Presto

Issue: 1929 2238

P R E S T 0-T I M E S
PROGRESS MADE
IN TELEVISION
Plugging Into a Light Socket Is the New
Method to Be Employed to Enjoy Broad-
casted Pictures, Says A. J. Carter,
Pioneer Expert.
A. J. Carter, "daddy" of the Radio Manufacturers'
Association, pioneer in Television, and president of
the Carter Radio Company of Chicago, startled the
radio and motion picture worlds the other day with
two predictions. When "Nick" Carter prophesies,
the public usually sits up and listens.
"Television for commercial use, available for mil-
lions of homes, will be an actuality within the present
interfering in any way with the normal functioning of
the power line.
"It means that every room with a light socket can
have television," he said. "Set the little box on top
of the radio, or anywhere else you please, and see the
picture without flaw. Your television device will not
be a part of your radio set. It will be wholly inde-
pendent and suffer none of the difficulties of air
transmission."
The home talkie prediction by Mr. Carter was
born of the successful experiments his experts have
conducted from almost the beginning of the industry.
By adapting the light frequency, sound track system
employed in the talkies, a home device will furnish
music by film for hours without requiring changing
or manipulation, and from the same device talking
pictures can be had when wanted. This device, too,
will be low in cost to the public, and simple of oper-
ation.
RADIO PARTS BUSINESS.
Tons of radio parts, literally thousands of tons,
worth many million of dollars annually, are still being
used and also, contrary to popular belief, the radio
parts business is not declining but is on the up-grade,
according to A. J. Carter of Chicago, a prominent
parts manufacturer. Mr. Carter is a founder, past
vice-president, and influential leader of the Radio
Manufacturers' Association, the national organization
which includes every prominent manufacturer of all
radio products. "Although not generally known, the
manufacture and sale of radio parts is a mammoth
industry in itself and growing larger," said Mr. Car-
ter. "There are fewer manufacturers of parts, but their
output is increasing, and this great branch of the
industry is in stronger and more responsible hands."
HENDERSON ELECTED PRESIDENT.
The Northwest Radio Trade Association, at its
annual election of officers and banquet held recently
in connection with the Northwest Radio Show in
Minneapolis, chose by a unanimous vote J. W. A.
Henderson as its president for the coming year. Mr.
Henderson is manager of the Minneapolis branch of
the Edison Distributing Corporation and directs the
distribution of Edison radios, phonographs and rec-
ords in the northwestern section. He has been
actively engaged in the work of the Northwest Radio
Trade Association for many years, serving on its
membership committee and board of directors.
CREDIT AND COLLECTION SERVICE.
Many hundreds of thousands of dollars are being
saved annually to national radio manufacturers, frauds
are unearthed and collection of accounts insured by
cooperative service of the Radio Manufacturers' As-
sociation, according to Leslie F. Muter of Chicago,
chairman of the Credit Committee of the Radio Man-
ufacturers' Association. As the "watch dog of the
treasury" of the Radio Manufacturers' Association,
Chairman Muter and his committee, which comprises
eastern, central and western divisions covering all
parts of the country, have an extensive credit infor-
mation and also collection services in force.
A. J. CARTER.
year," was one prediction. "Talkies, and music from
films, will be common in the home also within the
year," was the other.
Mr. Carter's company was the first in the world to
demonstrate publicly the sending of pictures with
sound, over broadcasting wave bands. That was at
the Stevens Hotel in Chicago a year ago last June.
Later he successfully demonstrated at the New York
and Chicago radio shows. And he also was first in
the world to successfully send pictures to a moving
airplane.
And now his company has abandoned air television
entirely as a practicable commercial proposition. The
immediate future of television lies in the use of the
country's vast system of power lines. Within the
year, Mr. Carter said, all you will have to do is plug
into a light socket, and enjoy perfect pictures of the
broadcasting station from which you are receiving
your radio programs.
"Nothing new in it," the big radio parts man said.
"Television over wires was thought of more than
40 years ago. We've merely developed the theory and
idea practicably. The use of television will be low
in cost, in fact the device will cost less than a radio,
and so simple to operate that there will be nothing
to it but plugging into a light socket, and turning a
knob."
Air television, Mr. Carter said, has been proved
impracticable for commercial use. The "spotting" of
the picture by the least disturbance, plus the national
commission's holding to the theory that television
should be practiced on short wave lengths, plus the
fact that monopoly of the air by advertising and pro-
grams gives television too few air channels—all these
bar the air, he said. But by superimposing one fre-
quency upon the other, the power line can be used
to transfer the picture in perfect detail—and without
EARL MERGES WITH KOLSTER.
