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THE:
HAPPENINGS OF THE WEEK.
Shortage in Records Causes Some Feeling
Among Dealers—New Freight
Rates—Co-
lumbia Publicity—Mr. Petit's Marriage—
Victor's Pressing Plant—National Phono-
graph Co.'s Expansion—Other
Items of
Trade Interest.
The shortage in records and machines is having
anything but a stimulating effect on the retail
trade. A feeling of bitterness is being created
among the dealers because of this limitation, and
this is being reflected in the current orders
direct and with jobbers. At least such reports
are made by responsible jobbing houses, who, in
turn, deprecate prevailing conditions in this re-
spect. For instance, one complainant expressed
himself as follows: "Some of the manufacturers
are unable to fill duplicate orders for January
records, though the February list is out and re-
orders are being accepted and deliveries made.
The result is that dealers are holding back their
business on the plea that if the companies can-
not furnish the goods they want they are not in a
position to take care of fresh orders, consequently
they are waiting further developments. This
makes the retail end of the business bad, though
it is evident the manufacturers are making every
effort to turn out all the goods possible, working
their plants double time. The jobbers are busy,
and export trade is particularly brisk; in fact,
booming."
April 1 instead of March is when the new
freight classification on talking machines and rec-
ords goes into effect. The schedule applies to the
whole country.
The United Hebrew Disc & Cylinder Co. have
removed from 261 to 414 Grand street, New York.
Perlman & Rosansky, piano dealers, are the pro-
prietors, with B. Dronsick managing the depart-
ment, P: Long, formerly the record maker, hav-
ing resigned.
Louis F. Geissler, general sales manager of the
Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden, N. J., was
in New York this week calling on the jobbing
trade.
Following the practice observed in the book
trade of advertising the "six best selling books of
the week," the Columbia Phonograph Co., Gen-
eral, announce the records having the largest sale
of the monthly list, both cylinder and ten-inch
disc. In the January bulletin the following came
within the lucky six: Cylinder, 32,871, 32,872, 32-
870, 32,869, 32,866 and 32,876; disc, 1,111, 3,317,
3,316, 518, 3,320 and 3,315.
Besides leasing another loft in the same build-
ing the Douglas Phonograph Co., New York, are
remodeling their cylinder record storage depart-
ment in the basement, so as to more than double
their reserve and current stock capacity.
Instead of taking a European trip in the spring,
A. P. Petit, sales manager of the Douglas Phono-
graph Co., whose wedding takes place to-day (Sat-
urday), will sail for Havana, Cuba, with his
bride, on the 24th inst., making 1 a tour of the
West Indies. He will return in about a month.
F. E. Ogden, late of the Branch A store, New
York, has been appointed manager of the new
store of the Columbia Phonograph Co. at New
Haven, Conn. Additional stores, though, have
been opened at South Bend, Ind.; Wilmington,
Del.; Toledo, O., and Erie, Pa.
The new pressing plant of the Victor Talking
Machine Co., Camden, N. J., is now in complete
running order, and is one of the finest and most
complete in the world. The company run three
shifts of men daily, so that it is kept humming
right along. The plant will be further enlarged
as soon as additional presses can be had. As but
two manufacturers in the country build this
MUSIC TRADE:
REVIEW
kind of machinery, with standing orders from
other record manufacturers, the market is short,
hence the delay in equipping as they desire.
Additions to the factory facilities and record
making department of the National Phonograph
Co. at Orange, N. J., are now finished and being
fitted up with the required machinery. The two
buildings, one of which is three stories, 125 feet
front, 350 feet long, and the other one story, cov-
ering about the same area, are of solid cement.
When in full operation they will double the com-
pany's capacity.
OUTLOOK FOR 1906 VERY GOOD.
E. A. Hawthorne, of the American Record Co.
Reports Great Activity—Expect to Manufac-
ture 5,000,000 Records This Year.
In a conversation recently with E. A. Haw-
thorne, sales manager of the American Record
Co., who make the Indian records, he stated that
the factory of the American Record Co. in
Springfield, Mass., was operated during the
months of December and January with a double
shift, working day and night to try and keep
pace with the orders.
The business that has been developed by this
TRADE NOTES FROM CINCINNATI.
company in the short space of thirteen months
has been exceptional. Mr. Hawthorne said if
(Special to The Heview.)
the present rush of orders continues they will
Cincinnati, O., Feb. 14, 1906.
A special little audition of the prowess of the manufacture at least 5,000,000 records during the
Victor records was given for Mr. Klein, W. H. year 1906.
