The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-03-21
Some Interesting Data Given Out
| y Bell System
YEAR REVENUE, $199, 200,0 900
Conversations Reach the Enormous
Number Of 7,770,000,000; Fine
Pension Plan Adopted

Some interesting data is contained
in the report just issued by the
American Telephone and Telegraph
company for the year ended Deem
Der 81, 1912, and it shows that the
telephone has become in the United
States, to a greater extent than any.
where else in the world, a house
hold necessity. There are now TO-.
900 towns, cities and hamlets from
which telephone messages may be
sent. This is 5000 more than the
number of postoffices in the United
States; 10000 more than the num-
Der of railroad stations and nearly
three times the number of regular
telegraph offices. There are alto
gether 7,456,074 telephone stations in
the Bell system, which is an increase
over last year of S23,449 stations.
This compares with an increase dur.
ing the previous year of 749,9O6 sta.
tons.
Including the traffic over the long
distance lines, but not including the
connecting companies, the daily av.
erage of toll connections in 1912 was
about $4,000, and of exchange con-
nections about 25,572, 900. This COM
pares with $4,000 and 23,484,000 in
1911. Speaking broadly this means
that the daily average of telephone
conversations last year reached 26,-
10000, or at the rate of about 8,472,-
100000 for the year, as against a.
$4,000 in 1911 when the rate was
1910, 100000 year.
Figures show that while Europe
has three and a half times the tele-
graph traffic of the United States
and nearly twice the first class mall
traffic, it has only two-ffths of the
telephone traffic, owing to the great
er efficiency and distribution of the
telephone in this country.
Gross Earnings of $1ss,200,00o.
The Bell system showed a gross
Irevenue-not including that of the
connected independent lines-of $780,
10000. This was gain of 100000
over s4ae previous year. A very care
full appraisal conducted by the en-
gineers of the physical property of
the Bell system as of August 1, last,
showed that while the book cost was
$736, 100000, the cost of reproduction
at that date would have been $751;
100000. In other words, the company
was carrying the property on its
books at $61,000,000 below it's actual
physical value at the time of its ,ap-
praisal. In this appraisal there were
included no intangible assets what
ever, such as good will, patents,
franchises, cost of developing the
business, etc. For the year there
was an increase in assets of $685.
100000, of which $75,6OO,OOO repre-
scented current additions to the plant,
including the necessary real estate.
During the five year period between
1907 and 1912 the assets of the Bell
companies have increased $311,000,-
600 while the capital obligations and
payables outstanding have increased
only a little over $199, 100000 The
surplus and reserves have increased
from $61,30OOOO to $164, 100000 or
nearly $1O3, 100000, even after set
ting aside $S,S45,O0O for the benefit
fund recently created for the en-
| ployes.
Some Interesting Figures.
The American Telephone and Tele-
graph company itself shows total
earnings of 2,717,99275, and a bal
ance of $6,O47,35764 after payment
of interest and the regular dividends
Continued on Page Two.