Music Trade Review

Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 14

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
52
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HOW EDISON TESTS
SALESMEN'S GAMENESS
1920
DAVEGA TO HANDLE PATHE LINE
Machines and Records Will Be Shown in All
Davega Stores in New York City
Leading Insurance Journal Uses William Max-
well's Experiences, as Told in "The Training
of a Salesman," for Featured Article
"Have you ever been 'bawled out' for some-
thing you didn't do?" questions The Under-
writers' Review, the leading insurance journal
of the Middle West, in a featured article in a
recent issue.
"Nearly everybody has, even William Max-
well, one-time star salesman and now vice-
president of Thomas A. Edison, Inc. He tells
about the experience in his book, 'The Training
of a Salesman,' just recently published.
" 'One day,' relates Mr. Maxwell, 'Mr. Edison
summoned me to his library and asked me to
explain something with which I had absolutely
no connection. I started to alibi myself. His
eyes flashed with scorn. I was in the position
of a policeman who had permitted a crime to be
committed because the scene of its perpetration
was beyond his beat.'
" 'Mr. Edison gave me the worst tongue lash-
ing I have ever received. It was the exact
The S. B. Davega Co., of New York City, has
arranged to carry a full line of Pathe phono-
graphs and records, which will prove an impor-
tant acquisition to the already extensive busi-
ness. The Davega Co. conducts a chain of
successful stores in New York at 111 East
Forty-second street, in the Hotel Commodore,
831 Broadway, IS Cortlandt street and 125 West
125th street.
I
"There is no truer test of a salesman's =
g
=
Becomes Assistant Manager of Columbia Co.
Branch in That City
NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 29.—H. P. Wise, for-
merly with the Baltimore branch of the Co-
lumbia Graphophone Co., recently reached New
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chronology of all the stupid and ineffective
things I had done from the first day I entered
his employ, but more particularly it was a re-
cital of the things I had not done that might
have been done.
. " 'His arraignment of me was not altogether
just; however, it was extremely beneficial. He
punctured my self-complacency without impair-
ing my self-confidence. That "bawling out" was
worth a good deal to me, and I am sure it was
worth more to Mr. Edison. He may have been,
and probably was, irritated with me, but I
believe his outburst was not primarily a show
of temper. I think it was chiefly a test of my
gameness.'
"Now the interesting point about this experi-
ence of Mr. Maxwell's is not the fact that he got
'bawled out' at all," continues The Underwriters'
Review. "It is the way he took it. How many
insurance salesmen do you know who would say
that being called down for something they didn't
do was good for them? What would your feel-
ings be?
"There is no truer test of a salesman's qualities
for permanent success than the way he takes
criticism. The little-minded man can't stand it.
It pricks his egotism. He 'crawfishes.' He
makes excuses. Then, when he finds excuses
won't take the place of results, he sulks and
pouts. It never occurs to him that he might
profit from the incident.
"But the truly big salesmen see the other side.
They don't like to be criticized any more than
the little fellow, but they are shrewd enough to
know that 'a little criticism now and then is
good for the best of men.' We are all like boys
in training—if left to run wild and imbibe too
freely of praise we degenerate into weaklings.
"Your gameness is reflected in the attitude
you show when improvement in your work is
suggested, or personal handicaps are pointed
out. If you were not worth developing you
would not be worth keeping on the pay-roll.
The right sort of a salesman welcomes con-
structive criticism just as Mr. Maxwell does.
Do you?"
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions
of any kind.
How You Can
Safely Increase
Your Income
H. P. WISE IN NEW ORLEANS
MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIlllllllllllllllllllltlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^
| qualities for permanent success than the
| way in which he takes criticism. The
I little-minded man can't stand it. It pricks
1 his egotism. He 'crawfishes.' He makes
I excuses. Then, when he finds that ex-
1 cuses won't take the place of results', he
| sulks and pouts. It never occurs to him
| that he might profit from the incident."
APRIL 3,
H. P. Wise
Orleans and is taking up the reins of the of-
fice of assistant manager of this branch. In
addition to his familiarity with branch affairs,
Mr. Wise has been associated with Harry C.
Grove Co., Inc., of Washington, D. C, which
is a large retailer of Columbia products.
FILES SUIT FOR DAMAGES
Shelton Electric Co. Asks Damages of $2,713,037
From Victor Talking Machine Co.
TRENTON, N. J., March 29.—Charging unlawful
restraint of interstate commerce the Shelton
Electric Co., of Chicago, to-day started suit in
the Federal Court here against the Victor Talk-
ing Machine Co. for $2,713,037 damages. The
company asks $1,000,000 damages for the alleged
destruction of its business.
It is charged that the Victor Co. ordered all
Victor dealers to cease handling the turntable
motors of the Shelton Co. As a result the
complaint alleges thousands of orders were
canceled.
PARKER BUYS W. E. FOX MUSIC CO.
The W. E. Fox Music Co., 109 South Main
street, Fond du Lac, Wis., has been purchased
by L. C. Parker and associates in the Badger
Victrola Shop, 425 Grand avenue, Milwaukee. A
new corporation, styled the Badger Music Shop,
has been incorporated with $25,000 capital. Ed-
ward R. Sweeney, widely known as a Victor and
Puritan traveler in Wisconsin, and a native of
Fond du Lac, has been appointed general man-
ager. Mr. Parker is president; Mr. Sweeney,
vice-president, and G. A. Einbecker, secretary-
treasurer. The Badger Music Shop will retail
the Victor exclusively and also deal in pianos.
Former soldiers, sailors and marines will have
an opportunity to learn the manufacture of rec-
ords under a plan established by the Knights
of Columbus in co-operation with the manufac-
turers. One set of forty men has already be-
gun the first course and other classes are being
formed as rapidly as possible,
Piano merchants, who have
not investigated the talking
machine field, will find that
the subject is one of deep
interest to them and they
