The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-03-04
of Telephone Operation 7F
vately Owned Than Il the
Government Owned
ACTION IS PR0Ai s.
Personal Service RELIEF on ap
Applause is Given Brave @
orators and l-inenleII.


/ portant consideration OF service /
tliabiIity-this In order that eoulpa
sons may be drawn between the stan
ards which now obtain IN thle Count
and those which the public might
lpeet to encounter under the g {,
I project of government owners
The prompt action and eilectfye q
/ complishments which have nps
/ countless occasions, been evidence
! by the employees OF the telepnol
companies Of this country IN tineH
stress and emergency are Vel ai1lk
lciated.
Rarely does the report 81 q gre'
fire. storm or food reach our
that does not contain some CONNIE
tary on the courage and devotion
duty which have marked the conaul
of the telephone men and women 3
| the spot. The great Austin disasl
furnished q genuine heroine N
person of the local telephone on
Miss Lyons, whose great set'yiea
the community stood ont with STR "a
prominence. The history Of the mo.
recent disastrous foods IL Penn
vania, West Virginia and Ohio 81
nish similar instances Of the. inltta
and efficiency which charas Teri
every telephone employee when ne /
she is put to the test THESE al
numerous other such examples 81 sci
vice reliability are familiar to eve
reader of the daily press IN eve
state in the Union.
But It is not this personal serHl
alone which the Americau people nlA'
come to rely upon. Willing as "a
are to applaud the conspi aptll
of a COURAGEOUS operator or an =
daunted lineman, theie demand
efficient and reliable service does
cease there. The Telephone ~
Of a. food-devastated village must
restored to working ecnqition
short order, or all other proate
ceases. II great storm a5 n1A174is
wipes out,the means OF gel ephone So
rIunfcatiun between two mel eynQQfA
cities. the next sunset must ma
communication Fe-estab laahed, or
machinery of business is elose
What is required of the telepho
company of today is not on
every precaution shall pc
against damage yto its plant, but tnl
should damage be occaStoned by SOL
uncomfortable force, the service sai
be re-established with all speed
at any cost
The people of this countf DO ~
long been guaranteed decree q
liability in their telephone
which has brought for the FecogI
Of every foreign land, may WEI peN
to consider whether or not tn
reliability would obtain UNDER
eminent ownership Of the wire IN
Is it reasonable to suppose tnst = s
Sam could possibly perform the 1o
with any such extraordinary
of satisfaction?
Hardly may 1t be assumed enat
present employees whose zeal anQ
atty are responsible for the acco
plishments OF today would be act1eS
BY the same motives and INSPIRED
the same PURPOSES Il they We Sc
gated TO the ranks OF COVERINGS
holders. In the first place, adYat
ment by merit only Is the RUE o.
yate enterprise. And does the Ms e
OF >our national civil service
SO largely in4luenced by polittcali-e
ronage and favoritism, hold put
promise that the present high star
ard-of efficiency amoh telephQne 6
pleyes would be pre- serves 2 ~
form OF employ 8pten3
might accept the testimony Of
eminent ernpIoyRs themselves pun
chill on ambition and 9 chec
ability in every civil service poslll
Moreover, does our owl edge
Uncle Sans methods 81 apprcpE
and expending a1t1eys iniiu nee
belief that the wheres ithal QUO
provided in such measure o. met
as to guarantee the reliability q
vice which the people OF our c0A1
now enjoy2
We know that each new Cons
breaches economy and attempt
practice it. We know, tooS tnai
keeps its appropriations religion