Most of the media went along with GE, not least to get a share of the advertising revenue. But there were a few voices raised against these tactics. The editor of Woman’s Home Companion, Gertrude Battles Lane, who built the magazine’s circulation up from 750,000 when she took over in 1912 to more than 3.5 million, feared that individual labor-saving devices were fragmenting communities. She ran a long campaign for “cooperative housework,” arguing that the effect of the washing machine in the home (for the minority who could afford it) was to make the housewife more of a drudge than before. One article, “The Revolt of Mother,” argued that “apart from the fact that millions of us are not able to command them, the washing machine won’t collect and sort the laundry, or hang out the clothes; the mangle won’t iron complicated articles; the dishwasher won’t collect, scrape, and stack the dishes; the vacuum cleaner won’t mop the floor or clean up and put away.” Howes stressed the importance of the local community and the employment of domestic staff.
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3 Responses
“Howes stressed the importance of the local community and the employment of domestic staff.”
Perhaps electrical power was seen as a savior by those householder who couldn’t afford domestic staff? The electrical appliances, and the power to operate had a cost, but one less than hired help. Point being that electrical power, and the appliances that consumed the power most likely weren’t a hard sell to those who could afford them. We today probably can’t appreciate the change electrical power repented in the daily live of many.
I see again a comment associating terrorist attack & decentralization. Large population centers will be the target of choice for terrorists When/if their localized power generation is destroyed. Power from the grid will be that return there lives back to normal. That should be the case if the conversation doesn’t turn from lambasting the grid to improving it. The citizens of japan have learned how important electrical power is to modern life. They experienced a situation where those off-grid, or on localized generation wouldn’t have fared any better than those on the grid
It makes no more sense to push electricity hundreds of miles using dangerously high voltages that is does to send water through hundreds of miles of pipeline. This is lunacy, sheer utter lunacy when solar and wind power can easily provide our electric power.
What about more efficient electric motors that can run our electric gadgets on 12 or 24 volt power? What about developing more efficient light sources (LED is still expensive, but it needn’t remain so)
What about all the overunity devices which are mysteriously pulled from YouTube for “Terms of Use Violations”?
The best defense against terrorist attacks on our electric power distribution is DECENTRALIZATION.
If the power I pay for is so good, why do my electronic sewing and knitting machines, my computer, and my TV all require not just surge suppressors, but power cleaning surge suppressors to smooth out the spikes and optimize their functioning?
There is a hidden agenda which we are being told doesn’t exist. Our public fool systems are teaching our children to not ask questions. Wake up!
Wow! Men, that was some short article of just 9 pages :) . Is appreciated. Great Info. Thank you