"The superiority of the record and a proper
Street and your correspondent in the nice glass
case which forms the auditorium room for the understanding of trade conditions, has brought
big record horns at the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.'s. this company well up in the front in the talking
The exquisite voices of Eames, Melba and Sem- machine business," said Mr. Hawthorne. That
brich were heard in choicest selection, with won- they have become a factor of influence is evi-
derful perfection. Even Melba's very English denced by the establishment of the new prices
pronunciation of "Lo! y'hahr, the genile lark," for disc records.
The American Record Co. were the first to
was acutely perceptible.
Raymond Strief, of the talking machine de- discontinue the exchange proposition, and as
partment, who has been ill in the hospital for early as October 14, 1905, submitted the new
some weeks, has returned to his home completely terms to their dealers, which involved doing away
restored in health, and expects to report for with exchanging records and offering the 10-inch
duty early next week. The Messrs. Pilgrims, of records a t 60 cents. The response which this
proposition met with on all sides proved the
HamiltoTn, O., have assumed an agency for small
musical wares manufactured by the Wurlitzers, wisdom of the move, and the widespread demand
Farny Wurlitzer leaves immediately for Philadel- that other companies should establish the same
phia to place the agency for the mechanical harp conditions, led to the general reductions by the
other companies in December.
in that city.
The outlook for the year 1906 is unusually
The Columbia Phonograph Co. enjoys a fine
business in all branches. According to the man- bright, and it is the opinion of jobbers every-
where that the public to-day is "talking machine
agement, traveling men for the firm report good
business, and that the new 1906 models are con- mad," as one of the dealers expressed it. This
sidered by the trade the most satisfactory in- is a condition which bespeaks an era of good
struments of their description turned out by this times in the talking machine industry.
house.
HERE'S AN ENTERPRISING MAGISTRATE.
FIGHTING EXPOSITION AWARDS.
(Special to The Review.)
.Jeffersonville, Ind., Feb. 12, 1906.
(Special tn The Ileview. i
The usual monotony that attends the ordinary
St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 13, 1906.
The Victor Talking Machine Co. began injunc- ceremony set for eloping couples visiting Jeffer-
tion proceedings last Friday in the United States sonville has been modified by Magistrate John
Circuit Court to restrain the Louisiana Purchase Delanty, who has equipped himself with a talk-
ing machine, which peals forth the wedding
Exposition Co. from awarding the grand prize on
talking machines to the American Graphophone march while the vows are being said.
Co., or the Columbia Phonograph Co., pending a
To the strains of the talking machine Magis-
trate Delanty yesterday married James Romer
by E. W. Pattison. No action has as yet been and Gertrude Kennedy, of Louisville. He also
taken by the court.
married J. W. McGriffin and Miss Sarah Thomas,
of Louisville. William Tucker and Maud Horn-
WILL F. HULL WON PRIZE.
Lack, another Louisville couple, were married by
Will F. Hull, of Ft. Wayne, Ind., has won the Magistrate B. F. Ferguson.
prize of $50 offered by the Victor Talking Ma-
A PROFITABLE SIDE LINE.
chine Co. in their competition for the best writ-
ten article on "Certain Means of Helping the
No more profitable attraction can be found than
Trade." A large number of prominent dealers
the coinoperating pianos for use by talking ma-
throughout the country participated in the con-
chine dealers in their parlors or in the penny
test. Twenty prizes were awarded in all, Mr.
palaces which are now proving so popular
Hull securing the first.
throughout the country. They are money mak-
ers and crowd catchers, and cannot afford to be
THE STAR MODULATOR.
overlooked by any live manager. .
Commenting on the Star Modulator, made by
the Star Novelty Co., of Grand Rapids, Mich.,
the Talking Machine News of London says:
"States inventors have been remarkably active
of late in connection with the talking machine.
&nd
Two devices for disc machines are the Star Modu-
lator and the improved machine of the Talk-o-
phone Company. It is claimed for the former
in
that it makes the record more distinct, practically
does away with 'scrape,' and further that it leaves
the tone under the control of the operator. In
fact, it appears that it fulfills the function of a
mute without entailing loss of tone with decrease
Wholesale
of volume. The means by which this is secured
K
U
W
are simple. It takes the shape of a backing to
J a m e s I. L y o n s ,
•\Jfi8" ni ST<
the needle arm, which acts as a damper.
Anything'
Everything
TALKING
MACHINES