Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-10
SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS
Bell Telephone Furnishes Many
Surprises For the States
Officials

Cooley, who is dean, of the depart
ment or engineering of the Univer-
sity of Michigan. Prof. Cooley in
qualifying as an expert, gave such
q detailed account of his experiences
| in similar inquiries that Ex-Governor
| Pennypacker finally said that lie
| thought the Commission would be per-
fectly willing to recognize Prof. Cooley
aS an expert.
Prof. Cooley graduated from the
Naval Academy in 1878 and continued
lin the service OF the government un-
1 til 1881, when he became connected
with the University of Michigan. He
has been teaching at the University
of Michigan continuously with the ex-
ception of the time OF the Spanish
American war, when he served as
chief engineer in the navy, serving
on the L. S. S. Yosemite.
Since 1889 Prof. Cooley has been
engaged in the work of appraisals of
property of public utility corporations.
He appraised properties of the Detroit
Street railways and was i'll charge of
the appraiSalS of the Michigan Rail
ways, Telegraph and Telephone Com
panies in 1900 and 1901, and in 1902
appraised the mechanical equipment
of the Newfoundland Railways. In
1903 he was consulting engineer of
has been chairman of the block sig
nal and train control board of the In
terState Commerce Commission.
When asked to estimate the sum
OF money involved in the various ap-
praisals in which he participated,
Prof. Cooley gave the amount as be-
tween one and one-half and one and
quarters billions of dollars. In
going into the matter of the appraisal,
Prof. Cooley said there We're four ele-
ments involved in Investigations of
public utility companies for rate
: making purposes. These are: First,
capital invested; second, operating ex-
penses; third, depreciation; fourth,
sinking fund. In going further into
the first item, or that of capital in
vested. Prof. Cooley testified that the
cost of the reproduction of the plant
under consideration was of great i'm
portance. The important elements to
be considered under this head are:
First, the physical property which can
be seen, and second, the overhead
charges which are not apparent.
Telephones Growth
Nathan Hayward, engineer OF the
Bell Company, was recalled to the
stand and testified that there are ar
the present time approximately 450,-
600 Bell telephones and 10000 Inde-
pendent telephones i'll Pennsylvania
making one telephone for every four
teen people, or one Bell telephone for
every twenty people. He also de-
veloped the fact that Iowa has the
largest telephone development in the
United States.
Mr.. Hayward introduced in evil
dence a statement Of the population
and telephone development of the Bell
telephone companies in the State OF
Pennsylvania from 1884 to 1914, show
ing the development by years. In
1884 the estimated population was 4,
/ 100000 and the telephone companies
had 1856 stations in service. The pei
cent. OF stations TO population was
! .19, with less than 1000 miles Of toll
circuit in use connecting II exchanges.
On the first Of January, 1914, the
! figures show an estimated population
for Pennsylvania of S,209,000 with
451,754 stations in service. On per-
centage basis the statement shows
J.26 per cent. stations to population
The statement also shows that there
are 53,423 miles Of toll circuit in use
connecting 39S exchanges.
! In addition to J. l.. Swayze, general
attorney, and r. V. Marye, attorney
and Addison Candor, counsel for the
company, a number of prominent Bel
They included z. H. Bethel, president
of the Pennsylvania companies and
vice-president of the New York COM
pany; +. i. Sherwood, chief engi-
neer; j. S. Wiley, general auditor; A. J
Stewart, general manager OF the New
York Telephone Company; T. p. Syl-
van, assistant to the president; r. II
Burcher. engineer, all of New York
City, and j. III. Hons, auditor; ]. S
Francis. engineer of appraisals ano
II. A. TraX, statistician, of Philadel-
tn New England Telephone & Tele-
graph Company Boston, Mass
Other Cases Heard
Solicitors f. II. b. Lyon, OF Maha-
noy City; NJ. M. Burke, of Shenan-
doah and William Dewitt, of Ashland
appeared before the Public Service
Commission this afternoon to request
! information as to the form of proceed.
ure to be followed in filing com
plant against the Schuylkill Railways
Company. They represent the variou,
municipalities in the matter and OBJ.
ject to the rate of fare, service, char
acter of equipment and the unsafe
method Of operation of the road.
The Commission to-day had hear.
ing on the petition of citizens OF Ian
caster, who are asking that q grade
crossing over the Pennsylvania rail
road, where the Lancaster & Man
helm turnpike crosses, be abolished.
The petitioners were represented b,
ID. F. Magee, Esq, and S. p. thinner
man, of the Lancaster Automobil,
Club They told the Commission tina
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company il
willing to put a subway under 1t
tracks some distance from the presen
crossing and that all the parties in
lterested are agreed to the proposition
excepting the turnpike company. TIL,
latter was not represented at the hear
ing.
New Style of Protest
Another hearing was held befor
the Commission on the petition of tn
Reading Transit & Light Company. I
asks for a certificate of public con
venience approving the purchase b,
1t of the controlling rights of the Leb
anon Valley Electric Light Compan,
and its subsidiaries.
The city of Lebanon proteste,
lagainst the approval of the purchas