Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-06

public Is making enormous demands
upon the telephone company here. In
juno of last year about 226.O00 local
Calls originated here, and last Juno as
high as $4,000 calls were handled iu
one day, while tile weekly number
mounted to 100000.
The telephone company publicly an
nounced and advertised that 1t would
Try to serve both the government and
tho public, but that If either had to
suffer 1t would be the public. This
promise has been exactly fulfilled. The
public service has become decidedly
poor. not only In Washington, but In
many parts of the country. The an
noyance and delay of waiting for long
distance calls. of being cut Off sudden
~. of being Informed again and apai,
That the line is busy" of long and
earnest listening at the receiver, with
no reward but an occasional explosion
like pistol shot close TO the ear have
all been multiplied. The public has
been asked to put UP with these annoy
ances. and to use the telephone less az
IL matter OF patriotic duty. in order that
the government may be given the best
OF service. The government, 1t is told
is using all of the experienced opera
tors. and most of the troubles of the
public are due TO the fact that 1t has TO
get along with the green ones
The local management has brought
in total OF lGS operators from other
cities upon It's system. and cighty-two
from other sources. but the government
has taken a total of 225 OF it's EXPERT
enced operators. Meantime, the num-
Der OF telephones in the district has
| increased by 5000 since the first of
the year. and Washington now has six
teen telephones for every 100 inhabi-
tants.
Companies DO Level Hest.
Unquestionably the telephone COM
panies are doing their level best. and
they are doing well. Furthermore they
have another motive than the pure pa
triotism which undoubtedly spurs
them on. Government ownership or
telephone and telegraph lines has been
their DOGGY for many years, and beyond
doubt the service which they give
the government and the public during
| this great emergency will be closely
scanned by the advocates of postaliza-
ton. The wire companies Will point to
their record OF patriotism and efficiency
| in the service Of the government dur
ing the war as proof that they are
worthy of control of this vital part of
the nations communications.
| The advocates OF government owner
| ship Will assert that a service already
under the control of the government
and perfectly co-ordinated for military
and civil purposes would have done bet
| ter They will probab bly, also point out
| that, although the demand upon the
| United SNtcs postal service has been
greatly increased by the war, tho de-
| livery of private mails has not been
made uncertain or unsatisfactory be-
cause OF the press OF government busi-
ness. In a word. the poor to indif-
tcrent service which the public is now
receiving from the telephone companies
In many sections, III II continues, will
Undoubtedly be used against them.
Legal Right Accepted.
The legal right OF the Federal gov
| ernment to take over the telephone
and telegraph lines has been generally
| accepted II Is comprised under the
clause giving the government the right
10 operate post-ofIices and postroads.
which were the only practicable means
OF public communication when the Con-
| stitution was adopted 4 number az
POSTMASTER Generals have advocated
| the government ownership of telephone
and telegraph, and one of their strong
est arguments has been that these ia
cilitie5 Tor communication are essential
10 the military strength and efficiency
or the nation All OF the other PRINCIPAL
nations OF the world long ago convert
ed the telephone and telegraph into
| government monopoltes.
| In the neiligerent countries the gov
eminent. by reason OF it's monopoly of
! Ae>it'hicS' ~ dplc 10 maintain
| much closer surveillance over their use
In both England and France the closest
censorship is maintained. No one ia
! aHowcd TO speak over the wires except
IN the language of the country, and
thcn he inay be pretty sure that more
man one party" is listening. So that
In these countries the public certainly
gers more restricted service than
In the unitel States. On the other
hand, the foreign governments run no
risk tha' the wires will be used for the
purpose OF hostile espionage.
INC wire companies arc on trial and
STRIVING with all OF their patriotism.
wealth and efficiency to vindicate tho
| trust OF the people and the rovern-
ment whether or not government
ownership ever becomes n fact in this
country. It's advocates may be given
some credit for stimulating this burst
OF patriotic energy.