The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-03-16
Telephones
A National
r quire' ent

tsfA IA, 2 = ~ 3 4 ~ - n
In q recent interview Mr.. I. II Kin
,nasd vice president and general a y
Iaser OF the Central DStrist Telephone,
COMPANY sad: q
81 The question as to whet herS or not
The telephone systems Of, this couns
Itry. shall be taken over by the govern!
Iment-wliich question will be .aasS
Iwered by the people and by them
;alone==--resolyes itself into this single
INQUIRY: what is best for the body
lpublie?e .g'si (, 4
AS first consideration IL would
seem that the American public must
take counsel with itself as to tho
probability Of the federal govern
ment's maintaining tho high standard
of telephone service which now OBJ
tains in this country: for good tele:;
phone service II must and will have.
As q nation, America Is gladly pay.
Ing for speed and efficiency, comfort
and even luxury in its public SERVICE
the best Is none too good, and never,
will be. Particularly as to means Of,
transportation either Of goods or per-
SONS, o..5Wri1teh words or speech. s.he
ent and extension ofgracilities impera.
tive. Thoroughly efficient and salts.
ias as teiephohe service Il Is demand ~ (
81, aha-pecause lthat Is I me th onl2
.sanaara our business and social . tde;
se.opnfent lstoiera.eTSsne american
people aFe disposed " pay tair price
for .,, y: 81 al, Il
iIsreln 40 o.stfneySol Nttel rom theit
,elsap9 across tile sea. Ine l4ot's
aonefS ~ the rarlsiaa VII endure ln;
aineFent telephone service stt only il
y cheap. rs sa2rnle s.he sanestionFot
increasing tae 9aial ny alstarps nm not
= oitl so long as tine cost Is low ana
SO 50. iong 81 We service does not de-
terloFate 70 qplte ythat level winch mas
recently callea torth sthe widespread
ihois snia1Tes ana protest sot several
european nations:
on me otner Hhano, me telephone
service &c q TINS country y the best in 4
y tue world: foreigners WHO have used
u g shot hesl,a!e Y agree: ~ y pet
yer, not merely because TINS country
mas the biggest switch ooards, or the
longest lines, OF inc pest framed on,
Grating loree, out because !, IS mos s',
wiSely sya Is ele anu l.ost @iasis use "
VIVA, s.h a,s 'AMericah people nave Sae'
inahaea ano 5recelsyea y me most use
lul !tetephohe. service. ina. mas lpeeh
.heir principal demand ,siorS i mas peen
ta se1,,jI most essential requirement.
Mhat mas neenstne result!
onr american AN sit.s, !elspnone systems
nave siett iar hehind .their government,
owned ltait.etprs y europe, "a! 4pel9l:l
y Y ryS,espeet-ss e., !aeyespmeat
anu ayallaaiPlllllats, w ;ynitea states
now mas approximately .oSo OIL an Tue
,eiephohes IN tne world aithoaen y
W., -, :, :, ,,.na M, i
w nase !eh limes 1s eseat Y aenseiopi
m zen per htnnldred popai!atlon as Eu.
rope mas and this III, IT. spite 81 the fast
mat our popllatiqon ts; n comparison 1lp's.1,
sparse ana widely scattered sess, Is I,
sIhe telephone service OF this eonn \.
Try ;tls as consp 3 cue prompt as
Fsuropes Is notori lt,las SLOW. Local
connections sti', which are made IN "a Few
seeosnas mere are very often FOUND 70
take as many minutes over there. Tshte g
loetng ois !stf service peltween Lendon
asna Parts y SUBJECT % walt 81 sixty
minutes: between LONDON and l Liver:
pool, twenty minutes: between Berlin aSli1
and Paris, thirty:tiye minutes, and
correspondingly long delays are soe:
easioned on calls between practically
all ofthe large cities on the continent i:
On the other liant, but five and q
half Eminutes-on the ;ayerage-elapse
between the time Of = long distance
sell telephone message In this country
In - GSs p