| Show BIG GAIN IN BEll SYSTEM Claim Jell Bell ell Telephone Co Largest In Entire World That That the Dell Bill System S la Is th the big bil pest freit and best beat telephone system in inthe inthe lath the world Is li evidenced by the tb an- an annual annual an annual nual report of o President H B Thayer of the th American Telephone and Telegraph company who says that it must be b even greater Teater to meet the tb future demand tor for ser ser ser- service ler vice Since Sine the tho th war ar Mr Ir Tha er ersa sa as s there have been established new standards standard of wages wage and anil new nv standards standard of ot living We must at- at accept ac accept these standards standard a ll as normal norm l now as we w accepted standard as aa normal then The Th effect Is la a greater cost of plant pian a greater expense ot or giving sen Ice and yet yot notwithstandIng the necessarily hither higher charge charf for service a greater reater demand tor for ser sec service service vice The rh direct benefIciaries en or of o high high- higher higher hither er wages wac i have hav become becom household householders ers era and applicants applicant for tor telephone aen enic leo leoNO NO END IN SIGHT The habit of o using the th telephone steadily grows trow There Th ri Is no satur- satur saturation atur-atlon atur anywhere Our population In- In Increases increases In Increases creases about annually All indications point therefore therdore to toan toan toan an rather than an abat log ing demand for our servIce The fInancing during the year Included the sale lal of ot debenture bonds bond of the th American Telephone and Telegraph company Since 1920 the tb relation between the funded debt and capital stock of the th company which bu hu always been maintained on a sound basis buls has been materially m strengthened As ot of 1st the funded debt was wa less let than 21 28 8 per cent ot of total obligations It Is la shown that there ther Is about two billion dollars ara equity over the mortgage C debt of the th entIre Bell System Stem and that such mortgage debt Is I less than 20 per cent Of ot the total assets Not including It Its lis equity In the undivIded profits of Its assocIated companies the th American company earned 11 1136 35 per cent on Its Ita Cr a t aier age outstanding capital stock corn com compared com compared pared with II 1114 14 for or 1922 1 22 The report reiterates the th corn com company's corn pany pany's advocacy of o public utility regulation but calls attention to the need of lArger salaries and longer tenure of or office ottic for tor the th members of the tho th ate st-ate slat commission During the th year there ther hove have been Installed a total of ot 2160 tele- tele telephone telephone tele phone phon stations and 1 tele telephone telephone phone stations have haTe been discon- discon discontinued discontinued The Th net gain tain In telephones for tor the year was waa This nas meant net n t additions to plant of a construction pro pro- program program pro program gram much larger r than any pvc ceding year rear A still larger lar M pro pro- program program pro pro-eram gram Is planned for tor 1924 to pro pro- provIde pro viSe vIde for tor continued growth and In- In Insure insure sur In-sur sure greater freater promptness of Install install- installation Installation BIG IQ PAYROLL Nearly s of o the Bell are ar payIng p for tor or approxImately approxImately shares of ot American Telephone stock at the th rate rat of Df 3 per share abare per pr month The Tho price pric to Is Ie now US per share Upwards of 60 CO Is la now In- In Invested In Invested vested In stock of tb the Bell System m companies by emPI es The own own- num number ber bor of telephone em pi ores Decem ben ber 31 was The statement of Bell Dell S stem statistics shows hows sho s one on telephone tel sta- sta station sta station tion lion for tor each seven of ot the total population The Tb average dally daIly tel tel- telephone tel ephone ephon conversations durIng 1923 were ere 2000 The Th charge charie for tor current anco ance were 5 2 per cent and for or do- do depre d pre elation 5 I per cent of ot the th aver average age plant In servIce durIng the I ear Taxes comprised a a charge of 4 60 0 a a station The financial statements of ot the American Telephone and Tele- Tele Telegraph Telegraph Tel graph company showed that the company In 1923 after atter meeting all operating charges and making ade- ade adeQuate ado quat dc-quat Quate provision for tor depreciation and adolescence and tor for federal and other taxes had available for Interest and dividends 95 fit 03 Interest charges chares were 13 13 13 66 6 a li rEduction redaction of or 1800 22 front 1922 1921 Dividends paid to stockholders at the rate of ot 9 i per share pet pei ear C r amounted to 63 10 an Increase of ot 10 17 over 1922 1 22 Of Ot the tho th resulting balance balanco there was appropriated for tor contingencies 3 and remainder 3 27 was car car- car carried ned fled lo to surplus The Th number ot of stockholders of on December 31 was an Increase of ot during the ear The Th average number ot of shares hares held per stockholder in 1900 was 76 7 today It I Is 26 2 or an a holding of ot 2600 at par |
