New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 5, 1930, Page 5

Telephone Company Is Now Worth | Four Billion Dollars and Is the i Pfl)e{ty of 469,800 Stockholders | Company Is Only 45 Years | 0Old But Has 29 Million ! Customers Here and Abroad. New York, March 5 (P—A tific toy” of doubted comm value was the popular verdict of incredulous world when Alexander @ Graham Bell invented the telephone. I'he scientific toy of 187 be come the reatest comuer 1 en- terprisc of 1930. Pifty-five years later, a gencr b tion that regards the telephonc more as a necessity than a luxury arects the four billion dollar cor poration that was made possible by Bell's ereative genius that gave wings to the human voice A lineal descendant of the first Bell company, the American Tele- phone and Telegraph company, par- ent organization of the present Bell tem, became the world's first four billion dollar corporation in 1929, Had Rapid Growth In a yvear of phenomenal growth, the concern spent 600,000,000 in cx- panding its facilities and boasted of | assets of $4,228,000,000 at the end of the year. That is a new high figure for the wealth of an American corporation and so far as A. T. and T. officers know, is not cqualled by cany private enterpris¢ in the world. The A. T. and T. is only 45 years old. It was born 40w, March 3, 1885. It was the child of the American Bell Telephone com- pany, then th parent organization of the Bell system and the great- great-grandson of the first Bell company. It started life with Theo- dore N, Vail as president and to link the lines of the various com- panies, as its main purpose. Organized under a W York charter, it acquired the parent com- pany, a Massachusetts corporation, Dee, 1, 1899 and since has reigned as the undisputed father of the Bell system. Great strides have marked the development of the telephone Dusi- ness since that first conversation be- tween Bell, and lhis tant, Thomas Watson over 30 feet of wire. Those two telephones have growh into a system of 20,000,000 nd the feet of wirc has expanded into 519,000 miles of wire and cable. VIhe power of the human voice car- ried only faintly between Bell's lab- | oratory and his hedroom in the same house now spans the continent and the occan, and a telephone sub- seriber can talk to 29,000,000 others on two continents. The original seven stockholders | in the Bell company that operated yunder a trust cement 5 ex- panded until Walter § the | president of tthe A. T. and re- vorted the concern was owned by 469,800 persons. TONNTOATTERPT T COLLECT TAXES etty Green Estate to Be Sued for Back Duties Rockingham, Vt, March 5 (P— fown officials today proceeded to- #wards legal action attempting tic collection of taxes which may tofal everal millions of dollars on the tate of the late Hetty H. R. Green, 1own as America’s wealthiest wom- an, who lived here many years anl who died in New York in 1916. In the largest town meeting of years yesterday, the 387 voters unanimously adopted a resolve in- structing the listers of the town to levy a tax for one year upon the 2s- te on its full value as shown by the probate court inventory. Col. Iidward R. Green of South Dart- mnouth, Mass., only son, has sworn the estate was valued at $67,000,000. "he action followed investigatinn by a Boston detective agency aad Boston newspaperman which reveal- cd an alleged “gentleman’s agree- ment” between the late Mrs. Grezn nd the town. The investigators say t she agreed to make Rocking- ham her legal residence on condi fion that she be taxed on not mo than $12,000 real estate and $100,- 000 personal property. They sav that she was faxed on that amount. Grand Jury May Act FFormer State Senator , who introduced the clared that the agency d mads lay the affair before the grand jury to determinc any possible * eriminal guilt. Mrs. Green died one year before the state passed an inheritance tax law. Town officials said yesterday * however, they believed they could collect back taxes on the full value of the estate during the years of her residence, which began in 1883 Nirs. Green left a daughter in addi- tion to a son. Rockingham has a population of approximately 7,000. First A—pi)‘eal Prese:\ted Against Proposed Dike | Hartford, Mar. 5—The first ap- peal from the findings of the street bhoard in its assessment schedule in reference to the construction of a Jlike to protect South Meadows from j flooding has been made. Others are * cxpected. The first appellant is the Standard Structural Steel company, which owns an irregular lot of land with v 70 foot frontage along the vight| of way of the Valley branch of the N. Y. N. I & . railroad. £pc fically the company objects 1o b s 0 damage award. & fhe