The Republican journal., 1910-09-08
IFARM TELEPHONES AS VIEWED IN
THE CITY.

The interest with which the farm telephone
movement is viewed in the cities is certain
indication Of the Importance Of the idea Of the
spread Of Communication among rural resi-.
dents. The following editorial on this subject
recently appeared in the New York CONNER
cial:
In all the present day agitation of the ques-
tion Of the necessity for getting portion of
our swarming and congested urban populations
black to the farms, the argument against the
alleged impracticability; briefly, that the aver
age man or woman will always be found pre-
ferring roof and a dry crust in the city to a
comfortable home, good clothes and an album
dance to eat and drink in the country.
There is good deal in the contention, it
largely of the fact that country life in years
comparatively recent has undergone a most
wonderful improvement, has experienced an
almost complete metamorphosis.
Today nothing of Importance in the doings
of the world escapes the knowledge Of the
to learn about it. The telegraph starts the
news going, the country telephone does the
rest.
By the use of the country telephone Ameri-
can farmers can, and do constantly, prevent
gluts of produce at the nearby markets; BY
ILLS lnS8u0 tucy Keep Ia tOuCn WITH produce
market quotations the country over, the sys-
tenn saves them millions of dollars s year in
the aggregate in preventing the destruction
of perishable products through over-accumu-
lation in local markets, and in thousand and
one ways the rural telephone contributes to
American farmer. This is particularly true of
the vast agricultural regions of the West and
Southwest
/ Speaking of the latter section specifically
the Texas Commercial. Secretaries Association
says in recent bulletin: Statistics show that
the growth Of the telephones among the farm
ers during che past five years has been ire
mendous. Statements by the farmers them
selves are to the effect that they prize their
. telephone as much as they do their rural deliv-
| cry. There are many corporations, private
! ownerships and individuals today engaged in
| the business of supplying the telephone needs
of the Southwest. They, one and ALL should
receive such encouragement as their energy,
courage and capital invested warrant.
"While providing for the telephone needs of
/ the Southwest has progressed greatly during
the past few years, nevertheless the necessi-
| ties of our people have as yet by no means
been cared for. tremendous amount of
money as well as courage and energy is yet
| needed in the telephone field. The problem
will not have been solved as long as there is a
single farmer in the Southwest whose home
has not this modern utility in it."
Inc southwest IS no exception There are
| hundreds of thousands of fertile acres in the
| Middle and New England States today only
| waiting the tickle of the intelligent farmers
| pillow, hoe and rake to make them as profitable
Get out into the soil, produce something, sell
it, pocket your profits, and don't forget to put
in telephone.
Many farmers are now planning to install
this valuable telephone service, for nearly all
realize the benefits to which this editorial
writer refers. The fact that farmers can do
nearly all of the work of construction and in
stallation themselves makes the improvement
an easy one for them to undertake.
The spread of the rural telephone idea in the
past couple of years is indicated by the sales
figures of the Western Electric Company, the
largest manufacturer of telephones in the
world, which reports that in the past twenty
months it has sold over quarter million rural
telephones.
The telephone connection on the farm is of
the utmost Importance, as nearly everyone
nowadays realizes.