The Kolster Radio Corporation has acquired the
Earl Radio Corporation. Rudolph Spreckels will con-
tinue as chairman of the consolidated company, with
Ellery W. Stone, present president of Kolster, as
chairman of the executive committee and Clarence A.
Earl as president. Operations of the Kolster Radio
Corporation, Earl Radio Corporation and the Freed-
Eisemann Radio Corporation will be continued as
distinct units without disturbing contracts with exist-
ing dealers and distributors.
ELECTRIC PHONOGRAPH IN MINIATURE.
Something entirely novel in the way of an electric
phonograph in miniature was demonstrated in the
booth of the Stevens Manufacturing Corporation at
the recent R. M. A. Trade Show. This device in-
cludes everything from amplifier to loud-speaker, in
addition to the phonograph turntable, motor and
pick-up. The Stevens miniature electric phonograph
can be used for the demonstration of phonograph
records in department stores, music shops and so on.
Another important application is for talking movies in
the home, or even for the playing of records alone.
SELF-EXPRESSION THE NEXT STEP.
The outstanding development in this season's radio
progress is the appearance of the element of self-
expression, according to J. E. Smith, president of the
National Radio Institute, Washington, D. C. Just
as manufacturers of automatic pianos, automatic or-
gans, and even phonographs have found it necessary
to cater to the self-expression desire in-born in every
individual, so radio manufacturers are now turning
to a means of self-expression in the radio set.
One sign of advance for the human race is the dis-
covery that repaying injury with compound interest
as a practice is dying out except in the underworld.
November 1, 1929
BUSH & LANE LUCKY NUMBER.
Bush & Lane, Holland, Mich., hit upon the idea
of persuading the public to keep its descriptive folder
as a requirement for eligibility to win a Bush & Lane
radio awarded at the close of the show to the person
holding the circular bearing the lucky number. This
contest drew the attention of the resulting throngs
to the fine group of consoles, which certainly justify
this old piano home's slogan: "Built like a fine
piano." C. L. Beach, president of Bush & Lane, fre-
quented the display and was enthused by the great
interest shown in the Bush & Lane line. Others in
attendance: James De Pree, sales manager; and the
following district representatives: Andy Anderson,
Indiana; Harry Pearson, Iowa and Illinois; George
W. Marquis, and B. A. Marquis, both of Chicago.
The complete line was displayed.
RADIO DIVIDENDS DECLARED.
At the meeting of the Board of Directors of the
Radio Corporation of America, held on October 18,
the following dividends were declared: A quarterly
dividend of one and three-quarters per cent on the
"A" preferred stock for the fourth quarter of the
year 1929, payable January 1, 1930, to holders of "A"
preferred stock of record December 2, 1929. An
annual dividend of seven per cent for the year 1929
on the original preferred stock, payable January 1,
1930, to holders of original preferred stock of record
December 2, 1929. A quarterly dividend of $1.25 per
share on the "B" preferred stock for the fourth
quarter of the year 1929, payable January 1, 1930, to
holders of "B" preferred stock of record December
2, 1929.
RETAILERS OF MUSIC.
Traders must realize that they must become re-
tailers not of endless paraphernalia but of music.
Here, perhaps, is the one big reason for the present
very desirable amalgamation of the music trader and
the radio trader. And only when this achievement
becomes a generally recognized and accepted fact, then
we shall see the end of the price-cutter, the "junk"
merchant and the dabbler. These are dying hard but
surely, and the radio trade will see the survival, not
only of the best and most reputable firms, but the
soundest factors; the rest will die a natural death.—
Retailers' Chronicle.
THE MAJESTIC RADIO NO. 91.
A. G. Spalding & Bros. Radio Shop, 211 South
State, Chicago, says: "Majestic is a famous name in
radio—the name of a leader. And to this name we
gladly add the name and guarantee of Spalding. The
Majestic No. 91 offers a range, a selectivity, a
mechanical perfection usually found only in the high-
est-priced radios. It has a built-in dynamic speaker
that brings out every note and nuance of the original
—and brings them out faithfully and clearly. And
it comes in a cabinet that any living-room can be
proud of."
THE TENOR DRUM'S USES.
Musical Truth, the publication of C. G. Conn, Ltd.,
Elkhart, Ind., says: "What the tympani are to the
band, the tenor drum is to the drum corps. Fills in
the spot between the snare and the bass drum. The
tenor drum is something new but is rapidly being
adopted as standard by the finest drum corps. If you
don't have tenor drums, you need them—one for every
bass."
