Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
VICTOR BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION
Employes of Victor Co. Have Co-operative Or-
ganization, With Sick and Death Benefit Fea-
ture—The Safety First Idea—Old Employes
Taken Care of by Pension Fund -
CAMDEN, N. J., January 29.—One of the impor-
tant but, so far as the trade is concerned, little
known factors in the success of the Victor Talk-
ing Machine Co. is the Victor Co-Operative Ben-
eficial Association, an organization in which a
majority of the Victor Co. employes are inter-
ested and which has been growing in member-
ship and importance each year.
The work of the association is divided into
several headings. A most important feature is
that all applicants for employment by the Victor
Co. are required to submit to a medical examina-
tion to determine their fitness for the work they
propose to undertake. This has the advantage
of preventing old employes from coming in
contact with new employes who may be diseased.
All employes after thirty days' service are in-
vited, but not obliged, to become members of
the association in order to protect themselves
from want when their income is cut off by sick-
ness. The fact that 9,300 of the 10,500 employes
of the company are members indicates the high
percentage of employes who are in favor of the
plan. Each member pays a fee of 25 cents
monthly and the Victor Co. contributes a like
amount to each member. During the three years
the association has been in existence $67,791
has been contributed by employes and a similar
amount by the company. In addition the com-
pany has paid $12,039 to cover all administrative
expenses. Sick benefits of $1.25 per day are
paid for a maximum of 100 days in any one year.
A death benefit of $250 is paid by the associa-
tion which the company supplements by $750
paid out of its treasury, making a total payment
of $1,000 in every case of death where there are
dependents. To date the association has paid
in benefits $98,453, and the company has paid
$25,000 in death claims.
In cases of prolonged illness where the asso-
ciation has extended all the assistance possible,
the company renders additional aid through a
special fund. In some cases an immigrant em-
ploye has been sent back to his native country to
recuperate. In recent years the plant has been
practically free of tubercular employes and when
a tubercular case appears means are provided by
which the employe may take treatment calcu-
lated to restore his health. The company has
established a connection with the Southwestern
Presbyterian Sanatorium at Albuquerque, N. M.,
where a building erected at the expense of the
company is at the disposal of Victor employes.
Where the man cannot leave home arrangements
are made for treatment locally.
The Safety First idea prevails throughout the
Victor Co. plant, and the first attention is to the
avoidance of accidents, by providing guards for
machinery, careful inspections, etc. However,
every accident, no matter how slight, must be
reported. Immediate attention is given to each
case and the report is not filed away until it
bears the nurse's endorsement showing com-
plete^recovery. The company does not confine
itself to the law requirement in the matter of
compensation, but goes beyond that point when
the situation warrants.
The Pension System adopted by the company
is unique in that it is based on the idea that
different men when they reach the pension age
require about the same necessities regardless
of their former earning capacity. In other words,
they all require about so much food, shelter,
clothing, tobacco, etc. The ordinary pension
system gives a mere pittance to the old employe
who has received small wages while the man
who has received a large salary and is therefore
better able to prepare for his old age receives
a much larger pension. The Victor system pro-
vides a flat rate regardless of previous earnings.
This rate is now $40 per month but may be
changed at any time by the Board of Governors.
The Victor policy, however, as set forth, is to
pay the highest wages possible for various
classes of work so that employes may look after
themselves and families without undue inter-
ference, thereby giving them a desirable inde-
pendent feeling.
EDISON PRODUCTS IN DEMAND
Supervisors Report Great Interest in New Edi-
son and Edison Amberola Lines
The territorial supervisors of Thomas A. Edi-
son, Inc., visited the factory at Orange, N. J.,
during the holiday season and held a number
of sales meetings at which plans for 1917 were
formulated. The policies that will govern both
the New Edison and Diamond Amberola selling
campaigns during the next few months were
considered, and the supervisors received many
instructions which they personally will carry to
dealers in the field. All supervisors report a
most gratifying increase in interest in the New
Edison and the Edison Diamond Amberola
throughout the country.
Supervisor Newman Johnston, who travels in
Canada, reports that in spite of the war-time
conditions that exist in the Dominion, 1916 was
the most prosperous in the history of the Dia-
mond Amberola in that country. A decided
increase in Amberola interest on the Pacific
Coast is reported by Supervisor Harry L. Mar-
shall, and C. R. Lee, who has the supervision
of a large territorial zone in the Southern
States, is highly enthusiastic over the future
prospects of the Diamond Amberola in that
section. All of the supervisors returned to their
territories about the middle of January.
