Evening star., 1932-01-31
Electrical Industry Now
Going After New Business
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

| Now it is the electric equipment in
| duStry that has made up its mind to
! get after trade with a vim, following
! the example set by the motor car manu-
! facturerS Increasing activity in the
electrical appliance group is noted by
! the Department Of Commerce at the
various manufacturing and distributing
! Centers.
These industries have not been so
| fear-ridden as some others. In fact
| they boast that at the close of 1881 the
electric refrigerator industry, almost
alone among major manufacturing in
dustrieS of the country, could show a
| stronger financial condition than it
/ had ever had before. They have been
| pegging away without let-up since the
| depression began, but they have now
| launched a sales campaign, largely
| through advertising, that promises to
| have decisive results for themselves and
! kindred industries.
At the beginning of last year the
/ goal set was to sell a million electric
| refrigerators during 1881, involving a
/ total of $250,000000 This was accom-
| plished. The makers of refrigerators
! are now in the second year of a three
/ year campaign.
| Heartened by the success of the cold
air people who sell refrigerators, the
| hot-air folks, who make electric ranges,
are also after a million sales for their
goods over three-year period They
are not quite SO ambitious as the re-
| frigerator venders, perhaps, but Just as
| determined. They have Just voted to
| spend $18,000000 in advertising This
will mean not only diSposing of a mil
! lion electric ranges. 1t will probably
involve the sale Of at least 5000 000, 900
worth Of allied materials Aside from
advertising this range campaign in
| wolves the expenditure of many millions
, more for sales promotion and organi-
zation and, it is estimated will produce
| a total of at least half billion dollars
worth Of business for electrical contrac-
| tors, Dealers central stations and manu-
| facturers. Observers of the effect of
their effort report that it has already
been stimulating to many side indus
tries.
| When 1t is remembered that there
are now more than 3,500,000 electrical
| refrlgerators in use In American homes
and that these homes and apartments
also enjoy the comforts of more than
| 10000 900 ranges and some 100000 water
heaters the scope of this campaign may
be seen.
The leaders of the electrical equip
ment trade are enthusiastic over the
prospect OF introducing new inventions,
conVenienceS and novelties and. through
advertising now under way, they show
an increasing number of these. They
are planning new campaigns for future
years, each one concerned with some
particular electrical appliance or serv-
ice. 1t seems probable that the year
| 1888 Will usher in a concerted drive by
the makers OF electric water heaters,
and who knows what other form of
electrical convenience? They are even
getting after the farmers to buy appa
ratus for electrical heating of hotbeds
These activities are the result very
largely of the joint efforts of the
largest busy makers of electrical ap-
pliances and the utility companies
throughout the country-the National
Electric Manufacturers Association
working in close cooperation with the
National Electric Light Association.
The makers of appliances, however
are not the only ones who are busy
in the electrical field. Television, we
are told, is hiding just around the
corner, while "air conditioning" and
the artificial heating or cooling OF
homes by electricity are actually being
developed for commercial exploitation
The trade is pushing the sun lamp
which is increasingly effective in tan
ming our skins. The more advanced
promoters Of electrical goods are pre-
dieting q great future for the photo.
electric cell.
(Copyrisht isas)