The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-24
or obsolete. or should be used ia
maxi the service oar ar ha44a.

or obsolete. or should be used to
make the service cheaper or better.
we believe that under proper gov
ernmental control and regulation the
profits from promotion or operation
allowed to be distributed should not
be SO large as to warrant or tempt
organization. with it's duplication Of
Its capital charges and its organiza-
ton, operating, maintenance and de-
probation expenses; and we do not
believe that utilities giving at fair
rates an efficient and sufficiently
comprehensive universal service
should be subject to limited competi-
ton. o giving such service. Compe-
titfon which ignores the obligation to
furnish a complete and comprehens-
I've service Is not competition, is not
for the benefit Of the public in that
1t does not reach the whole public In
terested.
If, therefore, complete duplication.
with its dual exchange connection and
dual bills for service, is a prerequisite
to complete competition, government
control and regulation cannot 20 hand
IN hand with competition.
we believe that the record Of the
Bel system will be accepted by the
public as fully in accord with these
declarations. Consistent adherence to
this policy has given the public Of
the United States the best, most COM
prehensive> and cheapest telephone
service In the world and made the
Bell standards. the standards Of all
nations. U.s.
To remove any possible excuse for
misrepresentation on account Of the
many misleading statements which
have been circulated as to the alleged
unnecessary and overcapitalization
and excessive charges Of the Bell
System the following statistics are
given: Except where stated, the
ftsures<are for@the Bell System: that
is. the American Telephone and Tele-
graph, and Its associated companies.
The entire Bell System on June 30,
1913. had outstanding in the hands Of
the public obligations Il. g.. notes,
open accounts. bonds and shares) to
the par value of $776. 000, 900.
The book value Of the total tanRi-
bic assets. which il considerably less
than their replacement value, amount-
ed to $960.000,0 900. Many %appraisale
OF property included in these assets
have been made land most of them
under the direction Of public authors
stands on the books failed to be sus-
tanned. and in most cases it has been
very largely exceeded.
The total dividends and interest
paid during the year 1919 amounted
to only 81 per cent, on the average
Of its outstanding obligations, and to,
less than 5 per cent on the average
value Of it's assets.
The actual cash which has been
paid into the treasury of the Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany on account of the capital obliga-
tons now outstanding amounts to
900 more than the par Of
outstanding obligations.
The Associated companies collect.
ed from the public and paid; back I'M
taxes over $4,000, 900 during the
year 1912.
The steadily increasing necessities
Of the public not only for additional
for new telephone service can
only be me by new construction, i'm
volving capital outlay. To meet
these demands during the six and
one-half years from 1907 to June.
1913. inclusive. the increase in tele-
phone plant was as follows: Toll line
wire increased from 1906 900 miles
to 2.o42,000 miles,. exchange wire i'm
from 5000, 900 miles 10
$4,000. 900: the, number. of exchange
increased from 2,730.000 to
Zoo. 900; the number of stations Of
Independent companies connected
with the Bell System increased from !