The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-12-08
Defense Strategy

small wave of publicity in Farmers Union pub
locations in favor of development of rural telephone service
the organization of cooperatve brought the
reaciona sudden awakening of by the mammoth
telephone trust with means of extension of telephone service
to rural sections this might be classified ode
tense by counterattack" in this military time
We have the thing take place in the medical
services Until of people began to consider
for collective action to insure themselves adequate
medical at costs nearly within their reach the
American Medical Association permitted and
individual members to their charging all that the
traffic would bear And the individual member was consd
cred entirely within his rights in refusing essential medical
to anyone unable to pay the price asked
organized by collective action to adequate medical
and disqualification at costs within their ability pay, the
medical association attacked the plan in every way possible
until finally stopped by decision of the United States
The efforts of the Medical Association having failed it
through many of its affates began
tactics conteraacks and evolved several plans intended
TO meet the threat of collective action bv the public These
plans be considered the nature of gain for the public
but still fall far short of providing the services actually de-
manded by conditions.
The telephone monopoly being business for maximum
its with limited service has to this time given heed to
the needs of farmers for telephone services But that
effort beginning be made awaken existing telephone
cooperatives possibilities of development find the
nopos pubczng their consideration of possibilities to
provide telephone service to rural areas
According census there then 1920
operative telephone associations very few of these offer
competition to local commercial organizations Too many
of them with anquated obsolete and unsatisfactory
equipment and without skilled supervision of equipment
service.
been suggested the proposal is certainly meri
toou that steps be taken to ederae all existing cooperative
telephone associations thereby gaining strength and influence
to bring about betermen of service all participants them
And than that, to plan and carry out educational
campaign technical and otherwise in connection with and
part of the federations program.
Present conditions surrounding telephone services in rural
told by Clifford j. Durr member OF the Federal
Communications Commission recent speech when he said
e But again, have abundance that is not shared
by all citizens In 1910, only little 100000
had telephone service Three out of four of
farms and four out of five of farm dwellings
without telephone service of any kind today
In North Caroline, 956 per cent of farm dwellings
without telephone SERVICE in Alabama the figure 1914
cent; in South Carolina 969 cent in Mississippi $780,
What shall do about these stranded citizens of ours?
They not stranded because they want to be- because
they unmportant to the rest of On the farms and in
the and forests they playing essential role in the
production of supplies needed in fighting the Their role
peacetime will continue to be essential Nor they
stranded because do not have the of bringing
tot ha N