The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1946-07-10

Pac. Tel. & Tel. Adds
254,OOO Phones Since VI

An unequaled increase i'm the
number OF telephones was re-
ported for the first five months
of the year by the Pacific Tele-
phone and Telegraph company i'm
a statement released last week.
The report, signed by Y. r. Pow
ley president was received here
by W. j. Billipsss Seattle man
ager.
Directing our efforts as we
have to render service as rapidly
as possible to all who want it
and to make our service even
better than it has ever been be
fore, the 2,SS6,OO0 telephone in
service as OF May 81, 1916. include
an increase OF 25I,0OO since VI
Day, of which $4,000 were adj
ded in the first five months of
this year Mr.. PoWley said.
The telephone increase since
VI Day exceeds by $1,000, or
36 per cent, the Isl, 900 increase
in the year 1913 - the largest
yearly telephone increase ever re-
corded by our company. The tele-
phone increase for the first five
months OF 1916 exceeds by $4,000
or 80 per cent, the 1l4,OOO in
crease for the entire year 1915.
New applications for service
totaling 100000 for the first five
months Of this year - increase
107 per cent over the correspond
ing period OF a year ago. OF the
2S6,Uo0 prospective subscribers at
the first of the year whose ap-
plications had been necessarily
deferred due to shortage of facil-
tiles, We are glad to report that
1S3.000. or 81 per cent, have been
cared for. Due, however. to the
time necessarily involved in the
installation of complicated switch
boards - in many instances new
buildings are required To house
them - together with the large
number Of new applications and
the continued materials shortages
and disturbed conditions through
out the country affecting man
ufacturers' production, 229,00O APP
plicants are still waiting for ser
vice.
1--WE are diligently concentrat-
ing, Notwithstanding the Difficult
ties in obtaining adequate appar-
atus and materials, on providing
service to waiting applicants as
fast as it is humanity possible to
do so. Likewise every effort is
being made to improve the quality
and efficiency Of our service.
Construction of additional toll
and long distance circuits has
gone forward with rapidity and
continued improvement is being
made in the service even though
the volume continues at record
high levels - the calls being 20
per cent greater than in the cor
responding fiye-month period OF a
year ago.
Our company has recently
made substantial further postwar
increased wage adjustments, ag-
gregating $6,OOO,O00 on an annual
basis, as result of collective
bargaining negotiations with the
unions. These added wage incre-
asses are over and above the post
war adjustment wage increases
made in December of last year
which aggregated more than SIS,
100000 on an annual basis. Thus,
this recent wage increase, EN-
bodied in a contract to run until
March l, 1947. brings the postwar
adjustment wage increases. arising
out of collective bargaining, to
more than $24,OO0.000 annually
the increase in our postwar wage
rates being 10 per cent. The re-
cent collective bargaining negotia-
tons between our management
and the unions extended over a
period from April "a to May Is,
1916, and at no time throughout
the negotiations did the unions
or the company fail to realize that
the public interest came first -.
Net Income has been adversely
affected by increased costs of
operation, particularly the large
added wage expenditures"