IMPORTANT COLUMBIA MOVE
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Kuhnwald,
Conductor, to Make Columbia Records
G. C. Jell, manager of the recording labora-
tories of the Columbia Graphophone Co., New
York, stated this week that the Cincinnati Sym-
phony Orchestra had been added to the fast
growing list of exclusive Columbia recording
artists and orchestras.
This orchestra, which is under the leadership
of Dr. Ernst Kuhnwald, is one of the most
popular in the country, and includes among its
members artists of exceptional ability.
The
first Columbia records by the Cincinnati Sym-
phony Orchestra will be announced in the near
future, and should be accorded a hearty recep-
tion by music lovers throughout the country.
BROADWAY OPERETTA HITS
Victor Talking Machine Co. Issues Handsome
Publicity Covering Their Special List of
Records—Has Real Broadway Flavor
Following the recent announcement of special
hits from Broadway musical comedies offered in
record form and to be put on sale as soon as
received, the Victor Talking Machine Co. has
just issued an unusually handsome poster call-
ing attention to the four records featured.
The poster has a striking design, at the top
giving an impressionistic view of the Rialto at
night, looking down Broadway from Longacre
square. The bottom design shows the theatre-
goers gathering to enjoy the evening's entertain-
ments. The whole poster has a flavor of Broad-
way, and the several numbers included in the
special bulletin are all from attractions that are
now running and are to be classed as this year's
hits.
They include selections from the Winter Gar-
den Shows, the Hippodrome, "Betty," "Katinka"
and "So Long Letty."
45
THE EDISON AMBEROLA MONTHLY
Edison Phonograph Monthly Comes Out Un-
der New Name and in Improved Form
The Edison Phonograph Monthly, one of the
house organs of the musical phonograph divi-
sion of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., makes its ap-
pearance in February under the name of the
Edison Amberola Monthly. Radical changes in
the make-up and style of the periodical also ac-
company the change of name. About a year
ago both the New Edison and the Diamond Am-
berola business of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., be-
came so extensive that two house organs were
deemed necessary to best serve the interests of
all Edison dealers. Diamond Points was estab-
lished to cover the New Edison activities, and
the Phonograph Monthly was continued and de-
voted exclusively to the Amberola field.
Just before the first of the present year it
was decided to make some changes in the gen-
eral appearance of the Phonograph Monthly.
The change of name, connecting it specifically
with the Amberola line, is but one of the sev-
eral improvements. In addition a decidedly at-
tractive new cover design has been adopted and
the type-style throughout has been improved.
The changes that appear in the February issue
are indicative of others that will be made shortly
to increase further the attractiveness and effec-
tiveness of the periodical.
BANKRUPT PROPERTY AT AUCTION
Assets of Triton Phonograph Co. to Be Dis-
posed of at Public Sale by Receiver
By order of the court, the receiver for the
Triton Phonograph Co., bankrupt, will offer for
public sale the assets and effects of that con-
cern consisting of merchandise on hand, in-
cluding phonographs and phonograph parts and
supplies, machinery, tools, fixtures, accounts re-
ceivable, good-will license, manufacturing con-
tracts, trade-marks and trade-names, together
with other property on February 6. Bids may
be submitted to the receiver at his office, 43 Ex-
change place, New York, on or before Jan-
uary 30.
TO OPEN FOREJGN DEPARTMENT
The Pathe Freres Phonograph Co., New York,
has announced that a foreign department is now
in process of formation, and it is planned to
commence issuing records in foreign languages
about May 1. Each language will have an in-
dividual supplement, and artists of renown will
be represented in the monthly recording.
The Pathe Freres Co. recognized the tre-
mendous g-rowth and fast growing importance
of the foreign record department some time ago,
but awaited the completion of its new Brook-
lyn factory before proceeding with its plans in
this direction. With its increased manufactur-
ing facilities the company will be in a position
to give serious consideration and attention to
the development of Pathe foreign language busi-
A NEW "COLUMBIA RECORD"
W. C. Fuhri, United States manager of the
Columbia Graphophone Co., New York, has ad-
vised Columbia store and district managers of
the early issuance of a new "Columbia Record,"
which will be considerably larger in size than
the preceding editions of the Columbia house
organ.
Myron Townsend, well known in the adver-
tising world, has been appointed editor of the
new "Columbia Record," and will aim to give
Columbia dealers a magazine that will be a
source of continued profit and enjoyment. The
editor has asked the hearty co-operation of Co-
lumbia dealers in order that the "Columbia
Record" may faithfully portray the purposes and
spirit of the whole Columbia organization.