company claims that ifs property will not in any way be on- meed by the dike and draws at- on {o “dircct damage resultin _trom the taking of land.” The history of advertising i \lete, thanks to Herald Clas Qads - DEMOCRATS FAVOR ENFORCEMENT BAN Rhode Island Committes Favors Repeal of State Dry Law Providence, . T., March & (UP) | —The democratic state central commiftee of Rhode Island today placed itself on record in faver of | repeal of the state prohibition en-, forcement act. The committee asserted that the state law was “inconsistent with the refusal of the state of Rhode Island to ratify the (15th) amendment, and with the state’s understanding the rights res >ending such repeal,” the com- mittee said: “The enforcement of this law should be impartial. The republican hypocrisy in giving the drys the law and the wets the liquor has led to demoralization.” The statement in which the com- mittee cxpressed its views on pro- hibition was described as a “dec- laration of principles of the demo- cratic party in Rhode Island, unani- mously adopted by the executive committee of the state central com- mittee.” MARINE MUSEU 15 BEHIND BILLS Newport News May Be Scene of Vast Lake Plan Richmond, Va., March 5 (#—The News-Leader id yesterday that plans for the creation at Newport News, Va., of a vast marine museum to entail the expenditure of from ,000,000 to $15,000,000 and cover arca of approximately 1,000 are behind two seemingly un- important bills that are now before the gene sembly. The proj the paper continued, is contemplated by Archer Hunting- ton, Homer L. Ferguson, president of the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock company and others, provides the establishment of the largest museum of the kind ever at- tempted. The muscum would be on a 1,000 acre lake and would contain reproductions of every type of ves- el from the carliest days of the crude dug-out canoc the ancient galley to the modern vessels. The News-Leader said that the in- terests hehind the proposed museum reported to be headed by Archer | Huntington, son of the late C. P. Huntington, are ready to begin the development of the marine museum |at once. It was learncd on good authority, the paper continued, that approximately §4,000,000 would be spent in the development of the first phases of the project. MANILA'S SCHOOL STRIKE SPREADS (Several Hundred More Join 10,000 Already Out Manila, March 5 () — Manila's school strike spread today when sev- cral hundred more students joined the 10,000 already out. Many non- striking students, fearing violence, remained away from cla More than a score of non-striking students were attacked during the i Many of those who attended es in spite of the strike, armed themselves with knives, clut and whips. The police confiscated most bloodshed. dro Albert, acting secretary of pub- lic instruction, and Luther B. Bew- ley, director of education to the ex- ecutive offices this morning but the results of their conference were not announced. Removal of Albert, Bewley and the principal of Manila North High school constitute the principal de- | mands of the strikers, although the original purpose of their walkout, was to force the reinstatement of four students who had been cxpelled North High school for leading a previous strike as a demonstration :gainst Miss Mabel Brummitt, American teacher. Mabel Normand Leaves All Estate to Mother Los Angeles, March 5 (A—DMabel Normand, film comedienne, who died of tuberculosis, February 23, left her entire estate to her mother, Mrs. Mary Normand, of Staten Island, N. William R. James, attorney, who will probate the will, said today it would be several days before the pe- tition for administration can be filed, because some time will be necessary to determine what the assets of the aclress were. Lew Cod reen actor and hus- band of Miss Normand, said he had scen the will and that nothing was left him. “That is the way [ want- |ed it,” he said. “Mabel left all of her property to her mother, which is as it should be.” ESTABLISH oN | Hartford, March 5—DMrs, Zelah {Joy Van Loan, formerly Miss Anne | itzGerald of this city, has estab- |lished a Goodwill Foundation . in memory of her husband which will sponsor essay contests among young people on the subject of “Christ and World Friendship.” | of ti%e weapons to prevent possible The position of both the strikers | and the school authoritics remained unchanged. Governor General | Dwight 1. Davis summoned Alejan- | NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1930. 373 A N Orchestra Appearing in New Britain Thursday, March 6th The King of Orchestration Joins the Mighty Menarch of the Air HEAR PAUL SPECHT and his Magestic Orchestra HENRY Telephone