
Our telephone service continues from
bad to worse. Our instruments are
the most defective in existence. They
make us the laughingstock OF the
civilized world.
AS a matter of fact, the state Is aD'
solutely powerless to exploit the teie,
phone. a most delicate business and
one of a peculiar nature.
The State 10 Incapable From a Finan'
eiai Point Of View.
To provide telephone service sur
6cient for present needs and to assist
its future for p iris as well as the
provinces many hundreds OF millions
OF francs will be required.
The financial requirements and
budget appropriations will not permit
the state to make such an effort.
Again, the proposition now before
the government calls for only $S.4OO,'
900 In six annual payments. One might
as well throw a drop Of water into the
ocean.
The State 10 Incapable From q Tech
meal Point Of View.
The state has proved its inefhciency
to rapidly put on foot rational and
practical plan Of reform. The slow
ness and complication of administra'
tive routine. the inertia Of the bureau
Gratis. do not permit Of timely and
thorough adoption Of improvements
realized by science. BY the time II
has been decided to install new sys-
tenn 1t is already old and has been re-
placed by another.
The State lie Incapable on Account Of
the Personnel.
The state can neither choose nor suit
ably direct the personnel charged with
this extremely delicate work required
for repairing the apparatus and giving
| exchange connections.
The recruiting is made by recommen'
| dalton.
The personnel Is disguised at the
shameless favoritism which crops out
at every point.
Under such conditions we need not
be astonished II the work Is incom-
petent.
The State is incompetent From
Commercial Point Of View.
The state has neither commercial
nor industrial aptitude. 1t Is equally
ignorant Of the cost price and the re
turns Of the telephone service. The
personnel, life employees, advance au
tomatically and are not interested In
the development and efficiency Of the
service.
Instead of trying to increase Its pat
ronage the administration does every
thing possible to drive away new sub
scribers.
What would we think Of merchant
who should be afraid Of having too
many patrons?
These are the causes Of the failures
Of the administration, and there Is but
one remedy:
The telephone can only be reorgan-
lied with the aid of private industry.
Up to the present we had not pro
posed this solution. We still treasured
the Illusion Of the reform which the
government could make. We had 10y
ally tried to collab0rate with 1t, to
calm the enraged subscribers. Today,
after the last and striking avowal OF
ineficiency which the administration
has given, the measure is overAowing.
Therefore the state needs the CO