"
37
It was probably the impending financial crisis 1910
that hastened the creation Thomas Edison Incorporated.
The banks whom the company depended were becoming nervous
about extending any more credit. The
National Phonograph Company had help support the ailing
storage battery and cement companies which were hemorrhaging
funds. addition supporting the weak
. The
National Phonograph Company was still the flagship the
Edison enterprise 1910 but its sales had decreased every
year since 1907. What
was worrying Frank Dyer and the accountants the National
Phonograph Company was that "the earning power the
profitable companies here not great once was and
the expenses the unprofitable concerns are not diminishing.VIII-23
gaining acceptance and market share: ahead lay fiercer
competition and difficult technological challenges. was taking over $100,000 month keep the
weaklings' heads above water 1910, and this soon began to
put great strain the finances the company, which was
36
also meeting large part the laboratory payroll. The problem for Dyer was to
ensure that the profitable companies had enough funds to
develop new products while avoiding financial disaster the
hands the unprofitable cement, storage battery, and Lansden
Electric Car companies.
The financial strength the Edison enterprise was
sapped the failure the storage battery project
