Evening star., 1927-09-29
SMALL COMPANIES
TENDING To MERGE
Joining Into Larger Units
Seen as Only Means of
Meeting Patent Costs.

A noteworthy movement toward
merging some of the smaller radio
manufacturing concerns is discerneC
In the recent incorporation of the
United States Electric Corporati tior
which combined five companies Of The
Middle West under a plan whereby
present factory units located in differ
ent cities will be allocated differen
types of production, going into the
making of the complete receiving set
Today there are at least 300 manu-
facturers of radio sets and equipment
for there were that many exhibiting
at the recent Radio Worlds Fair ir
New York and there will be at least
as many at the Chicago Radio Show
beginning October 10.
All Appear on Crest.
All appeared to be riding on the
crest of the wave of prosperity in the
radio business, which has yet to place
sets in about three -fourthS of the
homes OF the United States and has
scarcely penetrated the foreign mar
ket. But there was evident certain
restlessness, ascribed to growing
palms," and it was often remarked by
the radio men that. in view of the
present situation. consultations alone
would be the saving grace of the
many small producers Of sets and
parts.
Instead of absorptions by the lead
ing manufacturers. some of whom
have already booked orders for the
1929 radio year" which they may
not be able to fill unless they expand
their plans. the first movement in the
industry was a combine of small units
Not only the Middle Western group
but two Eastern manufacturers OF
speakers have merged-Spartan Elec
trio Corporation of Newark, n. j.. and
Radio Foundation, Inc, Of New York,
which are to produce hereafter under
the latter name.
Capital Is S1,5OO,OO0.
The United States Electrical Corpo.
ration merged the Apex Electrical
Manufacturing Co, Chicago; Sentinel
Manufacturing Co, Chicago; Slagle
Manufacturing & Electric Co., Marion,
Ind, and the Work Rite Manufac-
turing Co.. Cleveland. Allen G.. Mes,
sick of Marion, Ind, banker and
manufacturer. was named president,
and P. K. Romey of Fort Wayne, Sec
retary. Its capitalization is 81 100000
and the separate units which produced
an aggregate Of $3.000,000 worth of
radio materials last year are expected
to aggregate between S4.000,000 and
$5,000,000 this year, turning out sets,
speakers and powerizing devices-in
fact, everything but tubes.
Licensed under the patents of
r. c. A., Westinghouse, General
Electric, A. T. & T., Latour, Hazel
tine and Technidyne, it is the claim
of the officers of this company that
their method of meeting the cost of
patents and the expansion of radio
business beyond the capacity of small
separate units is the logical move to.
ward stabiliZation in the industry.
More factories, with trade names al
ready as well known in parts Of the
country as the five concerned, may
be merged, they said.
The Kilt Hour of Music, WRC's
principal attraction tonight of local
origin. will present Lillian Evanti,
coloratura soprano, who, incidentally,
is a native Of Washington. This will
be the singers last appearance before
sailing for Europe. where she mas a
number Of operate engagements.
A tabeloid version of Offenback' s
satirical comic opera, la Perichole," :"
will be the offering of the National
Light Opera Co., which WRC will
broadcast at o'clock in conjunction
with other stations of the National
Broadcasting Co.'S "red" network.
Another attraction which will come
from New York is an hours program
by the Clicquot Club Eskimos.
The final outdoor concert of the sea-
son by the Army Band will be broad.
cast from the East Plaza of the
Capitol tonight by WMAL. Incidental
to the concert an announcement will
be made relative to the military expo
sition and carnival at Washington
Barracks.
The only other musical attraction
scheduled by this station is the weekly
program Of the Town Club Coffee
Hawaiians, which will be broadcast
from 8 to 10 o'clock.
The Radio Corporation of America
has leased a suite Of Il rooms on the
twelfth and thirteenth floors Of the
new National Press Club Building,
which will be converted into luxuri-
Gus studios for station WRC. When
completed, these studios are expected
to be the most up-to-date in the
country.
Officials OF WRC are making an ef-
fort to get possession Of the 5,000-watt
transmitter formerly used by WEAF'
to replace its present transmitting ap-
paratus when the new studios are
q a q IL