Music Trade Review

Issue: 1916 Vol. 62 N. 15

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
51
MAKING MUSICAL EVENTS PAY
J. N. BLACKMAN TO WASHINGTON
V. W. MOODY DINED BY ASSOCIATES
Tying Up the Talking Machine Store with the
Important Musical Events in Its District Best
Way to Attract Attention—An Example
As Representative of Jobbers Association He
Visits Capital in Interests of Stevens Bill
Former Sales Manager of New York Talking
Machine Co. Goes to Buffalo to Become
Wholesale Manager for Neal, Clark & Neal
One of the very best ways to secure the talk-
ing and visiting notice of the musical loving and
J. Newcomb Blackman, president of the Black-
mail Talking Machine Co., New York, visited
Washington, D. C, last week to further the in-
terests of the Stevens bill. Mr. Blackman is a
member of the committee of the National Asso-
ciation of Talking Machine Jobbers which is
working indefatigably to aid in the passage of
this measure. He conferred with Mr, Whittier.
secretary of the American Fair Trade League,
and also discussed the bill with Joseph Tumulty,
secretary to President Wilson, with reference to
getting the President's support.
Mr. Blackman states that he has'received word
from an authoritative source that some action on
the bill will be taken in the near future, and
that the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Com-
mittee which has the bill in hand will probably
hold hearings on the measure in a short time.
V. W. Moody was the guest of honor at a
dinner tendered him last Friday evening by the
DEATH OF JOEL SPEAR
Secretary of Spear & Co., Pittsburgh, and Man-
ager of Talking Machine Department of That
House Succumbs to Pneumonia
April 3.—Joel Spear, secretary
of Spear & Co., the big furniture house in this
city and a most successful young business man
generally, died at his home here last week of
pneumonia. Mr, Spear was born in Plymouth,
Ohio, and after graduating from school entered
the furniture business in Cincinnati. He came
to Pittsburgh in 1900 and three years later, with
his brothers, incorporated Spear & Co. Mr.
Spear was keenly interested in music and was
in direct charge of the Victrola department of
Spear & Co.
PITTSBURGH, PA.,
Maggie Teyte, Columbia Artist
buying public, says the Columbia Record, is to
keep in touch with the musical events of your
locality and tie up your store to every appearing
artist.
From El Paso, Tex., the Tri-State Talking
Machine Co., Columbia dealers, has sent photo-
graphs of Maggie Teyte and Jose Mardones, so-
TALKING MACH[NE EXPORTS
The Figures for January Presented—Exports
Show Increase for the Month
Jose Mardones, Columbia Basso
prano and basso stars of the Boston Grand
Opera Co., now touring the country. These
artists were appearing in El Paso and were per-
suaded to bring the inspiration of their pres-
ence to the local Grafonola department. Dis-
plays of these photographs in the company's
windows and local advertising of the Columbia
records of these artists resulted in the inhabi-
tants of El Paso learning again that the Tri-
State Talking Machine Co. is the musical center
of their burg.
GETS EDISON LINE IN PEEKSKILL
The B. Greenfest Co., Peekskill, N. Y., has
closed arrangements to handle the complete Edi-
son Diamond Disc line of phonographs and
records, and'will give these products aggressive
exploitation. The store is being refurnished and
redecorated to take care of this new stock and
to afford additional conveniences for the com-
pany's patrons.
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 3.—In the summary
of the exports and imports of the commerce of
the United .States for the month of January,
1916 (the latest period for which it has been
compiled), which has just been issued by the
Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Com-
merce and Labor, the following figures relating
to talking machines and supplies are set forth:
Talking machines to the number of 4,547, val-
ued at $122,007, were exported for January, 1916,
as compared with 813 talking machines, valued
at $27,372, sent abroad in the same month of
1915. The total exports of records and supplies
for January were valued at $74,672, as compared
with $34,760 in January, 1915. For the seven
months 20,562 talking machines were exported,
valued at $642,638, and records and supplies val-
ued at $501,108 were sent abroad for that period.
THE PATHE LINE IN PITTSBURGH
M. H. Pickering & Co. to Become Distributers
for Pathe Phonographs in That City
The Pathe Freres Phonograph Co., New York,
has closed arrangements whereby M. H. Pick-
ering & Co., Tenth and Penn streets, Pitts-
burgh, Pa., will act as distributers for the Pathe
products in that territory. The Pathe Freres
Co. has received numerous applications for the
distributing franchise in this important section,
the growing popularity of the Pathephones and
Pathe discs having been recognized by success-
ful houses in several fields. M. H. Pickering &
Co. are already making plans to give the line
an aggressive wholesale exploitation in their
territory.
V. W. Moody
members of the sales department of the New
York Talking Machine Co., New York, Victor
distributer, his former associates. Mr. Moody
left for Buffalo Saturday to become manager
of the wholesale division of Neal, Clark & Neal,
Buffalo, N. Y., Victor distributer, and Friday's
dinner was in the nature of a farewell party.
During his eight years' association with the
New York Talking Machine Co., Mr. Moody
had won the personal friendship of all his co-
workers in the sales division, and as a token of
their esteem they presented him on Friday with
a beautiful silver loving cup.
