The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-08-13
TELEGRAPH. AND TELEPHONE
STATISTICS IN THE u. {

Commerce and Labor has given out
interesting information con-
corning electrical communication in
the United States.
More han fifteen million miles of
single wire are used by the people of
the United States in communicating
with each other yer the various tele-
phone and telegraph systems. OF this
number IL, 1898, 1863 miles are operated
by the telephone systems and 2,072,-
.S51 miles by the telegraph compan
les. This length of single wire would
than six hundred times.
These and many other facts of int
crest to the public as well as TO stat
isticians and scientists. are to he found
in the advance proof pages of the L..
6. Census bulletin 102, on the general
subject OF telegraph systems in the
L.. $. in 1907. Ii will come from the
press of the Government Printing Of
fee within a week.
Over the telegraph wires in 1907
there Were flashed 36S,470.509 mes
sages, of which 5.S69.317 were cable
grams.
Going into comparisons between
the statistics of the 25 commercial
and lines and ocean cable telegraph
systems and of the telephone sys-
TENS. the bulletin refers to the fact
that the first telegraph line in the L.
S. was opened for business in 1874.
and thirty-two years later the tele.
phone was introduced. At the 1880
census the telephone companies re-
ported 34.305 miles of wir eabout
one-ninth of the mileage OF the tele-
graph companies. In 1902 the tele-
phone mileage of wire was almost 4
times as great as a used for tele-
graph purposes. In 1907 the tele-
phone mileage was eight times as
great as the telegraph.
In the amount of business done. the
sum paid in salaries and wages. and
the capital invested in 1907, the tele-
phone BUSINESS was a little over three
and a half times as extensive as the
telegraph industry, and during that
year it furnished employment TO more
than five times as many persons.
Between 1902 and 1907 there was
an addition of $685. 1S miles of wire
for the use of the telephone systems
as compared with an increase of but
~ Ia NhS hilCaS1 vi wv iltd ait
leased wire for commercial tele-
graph purposes. The increase in the
wire mileage of the telephone sys-
TENS during the five years referred
To was more han six times as grea:
as the total amount of wire added to
the telegraph business since 1880.
Commercial TeIegraphs.
Treating of the commercial tele-
-.-L - -
bulletin points out that in 1880 there
were "a companies; in 1902, 25: and
in 1907, %: and il explains that the
noticeable decrease since 1880 in the
number of separate companies is due
10 the Numerous consultations of for
merly competing companies. The de-
crease since 1880 has been accom-
panied by a very large increase in
business and equipment. 1t is shown
that, with the exception of one unim-
portant unincorporated company. the
entire commercial telegraph and cable
industry is operated under the incor-
porated form of ownership. with cap
tial stock and bonds of an authorized
par value of s173,126.075 in 1902 ami
in 1907, s244. 6O7 900. The outstanding
par value in 1902 was $169, $40, 525,
and in 1907, $500. 93.575. The conpan-
les expended for salaries and wages
S17 sos, 249. and for other purposes.
| S2f,07l.364 in 1907. Their income was
| S51 $50, SOS. OF the Incorporated com
panies reported for 1907. only IL paid
dividends. although the total receipts
OF the telegraph companies exceeded
those for 1902 by $40. 1858 $50. There
we're but five companies not operated
al a profit and their combined loss
was only $1S.652. The report shows
the extent to which his industry is
controlled by a few companies, there
being six reporting 97.7 per cent of
the total income and 97.5 per cent of
the operating expenses. In 1902 the six
largest companies reported SO per
cent of the total income and ex-
penses.
The ocean cables increased their
nautical mileage 177.6 per cent from
1902 to 1907, owing to the laying of
the Pacific and the New York-Hay-
ana cables.
Telephones and Train Dispatching
The statement is made that the
use of telephones by railroads ex-
chusively in connection with the oper-
alton of the roads has increased rap
idly since 1902. Although the electric
interurban roads early recognized the
advantages of the telephone for dis
patching purposes, the larger steam
| railroads have been d~isinclined to
S.rhSfifuta tho faIophn7a for the long