The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-07
YEARS RECORD IN
 TELEPHONE SERVICE

New York, March 3-(Special )-That the Bell system has passed through the strenuous period of war conditions With it's plant, management and finances in- +act and is in a healthy condition to undertake it's postwar responsibilities witt, minimum of delay. is shown by
 the annrsi report of the American Tel epnone and Telegraph Company.
 Many mechanical labor saving de- cices have already been adopted to meet
 the shortage of unskilled labor, and
 other devices are being constantly
 studied and adapted to the reeds of the business. There were 15.000 telephone men in war service from the Bell system, and
 practically all who have applied for ie- irstatement have been re7employed. The total amounts of payment under
 the employees benefit plan for pensions
 sickness, accidents and death benefits
 Curing 1919 was $2,s55.0oS.
 At the end of the year the nlmber or telephone stations which constitute the
 Bell system in the United States was Iii, 795,747. of which 7,139,159 were owned
 by associated companies of the Bell
 system. The increase in the total num-
 Der of stations in the Be-! system dur
 ing 1919 amounted to 729,T4S.
 There were 209sS60 employees in the
 Associated Bell companies at the end
 of the year, who are operating 24,1e2,-
 999 miles of wire, of which 94s6 per cent
 was copper. The net additions to the
 Bell-owned plant during the year was
 over $73.0O0.000.
 For the whole Bell system, with ali
 Implications. excluded. the total Income,
 including compensation, after the de- duction of expenses amounted to $79.-
 65O.1Ss from which over $27. 900, 900 was
 paid in. interest and $3s.000.000 in divi- dends. leaving over $l2,00o,000 surplus. The surplus earnings in the last five months of the year since the end of federal control have been $7,o0o.0oe. The capital stock, bonds and notes psyable of the Bell Telephone system outstanding in the hands of the public 0eo,o0o, while the net assets devoted to earning return on these outstanding securities amounted to over $1,44S, 500.- Cet. This is due to the fact that sur plus and reserves of over $SSS,500.00 haG been invested in productive prop erty.
 For the American Telephohs and Tel egraph Company the net earnings of l the year were over $sO. DOG, ,000. In round | figures the interest charges were &15,- 00e, ,00o, the dividends $35, 5,000, 900 and the resulting balance $s. 900, 900. of which l $5.Oo0, 900 was appropriated to reserve \ for contingencies and $s.o00. 900 added 4 to surplus. The company and its prede- l cessors have paid dividends to the pub l lie at the rate of at least $7.50 per share each year for the past s years ! and during the past 1s years the rate has been uniformly {s per share. The l number of shareholders in. the American l r. ieplrone and Telegraph Conpan. was I ~, Decep,her :f 120 460 an 1far rease of 1000 during the year. To this number 1 should be added some 5000 employees of ! the Bell system who are paying for \ stock out of their wages. More than i i9.oo0 employees have already paid in ! sfuli for their stock and arc stockholders of record There are moro women
 stockhcIders than men. (