A FUTURE FOR THE GLEBE 333 



A telephonic exchange in a toATn, according to ideas 

 which I think will be generally accepted before long, 

 ought to be fixed at the head post-office, with short 

 wires radiating to every professional office, private 

 house, or shop that chooses to pay as rental a sum 

 which may be lower and need not be greatly higher 

 than five pounds a year. Similarly, in a village, 

 there should be either a call-office at the sub-post- 

 office, or an exchange with short wires radiating to 

 renters' houses. A single wire, or a loop, a mile — 

 perhaps five miles — long, would stretch between the 

 post-offices and connect both centres; gossamer 

 filaments uniting two electrical cobwebs. Major- 

 General Webber, in his evidence before the Select 

 Committee, termed these country systems the ' capil- 

 laries of the great national system.' For the purpose 

 of this chapter, I limit myself to their local utility. 

 Where the annual charge would be less than five 

 pounds, purely local communications are in view ; 

 where it would possibly be more than five pounds, 

 communication through two exchanges is con- 

 templated. 



In other words, telephonic communication from 

 one part of a village to another part of it, or, similarly, 

 from one part of a country-town to another part of 

 the same town, can be very cheaply provided and 

 maintained. When a renter in the village requires 

 the means of telephoning to a renter in a neighbouring 

 town, and two exchanges are put in action, the cost 

 is necessarily somewhat enhanced. 



