The log cabin Democrat., 1912-04-12
PHONE COMPANY TO
 SPEND } MILLIONS
IMPROVEMENTS IN STATE
VAST SUM TO BE USED IN I'M PROVING AND EXTENDING
 ARKANSAS SERVICE.

That there is still hope for the bad ly-needed Improvements in the Con way telephone system to be undertak- en by it's new owners, the Southwest ern company is seen in an interview given out at Little Rock yesterday by r.. $. Bloom, second vce-president of the system, who states that tn five million dollars will be expended in Ar kansas within the next three years, in improving and extending the esrvice
 in this state. The telephone lines in this city are in a bad state of repair, most of the poles being rotten and wires sagging in many places. For several months officials of the com pany have been promising that these conditions would be remedied at an early date, and it is hoped that the visit of MT. Bloom to the state means that the work will be undertaken with little further delay. Mr. Blooms in- ttrView, which appears in today's Ga zette, is as follows:
 "l am just completing a general in- spection of the entire telephone prop erty through the southwest" said MT. Bloom last night, "and in view of the rapid increase in wealth and popula- tlon throughout this section, large ex- penditures will be required during the current year for additions and care for new business and for improve ments which will result in the better ment of the service. This is particu- lariy true of Arkansas, in view of it's rapid increase in wealth and popula- tion and the general awakening which cn lo We are fully alive to the possibilities in this state.
 "The American Telephone and Tel egraph Company, which is the parent company in general direction of the entire system throughout the United States, has large force of experts who are constantly studying all phases of the telephone problem with viey of adopting every invention or improvement which will in any way increase the permanency of the ser vice or make it more valuable to sub scribers and the public generally.
 ''As result of a general review of the situation here in Arkansas in con ference with General Superintendent Stimson and other officials in charge O Arkansas, I have reason to believe that 1t will require an expenditure of at least $5,000,000 during the next three years to care for the increasing demands for service and improve ments throughout the state. Of course, we realize that the present flood conditions are not particularly helpful to an optimistic view of the situation, but this is restricted to a comparatively small area and the flourishing condition of the state as a whole, which is clearly indicated by the hearty response which was given to the calls for the relief of the flood sufferers, is only one of many indica- tions of the general wealth and pros perity of the state and the bright fu- ture outlook.
 "The United States has been divid- ed into eight grand divisions for gen eral administrative purposes in con- nection with the operation of the Bell Telephone System, the Southwestern group of Bell companies operating throughout the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, being one of the eight grand divisions. These states cover an area of 540,000 square miles or more than one-sixth of the entire United States, and in this area there is a population of approximately 13,000,000 or about one-seventh of the total population of the United States. The Southwestern group of Bell companies, operate ap- proXimately 900,000 telephone sta tions in this section, which, with the extensive toll line systems represents an investment of upward of $70000,- 00, not including the investment of the connecting companies"