The Edison phonograph monthly (Jan-Dec 1916)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, MARCH, 1916 Within the Edison Gate THE VOICE BEHIND THE PARTITION SCARCELY a day passes at the Orange laboratories but witnesses an unconscious, but nevertheless a true, compliment to the faithfulness of tone in the Edison Diamond Amberolas and records. With the name of Mr. Edison and his inventive exploits broadcast, there are naturally many visitors to the different buildings. Practically all of the visitors think that the actual recording is done at Grange, while, of course, it is carried on in the recording rooms in New York City. The office of Manager Leeming is just within the door of the Administration building;. The partition separating it from the hall does not go to the ceiling, and a voice loud enoueh could be quite plainly heard in the hall. It is the custom of Mr. Leeming to try out the new Amberolas and new records in his office. Time and time again the poor guide has a hard time convincing the visitors that they are not listening to the voice of a person singing and making a record. Not many callers believe the guide's statement. They think it a ruse to "cheat" them out of seeing the most interesting phase of the place. One aggressive feminine visitor recently got so worked up over the guide's "refusal and flimsy excuse" for not letting her go in and hear tire "singer" that she tried to have the guide dismissed. She just knew there was a woman singing in there. She guessed she knew music well enough not to be fooled by being told that it was only a record playing. So there ! None may be so blind as those who will not see. But next to this is the actual closing of the ieyes, when any kind of a test is going on. Only that method can make the hearer realize, when a singer is alternating with the record, the wonder of tone faithfulness in the Edison. BIG JUMP IN BLUE AMBEROL SALES Here's the kind of news that makes the live wire chuckle with glee and puts the dead one to shame. It came to the Editor from the Sales Department and it said: "We want you to know that Blue Amberol Record Sales for the last 6 months of 1915 were over 25% greater than the last 6 months of 1914." Now, how about the croaker that thinks more of disc competition than he does of getting out and hustling for business that's just waiting to succumb to a little persuasion. THE JOBBERS' CONVENTION VISITORS OF THE MONTH We think the jobbers learned a few things at the 1916 Convention in New York and at the factory that will enthuse them to make this year the most productive in the history of the entire Edison organization. Tuesday, February 15th, was taken up with executive business at the Hotel Knickerbocker, New York, when President W. O. Pardee, of PardeeEllenberger Co., New Haven, Conn.; Vice President B. W. Smith, of The Phonograph Company, Cleveland, O. ; Secretary H. G. Stanton, of the R. S. Williams & Sons Co., Toronto, Canada; Treasurer L. H. Lucker, of Minneapolis, Minn., were all re-elected. Tuesday afternoon C. H. Wilson, VicePresident of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., made an address, and William Maxwell, Second Vice-President and Manager of the Musical Phonograph Division, read a paper outlining the policies of the company for the ensuing year. Tuesday evening the attending jobbers met a party of representatives from the factory at Sherry's, New York, where a splendid banquet was enjoyed. After the banquet all hands adjourned to the Hippodrome. Practically all day Wednesday was spent in a session at Charles Edison's Little Thimble Theatre, 10 Fifth avenue, in New York, where addresses were made by the heads of various departments on subjects vital to the interests of all members of the phonograph fraternity. Among the subjects were: Factory Fallacies, by A. C. Ireton, General Sales Manager; Probationary Zones for Dealers, by T. J. Leonard, Assistant General Sales Manager; Cruelty to Motors, by John Constable, Assistant Chief Engineer; Artists, by W. H. Miller, Manager of Recording Department; Infringements, Delos Holden, General Counsel ; Advertising, by L. C. McChesney, Advertising Manager; Traffic, by J. R. Rogers, General Traffic Manager. The program at the Little Thimble Theatre also included a tone test recital and a sales demonstration. Thursday, February 17th, the jobbers made a trip out to the factory, where they spent an all around enjoyable and instructive day. In addition to the convention representatives we had the pleasure of playing host to the following visitors the past month: P. H. Seewald, Edison dealer at Amarillo, Texas; A. C. Moore, Manager of the Phonograph Department of The Pelletier Company, Sioux City, Iowa; Wallace E. Brown, Detroit; H. T. Veith and John Dorn, of West New York, N. J.; John Albertshardt, of Tipton, Ind.