The Washington times., 1924-03-07
.CHARLESED
TREATED LIKE
EMPLOYE
New Executive Manager Of
Wizards industries Resents
Implication of "PuII."
By HELEN FOX.
Cosmopolitan News Service.

WEST ORANGE, N. J.. March
T-Charles Edison, a blue-eyed,
broad shouldered man Of thirty-three
years who is executive manager Of
the entire Edison industries, today
resented the implication by Sec
ton OF the public that the "old
man made his son manager" The
"old man" is Thomas Edison, cleo
Crical wizard, and the management
consists OF supervision the opera
ton Of industries valued at more
than $2OO,0OO.0 900.
Thomas Edison today Is vacation
ing In Florida. but Charlie, as he is
known to his associates, is very
much on the job, directing the
activities Of the various manufac.
turing enterprises which employ
thousands Of men.
Charles Edison, who once aspired
to be an author and even yet has
q hankering to write a play, con-
@1essed that he did not possess any
Of his fathers inventive genius. But
he did say how he had prepared
himself to handle the job he now
holds and told how any man could
direct his abilities so as achieve
success.
But why should they be inter.
ested in my 'success?'" and the
smile spread from Mr.. Edison's eyes
over his attractive boyish face.
"Why should they? Aren't they all
saying or thinking-'The old mans
made his son manager aren't they?
Job Means Lot of Work.
'But you know it wasn't quite
as simple as that. OF course, I've
more or less known for a long time
that my new post was to be my
destiny. But manager isn't just
q name. It's a job! 1t means lots
Of work. had lots of work to do
before, and now I have more.
Before this change, Mr.. Edison
(Charles Edison always referred to
his father in this manner), Mr..
Mambert and I shared all the
work. Now Mr.. Edison and I
shall do the work alone.
mo, IN not exactly thrilled. 1t
doesn't seem to be a real change
for me. And then 1t is the natural
result of my first connection with
the industries In 1913, when l
received my first assignment to
find out the cost of putting out
the disc record, which had but
newly come into the market.
After that first assignment, I
was tried at everything by Mr..
Edison. There was no favoritism.
In fact, he expected more Of me
than Of his other employees.
Acts No FavOritism.
II don't think the public realizes
that that is all I am. Our attitude
toward each other during the work
day Is strictly that Of employer and
employee. After six o'clock we rS.
sumo our natural relationship. i
"Mr. Edison has a theory which
he puts strictly into practice that
relatives are to get no favors at
all. In the slump of 1920.21 he rode
me a little harder than most of the
other employees.
"Why how can I better illustrate
the point than by the fact that at
the very moment there are several
men getting considerably more
money than I. And 1 have to live
that salary doesn't necessarily go
with the job. He pays a man what
ne is worth.
"These men are older than /. In
his estimation am a young man,
and too much money is not good for
me. Also, he is very strict about
the income tax. He does not want
us to evade payment by the various
9ubterfugeS that are possible in use
For this reason he keeps salaries in
the family small. He does not wish
to make the paying of salaries Of
MS sons means of paying a
smaller tax"
Charles Edison has never wanted
to invent! He has never felt the
urge that was the keynote to the
old inventors life, and is inherited
by Charles yuonger brother. 1t was
industry hiatt appealed to the new
mana1or