Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-28
BELL FIRM SPENDS
Sl,0lO,0(O PER DAY
Plant Equipment Bill of TeIe-
phone System Reaches
Huge Figure.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
,cial Dispatch to The Star

way c. M. Van Tassell, Miami business
man, would deal with the unemploy-
ment problem:
Let every business firm call in its
married women employees and put this
question to each, is your husband
working?' If the employe says yes, let
that fortunate married woman go and
give her place to one of the unem-
ployed today.
"That will meet the problem. For
example: A New York friend OF mine
has responsible banking position and
a salary of $500 month He is mar mar
ried. but has no children. So his wife
is working in one of the stores and
drawing 5000 a month. Now, why
should she be allowed to hold that po-
sition when her husband is getting
enough to carry them both, with no
other family responsibilities? Let her
give way and then fill the job with a
person who really needs It,
st should say, conservatively, that
there are a million cases OF that Klno
in the United States"
The Southern business man thinks
this suggestion should be submitted TO
Col. Woods for his serious consideration.
Telephone Company Expansion.
Think of one company adding more
than 81 100000 a day to its plant
Equipment in 1929! That's the record
of the Bell Telephone System. 1t added
1895. 100000 to its plant equipment IN
1929. compared with 1852 100000 In
1928, 1921 ,000, 600 in 1927 and S258,OOO,-
600 in 1926.
The total assets of this vast organi-
cation are now In the neighborhooo OF
"a 600 600 900, as compared with So AGO.
(OO 600 of the United States Steel Cor
poration, $4,000, 100000 of the Pennsyl-
yania Railroad and 81 100000 each
of the Standard Oil Co. of New YORK
and the New York Central Railroad.
The steady rise of this companys
properties since 1900 makes 1t the
worlds largest and most powerful cor
poration.
dreds of officials in various parts OF the
country. vet few of their names are
nationally known. Walter Clifford, As,
Harvard graduate, president OF the
American Telephone & Telegraph 20,
Is, naturally, its best known executive.
During the last 18 months, nearly
$500. O0O, 900 has been secured by varl-
Gus offerings of the American Telephone
g. Telegraph CO. and its subsidiaries.
No Wage Reductions.
The assurances given by severa! pig
business leaders such as James A. Far
relI chairman of the United States Steel
Corporal ton; George F. johnson, preSl-
dent of Endicott-JohnSon Co.. =. X.
Palmer, president of Cluett- Peaooay
Co. Albert r, Erskine, president OF the
Studebaker Co.: Walter j. Kohler, presl-
dent of the Kohler Co.; Howard Coonley,
president of Walworth g. Co., and New
comb Carleton, president of the West
ern Union Telegraph Co., that wages IN
their corporations would not be reduced
has given heart to many labor leaders
who are fighting against wage reductions
during this period of depression,
Perhaps the statement OF Mr.. Farrell
of the United States Steel Corporation,
one of the largest employers of labor IN
the United States, sizes up the sltua-
ton for these and other business execu-
tives, when he said:
.sWages in the steel industry are not
coming down-you can make up your
mind on that"
Ford on Mergers.
Henry Ford has never favored the
merger idea, but it's still in the air, and
many are being worked up at this mo-
ment.
In Henry Ford's recent book Moving
Forward" this little gem about mergers
appears:
weak or oVerstimulated business to cling
"
another. The embrace is called mer-
ger"
To Mr.. Ford merger looks like sig
nal of weakness But how about the
United States Steel Corporation? 1t
merged more than 100 different cor
porations into what has become the
largest steel corporation in the world.
The history Of America in the last 80
years Is basically the history OF mergers.
Many of them in the boom days Of the
last five years were put together primar-
lily to exploit the public. But others
have brought great strength to the
united organization.
Nevertheless, Henry Ford's 29-word
definition Of merger" will not soon be
forgotten.
Armament Expense.
"a Fascist Europe within 20 years."
Is the prediction of Premier MuSsolini,
who is preparing in 1882 for the tenth
anniversary of the Fascist march on
Rome as the greatest armed gather
ing Rome has seen in 5000 years of
history"
His latest speech, a charge against
all foreign enemies Of the Fascist move
ment, has caused a new anxiety to
spread throughout Europe.
Every one knows the growing bitter
ness between France and Italy today.
The increase In ornaments throughout
Europe is a result of the feeling in diff
ferent countries against the two ex-
tremes-Fascism in Italy and Com
munism in Russia.
The present armament expense
larger than it was in 19l3-is forcing
the business interests of Europe to see
If something can't be done to check
Its growth.
For the international trade. machine
will be permanently smashed if an
other great war breaks in the present
decade.
Strength in Stocks.
The stock market showed strength
yesterday-such strength that many
observers feel it is now scraping bot
tom, and has become selective in char
acter
One stock was singled out for ham,
mering, although one wonders why The
j. l. Case Co. has book value of S195
share, no funded debt has 10000 600
Of preferred stock outstanding. and
$4,000 shares of 500 par stock. It has
paid 6 per cent dividends for three
years, and its net earnings during the
last five years-from 1925 to 1929, in
cluSiye-total 1l2 per cent, or more
than the stock is selling for today
Naturally this company is affected by
the farm depression, but how such stock
can be sold at the present price is diff
cult to see.
Copyright 1880, By North American News
paper Alliance