The evening world., 1914-03-05
phone service q burden on The tax.

sphons service . burden on the tax
payer"
Seven y-four days Of legal proceed
inss occupied The Railway and Canal
Commission In the purchase of the
National Telephone Company system
In the arbitration proceedings.
Also, the placing Of telephones In
post .ofhcss ~ . result Of govern
ment ownership has made It nsces-
sary 10 reduce the cali edless. and
where formerly there was both u
company call once and post of1os
call ONCE. now there u only one.
loNo olsTANcg GALLO ARE
ONLY RARELY MADE.
Long distance calls are used only
In sxtrs,ns cases. One DnElishman
faisly gaspsd when told him how
recently four oapitaiists. citing at
dinner In . New York hotel. by hav-
Ing y boy call them to long distance
telephone. At intervals whom the con-
nections were made. had oommuni-
Gated with several largo cities Of the
United States. and In . couple Of
hours q business deal involving mill
Ions had been conSummated.
That the slow-moving machinery
" government ownership, Of politics
Ind rod tape seemingly enters into
uch national scheme 10 also owl.
icncsd Ia the recent complaint Of the
Postn:aster-C General. who said: way
leave difiicultios have continued to
! involve serious delay In the pro.
vision and Improvement Of telephone
and telsgraphic services. partly owing
to the demands on the part Of local
authorities for underground construc-
tion or for special and expensive
forms Of overhead construction. such
a. iron poles. and partly owing to
the failure OF many local authorities
onicers to deal with applications for
consent under the Telegraph acts.
Underground construction involves
. far larger capital outlay than over.
head lines, and iron poles, besides be-
ing open TO objection from IN ongi.
necring point Of view, cost about five
times much as ordinary poles. II Il
hardly necessary to point out that
such demands are inconsistent with
other demands constantly pressed or
me by local authorities and other
bodies for the development Of the
telephone service at reduced charges.
DELAYS ARE IN EXCESS OF
WHAT le EXPECTED.
THE delays which have occurred In
the past frequently extended L
months and arc far in excess OF wha'
In contemplated. 1t IL n matter Of re.
gret TO me that tho Post once
should come into conflict with loca
authorities, but I cannot acquicscc II
such retardation OF the development
Of the telephone and telegraph ser.
vices OF the country, and I have fell
obliged to give instructions that al
applications for consent should b'
made In due legal form In the first in
stance, and that, II necessary, appli
cation should be made to the court!
after twenty.one days"
State owned Atlantic cables are be
ms 1gitated In a petition Of the En-
pire Press Union to the Dominion
Royal Commission. They are anxiou
to com plete the Inst link In tho chail
Of teleErnphic communication unde
the control Of the British Dominion'l
governments. which IL required by tn
highest necessities Of the empire 70
the Interchange and dissemination o
news through the medium Of the pres
TO these communities"
I They quote an an example OF low
ratio sSrvice the result OF tho pur
.!hase about two years ago Ct the tw'
British owned cables by the American
owned cable trusts. They furthe
urge ttrt II II only nv means or al