The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-03-10
At An Amazing Rate In
This Country,
AS SHOWN BY CENSUS BUREAU
More Than Twenty Million
Miles Of Phone Wire
Now In Use.
WHERE PHONES ARE THlcKEsT

Washington. March 6.-The quin-
quennial report on telephones, tele-
graphs and municipal electric fire
alarm and police patrol signaling
/ systems, relating TO the calendar
year 1912. will soon be given out
| by Director William j. Harris, of
the Bureau of the Census, Depart
ment of Commerce. This report
will show that the amount of tele-
phone wire in use in the United
States increased from almost 49,
| 100000 miles in 1907 TO more than
20,00O,000' miles in 1912, or by
about "a per cent, while the num-
Der of miles of commercial tele-
graph wire, including ocean cable,
increased during the same period
from over 1.624.000 miles to near
ly $3.50 miles, or by 10 per
cent.
Statistics as to telephone calls
are available only for companies
having annual incomes of $4,000 or
over. Such companies, which in
1912 operated aout 81 per cent. of
the wire mileage and about "a
per cent of the telephones, reported
for that year approximately 49,
1875, 100000 calls, an increase of
about 80 per cent. over the number
10000, 900, OOO) reported for 1907.
During the same period the business
of the telegraph companies Gland,
ocean and wireless combined) in
creased from approximately 1885,
$4,000 messages to O9,663,000,
or by about j Y per cent.
The capitalization of the tele-
phone companies with incomes of
$4,000 or over increased from
s75S, 100000 in 1907 to 1891, OOO,-
GOO in 1912. or by more than 80
per cent. During the same time the
apitalizations of the telegraph
companies decreased from $685.
100000 to s2S2. 600, 900, or by .ap-
proximately per cent. This de-
crease, however, was due entirely to
reduction of S23,OOO,O00 in the
capitalization of wireless telegraph
companies. Excluding the figures
for such companies, an increase in
capitalization of S2.2OO,OO0, or
about / per cent, is shown.
The net income of the telephone
companies with incomes of $4,000
or more increased from 1900 900
in 1907 To S51,300.0O0 in 1912. or
by nearly % per cent. while during
the same period the net income of
the telegraph companies decreased
from s9,65O,00o to $6,4OO,OOO. or
by about one-third.
The number of employees reported
by telephone companies with in
comes of $1,000 and over increased
from approximately 131, 900 in
1907 to $4,000 in 1912, or by over
30 per cent. while during the same
period the number of persons en-
plOyed by telegraph companies rose
from $4,000 to $4,000, the rate of
increase being nearly SO per cent.
The Bell Telephone system in
1912 controlled nearly IS per cent. |
of the total wire mileage and over
SO per cent of the total number of
telephones in use. II also controll- |
ed nearly II per cent of the public |
exchanges maintained by companies |
with annual incomes of $1,000 or
over, and handled Y per cent. of
the calls made over the lines of |
such companies. The wire mileage |
of the Bell system increased from
S,947, 900 in 1907 to 15.133,OOO in
1912, or by more than SO per cent.
During the same time the wire mile
age of all other systems combined
increased from 100000 to 5,115,-
900, or by little over 26 per cent.
The total number of telephones in
use texclusive of railway, govern
mental or private telephones not
connected with public exchanges)
increased from 6.11S.000 in 1907 to
$4,000 in 1912. or by nearly 43
per cent. The telephones under the
of the Bell and of the indie
pendent systems numbered 3,132,-
300 and 2.9s6.0O0. respectively. I'M
1907 and 5.Os7,0OO and $4,000.
in 1912. the percent
'ges of increase being SO for the
'ormer and 22 for the latter The