MECHANISED HOMES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 19, 17 January 1929, Page 7

MECHANISED HOMES

AMERICAN INVENTIVENESS. The average America/a toklay is rapidly developing into a household Itobot, ruled by all sorts of "press-the-button' 1 ' devices. Mechanical contrivances which actually are luxuries have come to be considered necessities. The average home of the average American. ai.Lisau, contains the following :—■ I Telephone, wireless, electric fan, electric coffee pot, gramophone, electric iron, and electric toaster. A little higher in the; social scale an ele.ctnc refrigerator, an electric washing machine, with perhaps an electric stove- and a patent oil stove for heating the house, will be added to his list, while, higher still will be added an amateur film camera, and projector, an electric device lor stirring dough and batter, and so on. And outside the home are, of course, the. motor-ears. Twenty years ago practically all these articles were unknown or so new as to he considered the playthings of the millionaires. Now the wireless and the film, equipment must be considered a potential part of the furniture of the American house. These luxuries devices are sold to the wealthy at first, but as mass production comes into)'operation, the cost i s reduced till bricklayers and other artisans are able to buy them themselves, though chiefly on the instalment system,