Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
NOW ORGANIZING COMPANY
To Make the Klingsor Talking Machine in Chi-
cago—Theo. Isaac Secures Patent Rights.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., Feb. 14, 1912.
Theodore Isaac, formerly of Frankfort-on-the-
Main, has secured the patent rights for the Kling-
sor talking machine manufactured in Hanau, Ger-
many, for the United States and Canada. He is
now in Chicago and has about completed the or-
ganization of a company for the manufacture and
marketing of Klingsor machines in this country.
They will be practically reproductions of the or-
iginal Klingsor machines, except in the matter of
cabinets, which will be especially adapted to the
American demand. Mr. Isaac has enlisted abundant
capital in his enterprise. The general offices and
wholesale warerooms of the company will be in
Chicago and the factory will be located in a nearby
city. Full details will be available later.
WEBER AND FIELDS^ IN PERPETUITY.
The Famous Fun-making Team Sign with the
Columbia Phonograph Co. to Make Records
of Their Dialogues, Songs and Witty Sayings.
The Columbia Phonograph Co., General, an-
nounces that the famous team of fun-makers,
Weber and Fields, have been signed to make
records exclusively for the Columbia Co. Weber
and Fields, whose reputation is now at its height,
have declared that it is not only good business, but is
good sense to record their original songs and
dialogues. For this purpose of perpetuation the
Columbia Co., with its customary progressiveness,
has secured their services. It is the intention of
Weber and Fields to contribute more than ordinary
business attention to the perfection of these rec-
ords. They will specialize, and the public is as-
sured of some really characteristic hits brought
out in the original Weber and Fields manner.
G. W. LYLE ON BUSINESS.
Says That Last Year Was Phenomenal with the
Columbia Co., But This Year Will Surpass
Everything—40 Per Cent. Increase Already
•—Talks with Enthusiasm of Demand for Co-
lumbia Machines and Records.
The Columbia Phonograph Co. is evidently not
setting any limit to the increase of its business
these days. Last year was a phenomenal year for
them. In fact, 1911 made Columbia history and
the firm, being intent on doing bigger things, made
up its mind that it would do the same thing all over
again this year.
George W. Lyle, the general manager, however,
says they are going to leave their 1911 figures a
long, long way behind. In a chat with The Review
he said: "Yes, 1911 was a phenomenal year for
us. Of course, we intended to surpass it, but it
looks as if we will surely even surpass our own
expectations. We are confronted by an unprece-
dented demand for Columbia graphophones and
Grafonolas, and there is a tremendous call nowa-
days for Columbia double disc records. We are
going to beat the 1911 figures. That much was
determined last year. By just how much we shall
do "it we cannot say, but we are going to leave
those figures out of sight. Why, already our Jan-
uary business has been" 40 per cent, greater than
January, 1911.
"We have one limit for 1912 and one only—the
limit of our factory capacity. That gives us some
room to spread yet, but we will want it all. We
are already running up to that limit on full time,
and it looks as if the factory is going to run over-
time twelve months in the year—including Feb-
ruary 29. Yes, we'll want that extra day this year."
Asked how he accounted for the boom, Mr. Lyle
said there was nothing new, original or sensational
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
behind it. Merely sound, logical reason. ''Our
product to-day is pre-eminent—and we are letting
people know it. We are making it as good as we
say it is, and that is just about as good as that
kind of thing can be made nowadays. And," con-
tinued Mr. Lyle, "you must bear in mind that not
only have we improved our machines and records
and the whole system of voice reproduction, but
we have a great corps of artists singing and play-
ing exclusively for us. Last year we were able to
announce the engagement of some new artist of
world fame every month and the new records are
great. Madame Nordica, Olive Fremstad, Mary
Garden, Alice Nielsen, Carolina White, Olitzka,
Margaret Keyes, Zenatello and Josef Hofmann
are all now engaged exclusively with us—and some
of our newest instrumental records are nothing
short of• marvelous. So long as we can keep on
producing records as good as some we have just
made of the Russian Symphony Orchestra and
Creatore's Band, for instance, we shall see nothing
oi any limit to the business to be done. Whatever
limits there may be will be so far ahead that they
will be invisible to the naked eye."
FVom all of which it may be gathered that the
fifteenth Moor of the Tribune building—the New
York home of the Columbia Phonograph Co.—is
no place for a rest cure, nor is it likely to be.
High hopes and hard work are in the atmosphere
and the same infection has taken strong hold on
their factory forces in Bridgeport, Conn.
EDISON CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY.
Wizard Now Sixty-Five Years Old and Feels
as Young as Ever—Presented with Testi-
monial Upon the Thirty-third Anniversary
of the Founding of His Electrical Industries.
On Sunday last Thomas A. Edison celebrated
his sixty-fifth birthday, and forty of his friends
and neighbors took advantage of the occasion to
tender him a birthday surprise party at his home
in Llewllyn Park, West Orange, N. J., on Satur-
day evening. In commenting upon the passing of
another year in his life, Mr. Edison said: "Oh,
yes, I s'pose I'm sixty-five, but why remind a man
that he is growing old—why congratulate him?"
