The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-01-12
ENORMOUS EXTENT
OF THE TELEPHONE
INDUSTRY DISCLOSED

WASHINGTON. Jan. 11--According {"
;hc report about to be issued .! Tue
Bureau of thu Census showing IN" r.
suits rf tho census OF trl"phuu" cover
INK the year W.. there are $3.50 seq
aratc telephone systems and lines IhrS''
lines and systems operated -N.N-'IN"
miles Of WIRE III IL" United states.
enough 10 EIrd,r thr uar.h 1T the cluh-
Tor I,I5% timcS-and connected lL7l6,-
"a telephones and lilo ruh'-- en-
changes. Tho messages ur talks sent
over these wires aggregated IT," stupcn-
duUS total Of nearly - billion. or |" ~"
exact, 3ISi5.T.2.G:;5 Figured on the
estimated reputation OF IN" country in
1917 tins gives III messages per annum
to every man. woman and child.
The industry N l9lT gay" employment
t. a. .G@9 persons Of whom lTl.ll9. or
over g. percent We're. women. The sum
paid out IN salaries and wages amounted
20 $l1U.UIO.ii?. These employees opcrnt-
cd plants and equipment valued at VI
493,3@9.0lI. which yielded operating ana
uur-OpCrat' revenues Of S%9l. i!9,o0l.
The report discusses the development
Of the telephone. telephone equipment
and traffic; Offers interesting Comparl-
sons between the Ecil and other systems
and between the telephone system as
whole and 'hr telegraph system: and
gives important fuIuclal statistics or
the industry. DetHriCd figures are pres
cnJrd for l9l7 by states and geographic
divisions and comparative statistics for
earlier years. The statistics for ~
are believed TO h" moro accurate than
for any previous census. du" To the UNI
form system Of accounts provld"d Tor
telephone companies by IN" lnt'rStnt"
Commerce Commission. which have been
in use since January l. 1918.
The Bell telephone system controlled
over four-fifths Of the total wire mile
age employed over three fOurths OF the
employees Of the industry, paid over
fOur-tifths OF the total hui for salaries
and wages, and received nearly four
htths Of the total revenue.
over thrcc-nfths of all the telephones
in the United States bore the "icll' sign
and two-thirds q fan persons who were
wanted on the wire" were wanted on a
Bell wire. Tho dominating part tina,
IN" Bell System plaTS IN the industry
may b" furthcr illustrated 10y the fact
that OF all the other systems reported.
96l percent reported annual incomes OF
less than $1,000.
Comparisons with previous ccnsuscs
bring out In a striking way the remark
able DEVELOPMENT of the industry. Dur
lng the decade l90T-l9lI wire mileage
Increased l29 percent. the number OF tel
Cph0neS 1923 percent, the number OF
messages 9o.5 percent for systems HAY
ing incomes of 5000 or more.
\ comparison ny geographic divisions
brings out the fact that considerably
NOR" than onC-h1lt of IN" telephone
systems rcpori!m: annual incomes, Of
5000 or more ia 1917 were located in
the Niddl" West, while systems ana
lines reporting iuCOmcs Of less than
5000 We're found IN the largest num-
brr' in thS western states Of tho central
groups.
The financial statistics OF the report
show that while the revenue az the tel
ephOUc companies has moro than duu-
bled during the decade l907-I91T. tn"
expenses have increased At IN even morn
rapid rate. Much Of the increase in
expenses was due To increase in salaries
and wages paid. These had advanced
from 41.4 Percent of the total expenses
in 1912. TO 81 percent in 1917. For
systems reporting annual incomes Of
more than 5000 in 1917. tho averaE;.
total revenue per telephone WAS SASH.
average net income rcr telephone S6.i&
and average surplus per telephone Sli6.
This report Of the telephone industry
Is part OF the Census OF Electrical In
dustrieS' which was taken IN 1918. Gov
ering the operations Of the fiscal yTTtr
1917.
The first census Of the telephone in
dustry was taken in connection with
the deccnnlal census in 1882 only two
years after the first public telephone "N-
change was opened for business at New
Haven, Conn, on January @J.lS1S. In
1890 n census Of telephones Was again
taken with,thc regular dcccnnial census
but for 1902 and for every fifth year
since n census OF Electrical Industries.
which includes telephones. has h""n
taken. The development Of tie indus
try. therefore, is shown from its IN
fancy.