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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
50
VICTOR CO.'S BIG BUSINESS.
Shipments for September 36% Per Cent.
Ahead of Any Simiilar Month in History.
Louis F. Geissler, general manager of the Victor
Talking Machine Co., made the following an-
nouncement to the trade this week:
"Shipments of the Victor Talking Machine Co.
for September, 1914, were 36V2 per cent, ahead of
any September in our history, and this in spite of
the detrimental influence of the war upon our
European exports."
The wonderful progress being achieved by the
Victor Co. and the aggressiveness of its organiza-
tion is reflected to some extent in the foregoing
summary of Victor September business which hard-
ly needs any comment to emphasize its true im-
port and significance.
TALKING MACHINE MEN MEET.
Executive Committee of the Eastern Talking
Machine Dealers' Association Discuss Plans
for Changing Name and Widening Scope of
That Organization—General Meeting to Be
Called Next Month.
The executive committee of the Eastern Talking
Machine Dealers' Association held a meeting on
Thursday evening of last week at the otfice of J.
G. Bremner, the president, at 187 Broadway, New
York, for the purpose of mapping out an active
fall campaign for the association. Another meet-
ing of the executive committee will be held on
October 26, at which time a date will be set for a
general meeting of the association.
As a result of numerous discussions it is prob-
able that the name of the association will be
changed and the scope of its activities broadened
within the very near future. It is the consensus
of opinion that the association should accept as
members men connected with every department of
the talking machine business in New York and
vicinity, whether jobbers, dealers or salesmen, with
various classes of membership to take care of the
different branches of the \ trade, if desired. It is
believed that, by taking in representatives of dif-
ferent branches of the trade, the scope of useful-
ness of the association may be materially extended
and a great number of important matters handled
exhaustively and effectively.
- The change in the organization of the association
was discussed at length at the meeting of the exec-
utive committee, but no definite action will be
taken in the matter until the general meeting of
that body about the middle of November. Of the
new names suggested for the association that of
"The Talking Machine Men of New York" is most
generally favored as indicating the scope of the
body.
The employment bureau of the association is now
in full working order, and dealers desiring sales-
men or other assistants, and salesmen and others
desiring positions are requested to communicate
with President Bremner, communications being
held confidential.
Dealers not now members of the association are
urged to file their applications before the call for
the general meeting in order to be able to attend
that session.
WOULD HONOR THOS. A. EDISON.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, October 19.—Representative
Robert H. Gittins, of New York, introduced a bill
in the House Friday in which he proposes that
Congress shall confer a medal of honor upon
Thomas A. Edison, the inventor. The bill carries
an appropriation of $5,000 for use in preparing the
medal, which would be of a design to be selected
by a committee consisting of the President, the
Vice-President and Speaker of the House.
NEW EDISON SHOP OPENED.
COLUMBIA NEWS BUDGET.
Handsome Building at 473 Fifth Avenue, New
York, Devoted to Display and Sale at Retail
of Edison Phonograph Products.
Recent Dealer Accounts—John A. B. Cromelin
Arrives in New York—Jake Graham Tells
of Conditions in Liverpool.
The Edison Shop, 473 Fifth avenue, New York,
the new home of the Edison phonograph prod-
ucts in this territory, was formally opened by The
Phonograph -Corporation of Manhattan, on Mon-
day of this week, and several thousand visitors
have already called at the warerooms in response
to invitations issued iby the management. The
building is one of the show-places of the industry,
as in furnishings and decorations it is a typical
example of modern perfection in artistic and re-
fined retail wareroom construction.
The Edison Shop occupies the entire building,
the ground floor being devoted to a general dis-
play of Edison disc phonographs, while in the rear
is a beautiful recital hall. Edison disc records are
featured exclusively on the second floor of the
building, there being seven booths for the demon-
stration of records, and a rest room for the con-
venience of ladies. On the third floor are three
demonstration rooms for phonographs and a gen-
eral machine salesroom. The -general sales and
executive offices are also on the third floor. On
the fourth floor is an overflow recital room and
other special rooms for demonstrating the possi-
bilities of the Edison phonograph products.
G. L. Babson, of the Phonograph Corporation of
Manhattan, is general manager of the Edison Shop,
and L. S. McCormick is manager of the ware-
room. An efficient sales force has been placed in
the warerooms, including several well-known out-
of-town salesmen and a demonstrator.
The exterior and interior of the Edison Shop in
decorations and design are most artistic. The ex-
terior is finished in gold and white, and the interior
is in black walnut throughout. On the third floor
there are demonstration rooms in ivory, mahogany
and black walnut. All that is needed to make the
new warerooms the acme of artistic perfection are
the beautiful rugs and floor coverings which are
now on their way from Austria.
