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MAY
11, 1918
45
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
COURT GIVES FINAL DECISION ON VICTOR CONTRACTS
NEWS FROM THE COLUMBIA OFFICES
U. S. District Court Rules Against Former Contract System to Settle Formally Long-Discussed
Point—System Has Already Been Abandoned—Louis F. Geissler Explains Situation
Geo. W. Hopkins Returns From Northern Trip
—Louis S. Sterling to Return to London—
Salesmen Invited to Visit Offices
The daily papers on May 4 published some
sensational and, in many cases, misleading state-
ments regarding the decision handed down last
week by Judge Augustus N. Hand in the United
States District Court for the Southern District
of New York, against the Victor Talking Ma-
chine Co. Some of the papers even went so far
as to declare or insinuate that the decision prac-
tically ordered the dissolution of the company.
As a matter of fact, the ruling of the Federal
District Court above referred to was upon the
contract system of the Victor Co., regarding
which there was some question following a de-
cision of the Supreme Court against that com-
pany a year or so ago. It was decided to get a
court ruling on the contract, and the decision
of the District Court represents that ruling,
which will be accepted by the Victor Co. with-
out appeal.
In discussing the case, Louis F. Geissler, gen-
eral manager of the Victor Talking Machine
Co., said: "The decree issued by Judge Hand
against the Victor Talking Machine Co. is the
outcome and final and formal action in a long
discussion which has been pending with the
Government for some time relative to our license
or contract system of doing business.
"The decision of the Supreme Court of more
than a year ago against us made it patent to us
that our contract system, although sustained by
practically all court decisions just at that time,
would no longer be considered legal by the
Government; hence, on May 29, 1917, we notified,
by letter, all our trade that our license agree-
ments were voided and no longer effective, for,
while we and our counsel thought the contract
all right, the Government evidently did not, and
it was necessary to get a definite ruling in order
to close the discussion. The company agreed to
accept the coiirt decree.
"The decree signed by Judge Hand is of im-
portance only in the sense that it definitely con-
cluded the discussion which had been in prog-
ress between the Government and the company.
The practices complained of having been dis-
continued long ago, no changes by the Victor
Co. as a result of the decree being in any way
necessary."
A TRIBUTE TO THE COLUMBIA
MARVEOLA WILL PLAY SIX RECORDS
Letter of Praise for the Columbia Grafonola
From Iowa Dealer Contained in Latest Issue
of the "Columbia Record"—Other Items
Unique Weser Bros. Model Can Be Controlled
by Buttons or Will Operate Automatically—
Will Be Feature of Weser Exhibit in Booth
Seven at Coming National Music Show
There is published in the latest issue of the
"Columbia Record," a house organ issued by the
Columbia Graphophone Co., New York, an in-
teresting letter from L. Ginsberg & Sons, Des
Moines, la., relative to their satisfaction with
the Columbia line, which they handle in their
successful retail establishment in that city. This
letter, which is a tribute to the sales possibilities
of the Columbia product, reads as follows:
"After six months of pushing Columbia Grafo-
nolas we wish to compliment you on the won-
derfully dependable machines you people put
out. Our troubles have been so small that you
can call them practically nothing considering the
number of Grafonolas we sell.
"We may here state that our business during
the month of November, on Columbia Grafo-
nolas exclusively, was over six times as much as
the month of November, 1916, when we handled
several different makes, and did not push any
particular make.
"We also wish to take *his opportunity of ex-
pressing our appreciation for the way the
Schmoller &• Mueller Piano Co. have handled
our business, as they have many times gone out
of their way to give us service.
"Hoping that the Columbia Grafonolas will
continue to progress in the future as they have
in the last six months, we remain, yours truly,
L. Ginsberg & Sons (Signed), I. D. Ginsberg."
Other interesting articles in this issue of the
"Columbia Record" include a letter from the
president of Townsend Harris Hall, College of
the City of New York, referring to the fact that
this society has become deeply interested in the
artistic series of window displays produced by
the Columbia dealer service department for the
use of Columbia representatives. The president
of the society requests the Columbia Co. to sup-
ply them with copies of this display material
for use by the members of the society.
There are the usual number of articles featur-
ing attractive window displays, with special men-
tion of the signal success achieved by the Co-
lumbia international record department with its
new display service.
Arthur Goyet has taken over the music store
of H. J. Provost on Main street, Woodland, Cal.
