Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1914-02-19
CONTROL OF CORPORATIONS.
Mountain States Company Advocates
Commissions-5O69 EMPLOYEES.

Mountain States Company Advocate
Commissions-5O69 Employees.
Denver, Colo, Feb. 1O.-Great in
terest was manifested today in tn,
announcement by President Field O
the Mountain States Telephone &
Telegraph Company, that he is il
hearty accord with the plan for the
control of the company he represent:
by state utilities commissions elected
by the people. The company, which
operates in the seven mountain states
Is one of the biggest public serving
corporations in the country, and this
announcement, coming as it does, in
the midst of public distrust in ali
corporations, shows a broad, far
sighted policy that is doing much to-
ward bringing about a spirit of CON
fidence in the company and its op-
erations.
The annual report to the three
thousand stockholders gives the COM
pany's balance sheet and shows the
growth of the telephone business in
the territory. 1t contains much OF
public interest and shows the heal
thy condition of the company and its
affairs.
The report in part says: ION De-
cember list, 1913, we had in our ter
ritory $40 exchanges. furnishing
service to 200, ole exchange stations:
there are 22,556 stations connected
with our system on the lines of con
Meeting companies, making a total +.
of 222572 subscribers stations in
service IN December 81, 1913, an in
crease of 1854 during the year.
h total miles of exchange and toll
lines, as of December 81, 1914, were
5SS,666.O9, an increase of 8 2,O47.16
miles for the year. Total miles of
exchange and toll wire under ground
on December 81, 1913, were 1885,
1928. Total miles of toll line on
the same date were 76,9S4.56. Our
company furnished as we'll to minor
companies toll service over S,Ol9
miles of connecting toll line. There
are in the territory of the Mountain
States system 551 joint telephone
and telegraph offices, affording ia
cilities to the public much better
than those formerly enjoyed. Two
thousand three hundred %sixty-fve
male and 2,704 female employees
made possible the handling of 1885,
443 exchange messages per day. and
!S,3O7 outgoing toll messages per
day n were paid for their services
the sum of $3,921,7S2 during the
year.
Two states in our territory during
the year 1913 have created public
utility commissions, viz: Idaho and J
Montana. Previous to this time.
Arizona and New Mexico had al
ready established such commissions
n by virtue of our previous expert J
ence, we have every reason to be-
l1eve thai a better and broader nm
Outstanding between the public and
our company is taking place In con-
sequence. We find that regulation z
by public service commissions NAV
be considered an assurance of better
FEELING and an insurance against nm
warranted prejudice. 1
our system of accounting inaug-
urated January l, 1913, upon the
order OF the interstate commerce
commission affords a ready scrutiny
and an easy analysis of our opera
Ions, and has additional value in thai l
IL is duly legalized by the highest
authority, thereby relieving our
company from adverse criticism whom
subject to investigation. +
ITO close this report without ref
to the loyalty and hearty CO.
operation of our 5,O69 employees
you'd be unfair both to them and to
ne stockholders. whose interests T
,ney nave so thoroughly at heart.
me benefit plan referred to in the
'eport OF last year has proven emf
satisfactory, and has, I am S
cemented the harmonious
relationship between the operating
and the investor.
1T would also be improper to close +
MS report without some reference
o the great value of our relationship
Vlth the parent company, The Ameri-
an Telephone and Telegraph Com r
amy. The past year, in particular L
as emphasized the value of our as
with that company and our
coordinate corporations which go TO n
up the Bell System. The adj :
antages which we receive in the mat
er OF engineering and accounting g
.dVlce, and the exchange of informa- h
ION covering operating experiences. II
invaluable alike to subscribers 9
mployes .and stockholders" .
For some months The Mountain "
tates Company has been telling the 7
tory of its operations, in advertise +,
tents and in letters to its subscrib- ;,
RS, and the confirmation of these :.
by this report is doing II
1uch to create confidence.