Several different types financial arrangements were
established between the laboratory and the Edison companies: in
some cases fixed limit experimental costs was determined
for each year operations, others lump sum was
appropriated for experiments, and finally experimental
account was sometimes established cover continuous research
with limit— the company receiving bills regular
intervals. Each worker filled time card indicating the
number hours spent project, experimental room,
and these were used compute the labor cost. The
shop orders for each customer were identified, compiled, and
finally bill was sent out the relevant company. the early
days the lab only supplies were added this basic
computation but over time methods were devised count in
overhead.
The lab's services were requisitioned shop orders,
each one giving name and number for series of
experiments. This latter arrangement was normally between the lab
and one Edison's companies.
In times financial hardship, Edison could call the
many loans had made other Edison companies. Many the
Edison electrical manufacturing companies had been founded with
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SIDEBAR 2-1
FINANCIAL PRACTICES THE LAB. The shop orders were used for billing purposes
