The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-19

this years report OF the
American Telephone and TeieEfsph
compauy has upnsual Interest.
without psokfea there can be no
prosperity d me way preniaent The
odore n. vail nums up the sltuation.
Telephone business has net suffered
lac much AZ other industries, but the
sfowth Of the ntn ayalem has heen
retarded. Therefore Mr.. Van goes
back 10 first cnuacs and IN a letter
accompanying his report gives n
~searching analysis % economic con-
ditiona. which have put two million
lpeople out OF employment.
Furthermore, he points out the re-
ilcf needsd BY general business In or
der tnat this brcad line may bocome
. workinE line nlght and morning
between places Of employment and
homes. TO roughly epitcmlse his
concluslons is all that Is possible.
Never were the rsSlc conditions of.
the country Lstter than now for a
restoration and continuance OF nor
mai conditions. The correction is
simple ana 10 pointed out BY numsr-
Gus p~recedentn Of the past and by
well established economic laws. The
extension n Improvement OF our
transportation facilities Is necessary
to meet tho increasing demands Of
the country both a. a 'goinsT and a
ir'Erowing" concern. A billion dol
iars a year are needed and there must
be q restoration Of confidence which
viii enable the companies TO procure
At least a part Of this necessary cap
itaL That would mean employment
and the circle OF Industrial condi-
tious, for employment means ability
10 purchase. Ability to purchase
means consumption Consumption
msans production, and production for
which there Is a demand means pros
perity.
The opening OF the transcontinent-
al telephone line. bringing san Fran
%cisco within commercial talking dis
%tance OF the principal cities on the
Atlantic scaboard. gives particular IN
%terest to the engineering features Of
the years report.
Few can appreciate the years Of
interchangeable labor on the part OF our
entire star and the Immense sums OF
money which this achievement has
cost. and fewer stiil can foresee the
countless ways In which Il will. from
now on. make for the benefit Of all
the service rendered TO the public
everywhere. In the Bell system stan
~dardlzatlon does not mean standing
still but means increasing effort. con-
tinually improving and upbuildlng
The plant Is like q living Organism.
always growing larger and being re-
newed bit BY Bit as IL grows. Under
she Intelligent direction OF the engi-
neering stan. plant Of all kinds cost
Ing more tina st2s. 900. goo wa add
led to the He'll system In 1--WE years
and plant to the value OF more than
s17B.e00.O0O wRs taken out and re-
moved from service. Each year large
sums are spent In scientific, engineer
Ing experimentation and development
work which saves millions to the as
sociated companies and their sub
scribers.
zone OF the years developments
was an underground cable which in
its diameter OF 2A inches carries
..ls.4o0 telephone wires"
From a legal standpoint the Bell
system is In an excellent condition,
there being no suit pending against
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph company or amy OF The ass9-
ciated companies. charging my yio-
latlon OF any state or federal anti
trust law.
Welfare work. pension and sick
benefit plans are reported TO have
demonstrated their practical value.
Durlng the year bcneita were paid
In 20. si5 cases Of disability OF death,
and AZ the end Of the wear sal
being carried on the pension rolls
Tipe total amour expended for al
CLASSES of benefits was ti,sSs,ssl
most Of IL among the lower salariec
employees To whom the loss Of wages
even FOR a short period. would have
been a hardship. The recent onei
of stock It a iow price on install
ments was intended as an encourage.
ment 10 saving and over 10000 en-
ployes awaited themselves 81 this OF
( fer.
This has been termed by som
: 'pront sharing Il SHOULD no be. u
= Ia an investment by which the en-.
ploye becomes also a proprietor, an'
he occupies The dual relation OF pro
prletor and employe. which y u car
be worked out 10 ia fullest %possibili
{ ties VIII be ldeaL"
In this connection II Ia shown ma