The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-05-31
.IND|ANANS TALK
MUCH OVER WIRE
This State has More Tele-
phone Systems Than any
Other Except Illinois.
ARE 28,190 RURAL PHONES
IN ONE YEAR THE TALKS
THROUGH THE TRANSMITTERS
ToTALED 2s4,657,565-A GREAT
RECORD.

The census Bureau at Washington
has compiled figures on the telephone
business in Indiana. This state with
the exception of Illinois has more tel
ephone systems than any other stat-
in the union.
That the telephone business in In
diana is profitable is shown by the
fact that in the year 1902 (for which
the statistics just issued were com
piled) only six. other states reported
greater net surplus from the telephone
business, after deducting all expenses,
than Indiana. The exceptions were
Illinois. Iowa, Missouri, New York,
Ohio and Texas. Most of the states
which exceed Indiana in the amount
of money made from the telephone
business contain large cities and far
outclass the Hoosier state in popula-
ton.
Interesting Phone Figures.
The, total revenue derived from all
telephone companies in Indiana during
the year mentioned was S2,S16,509. In
diana ranked seventh among the states
in this regard, being exceeded by Cali
fornia with total revenue of S4,091 ,076;
Illinois, $7,30S,SS5; Massachusetts, So
127,452; New York, $16,362, 1913; Ohio,
$6,192,640; Pennsylvania, sS,0S3,S96.
The total number of talks over In
diana telephones during the year were
294, 657 ,565, of which 290.579,503 were
local messages and the remainder
were long distance or toll messages.
Indiana had ,2O9,59 miles of telephone
wire and 129,S35 telephone subscri-
bers; $50. switch boards, .476 salaried
officials, clerks, etc., who drew salaries
amounting Ito $230.339; 1850 wage
earners who drew wages amounting
to $S5S.711.
Hoosiers Great Takers.
In operating the Indiana telephone
systems 1862, girls were employed and
they received wages amounting to
1894 ,462, or fraction over $201 year.
The number of male operators employ
ed was 96. They received S2O,7S5, or
an average of about 1914 a year.
Of the 366 telephone systems in op-
Grafton in Indiana 261 are commercial
systems, operated by corporations, in
dividuals or firms for revenue, and 105
are mutual systems, operated through
mutual arrangement among persons
benefited by the service.
That the telephones is a great We
hicle of communication in Indiana is
shown by the fact that the average
number of messages per capita was
totn IND
| in this respect were California with
116 message per capita, Washington,
| with 116 and Ohio with 131. The av-
erage number of messages per capita
| in the United States as a whole was
les.
The average gross annual revenue
| per single telephone in Indiana is re-
| ported at $21.2, and the average oper-
ating expense per single telephone at
S13.54.
Leads in Rural Systems.
The number of rural telephones in
Indiana is reported to be 2S,19O, of
which 14,42S are operated by CONNER
cial companies, $500 by mutual COM
panies. Indiana ranks second among
the states of the union in the number
of rural telephone lines. being exceed
ed only by Illinois with it's much larger
area and population.
Indiana has 621 public exchanges, of
which 81 are operated by the Bell
panies.
In regard to the independent com
panies which have f1ourished in Indi,
ana as in few other states the census
bureau says:
AT first these made their appear.
ances only in places that, under the
exclusive Bell regime, had not enjoyed
the benefit of telephonis service, but
the Independent movement soon as
sumed formidable proportions and its
promoters invaded the larger cities
so that Independent exchanges are
found in successful operation in such
places as Chicago, Cleveland, ST. Louis
Philadelphia and Indianapolis. The in
dependent movement has not only
created vast net work of exchanges
and interconnecting lines but has call
ed into being large number of man
ufacturers and a great variety of ap
paratus, so that, while a few years ago
the telephone art in the United
States has attained high degree OF
Standardization it is once more taken
in some degree, by the confusion and
heterogeneity that characterized its
earlier years. Such conditions are al
ways associated with rapid growth and
in the field of telephony they consti
tute at the present time remarkably
interesting problem with many sociolo
gical, industrial and mechanical as
poets"
Silk CuItlIriSfS.