336 ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



telephone, under the plan described, this is feasible 

 enough, and it could be done, too, as quickly as a 

 messenger calls up a speaking-tube from the front- 

 door to the doctor in his room. 



In time, rich and populous England will learn a 

 useful lesson from small and thinly-inhabited states — 

 from Sweden and from Switzerland, from Denmark 

 and elsewhere ; for already in Sweden the Govern- 

 ment is about to combine the telephone with the 

 State telegraph system. In that country everybody 

 is stated to be * on the telephone.' This is the key 

 of the whole situation. 



England, whether urban or rural, would be a 

 changed place — half its local troubles would vanish — 

 if that development were given to the telephone, of 

 which it is capable. Ten years ago, in Mr. Fawcett's 

 time, it was in London only that it was my ambition to 

 connect every house to every profession and trade, for 

 every conceivable purpose, even to the saving of time 

 in avoiding fruitless social visits to people ' not at 

 home.' Now events seem to demand a wider, indeed 

 a national effort. 



Given facilities for turning electricity readil}^ to 

 account as a means of communicating thought, the 

 public eagerly avail themselves of them. Proof of 

 this assertion is easily adduced. 



In 1835, the telegraph and telephone being as yet 

 unborn, electricity played no part as an agent of 

 communication. 



In 1855, the telegraph being well established, the 



