The talking machine world (July-Dec 1928)

124 The Talking Machine World, New York, September, 1928 Chicago Prepares to Celebrate Radio Festival Day, Sept. 18 Banquet, Entertainment and Ball to Be Held at Stevens Hotel — Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers Co-operate to Make Day a Big Success — Slogan Contest In co-operation with "National Radio Week," which is to 'be staged under the auspices of the Radio Manufacturers' Association, the Federated Radio Trades Association and the National Association of Broadcasters, the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, and the Midwest Radio Trades Association, of Chicago, have created and developed a plan to stimulate local interest in radio during this annual event. On September 18 Radio Festival Day will be celebrated in Chicago. A banquet, entertainment and ball will be given in the grand ballroom of the Hotel Stevens, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Many of the leading Chicago broadcasting stations are hooking into the Stevens Hotel and will broadcast a de luxe Chicago program, comprising a group of leading radio and theatrical entertainers from various Chicago stations and loop theatres. This talent is being donated for the occasion in a spirit of co-operation with National Radio Week and Chicago's Radio Festival Day. Between the hours of 9:00 p. m. and 11.00 p. m., Chicago daylight saving time, will be broadcast from the Stevens Hotel the New York $100,000 radio program from the Radio Industries Banquet at the Astor Hotel, in that city. That this Radio Festival Day may be a huge success and will play its part in the stimulation of radio business in the Chicago territory the Midwest Radio Trades Association has solicited co-operation from jobbers, manufacturers and dealers alike in the form of cash and merchandise donations, banquet ticket sales and general boosting of the event. The moneys collected will be used to finance a program of advertising which will broadcast the event to the people in the Chicago territory. In addition to the banquet and broadcasting activities the public will be invited to partake in a radio slogan contest and those individuals sending in the best slogans will be rewarded by receiving a radio set or other valuable radio merchandise — prizes donated by various manufacturers and jobbers. In order that everyone will have an opportunity to send in a slogan and be eligible for one of the prizes each dealer has been sent one hundred or more slogan coupons to be distributed to his customers two weeks prior to the date of the announcement of the prizes Winners of the prizes will be announced during the evening of the entertainment and ball. Automatic Stop Latest Novelty For ten and twelve inch records Simplest Construction Exact Performance Never fails to operate High Polish— Nickel-plated Completely enclosed Dealers and Distributors are invited to write for samples and special offer FRANZ GREENZWEIG Manufacturers Agent 407 W. 148th Street New York, N. Y. Four-page broadsides printed in colors, explaining in detail the advantages of boosting National Radio Week and Chicago's Radio Festival Day and theopportunities to stimulate radio sales, were sent to all radio dealers in the Chicago area. It announced National Radio Week and Chicago's radio festival banquet, entertainment and ball on September 18 and also the prizes which are to be given through the slogan contest. Here also were given the names of the Chicago radio stations collaborating in the event. Accompanying this four-page letter each dealer received two large window displays in colors announcing "National Radio Week" and printed thereon in large letters "Have you a radio?" In addition each dealer received his one hundred slogan contest coupons, in line with the plan to procure the best possible slogan designed to promote increased interest in radio. At a meeting recently held, practically all of the managers of the Chicago radio stations were present and expressed their willingness to co-operate with the Association by announcing over the air several times during the day and evening the activities which are to take place during National Radio Week and Chicago's Radio Festival Day. Practically all of the manufacturers and jobbers in the Chicago territory are voluntarily giving radio sets, speakers, or other radio accessories to be used for the slogan contest. Furniture Orders Surprisingly Large George M. Petrie, President of St. Johns Table Co., Tells of Record Orders Received at Furniture Mart Chicago, III., September 5 — Prosperity is on the way, if the furniture industry may be accepted as a barometer of general trade conditions, according to George M. Petrie, president of the St. Johns Table Co., Cadillac, Mich., and chairman of the board of governors of the American Furniture Mart, Chicago. "Utmost confidence has developed among the merchandisers of the country since June 1," Mr. Petrie said. "At the American Furniture Mart market and furniture style show in June and July, buying generally rose far above the expectations of most of the 764 furniture manufacturers in the building — the largest commercial structure in the world. "Since it has been estimated that 70 per cent of the furniture merchandised throughout the country is sold at wholesale through the Mart the outlook is exceedingly pleasing. One manufacturer reports that he did the best business he had done in the past fifteen years between June 25 and July 14 — market dates. Another concern wh;ch had been working its employes four days out of the week was forced to work its men full time and in addition put on a night shift to keep up with the orders received." While all manufacturers of furniture did not share in the better business, those who did not mav b'ame only themselves, Mr. Petrie believes. Either the:r lines were not constructed to appeal to the intelligent buyer, or their sales organization was at fault, he contends. The smart merchandisers who give sales helps to dealers and who tell them how to sell are the ones who are doing a big volume of business at a satisfactory profit. "The market held at the American Furniture M'f'g. Radio & Phonograph HARDWARE PERFECT Portable Needle Cup Open Stays Open Closed Keeps Closed Star Mach. & Nov. Co. Bloomfield, N. J. Mart this Summer was probably the most successful in the history of the building," he continued. "Business had been dull for some months. It was a Presidential year. Orders had been slow. The natural expectation was that fewer buyers than before would attend the furniture market. "What happened? There were approximately 1,000 more buyers from retail stores in attendance at the Summer market in 1928 than in 1927. The huge attendance and the orders that came indicate to me that the retailers are confident of their immediate prospects for selling more furniture. "Another encouraging sign was seen in Chicago this Summer. For several' years lowpriced merchandise — bargains — ■ h^ve been stressed by retail dealers in their advertising and sales talks. This Summer furniture manufacturers sold more 'quality' merchandise than they had for years. "This means that the buyer has come to realize that the American public is a discriminating public, that they now know that the beautiful American homes which are really the most beautiful, complete and modern homes on earth, demand the best in furniture. It means that they are going to sell quality instead of appealing to bargaining instincts." Prospects for the remainder of a half-year were never brighter than they are at present, Mr. Petrie declared. Other industries than the furniture business are feeling cheerful about their prospects, he is informed. It is evident that an upward cycle has started and is now well on its way. Sterling Prepares for Active Fall W. B. Nevin, who was recently appointed sales manager of the Sterling Mfg. Co., Cleveland, O., manufacturer of Sterling radio accessories and the new line of Sterling Dynamic and Varitone magnetic speakers, is making plans for an active Fall business. Referring to Sterling accomplishments during the past few months, Mr. Nevin said: "The Sterling line of accessories for the home-set owner is now probably the most complete on the market. For twenty-three years our company has been engaged in the manufacture of small meters, and we are now making these meters for radio sets, automobile panels and for use in the home. Going back over our experience in radio it is interesting to note that we started a radio engineering division soon after the inception of broadcasting. Among our first products were the Sterling radio frequency transformer, the Air King audio transformer and the Sterling Soft Tread rheostats and potentiometers. With the introduction of radio power units, Sterling purchased the Television Co., of Cleveland, O., one of the original manufacturers of radio power units, and since that time our organization has been an active and increasingly important figure in manufacturing radio units. "We are now entering the new season with a complete line of speakers as well as other new products, including a line-voltage stabilizer which is meeting with considerable success. In addition our 25-40 cycle products will include A and B power units, AC and DC tube testers, A-B-C Tripowers to convert DC tube sets over to AC tubes and special 25-40 cycle dynamic speakers."