Show W TO HAVE PHONES I INSTALLED Inability to Get Supplies Hinders Wire Service Serice NEW EW YORK July 20 D By United Unit Unit- ed d Prose Proe Prese Waiting asks unit unit-I the operator Wal Waiting I nl Y Yes Tea 8 a quarter o of ot a n million Americans Americana are re waiting not waiting not not for forthe forthe the he telephone girl to give them n a number nUmb r. r but for tor the company to In install l l t the Mif telephone An And there axe arc ae Indications they will wI be waiting for tor ome some time yet maybe ct maybe two or three years An And then when their orders have been een filled there probably will wi be beas beas beas as many more applicants clamoring clamor clamor- ing ng for tor telephones In the United States where here more moro than two- two thirds of ot nil all nl tho the phones In tho the world are located Shows Business Growth The number of orders for or telephones Is a direct reflection reflection rence- rence tion ton of the tile growth of ot business In general and the telephone busIness business busI- busI ness In particular A largo large numer num- num her er of at waiting means moans a phenomenal growth of ot telephones an and telephones ordered For the Bell Bel companies the countr countr countr coun coun- tr yo er there are aro a total of about contracts awaiting lation lalon In addition additon to this there ore aro considerable number of ot re requests requests requests re- re quests made for telephones which have have been deferred deterred for tor which no contracts have havo been made There never has baa been heon arId and probably never never nev nev- er or will wl bo a R ca day that there aro are no io unfilled orders order and statistics show the number Is normally norman for tor forthe tho the Bell Den system Waiting On tho the basis of the results of an Inquiry by the United Press whereby It was learned lerned th that t In twelve metropolitan districts In Inthe Inthe inthe the country selected at random there thero are at present pre unfilled unfilled untied un un- un- un filled tied orders for telephones b by In IndivIdual Individual Individual In- In would be subscribers It ItIs itIs I Is estimated about other applications for equipment In various va rious parts of ot tho the country that arc are yet to bo be filled fied At present In tho whole country countr there are about telephones now In use In spite of ot all al tho the difficulties of transportation and manufacture an and In spite of ot the shortage of ot materials and fabricated te articles I the tho telephone companies have I made for the first five months of ot this year rear a n net gain of ot nearly nearl telephones This means moans that telephones havo have been put In faster fasler than ever before and that throughout the tho Bell Bet system supply supply sup sup- ply Is gaining on demand Reasons f for fr Delay Reasons assigned by telephone company officials here and In other cities cites In most cases were the ramn falling off ott of at production In Inability inability In- In ability of ot manufacturers to get transportation for tor supplies and a general shortage of ot materials and labor Ih Iti New York City alone alone th there re arc are now on file tUe applications for tor Installations of ot telephones In 1 apartment houses offices offices of ot- fl es and factories And there are already about subscrIbers subscribers subscribers sub sub- scribers In the tho greater city Unfilled orders as ns reported from her G cities cles are arc as follows Chicago o. o Cleveland Minneapolis and St Paul 1600 Indianapolis Boston 1 Denver Oklahoma el City 2000 St. St Louis 1800 Connecticut 2500 FO Atlanta 2850 Birmingham 1600 Mobile roble 1000 and Springfield Springfield Spring Spring- field Ill II Other cities cHes reported shortages of at Instruments cables wires poles and switchboard apparatus and a resultant increase In the number of ot unfilled untied orders for telephones Mills Mis Made Mado War Supplies In explaining the situation that tha confronts the Amerl American n Telephone and Telegraph company the Bell Bel system which with wih Its associated I ted companies owns own or controls controls con con- ti more than of ot the telephones In In use throughout the United States StateR an official of ot that company said sad Great Gret manufacturing pl plants have bave changed their products over night At a D word the making of ot arms ammunitions and materials of or war has hu been stopped and the I. I manufacture of at plows dynamos steel products textiles and the varied aried materials of ot peace has been be begun unIt un If It all nl this released business were 1011 going smooth smoothly It would put puta putt a ft t tremendous load lod on the tele lele- phone But It has not been going goIn oln It smoothly Quite Quie the tho reverse has been In great confusion and that confusion contusion has been aggravated algra- algra aggra aggra- cited hv h storms and snows an and unusually bitter biter weather by epIdemics epidemics epi epI- demica of at Influenza b by floods and an tornadoes by bl big exports and small smal Imports and ancl by a n myriad of or troubles t that have Increased th the tho burden buden on tho the telephone system Huge Job in Prospect Unfilled orders are on hand new central l offices aro are needed new switchboards new relays new rew rew distributing boards new conduits con con- duits duis new cables ne new manholes ne new pole lne lines lines' new equipment of ot every eory er kind Thousands of ot miles mies of ot cable able must be laid laJ thousands of ot miles of at wire must be spliced and strung trung uncounted millions milons o 0 Joints must bo be soldered to mak tho the connection to the te cen con central central contral offices Tho The whole coun counIs counts countr Is teeming with this covering every mechanical pro process process process cess from factory production t Installation of at the subscribers subscribers' subscriber In Lack Lck of or production ho he mId ha curtailed reserve supplies ot of pr practically ovary every element elemont of ot mater mater used lRe In the building and nano bano of ot telephone systems What They Use Uso Most MOlt Among the tho materials most j ie pC by the telephone companies tn 1 which It I has be been n almost Imposible Impo sible to obtain the tho official s stid td either elther due to falling tamn off oCt of at pI pr ducton or to poor o oare are are as IB follows s 's Copper In Uta pounds was as used for tOr lines and pounds f t fi making lead covered cred cables a at ar apparatus Steel Steel ApproxImately Approximately 1000 pounds used annually In sheet strips bands structural shap and magnet steel steel Galvanized Iron and ant steel wi wl Approximately tons U us every overy year Lead Lead Annual Annual requirements n a A pounds pound Antimony and tin tin Annual tn Annual r antI and pounds respectively and most which comes from China Jap Japs and the tho Straits Strait settlements S Brass rod and sheet pounds used every year |