out the regular show window equipment, thus causing the object upon which the light is concentrated to stand out against a dark surrounding or background.

The illustrations in Figs. 213, 214 and 215 illustrate the application of this method for an automobile display. As indicated in Fig. 213 a strong spotlight is thrown upon the car by means of two projectors that are concealed near the top of the plate glass show window. See Fig. 214.

When the projectors are used in this manner, the remainder of the showroom is kept in comparative darkness. The attention of the observer is there fore attracted only to the car on display.

Further flexibility of this method is provided by use of colored cover glasses for the projectors so that spectacular effects may be produced on various models and objects in the window.

Two styles of equipment for producing color effects are illustrated in Figs. 215 and 216.

A L ARENBERG CHESTER J EATON FH MURPHY

A L POWELL

JAMES J. KIRK: Former Divisions have dealt at length on how stores should be lighted, and the Division this year thought it was worth while to call the Central Station Companies' attention to the undeveloped field that lies at hand in the commercial lighting business. There are 2300 retail stores in Chicago. We surveyed one thousand of them, and found only 25 per cent of these stores had an intensity of 5 ft. candles or better. If we could bring the other 75 per cent up to intensities around 5 ft. candles we could increase the revenue of the Edison Company by $1,200,000, without any additional investment to the Central Station Company.

Since this survey was made I have found that two other surveys have been conducted, one in a city not quite as large as Chicago, and one in a city of about 20,000 people. The results of these surveys checked with the information as contained in this report, so that the information we are giving you are the average conditions throughout the entire country. The average small store owner appreciates that it does not pay him to use newspaper advertising, because his business is dependent on the community in which he is located. In advertising in the newspaper he is advertising to people throughout the city, nine-tenths of whom never see his store and never visit his store, and yet these retail stores pay a large percentage of their gross income for advertising, and they pay more than twice as much as they pay for lighting. The lighting of the store is an invitation to the people who pass by the store to come in and shop in the store.

As a rule, everyone thinks of a drug store as being a store that is well lighted. The average drug store is considered to be well lighted, yet we found that only 30 per cent of the drug stores have intensities of 5 ft. candles or better; in other words, 70 per cent of them are still in the market for more light.

We made some intensity tests in stores in which the store owners told us the fixtures had been cleaned only a short time previously, and we found, after the fixtures were cleaned again, that they had losses, due to dust and dirt, ranging from 35 to 40 per cent. Heretofore, we only cleaned our own fix

J BERTRAM REGAR MICHAEL SCHWARZ IL STAIR

F C TAYLOR

tures, fixtures we installed ourselves, but we are now in position to clean any type of fixture in the city of Chicago, and we are now cleaning something like 17,000 fixtures.

CHAIRMAN HOGUE: It is too bad we have not time for a full discussion of this paper. Is there anyone who would like to speak on it?

WARD HARRISON: Before we can develop business we must know the market and know what the customer thinks, and I would like to give Mr. Markham a vote of thanks for this report.

CHAIRMAN HOGUE: I will now turn the Chair over to the Chairman of the Section, and I want to say that I hope you will all support this proposed Mid-Winter Conference, where we can get together and have two or three days in which to discuss the lighting question. I think it is a crime to sit in a meeting all afternoon, worrying whether you are going to get through in time, and whether you are going to reach the last man on the program, and whether you are going to have any Central Station men here to listen to these reports. There are but few representatives of the lighting companies here at this time. They have traveled long distances for the purpose of coming here and listening to these reports, so that they could go back home and tell their bosses the whole story of how to sell electric lighting, and they have not been here. If we want to be successful in promoting the sale of lighting, we must learn the fundamentals, and I thank the gentlemen who remained.

CHAIRMAN SEELMAN: Gentlemen, when I bring this gavel down the next time the activities of the Commercial Section in connection with the Fortyfourth Convention will be ended. I want to put myself on record as expressing my very sincere and heartfelt appreciation of the wonderful assistance, the remarkable co-operation that has been given me during the year of my administration of the Commercial Section, and which has resulted in these

exceedingly valuable and important reports which you have heard this afternoon and at the previous sessions of the Commercial Section. I do not believe that any prior Chairman of a Commercial Section. has had gathered around him a finer and more hard-working or more capable corps of lieutenants than I was fortunate enough to have, and the result is evidence to this Convention, and will be evident in the coming year, as these reports are used to greater or less advantage in the hands of the Central

Station people, in proportion as they appreciate their significance.

