The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-24

telephone officials, etc., received in sal
aries $40, 29S, 423 and the telegraph clerks
$2794,937. The total of 142, 1888 wage-earn-
ers is divided, 1851 belonging to the tele-
phone systems and receiving in wages
$4S, $50, 7O4, while the 1882 telegraph wage
earners were paid s15,013,31 2.
The grand total of capital stock and
bonds outstanding, par value, was 81, 034-
909,579, of which $S14,6l6,004 were credited
to the telephone systems and 1920, SIS
to the telegraph companies.
The grand total income was 1926, 045, 615,
of which the telephone concerns earned
$lS4461,7f. expending $140,S 02,305, and the
telegraph system earned ISL ,5S3,S6S ex-
pending s4, S79,6l3 OF the whole number
of systems in operation the telephone
formed 1913 per cent
Commercial TeIegraphs and Gables.
In taking up consideration of the joint
subject of commercial telegraphS and
ocean cable systems, the bulletin points
out the impossibility of segregating the
statistics A comparative summary is
given of the three census periods 1880,
1902 and 1907, and 1t is explained that
in 1880 there were II companies reported,
but that number de(4eased later by con-
solicitations among THEMSELVES In 1902
there we're % companies considered. The
same number is found in 1907. Taking
the details for the last census period 1t
is shown that 1.5T7,96l' miles of single
wire were operated; 46301 nautical miles
of ocean cable; 100, 794076 messages trans
mitted, which include $780, 17 cable mes
sages; 29.119 telegraph offices operated;
total income s51 ,5S3,S6s. of which s45. 255 ,1S7
was from telegraph traffic. and s6,32S, 6S1
from all other sources. The total expense
was SAL ,S79.613 including $34.057 1888 for
m al SalaripS
wages, and legal expenses. The capitall-
cation in the form of capital stock was,
authorized, par value $161 $4,000, of which
there was outstanding, par value, $780,
0s9. 0S3. Dividends on stock amounted to
$7,477,0S3. The average total number of
employees is given as 2S,034, and salaries
and wages $17S0S.249
The bulletin notes the decrease since
1880 in the number of separate companies
and adde's that, on the other hand, there
has been very large increase in business
and equipment. The increase in the num-
Der OF salaried employees and wage
earners in 1907 as compared with 1902 was
but 407, or 1.5 per cent. AS compared WIN
1880 the number was 1906, or S7S per
cent increase. In 1907 the amount paid
in salaries and wages was 1874 per cent
greater than in 1902 and 2645 per cent
greater than the 1880 figure
The Number Incorporated.
Attention is drawn by the bulletin to
the fact that with but one important
exception the entire commercial Telegraph
and cable industry of the country Is op-
Grated as incorporated concerns. IT IS
shown that of the total authorized is
sue Of stocks and bonds IN 1877, capital
stock constituted es1 per cent and bonds
1919 per cent. At the end OF 1907 the
total authorized issue of stock. outstand-
ing, was SO per cent, and !s.6 per cent
or The bonds were outstanding On the
bonds an average rate of Al per cent was
paid in 1907. or the "a incorporated COM
panies for 1907 only II paid dividends on
their capital stock. The same number
declared dividends for 1902. The total re-
ceipts of the telegraph companies for
1907 exceeded those for 1902 by SO, 65a.sSo
The bulletin then goes into compre-
hensive analysis Of the income. operating