The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-03-10

NS0ltSssSllesfS III
Telephone s
In q recent Interview Mr.. L. q. Kin
nard, vice president and general man
ager Of the Central District Telephone
company said: SF
No discussion Of the respective
merits OF private aud public owner
ship in the operation of a national
telephone system should fail to EN-
brace the important consideration I: ol
service reliability-this in order that
comparisons may be drawn between
the standards which now obtain In
this countryand those which the pub
lie might expect to encounter under
the agitatedi project Of government
ownership.
The prompt action and effective nc.
complishments which have, upon
countless occasions, been evidenced
by the employees of tas telephone com,
panies of this country. in times 81
stress and emergency are well, ap.
preciated. * II Il
Rarely does the report Of a. great
fire, storm or flood reach our ears
that does--not contain some. com.
mentary on the courage and devotion
to duty which have marked tire con.
duct oft,leitelephone men and women
on the spot. Thesgreat Austin dis.
aster furnished a genuine heroine In
tie person ot,the local telephone oper,
ator, Miss Lyons, whose great service
to the community stood outSwith. strik,
Ting prominence. The history Of tile
more recent disastrous floods in Penn,
sylyania.g West Virginia and Aohio fur.
l'nishgs inilar4instances5 of the initiative
and etticiency which II cllaracterizes
every telephone employ when he or
she is4tpat ito hestest. IL These and
numerous q snclig examples Of scrv'
leo reliability are familiar to every
reader OF tho daily press in every
state in''the Union.
But It is not this personal service
alone which the American people have
come toEre!S upon. Willing as they
are to applaud the conspicuous ability
ola courageous operator or an un.
dauntedn lineman, At;inir demand. for
efficiency and reliable service does not
cease tllorc.s The telephone system
Of a flood:deyastatcd village must bn
restored t.. working conditions in shot
order. or all ether progress censes. II
a great storm at midnight wipes out
Tie means Of telephone communities:
tion between two,:neirhboring cities
the next sunset must find that com.
mnnication: re.established, aor the ma.
chinery of business is clogged. What
is required of the telephone company
OF today is not only that every pre-.
caution shall be taken against dam.
age to its plant, hut that, >sliould dam.
age be occasioned by some .uncontrol.
able force. the service sltall be re.
established with all speed. and at any
cost.
i'lHe people OF this country who have
long oeen guaranteed akdegree OF re;
LIABILITY IN their telephone service
winch mas brought forth the recog.
Gltion OF every. foreign land, may well
pause 10 consider wtethersor no this
same reliabttits would Obtain under
government ownersllip2ot the wire
l,hes. IS ~ reasonable to SUPPOSE that
llhcle sam could possibly perform the
WORK WIN any suei extraordinary DO
gree OF satisfaction?
tiardly may 1t be assumed that the
present employees whose zeal and
loyalty are responsible for the ac'
complisllments Of today would DO
actuated ny TIE SAME motives and in
spired by the same; purposes IL they
were delegated TO the ranks OF gov
erhment job holders. In the first
place, advancement ';y merit only e
the rule OF private enterprise. And
docs the history OF our national civil
service SYSTEM so largely influenced
by political patronage and fayoritis'n,
hold out any promise that the present
high standard OF efficiency among tele.