Evening star., 1935-12-12
A. 7. & 7. PILES UP
DATA FOR PROBE
MANY Hundreds of Volumes
Compiled for Federal
Commission.
RY EDWARD c. STONE.

mission in connection WlCH ILle 9toO,OVV
investigation ordered by the last Con-
gress. Some 10000 A. t. & T. stock
holders in Washington will be. deeply
interested in the amount OF data al
ready supplied to 140 commission in
vestigators working in various offices
of the Bell system. The Transmitter,
monthly publication of the Chesapeake
g. Potomac Telephone Co., has just
made a most interesting report on
the part the Bell system is playing IN
the investigation.
The commission has made requests
for information through more than
30 of its AS general orders, by more
than rs formal letters addressed to
the American Co. or the Western Elec-
trio Co., and by some 1900 direct re-
quests from the staff of investigators
who are working in the various offices
Of the Bell system companies.
1One request involved the production
of plant, engineering. traffic and COM
nnercial circulars, letters, etc, issued
BY the American Co. and other ma
terial provided by the department OF
operation and engineering of that
company. The material furnished to
the commission in response to this re-
quest filled l56 volumes, made up of a
total of 10000 pages. Taken together,
these volumes filled nearly 40 feet OF
shelf space.
Represents Huge Task.
A request for instructions issued by
the Western Electric Co. required the
production of 100 volumes aggregating
more than As feet of shelf space. An
other request involved making dupli-
cate copies of more than 1000 sheets
of records.
Twelve hand truck of material, in
Guiding about $50 volumes, are being
furnished every day for current refer
ence to the group of commission rep
resentatives who are investigating the
general Office in New York.
Large volumes OF material have
been provided the commission in re-
sponse to formal orders of the tele-
phone division Order No. l, relative
to tariffs. required the production of
$4,000 pages; order No 2, dealing with
contracts and agreements, 25,000
pages; order No. 3, relative to inter-
company relations, $500 pages. Meet
ing the commissions request for in
formation on free and concession
service. contained in order No GA, re-
ouired 1l,700 pages, while order No.
9, calling for an outline Of the COM
pany's corporate and rate history,
I,o IF
More than 5000 patents owned or
controlled by the Bell System, to-
eether with more than $500 patents
under which the Bell System holds
licenses, were listed and, upon re-
quest of the commission, classified un-
der the United States Patent Office
classification.
Many Employees Give Aid.
1t is estimated that during August
the work done by employees of the
American Co, Western Electric Co.
and the Bell Telephone Laboratories
who were engaged in commission mat
ters was equivalent to that of over
ITS fuIl-t1me people. This total does
not include employees of the asso-
engaged.
In March, 1885 2280 square feet Of
floor space was set aside for the use
OF the commissions Investigators at
1e5 Broadway, New York As the
number of investigators grew, this
space was increased until, on october
/, more than 5000 square feet of Of
fee room was being utilized by them,
the report says.
The Federal Communications Com
mission has spent S248,000 of the
$7500OO appropriation granted for its
investigation Paul A. Walker, chair
man of the telephone division of the
F. c. c., said few days ago.
At the present time, 215 persons
are on the investigation staff, with
the monthly pay roll at $4,000. Mr..
Walker expects to have the main work
of the investigation cleared up by
July l, 1885, but admitted that the
staff might be kept on beyond that
time.
SeabOard Corp. to Expand.
Expansion of the Seaboard Finance
Corp, which is engaged in the per-
sonal finance business with offices in
the chief cities in Virginia and Ten
nessee is indicated by the report that
James M Johnston & Co. and Leach
Bros, Inc, are soon to offer 10000
shares of So cumulative preferred
stock, with warrants, around $3.50 a
share, and 82,5OO shares of common
stock at $3.50 a share. Six other
Washington firms will take part in the
sale, it was said today.
The Seaboard Finance Corp is con-
trolled by the Scott B. Appleby inter-
ests and the proceeds from the COM
ing stock sale are to be used for addi-
tional working capital. The manage
ment of the corporation includes Scott
B Appleby of Washington, president
and director; Paul A. Appleby, also
of Washington vice president and
director w. w. Roach of this city.
secretary and treasurer. and James
NJ. Johnston, Washington, director.
Mr.. Johnston is head of one of the
underwriting firms and also an officer
OF the Washington Stock Exchange.
Other officers include w. G. Bright
nell of Knoxville and Lloyd Robeinson.
go Wall street. Complete details will
be announced soon.
Quarterly Dividend Voted.
At meeting of the Board of Di-
fectors of the Lincoln Service Corp,
held yesterday, the regular quarterly
dividend of 1A per cent was declared
on the preferred stock to stockholders
of record December 81. 1885, payable
February /, 1886.
The volume of business done by the
corporation and its subsidiaries, as re-
ported by its president, Charles Del
mar, more than doubled the business
done in 1884, making a substantial in
crease in earnings. During 1885 the
corporation acquired two additional
subsidiary companies.
Railway Common Sells at $3.50.
paiimou Qr Electric