The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-10
CENSUS
BUREAU
SATISFIES
Interesting Data Concerning Extent
and Cost of Electrical Communica-
ton in the United States.

$1,000
single wire are used by the people OF
the United States in communicating
with each other over the various tele-
phone and telegraph systems. Of this
number, 12,999,369 miles are operated
by the telephone systems and 2.O72.-
sol miles by the telegraph companies.
This length of single wire would circle
the earth at the equator more than
six hundred times.
These and many other facts of in
terest to the public, as well as to sta
tisticians and scientists, are to be
found in the advance proof pages of
United States Census bulletin 1O2. on
the general subject of telegraph sys-
tens in the United States in 1907, pre-
pared by William NJ. Steuart, chief sta
tlstician for manufactures. under the
direction of United States Census Di-
rector E. Dana Durand. 1t will come
from the press of the Government
Printing Office within a week.
There are in the bulletin AZ pages
of text summaries, and tables, forming
an extensive compilation of statistics
and information concerning the tele-
graph industry 1t is prepared as a
part of the Census of Electrical Indus
tries for 1907. There have been but
three censuses of the telegraph sys-
tens of the United States. The first
formed a part of the census of 1880:
the others, in 1902 and 1907, were pro
vided for by special acts of congress.
Inc last two were taken and the re-
suits compiled by Chief Statistician
Steuart, with T. Commerford Martin.
of New York, as consulting expert
special agent. other bulletins and re-
ports for the 1907 census will sive the
statistics for street and electric rail-
ways central electric light and power
stations, and telephone systems.
The bulletin points out that for cen
sus purposes the telegraph industry of
the United States is divided into five
classes; Commercial telegraph and
ocean cable, wireless telegraph. rail
road telegraph, government telegraph
and municipal electric fire alarm and
police patrol signaling systems.
Enormous Development of Telegraphs
and Telephones.
Over the telegraph wires in 1907
there were flashed 36S,47O,5O9 mes.
sages, of which 5,S69,317 were cable
grams.
Going into comparisons between the
statistics of the 20 commercial land
line and ocean cable telegraph sys-
tens and of the telephone systems.
the bulletin refers to the fact that
the first telegraph line in the United
States was opened for business in
1874, and thirty-two years later the
telephone was introduced At the
1880 census the telephone companies
reported 3l,3o5 miles OF wire. about
one-ninth Of the mileage of the tele-
graph companies. In 1902 the tele-
phone mileage Of wire was almost
four times as great as that used for
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
he capital invested in 1907, the tele-
phone business was little over three
and one-half times as extensive as the
industry and during that
year it furnished employment for
more than five times as many per-
sons
Between 1902 and 1907 there was
an addition of S,09S,91S miles of wire
Tor the use of the telephone systems,
as compared with an increase of but |
959,6l1 in the mileage of owned and
leased wire for commercial telegraph |
luIpOSSS, ne llIedSe III TIE wire lii |
cage of the telephone systems during
he five years referred to was more
han six times as great as the total
AMOUNT of wire added to the telegraph |
BUSINESS since 1880.
Commercial TeIegraphs.
Treating of the commercial tele- |
graphs and ocean cable systems. the |
bulletin points out that in 1880 there
we're II companies; in 1902, 25 and |
n 1907, 25; and it explains that the
noticeable decrease since 1880 in the |
lumber of seperate companies is due
o numerous consultations of former
y competing companies. The de
rease since 1880 has been accom-
panied by a very large increaS2 n
business and equipment. 1t iE
hat, with the exception of H.
ortant company, the entire CONNER
ia1 talaoranb and oal1a inductrv ie /