FADA INCORPORATES AT LOUISVILLE.
Articles of incorporation of the Fada Radio Store,
Louisville, Ky., capitalized at $1,000, have been ap-
proved by Miss Ella Lewis, Kentucky, secretary of
state. Incorporators are Thomas B. Crutcher, Jr.,
Horace G. Brooks, Jr., and William H. Crutcher, Jr.
BALDWIN PIANO USED.
A distinct honor for the makers of the Baldwin
piano was the choice of that instrument as the exclu-
sive accompaniment for all programs sent over the
national hookups from the broadcasting studio in the
south ballroom, and for the television and theremin
demonstrations.
A CHICAGO EDISON DEALER.
William P. Krause, Edison radio dealer at 4611
Lincoln avenue, Chicago, was a visitor to the radio
show. He takes great pride in the merits of the new
Edison Light-o-matic tuning device.
ORGANIZING BANDS IN WILDERNESS.
One of the C. G. Conn dealers reports he is organ-
izing bands so far from civilization that recently when
a postman went through the town in his gray uniform
somebody shot him thinking he was a confederate
soldier.
A new apparatus developed by the engineering staff
of the Farrand Manufacturing Company, Long Island
City, N. Y., records the frequency response of a loud-
speaker over a range of 60 to 10,000 cycles.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
November 1, 1929
21
PRESTO-TIMES
will satisfy the most exacting tastes. In speaking of
their latest designs they employ such phrases as "old
English," "pilasters of diamond matched oriental wal-
nut plywood," "Carpathian elm arched doors."
"Gothic motif," "exterior of Jacobean beauty," and
"Charles II motif." The interest shown in the dis-
plays of the foremost radio cabinet manufacturers
attested to this fact.
(Continued from page 18)
Earl.
Centro-matic tuning is a feature of Earl receivers.
This device locates the exact point at which best re-
sults are had from any of ten pre-selected broadcast
Starr.
stations. The Earl model 33 consists of an 8-tube
Lovers of good furniture who appreciate a piece of
chassis of the neutrodyne type, with electric phono- distinctive craftsmanship were charmed by the SP4
graph pickup. A beautiful walnut veneer cabinet special, a striking new cabinet by Starr. It has a
with long, quarter-doors houses the chassis and an case of outstanding individuality, a cabinet of charac-
inductor dynamic type speaker.
ter whose gracefully balanced design and embellish-
^ C. A. Earl, Jr., assistant general sales manager of ments will harmonize with any surroundings. The
Earl Radio, guards the gold chassis built in honor of SP4 was designed primarily to house the new Atwater
the 100,000th Earl set exhibited at the show.
Kent and bring out to the fullest its remarkable
In attendance: F. H. Waite, Chicago District Sales tone.
Manager; A. V. Frank, his assistant, and J. J. De
Harvard.
Bora and P. C. Feit of the city sales department.
Real originality in cabinet design marked the offer-
Temple.
ings of The Harvard Co., Chicago. Replacing the
Much of the color of the show was furnished by old grill-covered type of speaker compartment, the
the brightly decorated oriental booth of the Temple "Harvard" has substituted a miniature stage, beauti-
Corporation, Chicago, at which two female attendants fully designed and draped in perfect reproduction of
m Arabian garb distributed literature and souvenirs. the best in modern stagecraft. Covering the opening,
C. C. Smeltzer, sales manager, and W. T. Ryan! a silk curtain with figures of operatic scenes in black
assistant sales manager, represented the Electric Ap- silhouette and lighted from the rear by a 110 volt
pliance Co., Chicago wholesale distributors
They lamp, gives a realistic, true-to-life stage appearance.
were assisted by C. M. Abel, Ted Lombard E H
In attendance: J. T. Tigerman, advertising manager,
Clark, Dick Price. Jack Jennings, Charles Schmidt, and Mr. Lobelsohn, A. T. Tigerman and J. Tilsen of
George Granberry, Fred Surrell, Ray Davis Bert the sales department.
Allumbaugh, Fred L. Jeske, E. Retzke, N. E. Tryon
Pooley
Fred Stuckwish. Ben Boyer, Joe Wissing Tony
Interest
at
the
Pooley
display centered on its style
Giawez, Conrad Schmitt. W. H. Paschen, Harold
Eberle, and Gil Magruder. Carl Smelzer and E. H. 9000, a bfg hit of the'1929 New York radio show.
