The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-28
RADIO INDUSTRY SPRINGS UP WITH
 AMAZING GROWTH
Demand Is as Tremendous as It Is lmportant-Boys Are Carrying on Large
 Business
Rr Associated Press

Chicago, May 27.---A new infant in- dustry. the manufacture of radio equipment, has sprung up with an amazing growth within year and much of it within a few recent weeks From a few manufacturing shops year ago to thousands now, an increase of 6o,0o0 per cent in de- mand in two years. a business in which both boys and great manufac-s turers are taking profits: all this is the romance of the new industry.
 The demand which called 1t Into existence Is at present as tremendous as it has been sudden. The new, small concerns manufacturing radio supplies are estimated by the Radio Corporation of America as numbering thousands. Figures of the same cor poration show that whereas two years ago 1000 tubes a year were in demand, this year probably 100000 tubes a month will be called for.
 Reports gathered from a number of states by the Associated Press show that many boys and other anna teurs are constructing and selling outfits.
 s Boys Made Outfits
 Three years ago three boys in Chicago, Is and 17 years old. began to make radio outfits. They are now incorporated and carrying on large business. Their success indicates the a1luring possibilities In this new in- dustry of adventure. Its alleged haz- ards were pointed out in the predie- ton of an official of one of the older and larger electrical supply houses that If all the concerns now engaged In making radio equipment should remain in the enterprise. be- fore long parts would become a drug on the market and that by October the makers of complete sets would actively be soliciting business.
 That such a situation would be reversal of present conditions Is in- dicated in the report of another large nupply house that it Is two months behind in filling it's orders and word from all parts of the country of great shortage in apparatus. The huge demand Is ascribed to the prac- tice of free broadcasting.
 There are now 6o0,000 receiving sets in the United States, according to the estimates of several companies. or these 100000 were said to bein tho middle west and 15,000 to 25,000, according to varying estimates, in Chicago.
 Hard to Estimate
 & Dealers declared that the sudden ness of growth of this infant indus try and the fact that the number of plants varies from day to day made 1t Impossible accurately to guage its proportions. One dealer said that it was impossible to estimate with any certainty the extent of the demand. inasmuch as buyers in their eager ness to get equipment as soon as pos sible are placing orders with dozens of dealers at once, and purchasing from the first dealer who Is ready to deliver. For that reason, it was stated, what might then seem to be a demand involvisg $3o,000000 might resolve itself into . dreamland in-l volving $2,ooo.o0o.
 There are more bootleggers in the radio business than in the whisky business one dealer asserted. People get hold of parts and sell them for exorbitant prices I have known a single tube which is regu- larly sold for s5 to bring $15. Some of these spurious dealers come In and try to bribe our clerks to get them parts"
 An electrical supply house at Toledo, O., has begun to Install what 1t has announced will be one of the most complete manufacturing plants in the world. It proposes to employ 100 workers at the outset and more as the department is enlarged. and plans for a daily capacity of 500 complete radio receiving and trans hitting sets. In Toledo and Lucas county. 1t was estimated. several thousand sets are receiving daily weather. market and other reports broadcast from various cities throughout the country. Six other concerns are manufacturing radio equipment in Cincinnati O.
 Eighteen Concerns
 There are IS regularly established concerns in Chicago manufacturing radio equipment. aside from many boys who assemble parts and dis tribute the sets thus constructed ameng their friends.
 There are 204 companies in Mis- souri. manufacturing radio supplies. Of these II are in St. Louis, Tn St I1 uis a 11-year-old boy, 25 business men. several automobile mechanics one plumber, one butcher, and several high school pupils are making and selling radio supplies Curing their spare time.
 About 25 boys are constructing and selling radio equipment in Mfl- waukee. Wis. They sometimes re- ceive $50 or higher for their outfits 1t was said The large departmen, stores of Milwaukee are handling =