Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1961-02-18
American Homes
lnadequateIy
illuminated

Less than one percent of the
homes in America are adequately
lighted-and yet, some of the
worlds most revolutionary de-
velopments have been made in
lighting equipment in the United
States in recent years.
So representatives of Mississip-
PTS electric industry are telling
various rural and urban groups
during National Electrical Week,
Feb sill.
A major industry in Mississippi
the electric industry nationally
employs more than 100000 peo-
pie in the production of electricity
and the manufacture of goods and
services.
The week, which commentaries
the February 18th birth date of
Thomas Alva Edison, also heralds
the birth of Edison's first electric
light bulb in October, 1879. The
first commercial bulbs were put on
the market in 1881.
Appropriately, Mississippi's cleo
trio industry has chosen better
sight through better lights as the
main theme of the week. For
example, representatives point out
that "a high percentage of poor
eyesight can be traced directly to
poor lighting"
From Edison's first revolution
airy but small wattage bulb, the in
dustry has developed modern day
lighting such as today's luminous
walls and ceilings. Such realities
illustrate the dramatic advance
ment of the industry.
In other fields, the electric in
dustry representatives point to
such progressive development as
the recently announced electrical
anasthesia, developed by a Univer-
sity of Mississippi Medical Center
surgical team, and successfully
used for the first time in perform
ing an operation.
They cite the fact that sound
waves are being used in ultrasonic
cleaning of dishes and equipment,
that thermo electric equipment is
on the market for heating or cool
ing, that electric cars are no longer
Pigment of the imagination. One
electric car is in use by a utility
in Jackson.
That the electric industry in this
country remains a world leader is
illustrated by the fact that with
only 6 percent of the worlds popu-
lation, the United States produces
nearly 40 percent of all it's cleo
tricity.
Mississippi's electric industry
points out that this country pro-
duces more electricity than the
combined output of Russia, the
United Kingdom, Canada, West
Germany, France and Italy. Russia
is where the United States was 20
years ago.
The Russian home uses about
400 kilowatt hours per year, while
the average for the United States
is $500, or nine times as much.
In Mississippi alone, one inves-
tor-owned utility cities the fact
that residential customers now use
1882 kilowatt hours per year,
which represents 100 percent in
crease since 1852.
During the last 10 years, the ca
pacity, use and expenditures of the
electric industry for new plants
and equipment have doubled. The
industry is first among major in
dustries, making almost so percent
more capital outlay than the COM
munications, petroleum or coal in
dustry.
Sponsors and endorsers of Ma
tional Electrical Week in Missis-
sippi are electric utilities, power
suppliers, and electrical manufac-
turers, as we'll as representatives
of the Illuminating Engineering
Society, National Association of
Electrical Distributors, National
Electrical Contractors Association,
National Association of Electrical
Inspectors, and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.