John A. B. Cromelin, general manager of the
European interests of the Columbia Graphophone
Co., arrived in New York Saturday on the steamer
"Mauretania" to pay his annual visit to the exec-
utive offices of the company.
Among the new accounts closed by the Columbia
Co.'s local wholesale headquarters the past week
were J. Henry Williams-, Cohoes, N. Y., and H.
E. Hemenway, Granville, N. Y. Both of these
new dealer.; have placed substantial initial orders
to inaugurate their campaign.
Edmund F. Sause, assistant manager of the Co-
lumbia export department, is back at his desk after
a few weeks' vacation in the mountains.
W. G. Britton, formerly credit manager of the
wholesale headquarters of the Columbia Grapho-
phone Co., 89 Chambers street, New York, has
been promoted to the assistant managership of the
establishment, succeeding George A. Baker, who
has become manager of the company's Baltimore,
Md., branch. Kenneth M. Johns, formerly man*
ager of the Detroit branch of the Columbia Co.,
has joined the staff at 89 Chambers street, New
York, as credit manager. R. F. Bolton is manager
of this wholesale branch.
The executive offices of the Columbia Co. re-
ceived this week an interesting letter from "Jake"
Graham, the prominent Liverpool, England, dealer,
in which he states that business in his section of
the country is far from being at a standstill, and
as a matter of fact is only slightly below normal.
Mr. Graham remarks that the sale of machines in
particular is very gratifying, and records of
patriotic selections are in heavy demand.
READY TO HANDLE^MERICAN TRADE
TO HANDLE TALKING MACHINES.
J. Henry Ling Will Devote the Fourth Floor
of His Establishment to the Columbia Line
—Arranges for Seven Sound Proof Demon-
strating Rooms, Reception Room and Office.
(Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., October 20.—J. Henry Ling, head
of the oldest piano house in Detroit, has definitely
decided to establish a talking machine department.
It will be entirely detached from the piano busi-
The talking machine trade throughout the coun- ness. He will handle the Columbia line.
try is manifesting the keenest interest in the an-
The talking machine department will be on the
nouncement made last week by the Pathe Freres fourth floor of the Ling store. There will be seven
Phonograph Co., 29 West Thirty-eighth street, New demonstrating rooms, a reception room and an
Yoik, that it is now ready to handle the American office. An experienced talking machine man will be
trade. For the past two years this company has engaged as manager of the department. Pianos
been perfecting every detail of its manufacturing are to be withdrawn from the floor entirely, except
and sales organization, and in making its first an- for a small storeroom in the back end.
nouncement the company does so with the knowl-
The store will be finished up in the most modern
edge that it has carefully considered every phase style of talking machine salesrooms. A contract
of the industry and arranged plans whereby dealers already has been let for the work. It is expected
throughout the country may handle its products.
that the department will be opened by November
According to present plans the Pathe Freres 15. Even if there are delays in the work, the new
Phonograph Co. will market a complete line of
store will be in line for the holiday trade.
cabinet, hornless machines, ranging in price from
$15 to $175, together with an adequate library of
SCHEDULES IN^PIEGEL FAILURE.
records. The machines are known as Pathephones
Schedules in bankruptcy have been filed by Ben-
and the records as Pathe Discs. All the records are
double-faced and reproduced by means of a smooth, jamin Spiegel, dealer in talking machines at 28
genuine sapphire, which need never be changed. Delancey street, New York, which show liabilities
The Pathe Discs are now being furnished in two of $4,801 and assets of $5,095, consisting of stock,
sizes, 11% and 14 inches, and are cut on what is $1,300; accounts, $3,490, and fixtures, $300; cash in
known as the "hill and dale" principle. Later it is bank, $5.
planned to issue 20-inch double-faced records.
TO MAKE^ TALKING MACHINES.
It is announced that the method of distribution'
Eaco Films is the title of a new concern which
is in accord with that used by the other talking
machine manufacturers, namely, through jobbers has been incorporated with a capital stock of $5,000
and dealers. Territory will be assigned the jobbers under the laws of New York for the purpose of
appointed, who in turn will close contracts with the engaging in the manufacture of motion pictures,
dealers in their territories. A complete library of talking machines, etc. The incorporators are Ed-
records is now being offered to the trade.
win August, E. E. Anderson and M. C. Goldman.
Pathe Freres Phonograph Co. to Market Com-
plete Line of Talking Machines and Records
— A n Important Trade Announcement.