April 11, 1925.
25
PRESTO
SHEET MUSIC AND RADIO
BUY LATOUR RIGHTS
Hazeltine Corp., Beaten in Suit Over Inven-
tions, Purchases Control of All Radio In-
terests of French Professor and All
His Inventions for Five Years.
PROVISION IN CONTRACT
Latour Agreement with Hazeltine Corp. Provides that
Patents Must Be Licensed to All Manu-
facturers Willing to Pay.
The Hazeltine Corporation, which was beaten in
a lawsuit last week by Professor Marius C. A. Latour,
the French radio inventor, later obtained the patents
by buying control of the Latour Corporation, recently
organized in Delaware to exploit the inventions of
the French scientist.
Besides buying the eighty-eight Latour patents,
which now cover many essentials of broadcasting, re-
ceiving and wired wireless service, the Hazeltine Cor-
poration bought all radio inventions which Professor
Latour may make in the next five years.
Hazeltine Corp. Controls.
The patents are now controlled by the Hazeltine
Corporation, subject to the licenses which have been
previously acquired by the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company, the Radio Corporation of
America, the Freed-Eisemann Radio Corporation and
the Postal Telegraph Company.
Professor Latour said that his agreement with the
Hazeltine Corporation provided that patents must be
licensed to all manufacturers who were willing to pay
for them at the rate agreed upon.
All Wartime Inventions.
The Frenchman, who made his chief inventions
during the war for the purpose of improving receiv-
ing sets for war use and without any idea that radio
would have such a fashion, said that he had sold out
his rights for a lump sum, instead of selling on a
royalty basis.
"How much did you get?" he was asked.
' O h , say, several hundred thousand dollars," he
replied. Dr. Latour said that he believed that every
single radio receiving set in existence in the United
States at the present day embodied his ideas.
"The French mission came over to this country to
introduce them during the war for the proper pur-
pose of improving means of communication to aid in
prosecuting the war," he said. "Consequently, at the
end of the war, most radio engineers understood my
inventions and patents, and it was the most natural
thing in the world that they should use them in build-
ing sets. Radio has developed with such a rush in
this country that the manufacturer could not pause
until the courts had decided every point, and I do not
feel injured by what has occurred."
Professor Latour said that he had no outstanding
litigation or other business in this country, and that
Manufacturers of
RADIO
Tables
Cabinets
Consoles
Elgin Phonograph & Novelty Co.
Elgin, 111.
he would return to France in the near future. He
has been over here for four months negotiating with
manufacturers of radio apparatus who have been
using his patents.
The five great companies with which he has done
business so far admitted that they had appropriated
his patents without authority and offered to settle
with him on a reasonable basis. The patent situation
is so complicated, and the law so difficult to invoke,
in such a situation, that Latour was willing to give
up for approximately $1,000,000 rights which might
be worth ten times that much if the radio situation
were simpler. The American publie has paid several
hundred million dollars, it is estimated, for apparatus
which would not have existed except for the invention
of Latour.
No Conflict with Squier.
The French scientist said last week that his patents
regarding "wired wireless" did not conflict with the
Squier patents, but that "wired wireless" could not
be operated successfully without using certain Latour
patents. In commenting on the vast public interest
in radio in this country and the comparative apathy
in Europe, Professor Latour said:
"I don't understand it wholly. It is probably that
the American temperament is different. There has
been a vastly greater development of the phonograph
and the motion picture and of entertainment generally
in the United States."
BUSY MUSIC DEALERS
Long Lists of Music and Books Appropriate for
Featuring, Provide Opportunities.
Fortunately for the sheet music dealer during the
last decade there has become available a great amount
of music and music books appropriate for every
season of the year and every event of periodic occur-
rence. The increasing interest in music in the young,
through the instrumentality of the schools, and in
more mature people, prompted by love of dancing
and singing, make for a lively department all the
year round. That is, of course, if the sheet music
dealer takes advantage of the occasions in the proper
way.
The great number of^ people learning to play
stringed, reed and brass instruments provide a big
opportunity for sales of tuition books and practice
pieces. There are long lists of books for all the in-
struments. The sheet music dealer who utilizes his
show windows, and makes good use of his mailing
list, can make his place a lively one every day of
the year.
