The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (July 1900)

The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 87 and that, too, in spite of those in authority doing their utmost to crush it. Among the many reasons, I unhesitatingly place too early commercialisation first. It must not be overlooked that it is only about five years since the first carbide was brought into England, also that it is an entirely new development in chemical research, and consequently a great deal of work has been done in the dark. The very simplicity of production has encouraged experiment; most frequently by persons without either scientific or mechanical training, and, worse still, without the aptitude to assimilate the principles that govern either ; and yet many of these experimenters have been successful in devising methods, and effective ones, by which the carbide and water can be brought together and then automatically separated ; or brought together in minute quantities when the action would be at once arrested. _ Having constructed a small’ generator on these lines, the proud inventor shows it to his admiring friends, and, if the needful is obtainable, a syndicate is formed to run the show, with a view—and solely so—to flotation ; generators are made, and rushed on to the market by any means—sold at-a low price, given away, lent,-etc.—a few testimonials are secured, and then the affair is made into a limited company. The early enthusiasm, which was a modified cycle boom, made such a course easy, and what is the result? Every one of these companies was over capitalised for legitimate trading, but with much too small a capital for the methods actually adopted. I do not know of a single company that did not expect and aim at securing a dividend on the first year’s trading ; to accomplish this, the plan adopted: on the Continent, especially in Germany, was ignored, and the industry was— at much too early a stage—placed on the same level as a tin kettle factory. Generators were manufactured wholesale, and in fact, the whole energy of the staff was concentrated on turning out generators, while the question of keeping upto-date or improving them was almost, if not entirely, ignored. It did not need very great wisdom to. guess what would happen, and which really did happen-;' almost before the machines were ‘finished they were out-classed, owing to some important discovery or development, and this with the too often im-' perfect testing—even if they were sent out at all—resulted in a large number being returned. : Again, many concerns in: order to: secure business, adopted the plan of sending generators on sale or return to ironmongers or others who were willing to accept agencies. Not only did this mean a large sinking of capital, but, as in the former case, while they remained unsold they too were getting out-dated, and in many cases became absolutely valueless. Other firms put in trial installations for all and sundry who made enquiries about acetylene lighting, if such enquirers seemed at all likely customers, and as many of these generators were none too effective or reliable, the result can easily be guessed. The number of installations put in at a serious: loss for the sake of advertisement has been enormous ; it would, I suspect, include most, if not all, of the public institutions, railway stations and hotels. a I happened to know someone intimately connected with a company which tendered a price for lighting a railway station. Being the first on the line, and a somewhat important station in a promising district, they decided to do it’at cost and quoted £40 for a plant to supply the required number of lights for the usual time of five hours. It turned out, however, that the plant was required for 10 hours, and in the explanation that followed it transpired that several other firms had quoted for a service to supply this, three being under £20, and over a dozen between £20 and £30. Under these circumstances the first company stated plainly that they could not ‘touch it. However, the engineer rather fancied their system and pressed for a price, which was given at £60. When the contract was completed it resulted in a loss of about: £20, though it is only fair to state that this was entirely due to their adding several important improvements without extra charge; but—and this is the question— where would the other fifteen or more firms have come in. I mention this because it gives a fair illustration of the way business has been secured, so there is no need to wonder where the capital went to. Another serious feature was the way in which inventors became _ dissociated from their machines. In many cases their services were dispensed with when the company was floated, in others very soon after, because the directors ‘objected to pay a man who could neither ‘mapage the company nor do the work of a mechanic, consequently the apparatus remained as the inventor left it, though in some cases they were tinkered: with by one or another and actually improved backwards... = to