By 1918 the division managers were able exert close
control over the direction and costs development work
through their manufacturing committee. This committee was
chaired the division manager and comprised several
representatives the manufacturing division (management,
planning and production), and the product engineer.
The exception was Holland who had helpers his dictating
machine experiments. The managers were convinced
that the work product engineering was vital their success
in the marketplace and soon began argue for complete control
over their product engineers. Their work was initiated the
division manager and controlled the various committees on
which they sat. clear
that "R&D committee" put all the important decisions into
the hands division managers. They were known the "experimental staff" although
much their work was routine engineering. Their activities the lab were closely
supervised the chief engineer who had render frequent
reports the Board Directors. 1919 six product
engineers were employed the lab and each had assistant., argued: "the foundation stone our success the
.XII-23
engineers for the divisions. each product
engineering group there was normally one experimental man and
the rest devoted themselves production engineering. letter from the manager the
Primary Battery Division Carl Wilson, Vice- President TAE
Inc. Most the six were permanently allocated
to one product; only one man was free-lance engineer this
time
