Evening star., 1932-01-21
2O,41,249 HOMES
USING ELECTRICITY
Industry in 1891 Had Income
of More Than S613,052,-
600, Survey Says.
Special Dispatch 10 The Star.

SPECIAL DiSpatCN 90 Inc OtdI'
NEW YORK, January 2l.-The elec-
trical industry in the United states
serves 2O.44l,249 wired homes and. IN
1891 received an income in excess OF
S6l3,052, 900 from the sale OF appliances,
according to a market survey just pub
lished by Electrical Merchandising.
Substantial gain was shown last year
by electric refrigeratorS and electric
clocks. A preliminary estimate places
the sale of refrigeratorS at 100000, rep
resenting a retail valuation OF $2l6,-
CO0,O0O In both volume and retail in
come the 1881 figures exceed both 1880
and 1929 =
The American family In 1881 paid
S34,332 400 for 696648 vacuum clean
ers and purchased $4,000 electric cook
ers of 600 watts or less for $469,600.
Fans Of the ceiling desk and bracket
and household ventilating types sold to
the number of 707303 for total retail
expenditure of $10,170,532.
Flashlights were an important sales
item in 1881 Five million cases and
1lO,OOOO00 battery cells for flashlights
were sold for $3,250000 and $4,000 900,
respectively Household floor machines
we're sold to the number Of 10000, for
which their purchasers paid retail
prices aggregating $l,680000. A total
sold for $460,57G.
Incsndescent Lamps Gain.
Incandescent lamps showed gains
over 1880 volume and income. Resi-
Dental lamps sold in 1881 to total of
127,O00000 and brought retail income
of S27000,0 600. Commercial lamps sold
to the number of 1853, 1855 900 for to-
tai retail investment of $59000,000. A
total of 54,54OO0O lamps we're sold to
industry for 20,000,000 and 215,365, 900
miniature lights brought in retail in
come OF $33,000,000.
Electric ranges, sold to the number
of $4,000, represented retail income
of S18,975000. Ranges of the wall out
let type represent expenditures OF $780,
900 for 5000 ranges.
The American household paid $4,-
862550 in 1881 for 820,950 toasters and
expended $3,l90578 for 410, waffle
irons. An expenditure of $69,020,000
for $4,000 washing machines also is
reported.
Electric sewing machines were an ac-
tive factor in the electrical appliance
market. A total of 21500O were sold
for S19350,000. Almost 100000 percola-
tors were sold for $3,109,725. APPROX
mately 10000 electric oil burners were
installed in American homes at a total
retail cost OF $42,0O0,00O.
Other Appliances.
Other items accounted for in the sur
Vey and their sales volumes were: Iron
ing machines, 10000 for $6,720, 900;
irons, 1,771,875 for $7824,6OO dish
washers, $4,000 for 50 100000 egg cook
ers 43,900 for $282 900; heating pads,
for !, 01o+ ~
and grills, 148,863 for $873,345
Accounting for the distribution of
household electrical appliances, the sur
vey shows that 967 per cent Of wired
homes use electric irons. Vacuum clean
ers are in use in asa per cent of wired
houses, and washing machines are in
service in 4O8 per cent of dwellings
using electricity. Toasters are in use in
40.3 per cent of wired dwellings.
Electric refrigerators have been in
stalled in III per cent of wired homes
and electric clocks in 1874 per cent
Percolators are used in 2s.8 per cent
of the households using electricity,
ironers in 35 per cent, heaters In
1853 per. cent and sewing machines in
16.4 per cent. Ranges are used In So
2044l ,249 wired homes Is per cent
use floor machines, 61 per cent use
electric cookers, 06 per cent use dish
washers and IA per cent have installed
egg cookers. Heating pads are used in
109 per cent of the wired homes and
hot plates are used in exactly the same
number.
Encouraging 1892 Signs.
Review of the year in the electrical
appliance industry, according to Elec-
trical Merchandising, shows that re-
frigeration nearly reached its quota:
clock sales increased washer sales in
creased in number of units and de-
creased sharply in dollar return: IRON
ing machines showed slight increase
in dollars per unit and 20 per cent
decline in number of units sold and
heating appliance sales showed a
decline.
The encouraging signs from the
viewpoint Of 1882" says the survey re-
port, include the launching of a cam
paign on electric ranges that will give
the dealer and distributor an important
addition to the major appliance line;
new plans for refrigeration promotion
that will meet the quota of another
million. A new lighting activity will
shortly be under. way"
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