Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-09
LIFE COURSE, ONCE SMOOTH
VIOLENTLY RENT BY RADIO
All Ages, Both Sexes, Rich and Poor, Join
Group of Scientific Word Singing Fanat-
les Who Enjoy More Zestful Existence.

y
would have been ancient Greek to the
man who now reads with avid3ty and
interest, straightway goes downtown
and purchases the necessary mate
Pages and pages Of discussions upon
such subjects as 'An Imp revised
Honeycomb Coil Winder," "A Reflex
Receiver for Beginners" why a Cir
sion for Amateurs" "a Motor Burger
Transmitter" and "How Meditation
Is Accomplished" with "radiatorial
comment by the editor. The maya
zines contain some fiction. stories of
But your radio fan does not buy them
for pleasure. He seldom reads the
stories. He gets his magazine to
study the advantages of tuned
plate; ultra-aIdion circuit when com.
radio frequency amplifler with
crystal detector. Advertisements
from the backs Of the magazines yell
at the reader meanwhile to drop what
which will turn him out into waltz
ing World--at the end of a few weeks
quiet study at home-as skilled
radiotrician," with salaries ranging
from $4,000 to $4,000 a year.
1t has been custom, seldom brok-
en-. for many years now that when an
after dinner speaker, discussing some
subject akin to automobiles. reaches
the proper stage in his address he
places one hand upon his chest and
declares with due emphasis: Gentle.
men, the automobile is here to stay"
And Radio Stays, Too.
There must be some significance,
therefore, in the closing remarks of IL
very we'll known economist, who con-
cluded his article the other day with
the comforting assertion: ut is now
certain that radio is here to stay.
For, if every speaker believes it
necessary to tell his audience that the
automobile is here to stay after the
automobile has been here twenty-five
years or more, how permanent and
fixed a thing must be radio. which has
sprung into undreamed Of popularity
within three years.
But those who talk, eat and drink
radio for pleasure day in and day out
even now are predicting crisis OF
some sort at hand which Will have
direct bearing on the ire ploou OF
radio, the broadcaSting stations. Inc
time is coming, they say, as evidenced
by d recent movement in New York TO
start 4 foundation for paying high
class artists, when every radio broad
casting station will have to cut out
the home-talent stuff and pay Tor
so say the self-appointed critics of
broadcasting stations. must leave the
microphone as they have left the
vaudeville stage-via. the .so-called
hook
Just Hitting Real Stride.
But gentlemen at the Department of
Commerce who supervise the radio
industry smile wisely at talk of
crisis of any sort in radio. Radio,
they say, is just hitting its stride. The
movement in New York to hire canary
voiced opera singers to entertain the
listening world with grand opera is
interesting, but that's all. 1t may be
sad, but it is true that the average
man who manipulates a cats whisker
Will stand for just so much grand
opera. but no more. 4 poll of radio
fans in Chicago showed the prefer
ence there was for jazz music. An
other poll in New York indicated
high class stuff was the favorite
And as the broad6asting stations now
are giving a fairly good average in
their programs between Jazz" and
'high-class STUFF they are probably
giving the public about what it wants.
Paid performers may gradually sup
plant the home talent which now does
such valiant service before the micro
phone. But this is something which
must develop gradually. When home
talent finally exhausts it's repertoire
or becomes worn out, paid performers
will take their place. One thing is
assured, according to observers at the
Department of Commerce. and that is
that the broadcasting stations will
keep on broadcasting. Wherever they
stop, sales of radio instruments stop.
Whenever a new broadcasting station
is installed. the sales go up. This
more than 100000. 900. It has been
estimated. An industry which in.
wolves that much money is no fad,
but is here to stay
Future Looms Large.
Two interesting developments are
looked for by those close to the in
dustry. One is the further and moro
systematized use of the radio as me-
chasing of certain types of perform
ances in wave lengths, so that there
will be less interference by jazz
orchestra, for instance, with the crop
reports.
The need for such classification is
not pressing now. but probably will
come with the broader use of the
radio. Even now the Department OF
Commerce receives complaints of in
reference of various sorts by farm
ers who bought a radio to get the
crop reports, and now, by heck, they
got right to 'em.
One complaint was from a farmer
who lives next door to blacksmith
shop. Every time the farmer gets
tuned in on the crop reports, he wrote,
the DANCED blacksmith started up his
electric motor, which generated so
much interference he couldn't hear
the announcer.
HELL" said an amateur who heard
of his complaint "All he needs is
wave trap. Give me his address, Til
show him how to make one"
And such Is the freemasonry among
radio fans.