I do not want to keep you another moment, but I do want you to realize, and I want it to go on the record, that I appreciate the small part played by the Chairman of the Section, and the great part played by his assistants in producing this desirable and important result.

I thank you.

(The meeting then adjourned.)

THE CHAIRMAN: I will ask Vice-Chairman Sloan to take the chair while I make a few remarks. (The Vice-Chairman then took the chair.)

MR. DAVIDSON : As most of you gentlemen know, the Public Relations Section began its activities about nine months ago. During the period of operation we have, I believe, made a very good beginning, but only a beginning. During that period. the Executive Committee has held four meetings, all of which were well attended. The work of the Association has largely been carried on by subcommittees and by the work that was initiated at the national headquarters. The committees are: Manufacturers' Advertising, Public Utility Information, Public Utility Taxation and Uniformity of Regulatory Laws, Relations with Bankers, Relations with Regulatory Bodies, Upbuilding the Industry.

A great deal of the activities have consisted of the preparation and distribution of pamphlets which have been distributed through our membership and by allied organizations. The following pamphlets and booklets have been prepared and distributed: Facts Every User of Electricity should know. Everyday Electric Usage and Terms.

The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker, and the distribution of such valuable addresses as: "The Reward for Efficiency," by the Honorable Edwin O. Edgerton.

"The Trend of Regulation," by the Honorable Carl D. Jackson.

Collier's Weekly editorial, "A Square Deal for Public Utilities.'

And the recently delivered address, "Arrested Development in Public Utilities," by the Honorable Edward N. Hurley.

I am pleased to advise you that the admirable address that you heard in this room this morning by Judge Perry, "The Public's Interest in Utility Development,' will be printed immediately for distribution.

We are now carrying on thirteen half-page, goodwill advertisements, in the Saturday Evening Post. The activities of this Section have attracted considerable national interest, which is manifested by the two articles in the Saturday Evening Post, under the caption, "Everybody's Business. These were prepared by Floyd W. Parsons. Collier's Weekly published an editorial a few weeks ago entitled "A Square Deal for Public Utilities." The June 4th The June 4th issue of Collier's appeared with a second editorial, "You Are Interested in Four Ways." I suggest that if you have not seen this editorial you procure a copy and read it. You can use it to very good advantage in many ways.

66

Last October the Investment Bankers' Association, holding convention in Boston, passed resolutions urging better co-operation between the regulatory bodies, the public utilities, and also urging state regulation for utilities and for closer relation between the bankers and our association and allied interests. During the coming year I am sure the new administration will accept this invitation and work with the Investment Bankers in carrying out some of the program that has already been tentatively prepared. Perhaps the most constructive work toward bettering Public Relations has been accomplished through the Committee on Public Utility Information, this work having been started about two years ago in Illinois and has since been inaugurated in about ten different states, some of them having only recently organized. The states now functioning are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Missouri and Michigan. These organizations employ as publicity manager a newspaper man who has had considerable experience generally, and he prepares news matter that is sent out in bulletin form to the newspapers in these respective communities, and generally it goes. out weekly, sometimes semi-monthly.

We can do a great work in connection with the educational bodies of our country, such as by talks given by prominent public utility executives before the students in colleges and universities, local law schools, and in some instances in high schools.

You will hear the report of the Committee on Manufacturers' Advertising, which has really done a remarkable work for the whole industry. As you know, a good many of the manufacturing concerns of the country have given us their space in the national magazines and they have inserted good-will talks that have been prepared by some of the best talent in the country.

We have a committee, "Upbuilding the Industry," which has not been particularly active this year, but next year they plan to do a big work in having the manufacturing concerns interest their employes, particularly their salesmen, in putting over the public utility story to the people with whom they come in contact.

At this time I would like to say that the officers of this section have had remarkable support from the National Headquarters. Mr. Oxley has prepared all of the pamphlets that have been sent out, notably the kilowatt series, first and second, and others that I read a few moments ago.

