The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-04-22
The American Telephone Industry.

Announcer pTOIHlIleHI IePI eoeHeoCiNe VI
foreign industry who came to this coun-
try to study the American way Of doing
things, has returned home filled with
wonder and admiration at American
methods, energy and cleverness.
The latest case is that of Mr.. Far
randa, director of the Telephone Com
pany of Rome, Italy. He came here
during the latter part of last year to
study telephone conditions in the more
important cities of this country. The
interesting results of his investigation
have made the easy-going Romans we'll
nigh incredulous.
Rome has about 5000 telephone sub
scribers, so when Mr.. Farranda reported
New York as having 80, 900 subscribers,
and telephone calls averaging 1,25O, 600
daily, these being sent through So ex-
changes, which are operated directly or
indirectly by $1,000 employees, it was
quite beyond the understanding Of the
Romans Many of these exchanges In
] New OIh, lie Illus, tidNC HWY oStoSSAAS
ers than there are in the whole city of
Rome.
/ Notwithstanding the fact that the tele-
phone business has reached such enor-
nous proportions, it nevertheless seems
to meet with the approval Of subscrib-
ers. These have increased more rapidly
than the population of the city. For ex-
ample, in 1900 there were but Sc, 900 tele
phone subscribers in New York, whereas
the population of the city at that time,
as given by Mr.. Farranda, was 5000, 900.
In 1905, the total number of subscribers
reached 100, 1000, while the population of
the city touched the four million mark.
In 1908, the telephone subscribers num-
bered $1,000 an increase over 1905 OF
approximately 60 per cent. The popula-
ton of the city in 1908 was 1900, 900.
Nor is this remarkable development of
telephony confined to New York. Mr..
Farranda finds that telephone subscrib-
ers in Chicago number 156, 900, Philadel-
phia 1O1, 500 and Boston 101, 900.
In an interview in leading italian
newspaper Mr.. Farranda stated that
many reasons could be advanced for the
high degree of perfection reached by the
telephone service in the United States,
among them being:
1.-THE number of employees is not the
sole cause for the regularity of service.
1t is to discipline that the good results
must be attributed, and which makes the
system so perfect. Fines are imposed on
those employees who break the rules the
first time, and they are dismissed from
the service for the second offense. Not
withstanding the discipline, telephone
girls seem we'll satisfied with their posi-
ton and telephone companies have less
trouble with them than they do in Rome
1.-The primary reason for good service
is the installation and the type of appar-
atus used, which is manufactured by the
Western Electric Company. 1t is of
simple construction, easily taken apart
and repaired.
Mr.. Farranda caused great astonish-
ment by the statement that New York
and Chicago, separated by distance Of
something like 1900 kilometres, are con-
nected by telephone, and that for a three
minutes conversation between the two
cities charge of four dollars is made.
cit is a good DEAL" said Mr.. Farranda,
"but l assure you transmission is mar
melous, as made the experiment myself
and was astounded.''