All of the standard publishing houses issue special
literature for all the big occasions, Christmas, Easter,
the Fourth and Music Week, and much of this, with
the retailer's imprint, is given free to the trade.
OREGON RADIO DEALERS.
The Oregon Radio Dealers' Association held their
monthly meeting March 27 in the dining-room of the
Elks Club, G. F. Johnson, of the G. F. Johnson
Piano Co., of Portland, Ore., presiding. A business
meeting was held after partaking of dinner, and the
consensus of opinion of the members was that there
should be no let-up during the hummer months, but
that the radio business should be good the entire
year.
RADIO BROADCASTING TO START IN PERU.
Radio broadcasting was started in Peru early in
March, according to a report from John C. Wiley,
secretary at the American consulate in Lima. Fur-
ther information can be secured from the Electrical
Equipment Division, Bureau of Foreign and Domes-
tic Commerce, Washington, D. C, by referring to
File No. 160668.
BAYNER DALJrpM & Ca
Line of Elgin Phonograph & Novelty Co. Winning
Dealers by Appeal to Popular Taste.
A lively feature of the business of the Elgin Phono-
graph & Novelty Co., Elgin, 111., at this time is that
of supplies for radio receiving set manufacturers—
tables, cabinets and consoles. It is a phase of the
industry that keeps the factory running on a "rush"
basis. August Pizarro, head of the company, is well
known in the music trade as a man who puts the
artistic appeal into any piano case, phonograph cabi-
net or other commodity made of wood. He believes
that artistic appearance is just as much a requirement
of the radio cabinet as utility. That is why the
cabinets and consoles of the Elgin Phonograph &
Novelty Co. have the gracefulness and distinctively
artistic character that interests manufacturers and
dealers in radio who know the selling possibilities of
beauty in a cabinet.
The continuity of new designs makes the produc-
tions of the Pizarro Company particularly interesting
to a most progressive group of customers—the radio
manufacturers. Wide-awake dealers, too, find the
Pizarro cabinets profitable additions to their stocks.
The interest extends beyond dealers with a radio
line. Dealers who have not yet added a radio depart-
ment find the Pizarro cabinets salable novelties that
get immediate attention from the amateur radio build-
ers.
FOSTER SONGS IN GERMAN.
"Mein Alt Kentucky Heim," "Der Alte Joe" and
"Negers Heimweh" are some of the titles of a book
of songs recently published in Germany. They will
perhaps be more easily recognized under the names
of "My Old Kentucky Home," "Old Black Joe" and
"Old Folks at Home."
MAKING "ILLINOIS" OFFICIAL.
In the Legislature at Springfield, 111., this week
Representative Bohrer introduced a bill to make
"Illinois" the official song of the state.
REMICK SONG HITS
I Can't Stop Babying You
Why Couldn't It Be Poor Little Me
Swanee Butterfly
By the Light of the Stars
Old Pal
Somebody Like You
Sweet Georgia Brown
Me and the Boy Friend
My Best Girl
Dreams
Lucky Kentucky
Just Lonesome
Isn't She the Sweetest Thing
Don't Bring Lulu
Take Me Back to Your Heart
J. H. REMICK & CO.
New York
Chicago
Detroit
ADVERTISING SONG BOOKS
George Reid will open a music store in Browns-
ville, Tex., in a building now nearing completion.
Qest
ANY PUBLISHER x
OUR REFERENCE
FINE RADIO CABINETS
^
WORK DONE BY
ALL PROCESSES
Editor Presto: One of our customers inquires
about a collection of old-fashioned songs, suitable for
giving out to prospects and the general public. If
you can inform us where these are printed, you will
confer a great favor, and incidentally boost the piano
business, as it is a foregone conclusion that every-
one receiving a book will need a piano on which to
produce the accompaniments.—A Jobber.
Reply: About the best book of the kind within
our knowledge is put forth in quantities by the Illi-
nois State Register of Springfield, 111. We believe
if you write to that concern you will get a sample of
about what you want.—Presto.
Over 50 songs, words and music for 4 voices and piano,
82 p.p.. 6x9, in editions with special illuminated cover
printed to order as wanted. Mention Presto.
205.4-2060 W.Lake St.,Chicaqo.Ill.
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