All his transactions
were filtered through the Financial Executive which was the
central organ cost control.
The division manager was made responsible for the
identification costs his division. was hoped that the division managers'
concern with keeping costs down would prevent the
administration from becoming large and inefficient. highly dispersed industry,
like motion pictures, defied accurate estimation the costs
of production, and the sheer volume operation such as
record production made difficult verify the cost a
single disc. "We never knew whether were making
19
or losing money," remembered one executive. began his career the company as
a cost clerk 1913, and 1914 was assistant Charles
Edison. The divisional structure put
more power into the hands the accountants and chief among
them was Stephen Mambert. During the balmy days the phonograph boom, TAE
Inc. there was responsibility for
following the costs each product all were manufactured
under the same costing system. This situation
could not tolerated the tight financial situation after
the fire. The divisional structure was intended identify and
record costs for every business within TAE Inc. Under the
old system TAE Inc.X-13
division manager was made accountable for the costs of
manufacture and sales. produced thousands products with little knowledge of
how much was costing. Although was being groomed take over from his
father, the twenty-four-year-old Charles found many