The dinner was held at Reisenweber's, and was
marked by a spirit of sincerity which was indica-
tive of the fact that Mr. Moody's departure for
Buffalo would be a keen individual loss to every
man present. Impromptu talks were made by
each diner, at the close of which Mr. Moody
paid a tribute to the loyalty of the New York
Talking Machine Co.'s staff, which had made
possible the company's phenomenal success as a
Victor distributer.
Among those present at the dinner were W.
D. Marbourg, R. G. Craig, Blaine Damon, W. L.
Garber, Ernest Fontan, George Kelley, S. B.
Schoonmaker, J. J. Davin, W. G. Porter, John
Connolly and Jerome Connolly. R. W. Morey,
general manager of the New York Talking Ma-
chine Co., was present as a specially invited
guest of the sales force.
GATELY=HAIRE CC^JIAS NEW STORE
ALBANY, N. Y., April 3.—The Gately-Haire Co.,
Victor distributers, who were recently burned
out, opened a new store at 121 Pearl street last
week. The new establishment has six spacious
plate glass demonstration rooms on the main
floor, a large part of which is devoted to a re-
ception room. Daily concerts will be given to
feature the latest Victor records. Claude B.
Haire has succeeded to the position of his father,
deceased, and will take up his duties at once.
VICTROLA FORJJ^S. S. "MAINE"
The Koch & Droge Piano Co., Inc., Brooklyn,
N. Y., has just disposed of a handsome Victrola
to the officers of the U. S. S. "Maine." The sale
was made by Geo. Gumpert, who states that the
officers are highly pleased with their purchase.
The Huntley-Hill-Stockton Co., of Winston-
Salem, N. C, has erected a number of sound-
proof booths on the first floor of the store to
better demonstrate their talking machine line.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
52
COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT FILMED
REFERENDUM ON PRICE MAINTENANCE
OFFER PRIZES FOR STORIES
Motion Picture Depicting Newly-Weds in
Search of a Grafonola Taken in Uptown Store
—Novel Uses for the Dictaphone
The Federal Chamber of Commerce Will Con-
duct Referendum Among Business Men on
the Question of Maintaining Resale Prices
The Columbia department in the store of the
Goldburg Carpet & Furniture Co., 163d street
and Third avenue, New York, was "filmed" las;
Friday as a part of a novel advertising scheme
which this concern will introduce in a short
while. A. moving picture was taken of various
departments in the store incidental to the "ac-
tion" of a plot which called for the furnishing
of a home by a young married couple. Con-
sidering that no home is. complete without a
Grafonola the store manager^ arranged for Law-
rence Fetik, manager of the Columbia depart-
ment, to sell the "married couple" a Grafonola,
200. with a good-sized library of records. Among
those who witnessed the "filming" were R. F.
Bolton, district manager, and Lester Leverich,
of the Columbia advertising division.
The Dictaphone is being put to unusual use by
several recent purchasers, judging from the re-
ports of the members of the Dictaphone sales
staff. Wah Chang, head of a wealthy smelting
company bearing his name, recently purchased
six Dictaphones for the use of himself and his
executives in China. For some time past he had
been unable to secure a competent translator
for his letters, but eliminated this difficulty by
purchasing the Dictaphones which enable him to
send the original Dictaphone cylinders to China,
where they are received by his directors, who
are also equipped with Dictaphones. A New
York lawyer traveling abroad is avoiding the
blue-pencil of the military censors by dictating
to the Dictaphone and sending the cylinders to
his business associates in New York.
James P. Bradt, general sales manager of the
Columbia Co., visited Philadelphia last week,
where he found District Manager Eckhardt clos-
ing a record-breaking business.
H. A. Yerkes, the recently appointed district
manager for the Central West left New York
Saturday to assume his new duties. Mr. Yerkes
will visit several Western points before arriving
at his headquarters in Chicago.
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 3.—The Chamber of
Commerce of the United States will conduct a
referendum among the business men of this
country as to whether or not the Federal Trade
Commission shall be authorized to prevent price
crtting. A special committee of ten members,
1 eaded by Paul T. Cherrington, recently made
an exhaustive report on the question of the main-
tenance of resale prices, full mention of which
was made in a former issue of The Review. The
majority recommendation favored legislation
permitting such price maintenance, and was
signed by seven of the ten members. The minor-
ity reported that they were unable to approve of
t! e principle of price maintenance as being in
tie public interest.
This referendum, which will be conducted
among chambers of commerce, boards of trade
and other civic organizations affiliated with the
Federal Chamber, will be the thirteenth refer-
endum which has been taken among the busi-
ness men of this country for the purpose of as-
certaining for the benefit of Congress and the
President the business opinion prevailing
throughout the United States on questions of
immediate importance. This will give the busi-
ness men of this country, all of whom will be
affected more or less by the result, an opportu-
nity to go on record as to whether or not Ameri-
can business needs legislation permitting pro-
ducers of "identified merchandise" to fix the
price at which such goods shall be resold.
Forty-five days will be allowed in which to
take the vote, and the result of the referendum
will be determined in the third week of May.
