George
Bliss had been brought West Orange because his expertise in
electric motors and regulators exactly fitted the direction of
the Edison enterprise and supported the newly created small
electric motor department the Works. Yet Bliss was asked to
undertake great range work which electrical machinery
was only small part." The new bureaucratic
organization the lab functioned Edison's whim. Edison directed the activities the new
Chief Engineer and was not above interfering his work,
sometimes taking projects from him work personally. The
Chief Engineer could not specialist because the work of
his department was expanded cover very many products.
The department carried out work the phonograph, primary
battery and motion picture products. Edison gradually eroded the power the Chief
.
Edison's order that "if Bliss feels job too big—
give Weber" reveals that the pressure was too great for
Bliss. 1911 his engineering
department was responsible for designing small electric motor
for prospective Edison lawn mower, complete electric
delivery wagon, and shaving machine for the business
phonograph. Although
the position Chief Engineer had, 1910, become part the
formal organization the laboratory, was filled at
Edison's discretion.IX-22
. 0
greatly disturbs the organization. His tenure Chief Engineer spanned the
work production engineering the disc and storage battery
projects; this alone meant the design several new machines
