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46
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
"The trade in the United States is not what
I consider commercially profitable, in view of
The President of the International Talking Ma- the prices prevailing, unless the turnover is tre-
chine Co. Says There Are No Trade Re- mendous. That is to say, it has got down to
strictions in Europe—Disc Prices Abroad— the level of a staple line, in which the margin
The World's
Business
Divided—Talent has been cut to the bone—down to hard pan.
Better Paid in Europe Than Here—New Were it not for the Berliner patent my company
Copyright Bill Will Help Europeans— would manufacture its goods here and get the
same prices we command in any part of the
Royalty in Europe Not Felt.
globe, strictly on quality and repertoire.
"You know," continued Mr. Prescott, with
Not only is F. M. Prescott, president and gen-
eral manager of the International Talking Ma- earnestness, "the world, in so far as the sale of
chine Co., Berlin, Germany, one of the most con- their product is concerned, has been divided be-
spicuous men of the talking machine business tween the Gramophone & Typewriter, Ltd., of
in any quarter of the globe, but he is also an in- London, England, and the Victor Talking Ma-
teresting and impressive conversationalist on chine Co., Camden, N. J., the latter controlling
trade topics. Shortly after his arrival in New South, Central and North America, anu that
York from abroad, on the "Friedrich der Grosse," part of Asia not included in the British colonies.
of the North German Llyod line, direct from The Edison, Columbia and Zonophone are also
Bremen, his first trip home in five years, "to well-known in these countries. We, however,
eat his Thanksgiving turkey and see his operate everywhere, and with a catalogue of
friends," as he expressed it, he chatted informal- 14,000 titles do a splendid business at our prices.
ly with The Talking Machine World as follows: I have always believed that there will always
"We are working under no restrictions in te a sale for records at a good price, hence
Europe; that is to say, there are no fundamental our aim of high quality. Now, we have been in
patents, only constructive patents. All you business only three years, and a catalogue of
this size is no small accumulation, when i t is
considered that the European Gramophone cata-
logue represents 23,000 selections—a fair com-
parison. You see, the catalogue must be fully
developed for each country in which you do
business in order to command sales.
"The 'talent' here is not nearly so well paid as
with us. For instance, the prices of the record-
ing laboratories in America range from $2, the
lowest, to the average of $5, sometimes reaching
$10. On the other hand, our figures are nearer
$20 to $25, and not infrequently running up to
$200 per song, and that not for the so-called
celebrity artists, either. In Egypt I paid an
Arab 40,000 francs ($8,000) to sing 40 songs—
$200 apiece. We sell quantities of records in
Egypt, Arabia, Turkey and Asiatic territory. The
religious feeling is extremely strong in these
countries, and the Moslems are zealous wor-
shippers, so that records of extracts from the
Koran, and of their hymns and holy pieces sell
freely. Sheet music is unknown in these coun-
tries, hence the talking machine Is therefore re-
garded with much favor.
F. M. PKESCOTT.
"The matter of copyright is bothering us lit-
need is a knowledge of the process of manufac- tle, if any. Our company has already arranged
turing, with sufficient capital, and then you can witn the leading publishers in Europe, some of
go ahead entirely free to produce and dispose of which are exclusive arrangements, and the rest
your output. The only important cylinder rec- only the right to use the same as any other
ords on the Continent are those of Edison, the parties. We are also fully protected on all the
Columbia and Pathe Freres in France, the local Italian classical music owned by the house of
makers having long since ceased to exist. This, G. Recordi, of Milan, Italy. This house is
however, is not true of Great Britain, where the strongly identified with the Societe Italiana de
cylinder business is fully equal, if not more im- Fonotipia, Milan, which is a sister company of
portant than the disc business, the Russell our Odeon Co., in Berlin, and which Fonotipia
Hunting Co., Ltd., the Edison Bell, Ltd., being Company control the Recordi rights _ for the
the principal local manufacturers. Fully seven- world.
