The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-03
TELEPHONE OFFICIAL
SEES IMPROVEMENT
IN BUSINESS TREND
Frank Il. Waldo Says North.
western Bell Prepared to
Meet New Demands

Noting betterment In business con-
ditions In . statement issued Tuesday,
Frank H. Waldo. district manager here
for the Northwestern Bell Telephone
company. said his company us ready
to meet any increased demand for
telephone service In Bismarck and
elsewhere In the communities where
1t operates that may result from i'm
proved business conditions in 1884,
Business men generally look upon
the telephone industry as a good bar
ometer Of general business condition."
said Waldo.
Beginning In September 1893. the
barometer began to rise. In that
month more telephones we're connect
ed than were disconnected for the
first time in more than two years.
Smaller gains were made In October
and November than in September.
Figures for December are not yet
available. The Northwestern Bell
Company,s gain in telephones for the
three months mentioned was 1852, Of
WHICH DO WeIC III 0SUldlCks
Much Ground To Regain
This increase in telephones by no
means places the company in its posi-
ton Of April, 1881. Neither did it
save the company from suffering =
loss IN telephones for the year as q
whole, although this loss was smaller
in 1888 than In 1882. Since April,
1881, and up to Dec. !, 1888 the COM
pany's net loss was more than $4,000
telephones. In addition there was q
decrease Of about one-third In its long
distance business.
However. the recent gain Is en-
couraging and we look forward to
continued improvement during the
new year.
On Aug. Is the Northwestern Bell
Company signed President Roosevelt's
unemployment agreement. For some
time prior to this the company had
been carrying out the principles Of
the National Recovery program. &C
cording to Waldo. Working hours
had been shortened and certain i'm
provement and replacement work was
advanced. This resulted in keeping
about 1900 employees who otherwise
could not have been retained.
j As q result. the immediate effect Of
the National Recovery Act on the
Northwestern Bell Company was not
as marked Is It otherwise would have
been.
/ Nevertheless, from July 81 to the
end Of the year, about 400 employees
were added for the company as q
whole throughout the five states In
which 1t operates.
1.-THE Northwestern Bell Company
has kept its plant and equipment In
good working order during the de-
lpression and will continue to do SO, :
Waldo said. For improvements and
necessary requirements Of plant and
equipment, the company last year
made . gross expenditure Of about S.
100000 In the five states where It
operates and It IS estimated that about
IS TAI, 900 will be required for this
same purpose in 1894"
indicative Of the extent customers
! in Bismarck and other exchanges OF
the Northwestern Bell Company USED
telephone service, and Of how the
quality Of the service was maintained
| during 1888, Waldo released lew
figures.
1900 Calls Daily
On Nov. 80 there was 3,0l8 tele-
phones connected with the Bismarck
exchange. During the first IL months
Of the year the company handled more
than 3,400, 900 local calls in the aver
are business day, Of which about To-
600 were In Bismarck.
In addition to these calls, the COM
pany handled approximately 2o!Oo0.0oo
out Of town calls between Jan. ! ana
Dec. !.
The average time required to COM
plete . long distance call was only
sliehtly more than . minute ana =
half during the first II months o.
1853. -
This is Q decided improvement OVER
the average time Of six and one nalt
minutes required to complete sucn z
call only eight years ago.
Due to this Improvement IN nano.
ling long distance calls. % per cent q
al such calls placed in Bismarck BE-
tween Jan. and Dec ! were com
pleted while the calling person re-
NAMED on the line, just g he ooea