The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-04-18
TELEPH0NE NOTES..

TELEPHONE NOTES..
President Frederick p. Fish,
of the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company, which
CONTROLS the Northwestern,
Duluth and several other Tele
phone Companies operating in
the Northwest, has just issued
his annual report for 1905, which
shows that the Bell Telephone
Companies had a total of $685.
833 telephone stations in the
United States at the end of the
year 1906, as against 1888, ,715
stations at the close of 1905.
There were in use, for exchange
and toll service, 7,46S,9O5 miles
of wire of which 1,688,987 miles
were added during the year,
these figures not including the
mileage of wire operated by
sub-licensed OF connecting
companies. In 1905. the Bell
Companies handled a daily
average of l6,94O,OOO connec-
tions, or at the rate of about
5,455, 10000 per year, being GA
telephone calls each man, wo-
man and child in the United
States. There was expended
by the Bell Companies in the
United States for new con-
struction, including exchanges,
toll lines, land and buildings,
$79,366,9 ,949 as against $50, $50, ,9O6
in 1905. The grand total of ex-
penditures upon the properties
during the seven years begin
ming with 1900 has been $685.
914,255.
During the year the Bell
Companies in the United
States Offset the depreciation
which would otherwise have
taken place in the value of the
lines and equipment of expend-
ing $32,814,568 for maintenance
and renewal of plant. This ex-
penditure was independent of
that for new construction. 1t
was made from the earnings of
the properties and was charged
to expenses. The report states
that as a result of this expendi-
ture the plant is in a better
condition than ever before and
could not now be reproduced
for less than $7O,OOO,OOO in ex-
cess of it's cost. Year by year
the plant is becoming of a more
permanent character and near
ly all of it is now of type
which need not be replaced un.
til it is worn out. Throughout
the country the business of the
Bell Companies is supported
by satisfactory plant, a good
organization, and good service
President Fish devotes a por-
tion of the report to a state
ment of the way in which the
growth of the system is being
provided for. He says that in
the earlier stages of the
systems development it seem
ed consistent with sound policy
to assume rate of growth not
greatly in excess of that then
prevailing, but if, under pres
ent conditions, buildings were
erected and central Office equip.
ment installed sufficient only
for the business in sight at the
time it would not be long be-
fore they become inadequate.
In many cases they could be
enlarged only at an expense al
together out. of proportion to
the increased facilities gained.
The same is true even to a
greater extent of the line con-
struction which connects the
exchange with the subscribers
stations. For these reasons
the Bell Companies, particular
ly in the last year, have built
for the future as far as was
consistent with sound &C.
onomy. They have provided
. for growth that is sure to come
and have not limited their con-
struction to the business &C.
tually in sight. In line with
this policy is the increased use
of cables upon pole lines, made
possible by improvements in
the cables and securing in.
creased capacity, lessened in.
terruption of service, and de-
creased maintenance expense.
The extent to which the COM