I would like to read a remark made in my report yesterday morning: "It is my belief that the big wheel of the Public Relations Section has been partially constructed and that there now must be added spokes of support from member companies and allied interests so that it may withstand the burden when full momentum is gained." I confidently

believe that the Public Relations National Section will accomplish big things for the communities served, for the manufacturers, the jobbers, the dealers and for the Central Station, but in order to "carry the message to Garcia" those doing the work in the future must have the unqualified support of our entire membership.

Now, I make that statement again, gentlemen, not with the sense of scolding you, but the weakness of our whole program comes right within our own family; that is, the Central Stations. We have had marvelous support from the manufacturers and the jobbers, but the Central Stations really have not come through. Instead of having indifferent support, such as we have had this year, we should have strong co-operation. The work this year will necessarily have to be carried on through the geographic divisions, through the public relations committees in those divisions. They should lay out a program and the member companies in that section should give it substantial support. If they request that you do certain advertising or public speaking or put our message over in some other way you should give them every assistance. In reality we are merely selling the public utility problems to the public. It is merely a sales proposition. You cannot expect to accomplish the work by inserting good-will advertisements in your papers only, but it will be necessary to distribute pamphlets, carry on campaigns for public speaking, use the moving picture films that will be distributed this year.

In that connection I would like to quote again from my report:

"Unfortunately too many of the American people are prone to believe the false statements against corporations made by radical politicians and demagogues, but fortunately most of these people are very fair when facts are clearly and accurately laid before them. In this fact rests the foundation of the Public Relations Section. We may build upon a structure of splendid ideas and carefully worked out plans, but unless the section receives the solid support and not the hit and miss co-operation from the Association members, the efforts of the Public Relations Section will be futile. We should inform the public how very vitally their interests are tied up with that of the utilities. Even in our own industry I do not believe we realize how closely we are tied to labor through the power service that we render and to the manufacturer through the manufacture of foods, the pumping of water, manufacturing of ice, the operation of refrigerating plants for the preservation of foodstuffs, and even the professions, even the doctor and the dentist being unable to operate unless they are supplied with electric service."

In the home, of course, we render our lighting service and nowadays of course a home is very incomplete unless they have the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner, the toaster, and so forth, so that if we will put that message over to the people and show them how our success is their success and their comfort they really will become aware of

the fact that we must receive fair treatment and not be buffeted around by designing politicians who use us as footballs for their own aggrandizement and advancement, and that unless we are given at fair return for our service we cannot get the capital necessary to finance the industry to cope with our growing communities. We must make it understood that the prosperity of the local public service company is the gauge of the prosperity of any community, and that the progress of any city or town depends in a great measure upon a good physical and strong financial condition of these utilities.

In analyzing the work that has been done toward bettering public relations by the utilities over a period, say, of five or ten years, you will find that it has not been effective. We have laid a lot of stress on our employes being polite and courteous and rendering every service possible, which is right, of course, very essential; but I really believe that it is up to the industry to render a greater service to our customers. Take, for instance, the residential lighting conditions. The incandescent lamp was invented 41 years ago. It has been developed in a remarkable degree, but from the point of view of illumination we really have done little for our residential customers. We have the old-fashioned electroliers with glass shades, which produce very poor results, and if the customer only knew what constituted good illumination he really would not tolerate it. I believe that it behooves us to get busy and change this condition as a service to our customers, because in doing this we can do it to our advantage as well as to the advantage of our customers.

In speaking of the work that has been done in the communities locally throughout the country, when we spur up, as we do, to put over a good-will message, which we wish to do when there is an agitation brewing or when we are under pressure, we usually do it through the newspaper and maybe by sending out some pamphlets with our bills. Now, that is all right as far as it goes, but we must get out of this path of least resistance and do some real constructive work. In saying that, I have in mind public speaking. All the companies have at least a few men who could give our good-will talks, and have their names placed on programs of local civic organizations, and even in rural districts.

In my report the other day I recommended that this fall the Association set apart one week at which time the executives of the Central Stations throughout the country give an address before the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Chamber of Commerce, or other civic organizations explaining the public utility situation. This can be made interesting. We can weave into it the sort of a message that we wish the public to hear.

I might say that recently the Nebraska Power Company of Omaha, with which I am connected, set apart a week and invited the different organizations, such as the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary Club, the Concord, the Advertising and Selling League, and others there were seven of them-to visit our power station, and while there we gave them an