eighths of the product are discs. There are
"In the event of the passage of the new copy-
about 20 manufacturers of disc records in Ger- right bill in the United States we would, to a
many alone, but the large majority are small certain extent, have rights on the European class-
concerns, and not heavily capitalized, and the ical music in the United States, which the local
quality of work is inferior. We get much bet- companies here have not yet acquired. Besides
ter prices than are obtained in the United the copyright feature, we have also tied up with
States. For example, four sizes are made, 7 contracts for a long term of years, or either for
inch, that sells for 60 cents; 10 inch, for $1.20; their natural life, many of the best artists of
12 inch, for $1.80; 14 inch, for $2.40, as turned Europe who sing in Covent Garden, London;
out by the Gramophone & Typewriter, Ltd., and Grand Opera, Paris; The Scala, in Milan, and
our company, on which there is a uniform Royal Operas in Berlin, Vienna and other
trade discount of 33 1-3 per cent, for domestic European capitals.
sales, and 40 per cent, for export.
"The copyright royalty is already in effect in
PRESCOTT'S INTERESTING VIEWS.
Europe, being in France and Italy. The manu-
facturing companies do not feel this, as it is
small, usually 5 per cent, on the list price, which
amounts to about 3 cents per record, which has
been added to the retail price, so that the public
really pay for it. Suits are now before the
courts in Belgium, Hungary, Austria, Germany
and Spain, and we expect favorable decisions in
all of these countries within two or three years,
if not before. A talking machine record is cer-
tainly a form of music, no matter how it may
be argued to the contrary. Berliner acknowl-
edged this in the selection of the Greek word
'gramophone,' written 'sound.' The reproduc-
tions of sound appertain to the ear, and this in
turn effects the feelings or soul, if you please.
I believe Europe is further advanced in many
respects in the talking machine line. This is
because there is not so much patent restriction,
and the competition is much freer to develop
and make improvements than in this country."
Mr. Prescott left for Europe on December 1
by the steamship "Patricia," of the Hamburg-
American line.—The Talking Machine World.
TERRIBLE MYSTERY SOLVED.
A Happening at the Martha Washington Hotel
—Foreigner's Voice Heard Where Women
Only Hold Fort.
A scandal was averted in the Martha Wash-
ington Hotel a week or so ago, according to the
New York correspondent of the Chicago Tribune,
by the efficient sleuthing of the house detective.
The hour was late and all the elderly spinsters'
slumbers were untroubled, when a strange sound
was heard, a man's voice above the parlor floor
—at 12 o'clock. Curl papers and kimonos were
the costume most in vogue among the whisper-
ing group that gathered in the hallway. They
listened, and once again a man's voice disturbed
the conventional halls of the hotel.
"Je vais faire des emplettes ce matin," ob
served the intruder. "Je vais, tu vas, il va," he
added in a clear tone
It couldn't be the watchman or the clerk. It
clearly was a stranger, a foreigner. A bunch of
curl papers and kimonos detached themselves
from the shuddering group and marched down
to the office.
"Where's the head bell girl," demanded their
owner.
"She has gone home, madam," said the clerk.
"What can I do for you?"
"There is a man—a creature—a foreigner, up-
stairs."
Kimonos and curl papers withdrew discreetly
into the shadows at the approach of the house
detective. The latter approached the door of the
bedroom'and listened.
"Je connais le fils du jardinier," asserted the
incriminating masculine voice. "I know the sou
of the gardener," it added, obligingly.
The house detective thundered at the door.
"What is it?" asked a startled feminine voice.
"There is a man in your room."
The door flew open and revealed the indignant
face of the occupant.
"Man, indeed. I'd have you know that I'm
studying French out of a phonograph, and if
those old
"
There was a soft murmur of curl papers re-
ceding, and the hall was clear.
Our Trade Mark looks like the dollar sign. It means dollars in your pocket
if you handle our line of
Talking Machine Supplies
We manufacture all style HORNS, CRANES, STANDS, CARRYING CASES and general supplies
HAWTHORNE & SHEBLE MFG. CO., - Philadelphia, Pa., u. S. A.