Among the unique exhibits at the National
Music Show will be that of the Marveola, a
talking machine de luxe, manufactured by Weser
Bros., Inc., 520-530 West Forty-third street, New
York. It will be on display at Booth seven, and
will play from one to six standard disc records,
of eight, ten or twelve inches. These records
may be placed upon the turntable at one time,
the operation of the machine being controlled
by electric buttons. The mechanism of this
machine has been so perfected through the in-
genuity of the late John A. Weser that these
buttons may be, if so desired, placed in a differ-
ent room from the machine. They control the
machine in such a way that they start, stop or
discharge any particular selection at any time,
or will repeat any record, or part of any rec-
ord, at will, the mechanism shifting to the next
record automatically, or at the will of the oper-
ator.
This machine is particularly adaptable
for the purposes of demonstrating records, and
for dance music. Besides being controlled by
the buttons, it may be set to play at regular in-
tervals, a time arrangement being installed at
the side of the turntable in the top of the cabi-
net.
The operating of the machine is almost human
in many respects. As one record is played a
metal finger lifts the record off and slips it into
a receptacle at the side of the cabinet. The
tone arm goes back to its original position and
another selection is played automatically. The
machine derives its power from ordinary elec-
tric light current, a storage battery, a spring
motor, or both. This machine will be shown in
conjunction with the other styles of Weser pho-
nographs, which include various artistic models.
COLUMBIA DEALERS TO MEET
Lambert Friedl, manager of the local whole-
sale branch of the Columbia Graphophone Co.,
has announced that the fifth monthly meeting of
Columbia dealers in this territory will be held
on May 17 in the Myrtle Room of the Waldorf-
Astoria Hotel, at 2 p. m. A very interesting
program is now being prepared for this meet-
ing.
George W. Hopkins, general sales manager
of the Columbia Co., returned to New York late
last week, after a visit to the company's
branches in Toronto, Buffalo and Cleveland.
Mr. Hopkins was. gratified to find conditions in
these sections very satisfactory, and Canadian
business in particular is increasing by leaps and
bounds.
While at Buffalo Mr. Hopkins addressed the
members of the Greater Buffalo Club, who were
in session at the Hotel Lafayette, on the sub-
ject of "Psychology of the Little Things of
Business." This address was enthusiastically
received by the Buffalo business men, who ap-
preciated the many effective points that Mr.
Hopkins emphasized in his talk.
L. Lehman, of May, Stern & Co., Pittsburgh,
Pa., was a visitor to New York this week, call-
ing at the Columbia executive offices and renew-
ing his friendship with Manager Friedl, of the
New York branch, who, prior to his arrival in
New York, had been manager of the Pittsburgh
branch.
May, Stern & Co. are one of the
largest Columbia dealers in that territory, and
Mr. Lehman's satisfaction with Columbia prod-
uct is reflected in the company's fast-growing
sales totals.
Louis S. Sterling, managing director of the
Columbia Graphophone Co., Ltd., London, Eng-
land, who has been spending the past six weeks
at the executive offices in New York, will prob-
ably leave this week for London. While here
Mr. Sterling discussed plans and policies for the
future, and visited the factory and various
branches throughout the country.
The general sales department of the Columbia
Co. has inaugurated a policy of inviting mem-
bers of the sales staffs in the different branches
throughout the country to visit the executive of-
fices, in order to permit the executives to be-
come better acquainted with the men "on the
firing line," and so that the salesmen may ac-
quire first-hand information regarding Columbia
products. The salesmen visit the factory at
Bridgeport and the recording laboratory and
return to their home cities imbued with an
adequate appreciation of Columbia efficiency and
quality.
Among the salesmen who visited New York
this week were H. L. Ireland and H. L. Fields,
of Pittsburgh, accompanied by Mrs. Ireland
and Mrs. Fields; Wm. Roy, Kansas City branch;
Louis B. Sayer and George L. Schuetz, of the
Indianapolis branch, and W. M. Korhammer, of
the Baltimore branch. Mr. and Mrs. Ireland
and Mr. and Mrs. Fields made the trip to New
York from Pittsburgh, accompanied by K.
Mills, assistant manager of the New York
branch, and formerly assistant manager of the
Pittsburgh branch, who had returned to the
"Smoky City" for a day or two in order to bring
his automobile to New York. His automobile
trip East was thoroughly enjoyed by every
member of the party.
W. C. Fuhri, manager of the Columbia Chi-
cago branch, was another visitor at the execu-
tive- offices this week, bringing with him opti-
mistic reports of business in his territory.
NEW INCORPORATION
The Disk Phone Piano Method, New York,
has been incorporated with capital stock of
$100,000, by L. T. Fetzcr and J. V. and T. H.
Robinson.
F. O. Belknap, of Sioux Rapids, is arranging
to open a music store at Hamburg, la.