ABSTRACT
No improvement could take place in this world if there were only a single means to each end. Indeed, it is only when one believes in the existence of multiple means that the possibility of improvement first appears. At one company, sandpaper was used to smooth the rough surfaces inevitably remaining on pressure-formed ebonite switch holders. Ebonite is hard and brittle, so that whereas rubbing it too hard could damage the material, rubbing it lightly took a great deal of time. The task was made all the more frustrating because the sandpaper wore out quickly. The outer hull of each boat was made of a plastic material, and several layers of fiberglass attached with adhesives to the interior made the boats both strong and light. The boats were popular because they lasted a long time; unlike wooden boats they were not subject to rotting.
