The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-10-18
STANDARD PHONES.
Continued from page 81

tC0utluHdu lAVAA P06S ~
reality the instrument Is but q small
part Of the plant required in giving teie-
phone service. The official statement
that has just been published indicates
that this change Of policy may cause u
to be more clearly understood that be-
fore by the public that the Bell com
panies' sole claim for patronage y based
On their ability to furnish the best serv,
ice at reasonable prices, and not on
any instrument monopoly.
II Is also explained that many inefli-
cient telephone instruments are now IN
use on local and private lines and that
it is distinctly for the advantage OF the
Bell system a. a whole that these should
be replaced BY standard Instruments in
order that traffic connections may be
made among the largest possible num-
Der Of properly equipped lines with r.
cilities for good transnission--the basis
of all good telephone service, Farmers
lines, for example, have been built CO.
operatiyely in many sections Of the coun-
try and these, ii properly equipped and
maintained, will furnish valuable feed
ere for the toll lines Of the larger sys-
tenn. The relationship Of the Bell com
panies to their sub-licensee allies can
best Be provided for through the sale
outright Of Bell instruments and appa-
ratus. That these sub-licensee lines are
becoming steadily more important i'm
portant part Of the organization has been
shown in recent annual reports. At the
beginning Of 1908 these so-called inde-
pendent companies connected S4.02l sub
scribers' stations; at the beginning Of
the present year, 2s7,22o stations.
Those who have watched recent hap
penings among the independent tele-
phone interests OF the country may see
bit Of interesting prophecy in the
statement that as regards the Western
Electric Company becoming an aggres-
sive competitor Of the independent manu-
facturers who, up to this time, have had
monopoly Of the selling trade in this
country, 'sthe Bell interests are fully
prepared either from the manufacturing
Or operating side Of the business to meet
all the needs Of the public, and that they
wish to demonstrate that they claim or
ask mo- advantages other than their
ability to meet those needs under square /,
conditions Of quality and
price. There will be no trade war but
any manufacturers who have been get
ting high prices for inferior goods under
the old monopoly Of the selling trade
viii naturally suffer loss of business"
As new competitor among the manu-
facturers Of telephone apparatus for
general sale the Western Electric ON
pany represents one Of the largest single
electrical industries in the world. 1t |
was started in Cleveland in 1868 as a |
small instrument shop. 1t was moved
the following year to Chicago where in
the days before DR.. Bell invented the |
telephone it was devoted largely to the
of annunciators and tele
graphic instruments. 1t later was a |
large producer Of are lamps, but during |
the remarkable expansion of Bell tele-
phone projects it has come more and
more to specialize On telephone appara-
tus. Its scope is distinctly interna
tional, for at the present time the
Western Electric Company owns and
operates factories, warehouses and
Offices in the following cities: New
York, Chicago, San Francisco, Phila-
delphia, Montreal, Antwerp, Berlin, Lon
don, Paris, Toxic, St. Petersburg,
Vienna and Milan.