WORK DONE OR PROJECTED 247 



by the new Board of Governors of the A. O. S., not with any 

 idea of competing with the established societies and clubs, 

 but with the view of framing for them a set of model rules, 

 based on their collective experience, and likely both to 

 improve the stability of those that already exist and to 

 encourage the starting of a still greater number of them, 

 since there are many parts of the country where these 

 village organisations are at present wholly unknown. 



N. RURAL TELEPHONES. 



Another important matter which has received attention is 

 that of increased use of the telephone in rural districts. 



In almost innumerable ways greater use of the telephone 

 in those districts should be of value. It would, among 

 other things, facilitate the work of organisation, the obtaining 

 of agricultural necessaries, and the collection or distribution 

 of produce ; it would be a ready means of obtaining informa- 

 tion as to prices and prospects of sale on various markets ; 

 it would enable farmers to communicate direct with local 

 railway stations, traders in neighbouring towns, the central 

 headquarters of their society, the doctor, the veterinary 

 surgeon, and so on ; while in addition to the services it 

 would render in business matters the telephone would play 

 a no less useful part in promoting the social life of rural 

 districts. 



The Post Office authorities have for some time past been 

 considering how far they are in a position to give facilities 

 to residents in country districts for availing themselves of 

 the telephone, and since the transfer of the National Tele- 

 phone system to the Post Office the final arrangements have 

 been made with regard to the conditions under which 

 telephones can be provided in country districts which are 

 not too far remote from an existing exchange. The Post- 

 master-General is especially anxious that co-operative 

 societies and local agricultural associations shall be given 

 every opportunity to obtain the benefits which can be derived 

 by them from their being able to make use of the telephone 

 at a low annual cost. 