This popular lowboy cabinet, especially designed for
Clark were factory representatives.
housing Atwater-Kent sets, features a speaker open-
The Jensen Imperial.
ing covered with tapestry depicting a charming scene,
The Imperial, a new dynamic reproducer, manufac- beautifully shaded in four colors; an extra large
tured by Peter L. Jensen of the Jensen Radio Manu- baffle board; and the new Pooley lustre Hilite finish.
facturing Company, 6601 South Laramie avenue, Chi- Pooley came to the Chicago show with the enviable
cago, was shown. Mr. Jensen claims his is the con- record of already having furnished 672,043 homes with
cert grand of reproducers.
Pooley cabinets. In attendance: George J. Lewis,
The Bond Electric Corporation had an exhibit of western sales representative, and George Tanty of
its radio storage batteries.
the Samson Electric Co., Chicago distributors.
The Coyne Electrical School, Chicago, was repre-
sented at the show by its little paper, "Current Elec-
A dealer demonstration of the new Edison Light-o-
trical Events," published for Coyne graduates by Matic Radio was held at the Congress Hotel in Presi-
H. C. Lewis.
dential Suite 1502, from October 21 to 27, inclusive.
The Ball AeriaL
"WGN blazed the trails in broadcasting" was a
The Yahr-Lange Co., Milwaukee, Wis., exhibited
its Ball Aerial, designed to give increased selectivity statement that was handed out in a folio from the
and minimize static. All the accessories made by headquarters of the Chicago Tribune at the show.
the company were shown.
Choose Atlantic City for 1930.
Hazeltine.
It
was
decided definitely by the Board of Directors
The first neutrodyne circuit was displayed at the
Hazeltine booth in a glass cage guarded constantly that the great annual convention and trade show of
by a policeman. Those companies licensed to oper- the radio manufacturers' industry will be held next
ate under the Hazeltine Corporation patents in the year at Atlantic City, during the week of June 2nd.
United States are as follows: Ail-American Mohawk
(Further Descriptions in Next Issue.)
Corporation, American Telephone & Telegraph Com-
pany, Amrad Corporation, F. A. D. Andrea, Inc.,
THE NEED FOR RADIO.
Balkeit Radio Company, Bremer-Tully Manufactur-
In
"The
Dealers'
Chart," published in the interest
ing Company, subsidiary of Brunswick-Balke-Collen-
der Company, Crosley Radio Corporation, Earl Radio of Majestic radio, the assertion is made that radio
Company, Edison Radio Company, Freed-Eisemann is no longer in the luxury class. A good radio is an
Radio Corporation, Gilfillan Brothers, A. H. Grebe & essential part of every home. Arthur Brisbane says,
Company, Gulbransen Company, Howard Radio Com- "A home without a radio is like a house without a
pany, Colin B. Kennedy Corporation, King-Hinners window. It is out of touch with the rest of the
Radio Corporation, Philadelphia Storage Battery world." A man is not fair to himself or his family
Company, Stromberg-Carlson Telephone Mfg. Com- to be without a radio today. Keeps the family in the
atmosphere. Provides mind improvement, edu-
pany, United Reproducers Corporation, U. S. Radio home
cation, relaxation, and entertainment. A house with-
& Television Company, Western Electric Company.
out a radio is as far behind the times as a man who
Feminine Influence in Radio.
could not read was behind his neighbors a few years
"Radio has become as essential in American home ago.
life as the automobile or the telephone—in fact, even
more essential," said President H. B. Richmond of
THE GENERAL MOTORS RADIO.
the Radio Manufacturers' Association the other day.
Formation
of the General Motors Radio Corpora-
"And the radio receiver must harmonize with the
other household furnishings.
Radio has largely tion was announced jointly by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr.,
passed, in the purchase of a home receiver, from the president of General Motors, and David Sarnoff,
masculine to the feminine influence. There is every executive vice president of the Radio Corporation of
prospect of an excellent year ahead not only for the America. The new company will have $10,000,000 of
preferred and $1,000,000 no par common shares. Gen-
radio public, but for every branch of the industry."
eral Motors will own 51 per cent of the common
stock, contributing $5,100,000 in cash, while the
BERGGREN AT EVEREADY EXHIBIT.
A Presto-Times representative called upon J. W. Radio-General Electric-Westinghouse group will hold
Berggren at the Eveready screen grid radio receiver 49 per cent, contributing $4,900,000.
exhibit—one of the most attractive in the whole show,
centrally located in the vast Coliseum. Here were
STANDARDS OF RADIO ADVERTISING.
seen Console Models 52, 53 and 54 and others of the
Constant efforts and much progress are being made
complete line engineered in an Eveready laboratory, to raise the standards of radio advertising, according
manufactured in an Eveready factory and sold under to Morris Metcalf of Springfield, Mass., chairman of
an Eveready guarantee.
the Fair Trades Practice Committee of the Radio
Manufacturers' Association, the national organization
of all prominent makers of radio products.
