Presto

October 4, 1924.
PRESTO
SHEET MUSIC AND RADIO
GREAT GROWTH OF RADIO
Business Giant Has Developed in Four Years to
$300,000,000 Sales This Year.
As radiocasting has widened its scope and gained
more followers, so has the industry developed. The
radio business has grown in four years to a sales
volume of $115,000,000 in 1923, and the Copper and
Brass Research Association, after a survey of the
radio field, estimates that the business for 1924 will
reach $300,000,000, and within two or three years
sales will reach $500,000,000.
A vacuum tube manufacturer estimates that sales
of tubes alone for the present year will total in ex-
cess of $50,000,000, while one of the leading parts
manufacturers estimates that as much as $250,000,000
will be spent for parts and sets. Sales of batteries
of all kinds are placed at $45,000,000.
Sales of home radio equipment alone for 1924 will
reach a total of $240,000,000 in the United States, or
double those for 1923, and radio audiences, listening
in on receiving sets to the broadcast speeches, lec-
tures, concerts and musical entertainments of various
sorts are now estimated at 5,000,000 persons.
Sales of radio apparatus are nearly twice as large
as all kinds of sporting goods.
Figures of the American Radio Association show
that there are probably between 3,500,000 and 5,000,-
000 tube sets in use. Probably 5,000,000 to 7,000,000
crystal sets are owned in this country.
There are now 537 broadcasting stations in the
United States and close to a total of 1,000 in the
world; 18,000 amateur transmitters in the United
States, and about 16,000 ship and shore commercial
stations. England has 800,000 licensed broadcast
listeners.
BROADCASTS DE LUXE ROLLS
Doubleday-Hill Electric Company, Pittsburgh, Op-
erating KQV Station Solves Radio Problem.
With the various musicians' and actors' organiza-
tions declaring against the use of the services of their
members without pay in radio broadcasting, and with
the necessity of arranging attractive programs free
to radio fans, the Doubleday-Hill Electric Company
of Pittsburgh, operating Station KQV, has solved
the problem as far as one important item in the daily
schedule is concerned. It has turned to the De Luxe
Welte-Mignon Library of Records and found there
an imposing list of music played by the most eminent
pianists, as well as scores of accompaniments, ball-
room dances, and ballet music, with each piece played
by a specialist in the particular style of music. And
in the Welte-Mignon (Licensee) Action it has found
a medium that reproduces all of this music with per-
fection, so that there is no perceptible difference
whatever between the playing of the artist himself
and that of the action.
Miss Frances Weller, program and studio director
of the Doubleday-Hill Company, made a novel use
recently of the Welte-Mignon (Licensee) Reproduc-
ing Action, when she used it for the musical atmos-
pheric setting to a dramatic reading by Miss Mary
Christine Seberry of the quaint old poem, "The Pied
Piper of Hamlin." On this particular program were
also given three recordings by the De Luxe Repro-
ducing Roll Corporation, viz., "The Hurdy-Gurdy
Man," recorded by Cecile De Horvath, "March Gro-
tesque," recorded by Eugene D'Albert, and the
"March in D," Op. 5, No. 1, recorded by Margaret
Nikoloric. This station is using the Stieff Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) Reproducing Piano. There are
now 103 standard makes of pianos in which this
action is available.
NOTES IN THE RADIO FIELD
Activities Seen in All Phases of the Radio Industry
at Home and Abroad.
The Bloomington Jug Band, Bloomington, 111.,
is an unusual orchestra of youths who employ only
kitchen implements in their music making—such cul-
inary commodities as jugs, kettles, pans, egg beaters,
and nutmeg graters. With the aid of a little static
they turn out some jubilant jazz at midnight on Sat-
urdays on WGN.
French newspapers have noted with a certain
amount of coldness the Manchester, England, cele-
bration of Napoleon's birthday, when a whole pro-
gram of music, songs, and literature of his period
will be broadcast to the English radio listeners.
The Comet Battery Co., Cleveland, O., has issued
Bulletin No. 19, treating of Comet radio and flash-
light batteries.
The German radio casting program for the coming
winter includes educational courses covering the
saine ground as the present night schools. The
course includes all common school branches, follow-
ing text books which may be secured at small cost.
The pupils will be registered and examined orally
once a month.
LATE LIST OF PATENTS
Some Among the Records of the Patent Office Re-
late to Goods in This Department.
POWELL CROSLEY'S ART
It Is Evident in Most Desirable Form in Cabi-
nets Made by the Crosley Radio
Corporation.
Powell Crosley, Jr., head of the Crosley Radio
Corporation, Cincinnati, is credited with many
achievements, but one of the most delightful ones
is the application of the most ancient art of cabinet
making to the presentation of the newest science—-
radio. Despite the fact that modern machinery has
replaced the old artificers' handiwork to some extent,
the final finish to a cabinet is done by hand in the
1,441,511, Repeatec for sound-reproducing instru-
ments, Roy E. Lagerquist, Minneapolis, Minn.
