The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

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Metadata

Title

[LB015029], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Joshua Franklin Bailey, Societe Electrique Edison, December 11th, 1882

Editor's Notes

Your favor of 10th ult came duly to hand and also your cable on the same matter sent subsequently.##You will have learned my views on the subject of a fusion with Siemens from my cable sent in answer to yours. I think that it is very important indeed that any business arrangement made with him should be so worded as not to include the Central Station business The Siemens (judging from the utterances of several members of the family) do not think the Central Station business of any commercial importance I therefore think you would not have much difficulty in excluding Central Station business from such an arrangement as you might make with them. If this cannot be done in an open manner you should direct your endeavors towards wording any agreement in such a manner as to secure to ourselves the Central Station. My reason for desiring this is that I wish to preserve the monopoly of the Central Station business. The Isolated business may for the moment appear very attractive but the main business upon which the success of our companies will depend will be that of General Distribution. Seimens will undoubtedly find this out eventually; in which case it would be very dangerous for us to have given hin an agreement which would enable him to enter into competition with us in Central Station Lighting.##I place the greatest importance on this matter and would beg of you to exercise the greatest possible care in any deal your Directors may deem it wise to make with Seimens.##As to a fusion with Siemens here our Directors would of course consider any proposition which Seimens might make but so far ss I can see at present he has no grounds on which to make one. If he had a solid Patent here which would enable to close out everybody else I think our Company would pay him a royalty & vigorously prosecute all infringers if they could get an exclusive license. These remarks apply both to the Dynamo & the Rail Road Systems.##As to your cable from London about a fusion with Swan in England if such is the case I have no knowledge whatever of it and Mr White the Secty of the English Co. who is here just now says there is no truth whatever in it. Whatever information you have on this subject I shall be glad to receive [from] you.##I shall be obliged if you will kindly show this letter and a copy of yours of 10th ult to Mr. Baetchelor

Author

Edison, Thomas Alva

Recipient

Societe Electrique Edison

Bailey, Joshua Franklin

Mentioned

Edison Electric Light Co Ltd

White, Arnold Henry

Batchelor, Charles

Siemens, Werner von

Swan, Joseph Wilson

Date

1882-12-11

Type

Letter

Subject

Competition and market structure

Electric traction

Central stations

Folder ID

LB015-F

Microfilm ID

82:41

Document ID

LB015029

URL

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB015029

Rights

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University

Has Version

Archive.org Viewer, Microfilm Series Reel 82

Item sets

[LB015-F] LB-015 (1882-1883)