The Detroit times., 1912-05-16
INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE
COMPANIES KEEP PACE WITH
STATES RAPID GROWTH
Hundreds of COMPANIES Work
Through Traitic AS
ia sociation
HEADQUARTERS AT
GRAND RAPIDS
Each Local Company Connects
With Some Toll Line
..aiaL Company


When the telephone was first ex-
hibited TO the world at the Centennial
Exhibition at Philadelphia In 1875 no
sweep OF the Imagination could scarce
ly picture seven and n half million
telephones In the homes and business
places OF this country in 1912. Even
sreater IL the fact that 800 and more
or this gigantic and tremendous de-
velopment has taken place since 1894
or within Is years. The Independent
telephone movement was born in 1894
OF public necessity TO meet the de-
mand for telephone service which the
people had been wanting for CONNER
clal and social purposes since the pos
sibilities OF the telephone had been
demonstrated at Philadelphia IS years
before. and because of the birth of the
Independent telephone. movement we
have and enjoy the comforts, conven-
ienco and protection which these mill
Lions OF telephones afford today.
Some reader may say or think thai
the development has reached its limit
but not so. 1t is greater than ever.
The Independent telephone system each
day IL building and installing COM
plete. the equivalent OF an exchange
OF 1000 subscribers, so great is tho
demand for the service
What few short years ago was
considered a luxury soon became "A
convenience and then necessity. un-
ri now every well-regulated home and
office In the land is equipped with
telephones, many OF the larger bust
ness concerns having private branch
telephone exchanges operating any
where from dozen telephones TO as
many hundreds or more. Many of our
a NJ rel
phones so that they can obtain the
greatest possible amount OF service
tfom them
This tremendous development called
for improvements on the early type Of
telephone and apparatus and caused
Independent telephone manufacturers
TO compete with each other by means
or skilful corps OF telephone engineers.
10 produce the best possible type OF
telephones and apparatus. until today
the Independent telephone manufacture
ers arc turning out the highest grade
OF apparatus made, every telephone be-
Ing a long distance instrument.
= The great and ever increasing de-
Ahand Of the people for telephone SER
vice or necessity called their attention
TO the telephone as investment
proposition. The result OF such in
vestlgation is best evidenced by the
fact that the last official report OF the
department OF commerce and labor
shows an authorized capital OF $l,67S,-
46s,955. This was in 1907. five years
ago, so that the figures quoted can
now conservatiyely be increased to pos
sibly two or two and fourth billion
dollars. Experience along the line OF
investment since 1894 has demonstra-
ted that telephone securities in any
we'll managed company are the safest
and securest kind OF investment. This
for several reasons. The commodity
sold, telephone service is a necessity.
Therefore panics or hard times do not
affect them other than favorably. Sec
ond. the property representing the In
S9estment being scattered over so large
a territory, is not subject TO large loss
es from fire, storms or floods as are
many other kinds of property.