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MAY
1, 1920
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
47
TO HOLD SERIES OF MEETINGS
E. A. WIDMANN RETURNS
TO BEGIN BIG SUMMER CAMPAIGN
Columbia Graphophone Co. Officials Start on
Tour of Branches in Various Parts of the
, Country to Hold Trade Conferences
President of Pathe Freres Phonograph Co.
Back From European Trip—Tells of Condi-
tions in the Trade Throughout the Continent
Columbia Graphophone Co. Completes Plans for
Extensive Publicity During the Summer
Geo. W. Hopkins, general sales manager of
the Columbia Graphophone Co., accompanied by
W. A. Willson, manager of the company's edu-
cational department; H. L. Tuers, manager of
the Dealer Service department, and O. F. Benz,
of the general sales department, left Monday
for an extended trip to Columbia branches in
different parts of the country. According to
present plans, all four of these executives will
visit Philadelphia, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit,
Chicago and Minneapolis. At the Columbia
branches in these cities dealer meetings will
be held, together with meetings of the branch
managers and the sales staffs of the branches
in nearby cities. A program similar to the one
adopted on previous trips will be followed at
these meetings.
Mr. Hopkins returns to New York from Min-
neapolis and the other three executives proceed
to a meeting in Winnipeg, Can. Mr. Tuers re-
turns to New York from Winnipeg, while Mr.
Benz proceeds to a meeting in New Orleans,
returning home from that branch. Mr. Willson,
who is making his first extensive tour to the
Western branches, will visit Spokane, Seattle,
Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake
City, Denver and Kansas City, Mo.
L. C. Ackley, who has just been appointed
manager of the Seattle branch, will accompany
the executives to the meetings in Philadelphia
and Cincinnati.
Eugene A. Widmann, president of the Pathe
Freres Phonograph Go., arrived home from his
trip abroad on Thursday, April 22, and received
a hearty and enthusiastic welcome from his
TALKING MACHINES FOR EMPLOYES
General Electric Co, Instals Outfits in Lamp
Plant in Cleveland for Entertainment of Em-
ployes During Hours of Recreation
CLEVELAND, O., April 26.—The National Lamp
Works of the General Electric Co., in the model
plant at Nela. Park, East Cleveland, has in-
stalled several talking machines to interest em-
ployes during recreation hours and the mid-day
luncheon period. In the cafeteria catchy fox-
trots from musical instruments whet the appe-
tites of employes, while in the bowling alleys a
phonograph beats the time to spares and strikes
of the men, and on the dance floor every noon
the girls find recreation and enjoyment sway-
ing rhythmically to the strains of some popular
dance number. Miss Crowley, head of the com-
pany's service department, says that no feature
has contributed so much to the efficiency and
happiness of the girl employes as has the noon-
day music, as the girls, she says, go back to
their duties refreshed, soothed and rested, and
their minds in "perfect tune with their work."
NEW POST FOR L. C. ACKLEY
Becomes Manager of Columbia Co.'s Seattle
Branch, Succeeding Frank Dorian
The general sales department of the Colum-
bia Graphophone Co. announced this week the
appointment of L. C. Ackley as manager of the
company's Seattle branch. Mr. Ackley, who
was formerly a member of the sales organiza-
tion at the Los Angeles branch, has been in
the service quite some time and his successful
achievements in the Columbia organization well
warrant his present promotion to the post of
manager.
Mr. Ackley succeeds Frank Dorian, who vol-
untarily resigns as manager of the Seattle
branch. Mr. Dorian, during his stay in Seattle,
accomplished excellent results and laid a strong
foundation for Air. Ackley's future development.
Eugene A. Widmann
many co-workers. The Pathe plant in Brooklyn
was festively decorated with banners, stream-
ers and flags, and each department vied with
the other in its efforts to provide the most at-
tractive decorations and hearty welcome. Mr.
Widmann was greatly pleased with this hearty
expression of good will and evidenced much
pleasure as he inspected the decorations pre-
pared in his honor. In speaking to The Re-
view, Mr. Widmann said: "We have a fine or-
ganization, everybody pulling together, and I
might best describe it as one large happy
family."