In the latest issue of Edison "Diamond
Points, the Diamond Disc house organ, cash'
prizes are offered for the two best stories regard-
ing the Diamond Disc submitted to the editor
before April 20 by any Edison jobber, dealer,
salesman or demonstrator. The stories must be
true and recite actual experiences; humorous, ro-
mantic or simply interesting, in connection with
the exploitation of the Diamond Disc machine or
records. The story must not be less than fifty
words or more than five hundred. The prize
winners will be announced in the May issue of
"Diamond Points."
BIG COMPANIES REPRESENTED
Recent Issue of the Saturday Evening Post
Contains Excellent Advertisements of Three
Large Talking Machine Manufacturers
The March 25th issue of the Saturday Eve-
ning Post contained three advertisements over
the signatures of leading talking-machine com-
panies, all of which were devoted to records.
The Victor Talking Machine Co. used a
double-page spread, the Columbia Graphophone
Co. a full page, and the Pathe Freres Phono-
graph a half-page, and this publicity as a whole
formed an attractive and artistic series of high-
class national advertisements.
The Victor advertisement featured a group
picture of world-famous artists making records
for the Victory library, while surrounding this
center picture were small portraits of scenes
from some of the most popular operas which are
included in the Victor operatic repertoire. The
Columbia page was headed "Tone-timbre-
tempo," and the text consisted of an interesting
discussion of the important characteristics of
Columbia records and the Columbia recording
process. The Pathe advertisement featured an
attractive illustration showing a child playing
with a Pathe disc on a Pathephone, the text
pointing out that a sapphire ball cannot injure
the surface of a Pathe disc no matter how it is
handled.
HANDLE THE PATHE AS LEADER
Walter Drey & Co., 1553 Third avenue, New
York, a new local concern, held the formal open-
ing of their store on April 1. The Pathe line is
handled as a leader and Mr. Drey is preparing
to use considerable newspaper space to properly
present Pathephones and Pathe discs.
ATTRACTIVE NEWSPAPER ADS
For the first time in many years, with the ex-
ception of its full-page advertising during De-
cember, the Victor Talking Machine Co. has
used newspaper advertising other than its well-
known "stepping-stone" copy. This advertising
appeared in the local newspapers this week and
attracted considerable attention. The text was
contained in an attractive border design, the il-
lustration consisting of a Victrola XVIII sur-
rounded by some of the world-famous artists
recording for the Victor Co., including White-
hill, Ober, Gadski, Sembrich, Culp and Herbert.
The advertisement was three columns wide and
fourteen inches high.
The Field-Lippman Piano Stores have a Victor
window that savors very much of "war in Mexico,"
and carried a strong intimation that the Victor
machine is the official musical instrument of the
American force. There is an abundance of sand,
cactus and other Mexican scenery and some soldier
trappings. Chas. Crouse is the artist.
THE MOST MOMENTOUS FACTOR
The Value of the Talking Machine In Furnish-
ing Entertainment Commented Upon
"Let us pause in our admiration for the auto-
mobile, in our delight in the moving pictures and
in our awe of engines of war to consider the
fourth most momentous factor that has been in-
troduced into modern life—the recording and re-
producing music machines," says the Detroit
Journal in a recent editorial.
"What an enormous factor they have become
in life. More than one per minute is sold to
American homes. The auto, the talking machine
and the 'movies' have become necessities. And
of the three the talking machine is perhaps giv-
ing a higher and better form of intense enjoy-
ment to millions.
"Some musical exclusives affect to despise
what they think is the talking machine, having
heard one once ragging the scale at a country
fair. But gradually each of the most keenly sen-
sitive critics of music succumbs to the magic
spell of the high-class records, and they realize
that they are in the present, not of a slap-bang,
wang-dang infernal nuisance, but of an instru-
ment as revolutionary in cultural life as anything
since the invention of printing."
WORLD'S SALESMANSHIP CONGRESS
Many Leading Lights in the World of Selling
Expected to Attend Five-Day Convention
Which Will Be Held in Detroit Next July
Plans are now actively under way for a
World's Salesmanship Congress to be held in
Detroit on July 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13., when the
heads and subordinates of many of the leading
sales organizations of the country will gather
together for a discussion of "Commercial Pre-
paredness." An elaborate program of speeches
and discussions has been laid out for the several
days of the convention, the subjects being ar-
ranged to appeal to executives and salesmen,
and some to both branches. Several debates
will also be provided for. D. M. Barrett, editor
of Salesmanship, is chairman of the Executive
Committee in charge of the arrangements for
the convention, the committee itself being com-
posed of leading lights in the business world.
AN OPEN-AIR VICTOR DISPLAY AT A COUNTY FAIR
Fred S. Sammel,
who handles Milton
pianos a n d player-
pianos and a complete
line of Victrolas and
records, Bedford, Pa.,
is a thorough believer
in progressive meth-
ods in business, and
holds to that idea in
actual practice. Mr.
Sammel operated the
first motor delivery
truck in Bedford. The
manner in which Mr.
Sammel goes after trade
is indicated in the ac-
companying illustration,
which shows his effect-
ive display of talking
machines at the recent
Bedford County Fair.

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