31
ESxTJJ
Htf
(ffl
V.-N
t '
".1
I!
; t
i'
lAtti)
M
II Vj.
I(iI
VI
w
jl
1
rf s
I
lY.i?
-i
A
X'i
'
l 'U il
1
lU
EVfiNING LfiDGEE-PttlEADEBPHIA:, WEDNESDAY, FEBRTTABY 2S. iOl'S.
J(tJ IiililJII I
WHY NOT
MORE ELECTRICAL
OODS?
The movement to promote Philadelphia indus
tries, begun some weeks ago, has already made some
impression upon manufacturers in other cities.
We are informed that a number of inquiries
have been received from firms looking for factory
locations. One of these was from a Chicago manu
facturer of electrical supplies.
This is encouraging. It also, however, stimu
lates an inquiry into the present position of
Philadelphia in the manufacture of electrical goods.
The last census showed that Philadelphia had
45 factories making electrical machinery, apparatus
and supplies. Their total products were Valued-at .
, $7,065,000 an average of $157,000 output per fac
tory. The total number of persons engaged in the
industry was 2,317.
It is noticeable, however, that Philadelphia has
not distinguished itself as a centre of electrical
manufacture. Why? Philadelphia has the raw
materials, the labor and the shipping facilities.
Possibly the answer is found in the failure to
sell aggressively.
Electrical goods have been proved very suscep
tible to modern selling methods and to national ad
vertising. In 1913 the last year for which complete
figures are available there were eight manufac
turers in this classification using national advertis
ing extensively. Their total appropriations were
more than $380,000.
One of these manufacturers recently gave,- the
following striking testimonial to the effect of adver
tising upon his business. He said:
"General advertising has unquestion
ably produced a large increase in our output.
"This increased production has in turn .
enabled us to adopt and develop many re-
finements in manufacture so that we are
now building a higher quality product than
we did when we started to advertise.
"While labor costs have increased
about 20 per cent, since we first began to
advertise, we have been able to keep the
prices of our goods as low as they were
when we first started.
"In other words, our advertising has
enabled us to give the public a better arti
cle than we could before, and to keep the
price 'down in the face of increased costs for
labor.
"Since the increased consumption of
current consuming devices means increased
use of current, it will also be interesting to
investigate what has happened to the cost
of central station service during this period.
I think an investigation of this kind will
show that the cost of operating electric "
lights and current consuming devices of all
kinds has been greatly reduced for the gen
eral public during the past 10 years."
1 l Sp f
We feel a particular pride in the development
of this class of advertising, because it has been very
largely confined to the Saturday Evening Post.
The eight advertisers referred to placed 74 per cent,
of their total advertising in the Post. Several of
them used no other publication.
5 5j! SgC 4
We hope that the Chicago electrical manufac
turer who made the inquiry will come to Philadel
phia. Quite as valuable, however, would be a greater
growth of one or two of the 45 electrical plants
which we already have.
National advertising, well proved in this field,
offers the way for this greater growth.
The Ladies' Home Journal The Saturday Evening Post The Country Gentleman
The Curtis Publishing Company, Independence Square, Philadelphia
V
" ' 1 1
1
,i
T:
k
HSsSi
H
i i,". - t
n ' III' m s