Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-11-06
QUARTER CENTURY OF
DEVELOPMENT IN THE
ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY
Actual Facts and Figures That Show
the Remarkable Advance Made
by the Electrical Industry and
the Electrical Profession in
the Past Is Years.

THE past quarter of a century has
witnessed almost a revolutionary adj
vance in the commercial and industrial
status Of the electrical profession.
twenty-five years ago fully quail
| FED electrical engineers were com
paratively few. There was small de
iland for them. Electricians with d
working knowledge of the theoretical
OF technical phases OF electricity were
incon6iderable.
twenty-five years ago the American
| Institute Of Electrical ENGINEERS had
less than 500 members. 1t now has
nearly 10000.
In industrial development, electric
ity quarter of a century ago was in
its infancy. The largest electric pow
er plant Of that day was an infant
compared with those Of the present
time
Then Very Small
Long distance high voltage trans
| mission was unheard of.
The nationally known electrical in.
dus%ies, the Westinghouse, General
Electric, Commonwealth Edison, Cut
ler-Hammer Mfg. Co., AlGs- Chalmers,
ETC., were then small, obscure plants.
Men employed in the electrical in
dustries of the country were less than
10 per cent OF their total number to-
| day.
The annual report of the American
Telephone & Telegraph Company for
the year ending Dec. 81, 1918, shows a
telephone wire mileage in 1895 of 675,-
415 miles, as opposed to 23,281, $50
miles on Jan. l, 1919, and 14,217 en-
ployes in 1895, against 1913, 914 in 1918.
Street cars at that time were just
beginning to be operated by electricity
Such stupendous latter day successes
as the automobile, wireless, X-rays,
| electric light and aeroplane existed
only in the dream realm of invention.
Electrical Engineers Were Few
Up to Is or 20 years ago, electrical
education was confined to two or three
methods, the trade apprenticeship"
and the purely academic or theory
only method. This condition, operat-
ing in conjunction with electricity
comparatively initial status of indus
trial development, created a situation
in which electricity as specialized
profession was underestimated.
1t divided the electrical profession
into two widely apart clases-en-
gineers and mechanics.
Each functioned in a separate field
in thought and action. Each worked
for the most part independently of the
other The electrical engineer was
rated as a high-grade man. The cleo
trician as an ordinary, unschOoled
mechanic" In the eyes of the out
side world the profession as whole
took it's rating from the electricians
from the electrical engineers, of whom
there were few.
| Giant Industries.
Today all this is changed. Elec-
tricity has become the dominant III
dustrial motive power of the world.
/ The modest little electrical shops OF
25 years ago have given place to giant
electrical industries of the present
century Practically every city, village
and hamlet throughout the civilized
world has at least one electrical power
station to pump it's water, supply its
light or operate it's transportation sys
TEN.
Thousand upon thousand Of man
ufacturing industrial operations and
processes, Of pleasure and utility de
vices, of instruments and methods in
the various trades and professions
practically every phase of life, every
field of work, every branch of human
activity and endeavor have invaded
the domain of modern electrical eff
cheney
Electrical Workers in Demand.
The electrical workers, who, only a
few years ago, almost entirely lacked
theoretical training and seldom
earned more than from $500 to 5000
yearly, are now compelled to know
much of the theory and principle OF
electricity, and, in proportion with
such knowledge, are able to earn from
$1,000 to $4,000 per year. Incidentally
the technically trained electrician is
today holding many industrial posi-
tons that in former years were open
only to the qualified electrical engi
| positions such as power plant
superintendent, chief electrician, su
pervisor of maintenance, Of motor
equipment, etc.
In the same manner, the most sue
cessful electrical nngineer is he whose
professional qualifications include a
thorough knowledge of shop equip
ment and modern shop records as well
as electrical theory.
Electrical Education.
The college course in Electrical En-
cheering in the early COS, when
these experts were first graduated
were scarcely more comprehensive
than a scientific course in the present
high school, so great has become the
demand for technical ability.
Future of Electricity.
AS to the future of electricity, little
need be said. If the past 25 years OF
development are to be taken as a cri
terion of the progress to be expected
during the next quarter of a century
then we may well join with the cele
brated Edison when he asserted that
I'VE shall have S50,000,0OO 900 OF
money in electrical service in 1925
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