Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-09-30
When one. inexperienced in the art

When one, inexperienced in the art
attempts an address to a convention
of telephone men on telephone matters
he is confronted with three serious
problems. First-how and where to
begin. Second-what to say after ne
begins, and third-when and where to
quit after he has begun.
The first problem, Though not the
greatest, is by no means simple, and
in my efforts to discover starting
point I have made enough false mo-
tons to be the envy of the most ex'
pert jockey. However, l have finally
concluded to solve the problem fol
this time by choosing as my subject "A
Few Essentials in the Operation of a
Telephone Plant"
really feel that the subject Sc
lected shows much foresight on my
part for it is broad enough to take
in anything and everything that one
can urge as beneficial not only to the
owners of a telephone plant but to
the public as we'll.
Having disposed of the first prob
lem l begin to realize that stern
necessity requires that discover
some solution of the second, and now,
the task is even more difficult than
the first. In fact have cast about in
my mind for something 70 say until
l am almost convinced that do not
know, in fact, that no one knows, any
thing about the telephone business
and cannot be expected to know any
thing about it without years of ex'
perience in it. And would be fully
convinced, were it not for the fact
that the public generally and many
state legislatures have decided by vote
and legislation that the old fashioned
idea that study and experience were
the only safe agencies in equipping
one to carry on technical business
is thoroughly exploded, and that IN
this day and age a commission ap-
pointed or elected by political inf1u'
ence has superior ability in the man
agement OF great business interests
of technical character over the men
who have devoted their lives I'm an
effort to perfect themselves along the
lines of that particular business: 80
that it occurs to me that the public
having reached 2 point where it pre-
fers, in the management of public
utilities the ipse dicta of inexperi-
enced men of political influence rather
than the scientific direction of expert
enced men in constant touch with
the business, that an address attempt
ing to tell practical telephone men
how to manage a telephone business,
delivered by one who does not know
q transmitter from a receiver Is right
in line with the present trend of
public opinion.
Not having been able to settle my
mind on what even appears to me
a logical solution of the second prob
lem l have concluded to venture
first, few automatic truths, and
then see If they will lead to some.
thing more.
To begin. Poor telephone service
is worse than no service, for it does
little or no good as utility and
brings about the imperiling of the
soul of all the users. Good telephone
service cannot be furnished except by
the employment of good equipment.
Good equipment will not furnish salts
factory service without the employ
ment of competent operators and
finally-good equipment and compe-
tent operators fail to furnish salts
factory service in a very short time
unless adequate measures are taken
to keep the equipment in proper
condition and pay the operators fair
living salaries. All of this necessi-
tates the exercise of sound judgment
and intelligent supervision on tho
part Of the owners and managing OIL
GERS, which means, among other
things a charge for service furnished
sufficient to pay interest and all ex-
pense charges to make necessary re-
pairs, to lay aside an adequate de-
probation fund and to pay a fair and
reasonable dividend to the stock
holders.
cannot now call to mind any pub
lie service business that is so sensi-
tive 20 public appreciation or con-
demnation as the telephone business.
II We live in a small town where the
postoffice is located Ia some store
and where the store is closed during
the noon hour, and the curtains pulled
with the setting of the sun, We take
it as mere incident of the postal
service and while we may utter a
mental grumble now and then it is
seldom given audible sound. The
mails may be so regulated that they
are carried in and out of our par.
ticular town at unreasonable hours
but we realize that it is impossible
to either go to another postoffice Or
run a competing mail route, and We.
like true philosophers, accept that
which is given US and feel thankful
that it is as much as it is.
We may imagine that We have a
grievance against a railroad company
We may feel that the station master
is short, curt and discourteous. We
are possibly in our minds convinced
that freight rates are higher than
they should be, and that the rules
laid down by the company prescr1b-