In outlining conditions in England, France
and Germany, which countries Mr. Widmann
had the opportunity to visit, he said in part:
"1 find conditions abroad very encouraging.
Labor conditions are no more serious than in
this country. In fact, I might say that they are
better. Everybody is working and I look for
a steady improvement in the European situa-
tion. I do not believe there is any militarism
left in Germany. I noted a food and coal short-
age in that country, but general conditions were
good. Phonograph records, in Germany, are
selling at thirty-five marks. In Paris, I spent
quite a little time at the offices of Pathe Freres,
and am pleased to report that conditions there
are exceptionally fine. There is a heavy demand
and good business. I took this trip primarily
in the interest of our London office. Our busi-
ness in this country has increased to very large
proportions and continues to expand rapidly.
We are building a large plant in England to
take care of this business."
Mr. Widmann touched momentarily on the
subject of the high price of shellac, and said: "I
attribute the high price of shellac entirely to
speculation, and believe that through concerted
action on the part of the record manufacturers
the price of this commodity could be brought
down to a reasonable price."
The annual meeting of the Pathe Freres Phon-
ograph Co. was held Tuesday of this week, at
the New York office of the company at 18 East
Forty-second street.
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
The advertising department of the Columbia
Graphophone Co. has completed plans for one
of the most extensive Summer advertising cam-
paigns that have ever been introduced in the in-
dustry. The campaign will be started next
month and will include every conceivable form
of advertising literature.
A two-page trade paper announcement will
give the trade details regarding this campaign,
and this introductory advertising will be fol-
lowed by a full-page advertisement in the na-
tional magazines, the page being designed in
four colors and featuring vacation models of
Columbia Grafonolas. This type of instrument
is especially adapted to summertime use, and
its tonal qualities are emphasized in this adver-
tising.
Following the full page in the national maga-
zines there will be black and white pages in
the leading farm papers, and newspapers in all
parts of the country will carry a similar mes-
sage.
As a dealer tie-up to this mammoth cam-
paign, the same four color design that is used
in the national magazines forms the basis for
the cover of the June supplement. It is also
used on the supplement hanger and a similar
illustration in two colors is used on a booth
hanger. A special booklet in four colors, fea-
turing vacation models of Grafonolas, illus-
trates three popular Columbia Grafonolas of
the table type, and also calls attention to the
well-known Grafonola traveling kit. This
booklet is designed for envelope enclosure, and
is an important link in making the campaign
effective.
Columbia dealers everywhere will undoubt-
edly be interested in this campaign, for it rep-
resents a co-operative service that will assist
them materially in making the coming Summer
the best in their history.
EXTENSIVE EDISON PLANS FOR 1920
Dealers Enthusiastic Over Sales Promotion
Plans Outlined by the Advertising Depart-
ment of Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
The jobbers, dealers and travelers express
themselves as highly enthusiastic over the Edi-
son plans for 1920. Word to that effect comes
from all quarters. Only last week F. H. Silli-
raan, of Boston, Mass., the jobber, paid a visit
to the Edison laboratories and complimented
the personnel of the advertising and sales de-
partments on their work in getting out the Port-
folio and the Guy Wise Scrap Book.
"Your sales propositions," he said in the
course of conversation, "have been received by
the New England dealers with enthusiastic ap-
proval. The consensus of opinion seems to be
that these plans are the biggest and most am-
bitious ideas ever launched by any industrial
concern in the country. They promise to mark
an epoch in co-operative selling enterprise."
Another visitor at the Orange plant was W.
D. Wilmot, an Edison dealer of Fall River, Mass.
It will be recalled that Mr. Wilmot is a pioneer
Edison man, and that he presided at the Edison
convention of 1916. He expressed himself
strongly as an admirer of the new sales propo-
sition which, he thought, would infuse the
whole organization with a steadily mounting
enthusiasm.
Still a third caller was W. J. Hutton, of Kear-
ney, Neb., who dropped in to talk over many
things, and who joined in the chorus of praise
being showered upon the 1920 Edison sales
propositions.