The US
Government became the leading purchaser goods and services
in the economy. The Phonograph Works manufactured several
military products under government contracts, including bomb
sight, Gibbs rescue apparatus, Shear Wire pistols (to cut
through barbed wire) and several types adapters. The First World War
marked the increasing power the U. Federal authorities placed limits phonograph
production and requisitioned key raw materials.
Riker was appointed product engineer for the government work
and given the power approve all drawings, parts, and raw
.J. had very little choice.XII-15
war research was not all hard work. F. Government the
economy. wrote Firestone that
he could not possibly evade the work for the government, but
enthusiastically described his experiments big submarine
chaser" and invited Ford and Firestone man yacht and join
him the Long Island Sound. 26
While Edison chased submarines the waters the
Sound, the Edison complex West Orange also devoted itself to
the war effort. The
government devised specifications and the Engineering
Department the laboratory made blueprints and drawings
for the Phonograph Works.S. The
resources the laboratory were directed into supporting this
war work. Here was another opportunity to
continue the work standardizing production engineering. The government contracts called for precision
products demanding level competence design and
manufacture, and only the laboratory could ensure this