"I feel," he went on, "as young as I ever did. I
eat well and sleep like a log. I guess anybody that
can say that can lay claim to good health. Last
night I turned in about midnight and I was up
and at it again about 4.30 this morning. I don't
have to use any alarm clock either, like some of
you younger fellows. Six fights of stairs don't
mean any more to me than to you.
"Retire, did you say? Notning of the kind in
my mind. It wouldn't do for me to lay aside any
of the work that I am on now. There's a lot of
inventions that need my attention. There is
plenty for me to do."
Mr. Edison was also presented with a testimo-
nial from his business associates, extending greet-
ings upon the thirty-third anniversary of the
founding of his electrical industries.
LANDAY BROS. ENTERTAIN JOBBERS.
Weil-Known Victor Distributers Tender Din-
ner to Jobbers of Greater New York—Sev-
eral Trade Matters Discussed—Committee
Appointed to Confer with Victor Co. on Cash
and Instalment Prices.
Landay Bros., Inc., the well-known Victor dis-
tributers, tendered a special dinner to the jobbers
of Greater New York on Wednesday evening,
February 7, at the City Athletic Club, where the
talking machine men took advantage of the op-
portunity to discuss several matters of importance
to their particular branch of the trade. Among
other things a resolution was passed appointing a
committee, with J. Newcomb Blackman as chair-
man, to confer with the Victor Talking Machine
Co., with a view to planning some system for dis-
tinguishing between cash and instalment sales in
the matter of prices. Max Landay presided over
the gathering with his accustomed genial manner
and the jobbers were deeply appreciative of the
opportunity afforded them to get together in a
social way.
Among those who attended were Charles Bobzin,
of the Aeolian Co.; Louis J. Gerson, of John
Wanamaker; Nathan Goldfinger, of the Greenhut-
Siegel-Cooper Co.; S. B. Davega, of the S. B.
Davega Co.; V. W. Moody, of the New York
Talking Machine Co.; Oliver Jones, credit man
of the Victor Talking Machine Co.; Emanuel
Blout; E. A. S. Barkelow, of the Silas E. Pearsall
Co.; James B. Landay and Max Landay, of Lan-
day Bros., Inc.; Milton Goldsmith, of Sol Bloom;
E. Paul Hamilton, of Frederick Loeser & Co.; I.
Davega, Jr.; J. H. Dodin, of Gimbel Bros.; Benj.
Switky and J. Newcomb Blackman, of the Black-
man Talking Machine Co.
CONDITIONS IN EUROPE
Discussed by John A. B. Cromelin, European
Manager for the Columbia Phonograph Co.
Who Arrived at Headquarters in New York
This Week.
John A. B. Cromelin, the European manager for
the Columbia Co., with headquarters at London,
England, arrived in New York Saturday, Febru-
ary 10, on a visit to Columbia Phonograph, Gen-
eral, and will devote his time while in this coun-
try to business entirely, spending a portion of it
at Washington and at the factories of the Co-
lumbia Co. in Bridgeport, Conn.
During a chat with The Review relative to the
industry on the continent, Mr. Cromelin said:
"General business is good. There seems to be a
decided revulsion of feeling toward a better class
of instruments and records, and the public is every
day becoming more convinced as to the value of
good machines. Practically all of the cheaper
grades are of German manufacture. In England
the retail business is very largely transacted on
the instalment basis, and with the use of a little
care in putting out the goods the collections are
excellent. Sales from manufacturers to jobbers
are for cash, that is, for cash in thirty days. The
Columbia Grafonola Favorite has made a big hit
this season. Foreign people want to see a lot for
their money, which accounts for the growing ten-
dency toward hornless machines."
Regarding the past year's business, Mr. Cromelin
said: "We enjoyed a heavy increase over 1910,
nearly doubled, in fact, in actual sales, and the
present outlook augurs well for 1912. We have
increased our factory facilities at London in an-
ticipation of future needs.
"Many of the continental countries are cutting
prices in a ruinous manner, which places honest
competition on an uneven basis. The demand for
records is enormous. Popular hits lead in favor.
Loud, brilliant records get the call in England in
preference to the more moderate ones enjoyed by
the American public.
"The dictaphone business is gaining by leaps
and bounds," concluded Mr. Cromelin. "The Ger-
man nation is buying them extensively and are
always ready to take up any mechanical aid for
efficiency."
The Columbia Phonograph Co., General, is an-
nouncing the first series of records by the magnetic
and picturesque band leader, Creatore, who is now
under an exclusive Columbia contract. This first
series consists of three 12-inch double disc rec-
ords and will retail at $1 a piece.
Edward N. Burns, manager of the export de-
partment of the Columbia Phonograph Co., Gen-
eral, returned recently from a two .weeks' busi-
ness trip to Havana, Cuba.