Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-06


Greater New York awoke yesterday
and discovered another mark Of great
ness.
THE greatest telephone center In the
world" is the way 1t read in the Asso-
ciated Press dispatch.
"One telephone to every fourteen per-
sons,' continued the surprised and de-
lighted Father Knickerbocker
But Father Knickerbocker didn't
know that on the Pacific coast Is pro-
gressive wldeawake city which answers
to the name Of Los Angeles and which
had q telephone record that makes his
look sick.
No one doubts the excellence of the
showing made by New York, but Los
Angeles has one phone to every four
persons.
New York may have more sky
scrapers than the fair City OF the An
gels, but she must HE for the tall un-
cuts when 1t comes to a showdown on
telephone records.
New York has a population of S,431,-
2O2 persons and has 276,OOO phones.
Los Angeles has 251, ,463 inhabitants
and 54,099 phones.
Both companies are monthly adding
to the already enormous list of SUBJ
|scribers and are making plans to in
crease their pre-. mt capacities. The
Home Telephone company, which has
25. .O99 subscribers, one day last month
added twenty-five new ones to It's
exchange When the new exchange
which the Home company is building is
completed about January l the capacity
will be Increased by about 10000 Presi-
dent A. b. C IS of the Home company
stated to Th, Herald that the new
equipment, which will include additions
to the exchanges at Adams street, Ver-
non avenue and Hollywood, will allow
the company telephone connexions TO
the extent Of 99,999.
I'm fact" said Mr.. Cass, "it is the
only business know of where you have
to run away from your customers. So
many applications for new phones are
coming in we have to beg 1or little
time to get our breath"
The Sunset company claimed for
itself subscribers to the number
of %, ,902 the week ending September
80, and at present the figures stand
$4,000.
Los Angeles is not only great tie
phone town" said President Cass "but
1t holds the record for greatness in many
other things. The enormous number of
telephones in operation in this city,
he continued, speaks well for the in
telligence Of Los Angeles, for they are
definite factor for the enlightment OF
community"
Six hundred employees are required to
conduct the business of the Home Tele-
phone company and the pay roll
amounts to $4,000.
Mr.. Cass stated that the telephone
business is making such rapid strides
today that a system built two years
ago is now out of date, and likewise
system built toGay in two years inter
val will be pronounced old. He also
said that the coming phone was the
automatic one and that all the largest
exchanges are being equipped with
automatic apparatus. The automatic
system will be installed at the new san
Francisco plant.
AS one marvels at the wonderfully
delicate mechanism of the automatic
switchboard and how accurately 1T re-
sponds without human intervention, he
wonders how any improved apparatus
can be invented.
Business has been greatly facilitated
by the advent of the telephone" said
Mr. Cass. For instance" he further
observed, think how much benefit the
phone has been to the farmers of San
Bernardino valley. If farmer has
load of perishable fruit to, dispose OF
he need not now run the risk of bring
ing it to Los Angeles and being unsuc-
cessful in disposing of it. Now he steps
| to the phone and connects with local
merchant, places his product ON an cleo
tric car and in less time than 1t takes
to tell the fruit is on sale IN the Los
| rIrat