The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-25

building a nation wide system had yet
to be performed.
For the past 81 years this task has
been performed by the A. T, x t. This
vast organization has a capital OF five
billion dollars and is the largest single
business in the world. Its stock is
owned by $4,000 people, more than
half of which are women, and no per-
son owns more than one per cent of its
stock-truly case of, distribution of
wealth. The system employs nearly
100000 men and women. On its staff
there are 1900 scientists and engineers
who are continually at work on prob
lens of electrical and acoustical theory
from which practical telephone inn
provements are evolved.
This great research organization is
maintained at a cost of Is million dol
lars per year. Its discoveries laid the
foundation for the present talking
moving picture industry-advanced the
development of artificial hearing for the
deaf and even created an artificial
larynx. Thus with each of its dis
coveries we have taken another step up
in our standard of living
In the hystericaI years prior to 1929
the A. T. & T. did not disburse extra
dividends to its stock holders but
ploughed its excess earnings back into
the business for present and future inn
provement in service to the public.
The problem has been and remains one
of keeping earnings, l. e. rates, to-
gether with individends and operating
expenditures, all delicately adjusted in
such a way that the stockholders will
receive fair wage under decent work
ing conditions. and the public will re-
ceive the best possible telephone SER
vice at the lowest possible cost.
Wonders In Transportation
When the United States organized as
a nation five months were allowed
members of congress to make the long
overland journey to the capital and re-
turn. Today a senator from California
can breakfast in Washington and sleep
in his own bed in San Francisco the
same night. A New York business man
can take a night plane to Los Angeles
spend the day there and be back in his
office the following noon. This great
system of transportation has been built
up almost entirely since the days Of
the World war
The first successful airplane flight
was made BY the Wright Bros, at Kit
ty Hawk, N. C.. in 1905 The first
transcontinental railway was completed
IN 1869 Today we have in operation
$4,000 miles of track, most of which
has been rebuilt and improved many
times. Due TO this huge transportation
system we are able to have oranges
from California or grapefruit from
Florida for breakfast Our furniture
probably came from Grand Rapids. The
steel worker In Pittsburgh eats pota-
toes from Idaho The garage mechanic
in Seattle reads magazine published
in New York. 1t is interesting to note
that for every one Of the 100000 900
men, women and children of America
the railroads move five and one half
tons of freight every year
To perform this task they must main
tain and operate 100000 freight cars
which travel over 20 billion miles
yearly.
Less than 30 per cent OF all the fruits
and vegetables consumed in New York
come from neighboring states. Most of
them travel by rail an average distance
Of half the width Of the continent. In
1885 Philadelphia got half Of its supply
Of butter from Minnesota, three fourths
Of its cheese from Wisconsin. and its
poultry came from SO different states.
Railroad Pays Heavy Taxes
That is a sample Of what the freight
services do for us. Did you know that