CABINETS
With approximately 75 per cent of radios pur-
chased, or at least chosen, by women, console cabi-
nets are more popular than ever. Women look at
a radio not only as an instrument for producing music
and entertainment but also as a piece of furniture.
Hence manufacturers are striving for cabinets that
MAJESTIC RADIO EXPANSION.
The Grigsby-Grunow Corporation will finance the
purchase of its new thirty-four-acre plant from the
General Motors Corporation through the issuance of
rights which were issued on Nov. 15 to stockholders
of record Nov. 1.
TREND TOWARD PIANOS
GAINS MOMENTUM
Free-Lance Salesman for Piano and Radio Sets
Tells Presto-Times of His Ob-
servations.
St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 12, 1929.
Editor Presto-Times.
Dear Sir:
As a free-lance musical instrument salesman I have
been interested in the trends of trade during the last
twelve or fourteen months, and getting around as
much as I do I feel posted about the high spots not
usually indicated in the letters of the manufacturers
or the advertising of the dealers. A survey of the
stores in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield has
convinced me that the swing to pianos, even to the
loss of some radio trade, is much more of a determin-
ing movement than it was a few months ago when I
first spotted it in motion.
The first thing it did was to dispose of the surplus-
age of pianos from the manufacturers shipping rooms
and its second activity was the ridding of dealers
rooms of most of the accumulated trade-ins. The
scarcity of such a beloved article as the piano I be-
lieve is one of the causes for so much inquiry for the
old and well-known makes as I have noticed in my
travels around in Central, Southwestern and Eastern
Missouri.
This great commonwealth, resourceful and rich as
a mining, agricultural and manufacturing state, is a
differentiated area from some other parts of the U.
S. A., but as a central inland empire the trend here
may be taken as indicative of the general tendency of
the piano business to get back on its feet. The only
new form to the problem is selling radio and pianos
concurrently and yet independently from the same
store, without detriment or harm to either line of
instruments. District or territory has nothing to do
with such selling.
Yours very truly,
TAYLOR FLINT.
GRIGSBY-GRUNOW'S AID TO THE BLIND.
Blind children in the class taught by Miss Grace
Baird at the John Ericsson school, 2930 West Harri-
son street, Chicago, have been listening to reports of
the world series baseball games by means of a radio
loaned by the Central Radio Company, whose offices
are located in the Central Plaza Hotel. The radio
was placed at the dispc*&l ' of Miss Baird through
arrangements made b y ^ n e Streeterville Lions Club
with the Grigsby-Grnunow Company. Charles 1'.
Hirth is president of the Lions Club.
RADIO FOR ALL SCHOOLS IN S. DAK.
An experiment has been undertaken in South Da-
kota, where plans have been adopted to install radio
sets in all of the 5,000 schools of the state within the
next two years. Installation of the equipment will be
followed by the introduction by the state department
of education of a regular semi-weekly broadcast of
varied subjects that will be a part of the regular edu-
cational program. The South Dakota plan is spon-
sored by E. C. Giffin, superintendent of schools.
GENERAL MOTORS RADIO CHARTER.
The General Motors Radio Corporation has filed a
charter with the Secretary of State at Dover, Del.,
showing authorized capitalization of $10,000,000 of
preferred stock and 1,000,000 shares of common stock,
according to an Associated Press report from New-
York.
THE NEW EVEREADY RADIO.
The New Eveready contains eight tubes, including
rectifier. Uses three of the new screen grid tubes.
Last audio stage is push-pull, using two 245-type
tubes. Power-detection and resistance-coupling pre-
serve original tonal purity and fidelity. Special built-
in electro-dynamic speaker of Eveready design.
RADIO JUST BEGINNING IN PANAMA.
The average Panaman is said to consider radio as
being too complicated, changeable and expensive. He
prefers the phonograph. Dealers handle receiving
sets only as a sideline, and there are few of these.
It is estimated that there are only about 300 radios
in Panama.
UTAH RADIO O. K.'S PLANS EXPANSION.
Stockholders of the Utah Radio Products Company
have approved an increase in capital stock from 250,-
000 shares to 1,000.000 shares, the acquisition of addi-
tional companies, and an increase in directors from
seven to fifteen.
"Government departments are at a loss regarding a
future requirement—that of commercial communica-
tion from aircraft," says K. A. Hathaway in the Chi-
cago Daily News.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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