Music Trade Review

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Atwater Kent Jobbers Meet
In 6th Annual Convention
More Than 500 Attend Dedication Ceremonies of New Factory
Addition as Well as Conference
Meeting in Atlantic City
UESDAY, May 21, was a great day for industrial Philadelphia, for it marked the formal
dedication of the new sixteen-and-one-half-acre addition to the plant of the Atwater Kent
Mfg. Co., thus giving to that concern over thirty-two acres of factory space devoted
entirely to the production of Atwater Kent radio receivers. The importance of the occasion
was emphasized by the presence at the dedication of Mayor Harry A. M&ckey of Philadel-
phia; Senator C. C. Dill of Spokane, Wash., recognized as the radio authority in the Senate;
E. T. Stotcsbury, the prominent financier of
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Philadelphia, and other notables, including
The dedication ceremonies opened when
Atwater Kent distributors from all sections of William Steel, the builder of the new factory,
the country, prominent cabinet manufacturers
presented the key to Mr. Kent, who in a brief
and newspaper and advertising men to the address declared that in his belief the oppor-
number of 500.
tunity in radio lay in the future and that the
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grid radio receivers was placed in a copper box
together with various current newspapers and
other documents and duly sealed witli solder
by Mr. Kent himself. The box was then trans-
ported to the cornerstone of the building and
the date stone put into place.
Following the dedication the guests were
transported by special train to Atlantic City
where the majority of them were the guests
of Mr. Kent at the Ambassador Hotel until the
following Sunday at noon, with every detail
arranged for their comfort and pleasure. There
were business sessions for the distributors on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, both morn-
ing and afternoon, one of the sessions being set
aside for the discussion of the cabinet situation.
To this end Mr. Kent has invited over two
score manufacturers of cabinets designed to
house the new Atwater Kent radii) to be his
guests and to display and discuss their prod-
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Atwater Kent Distributors in Convention at Atlantic City. Above Mr. Atwater Kent (1) and his son (2) are shown.
With the arrival of the guests in the morn- best proof of his confidence in that future was ucts. Special arrangements were made for the
found by the immense plant that he had just
display of the new cabinets on the sun porch
ing, there was a general tour of inspection of
the new plant, a large part of which is already built to take care of present and prospective of the hotel and a session of the convention
demands for Atwater Kent radios.
was given over to their merchandising.
in active operation. This was followed by a
luncheon, after which the dedication proper
Senator Dill emphasized the rapid strides
Each noon and each night during the week
took place, with L. H. Sullivan, of the Atwater made by radio both in broadcasting and recep- those attending the convention lunched and
Kent staff, master of ceremonies.
Mayor
tion in the United States. This country was dined together, following which there were
Mackey made his address at the luncheon and
several years ahead of Europe, he declared, due various programs of entertainment. On Tues-
took occasion to pay high tribute to Mr. Kent, largely to the fact that the radio industry had day evening, for instance, a number of singers
not only as a leading factor in the industrial
been left free to carry on its own work of
and dancers and instrumentalists entertained
life of Philadelphia, but as a free-handed patron development without government interference. during and after dinner. On Wednesday night,
of the arts and sciences and one who has This is the only country, he said, where the there were staged a number of boxing and
proven a benefactor to his home city in in-
government has not seen fit to control radio wrestling bouts with all the atmosphere of a
numerable ways. He said that Philadelphia
either directly or indirectly.
big Madison Square Garden affair, even includ-
was proud of Mr. Kent and of what he has
At the close of the ceremonies in the factory ing hot dogs and cold drink men in character-
accomplished.
{Concludcd on page 12)
building, one of the new Atwater Kent screen-
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