190/.] 



Telephones in Rural Districts. 



747 



One of the recommendations made by the Departmental 



Committee on the Fruit Industry was that the telephone should 



_ , - . be further extended to country districts. 



Telephones in , ^ 



Rural Districts. ^ ^'^^^^^ giving effect to this 



recommendation the Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries brought the matter before the Postmaster 

 General, and also communicated with the principal Fruit and 

 Horticultural Associations and Societies in order to ascertain 

 particular places Avhere the introduction of a telephonic service 

 would be attended with special advantages to fruit-growers. 

 In consequence of the information which was placed before the 

 Postmaster General by the Board, certain facilities were intro- 

 duced into the Budget enabling the guarantee required in the 

 case of certain telephone extensions to be reduced. The basis 

 of the guarantee now required is explained in a previous 

 number of this Journal (July, 1906, p. 227). 



As a result of the enquiries addressed by the Board to Horti- 

 cultural Associations, a number of applications for extensions 

 of the telephone system in rural districts were received and 

 submitted to the Postmaster General, who has supplied the 

 Board with a statement of the steps which have been taken 

 to meet the wishes of fruit-growers in this respect. 



It should be noted, however, that the requirements of some 

 vegetable and fruit-growing districts had been already dealt with 

 by the Post Office in earlier years. Among these may be 

 mentioned : — Dartford, Swanley Junction, Farningham, Crocken- 

 hill, Hextable ; Westerham, Brasted ; Cranbrook, Hawkhurst, 

 Tenterden ; Uckfield ; Horsham, East Grinstead, Hay ward's 

 Heath, Cuckfield, Crawley, Cranleigh ; Broadway (Worcs.) ; 

 Winchcombe ; Ross (Hereford); Ely.; Sleaford; Bourne, Market 

 Deeping ; Holbeach, Spalding ; Hitchin, Baldock, Royston, 

 Letchworth, Knebworth Station ; Tring ; Biggleswade, Sandy, 

 Potton ; Loddon, Brooke ; Thetford ; Sudbury ; Witham, 

 Wickham Bishops ; Farndon (Cheshire). 



In many cases, however, the expense of installation involved 

 is greater than the probable business would justify, and the 

 Postmaster General is not able to undertake the work without 

 a guarantee. The State now bears two-thirds of any deficit 

 under a guarantee, and the guarantors the remaining third 