will also learn that talking
machines constitute a line
which can be admirably
blended with piano selling.
The advance that has been
made in this special field
has been phenomenal and
every dealer who desires
specific information con-
cerning talking machines
should receive The Talking
Machine World regularly.
This is the oldest publica-
tion in America devoted
exclusively to the interests
of the talking machine, and
each issue contains a vast
fund of valuable informa-
tion which the talking
machine jobbers and dealers
say is worth ten times the
cost of the paper to them.
You can receive the paper
regularly at a cost of $2.00
a year and we know of no
manner in which $2.00 can
be expended which will
supply as much valuable
information.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, h e .
Publisher
373 Fourth Ave.
NEW YORK
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 3, 1920
53
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
PAPER SHORTAGE IS SERIOUS
Just Watch It Grow !
Music Printers and Publishers Have Great Dif-
ficulty in Getting Sufficient Stock to Print Up
Music to Meet the Demand—Fewer New
Issues Suggested as a Possible Remedy
One of the problems that are serving to keep
the music publishers worried is that of securing
an adequate supply of paper to meet the un-
usually strong demand for copies of their music.
Not only do paper manufacturers appear to be
up against it in the matter of production, but the
tying up of pulp supplies as a result of heavy
snows in the Northern States and the em-
bargoes on freight shipments has made it im-
possible to get to the printers even the paper
that has already been made up at the mills.
To add to the troubles one publisher had to
destroy about ten reams of much-needed paper
after delivery because it was found too "green"
for printing purposes.
The paper shortage is not confined to the
special stock used in music printing, but af-
fects all kinds of publishers and printers, and
even daily newspapers, who on occasions re-
cently have been forced to curtail their edi-
tions and in one or two instances miss issues
because of paper scarcity.
One publisher offers as a solution the drastic
paring of new issues. He declares that instead
of issuing long monthly lists of new numbers
publishers should select a half-dozen or so of
the best numbers and concentrate on them. In
this way they would be saved the very sub-
stantial amount of paper otherwise stored away
on shelves in printed form, waiting for orders,
thus making this same paper available for use in
printing extra additions of selections for which
the demand is strong. Certain it is that the
paper situation will not be relieved for a long
time to come, and it is well just now to study
ways and 1 means for effecting economy in the
use of stocks.
NEW NUMBER^ BY FAVOR
Edward P. Favor, the composer of "Thespian
Waltzes," which were quite popular a few sea-
sons ago, and a writer of many songs, has just
placed three songs and two instrumental num-
bers with the Dennis B. Owens, Jr., Co., Inc.,
Kansas City, Mo.
MUSIC PUBLISHERS TO MEET
The regular quarterly meeting of the Music
Publishers' Association of the United States
will be held in New York on Tuesday, April 13,
at a place to be announced some time during
next week.
On
Words by
WILLIAM UL BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOBI
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
STANDARD WHOLESALE PRICES^ FOR 30-CENT NUMBERS
The Success of the 30-cent Editions, Now Demonstrated Beyond Question, Makes It Necessary
for the Publishers to Fix Upon a Standardized Wholesale Price for the Same
Having put over thirty cent numbers in a
big way, the popular music publishers have
overlooked some problems which should be
promptly attended to if they want to give sta-
bility to that part of their business. It is true
that the success of thirty cent numbers has
been achieved with apparent ease, but that the
publishers can continue to hold such numbers
permanently in their catalogs without building
the foundation now for such an arrangement
is doubted.
One of the big questions that should be con-
sidered and decided upon at an early date is
a standardized wholesale price' for such issues.
The prices at present range from twelve and
one-half cents up, and there have been cases
where publishers have sold wholesale their best
sellers at that rate, in quantities, this despite
the fact that they were acknowledged hits.
There was no necessity for this. It probably
was a sign of weakness, and a desire on the
part of the publisher to cash in quickly.
Not only is it necessary that the wholesale
prices be standardized, but several other mat-
ters in connection with present distribution
methods, which are fast growing- into real evils,
demand immediate attention. Every publisher
who has the good of the business at heart must-
want to see a most healthy arrangement as re-
gards distribution.
It must be remembered that, with the low-
ering of prices, it would not take much tempta-
tion for some publisher, on the promise of
CASTILLIAN
big co-operation, to make the initial whole-
sale rate on new numbers ten cents. Of course
the moment this is done any syndicate at
present confining itself to ten cent issues would
buy large quantities of such numbers and re-
tail them at cost, thus assisting in breaking
down the new thirty cent catalogs. Some pub-
lishers are not above such a temptation, inas-
much as they would receive cash within ten
days for their products.
The syndicate stores handling thirty cent
music are all under the management of men
who work on a percentage basis, a percentage
of the profit. They are all men trained to mer-
chandise goods and profits are what appeal to
them. So during the course of the last few
months there have been cases where some of
the largest hits have been practically shelved,
and numbers that were bought wholesale at a
better rate given prominence, displayed and
featured by them for sales purposes. This is
not a healthy condition but the publisher who
benefited by it temporarily thought it was a
good business^ Over a long period he would
find it is not, and it is just such problems, all
of which have arisen since the popular houses
have inaugurated thirty cent catalogs, that
must be solved, and solved quickly, if the busi-
ness is to be put on a permanent and high
basis.
Giving consideration to such items as are
mentioned above and other details that arise
(Continued on page 54)

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