The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-03-14

fore necessitates no change in the
subscribers telephone or local line.
BY means of radio or wireless tele-
phony the engineering department has
during the year greatly extended the
are over which the tones of the human
voice can be transmitted. Speech has
been transmitted by wire from New
York to Arlington. Va, and thence by
wireless to the radio station at Mare
| Island. California BY these new wire
less Improvements speech has also
been transmitted by radio telephony
from Arlington to the Eiffel Tower in
Paris, and simultaneously to the Ha-
waiian Islands in the Pacific.
On account of the European war
there has been much difficulty in OBJ
tanning many of the supplies needed
in telephone manufacture, and the en-
gineering department has been active
in providing substitutes. \ new kind
Of insulating paper for cables, of which
some TWO miles is used in year, has
been provided and new sources found
for chemicals used in batteries and for
|the fine hairIiSe iron used in loading
coils.
During the year the Engineering de-
pa.tment has done important and CON
fdcutial work with representatives Of
both tie army and navy as to new
methods Of wire and wireless communi-
cation, and it has been made clear
that the comprehensive wire network
of the Bell plant by a simple plan Of
cooperation, will supply to the scheme
OF national defense a working system
of communication unequalled by that
of any other nation.
Mr. Vail says that the relations OF
the associated companies with the va
rious boards of control and regulation
have been most satisfactory, but that
the operations of these bodies should
be strictly confined to control and regu-
lation and never invade the province
OF management
The Bell Companies have been fore
most to establish and propose to con-
tinue their efforts to maintain good
wages and good working conditions
for their employees, a condition of the
utmost importance to efficiency of the
service to the public. He shows that
since every legal safeguard has been
thrown around employees, the combi-
nation of employees leading to the sus-
pension of the service and the incon-
yenience of the public, should not be
possible. "Such action on the part OF
the employees Of public utility is as
unjustiGable and objectionable as
would be an arbitrary suspension Of
service by the utility"
In conclusion he says that the Bell
Companies have established good re-
Ilations between their employees and
the public, have passed the danger
which arose from a promoting specu.
Ilatiye boom, and the springing up OF
unsound duplicating enterprises.
Furthermore, the apprehensions that
rate-adjusting bodies might bear hard
on rates and reduce them to an un
profitable point have not been real
lied
Mr.. Vail states that, so long as the
policies which now control the com
panies are followed, so long as there
are fair rates and good service, there
is little danger Of public ownership.
"The public are recognizing the fact
that in the rates charged for tele
phone service in the United States
there is no exaction, and are begin
ming to believe that these charges are
the cheapest in the world, and the ser
vice the best and the total cost to the
public is less than it would be under
government ownership.
with a reasonably satisfied public
with a reasonably liberal public; will
a reasonably inclined federal, state and
municipal control and regulation; with
out any onerous or unreasonable de
mands in sight or probable; with q
normal business requiring only norma
amounts of future capital; with a sys
TEN sufficiently in advance of existing
conditions to meet all possible de
mands or eXigencies; with business
of such a nature that it makes the
most economical servant for socia
or commercial intercourse, the first tC
be employed, the last to be discharged
with an operating staff from office boy
to senior executive, from newest to old
est, who look upon the system as theil
system, who are jealous Of its reputa
tion and jealous in support of it; who