1,442,540, Multirecord sound reproducing machine,
W. A. Bracken, Woodward, 111.
1,442,426, Sound-controlled means for producing
light variations, Lee De Forest, New York, N. Y.
1,442,682, Endless sound record and mechanism
therefor.
' )
1,442,665, Tone-control device, Robert Mead, New-
York, N. Y.
1.443.030, Sound reproducing device, Micanor Men-
dez, Belgrano, Argentina.
1,443,584, Music sheet feeder, Bertie E. Mills, Chi-
cago, 111.
1,443,400, Perforated music duplicating machine,
Sterling W. Warner, Cranford, N. J.
1.443.031, Tape sound record, Howard L. Page,
Chicago, 111.
1,446,333, Music leaf turner, Thomas P. Briody,
Bethlehem, Pa.
1,446,246, Means for recording and reproducing
sound, Lee De Forest, New York, N. Y.
1,446,289, Mat for sound recording and reproducing
machines, Morland M. Dessau, London, England.
INTERESTING RADIO FIGURES
Cable Piano Co., Chicago, Estimates Percentage of
That City's Radio Owners.
Figures compiled by The Cable Piano Co., Chi-
cago, indicate that 40 per cent of Chicago's families
are radio enthusiasts.
''Our figures," said E. A. Croker, manager, this
week, "were obtained in this fashion: Since August
20 thousands of persons have come to our store to
obtain a key in a contest we are conducting. Each
person is asked four questions, one of which is, 'Have
you a radio?' The percentage answering 'yes' has
averaged 40 per cent.
''The reasons we advance for believing our figures
to be correct are that only one in a family, and none
under 18 years old, may compete; that our list, in
which name and address are taken, covers every sec-
tion of the city, and that we know the list to be free
of duplications."
REGULATING USE OF ETHER
Important Opinion of Federal Authorities on Radio
Traffic by Municipalities.
Local authorities cannot legally attempt by ordi-
nance or other means to regulate use of the ether
for any form of radio communication, according to
the interpretation placed on the opinion of Federal
government officials in Washington. It is regarded
as unconstitutional for municipalities to regulate radio
traffic.
This opinion, which was anticipated by Secretary
of Commerce Hoover at the radio conference in this
city last March, when he stated specifically that "the
government owns the ether," is the outcome of a
peculiar legal entanglement that threatened at one
time to set city and state authorities at variance with
the federal government. It was finally made clear to
those interested that no lesser regulatory body can
govern any subject already regulated by Congress.
Probably no city in the country outside of Atchi-
son, Kan., actually passed an ordinance of the kind.
C. J. DOSER TO TRAVEL.
C. J. Doser, popular member of the musical mer-
chandise sales staff of Lyon & Healy, Chicago, has
been appointed eastern representative. He will make
general headquarters at the Hotel Pennsylvania, New
York. Mr. Doser is now on an extended tour of
the principal eastern cities.
wood-working plant of The Crosley Radio Corpora-
tion. This hand-finishing accounts for the popularity
of the varied models of radio receivers produced.
To the radio game Mr. Crosley applied the rules
of his previous experience. He acquainted himself
with every detail that presented itself in the develop-
ment of the business. And because of his astounding
ability to adapt himself to new situations he was not
only able to keep up with the caprices of this infant
industry but to keep far ahead, anticipating the de-
mands of the public with a clever hand constantly
upon the proverbial pulse. The relation of good cabi-
nets to effective receiving sets was one thing ht
closely studied.
Before going into radio manufacturing Mr. Croslej
was making handsome cabinets for phonographs
Now the number of cabinets containing Crosley re-
ceivers runs into thousands each week.
Although the new Crosley Trirdyn Newport typ<
receiver is utilizing American walnut in its construe
tion, mahogany is used in all of the other designs o
cabinets. It is said that more genuine mahogany is
used by this Cincinnati radio plant than in any othei
radio concern in the world. It arrives in carload lot;
and comes by ship to the United States from Soutl
America, Africa and other places. With the com
pletion of the new five-kilowatt transmitting statioi
WLW, it will be possible to broadcast music fron
Cincinnati to the very woods in other lands whicl
supplied the mahogany for the radio cabinets in
stalled in the offices and homes on the lumber plan
tations.
In contrast to the ancient method of cabinet mak
ing, which ofttimes required years in completion o
one particular piece of work, the same excellent con
struction and finish is to be found in the cabinet
turned out of the Crosley wood-working plant ever;
week.
"TOPSY AND EVA" ATTRACT.
In a recitalof a series of their own songs, pub
lished by their own company, the Duncan Sisters
famous as "Topsy and Eva," drew great crowds t
the Lyon & Healy Concert Hall last week. Hun
dreds of copies of their songs and Victor record
were autographed.
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