The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-03-12
WAR CALLS PHONE
SYSTEM TO EXPAND
SOME BIG FACTS AND FIG
URES ARE REPORTED BY
THEODORE N. VAIL.


New York, March 1l-lIOw the
Bell telephone system met the
emergency of an enormously eX-
panded service after the entry of
the United States into the war and
provided adequate service to the va
rious branches OF the government
without disturbance to commercial
interests is shown in the annual re-
port Of Theodore n. Vail, president
OF the American TelepEJne and Tel
cgraph Company and its associated
companies.
Immediately upon the dec!ara-
ton OF war; Mr.. Vail said "prece-
dence was established hr1uohout
the system for all government sorv-
ice, and 1900 toll operators were
speedily trained for this worl:. Prec-
cdence was also established at
Washington and over the entire
country for the maintenance OF eX-
isting facilities and the con ruction
OF numerous additional facilities ior
communication Elaborate plans
had been worked out in advance and
work Was done in a tew weeks tlat
ordinarily woGld have taken sew
eral mJnthS.'
Big Increase in WASHINGTON.
During the last year, the report
shows, there has been a tremendous
increas: in tie telephone service in
Washington, TO handlu which it has
bcen necessary to enlarge the
Switch1oards five times and 30 bring
IN several hundred trained operators |
from other cities. Several of The |
departmental ,witchboardS are large |
enough for 4 city OF 10000 p'pula-
tiOn.
For the national service, y . re-
port states, 10000 miles of toll and |.
1900 niles OF circuits for tele-
graph use have been taken from
commercial service and devoted ex-
olusive!y to tie use of the govern
mcnt.
In addition. Turing the year he
company provided extensive tcie-
Phone tacii'ics for the National |
army cantonments, National army
guard camps. division headquarters
of the ARM and navy aviation
fields, raining camps ard various
iedera. and state camps IN ditTcrent
parts OF the ,ountry More than
500 miles of submarine cables and
200 miles o. land lines connecting
the coast quad systems Wcr- con
structed and put in operation,
Employees TO War Total $50.
Fourleen battalions of picked OF
Gcers and men, trained in the c,m-
ranys telegraph and telephone
work, have joined the ,gnal corps.
The COMPANY IS represented al,o-
gethcr by aboJt $500 en- loyes in
the various government ac.;yt es in
cident 10 the war.
Telephone traffic in H.. United
states during l9l7 broke all records,
the report shows, the daily average
OF exchange connections rccchng
the high hgur- OF S0S45,0aO The
total wire miieaoe OF the system vas
p, ,l6O,4S7, an increase OF 100000
miles
Total operating revenues IN round
figures we're $294,0000O0, a1 in
crease OF $5O,5OOOOO; tota' cperat-
ing expenses we're $204 10000. an
increasa of $2} 5OO,OO0 leaving net
operating revenues of 500 100000.
An abnormal demand ipr service
due to the Wa necessi'at,l a rec ,
ord expenditure for additional
plants OF SllS,00000O, nearly 50 per
cent greater than arv previous sim
liar annual outlay.
Alleged Net Earnings.
The net earnings of the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company. +
segregated from those OF the Bell /
system, are shown to be $4S, ,940.OOO. {
which is S4,l9S000 more than for
the previous year.
Vail states SHAT the telephone I
business is growing, that the pub
lie is friendly and Lat the bust
ness OF the Bell system is in
healthy condition, with assets Of |
more than three hundred millions IN
excess OF outstanding obligations. {
Referring to government control t
Vail says.
Whatever can be done by the {
through direct opera
ton can be done more certainly (
through control and regulation OF \
private operation, thus combining /
the potency OF the sovereign with
the initiation and interest Of the !
e,1,a,t