The talking machine world (Jan-June 1919)

8 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD January 15, 1919 PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc. President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, J. Raymond Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low. J. B. SPILLANE. Editor J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor Trade Representatives: B. Brittaik Wilsou, L. M. Robinson, Wilson D. Bush, t : C Chace, v. D. Walsh, E. B. Munch, L. E. Bowers, A. J. Nicklin Boston: John H. Wilson, 324 Washington Street Chlcftso Office: E. P. Van Harlincen, Republic Building, 209 South State Street. Telephone, Wabash S774 liondon. Eng., Office: 2 Gresham Buildings, Ba.singhall St W. Lionel Sturdy, Mgr. The Talking Machine World has regular correspondents located in all of the principal dties throughout America. Published the 15th of every month at 373 Fourth Ave., New York. SUBSCRIPTION (including postage): United States, Mexico, $2.00 per Year; Canada, $2.25; all other countries, $3.75. Single copies, 25 cents. AD VBRTISEME31VTS I $4.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly lor yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pa^es, $125.00. REMITTANCES should be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., by check or Post Office Money Order. l©"NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS.-AdvertUing copy should reach this office by the first of each month. By following this rule clients will greatly facilitate work at the publication headquarters. Long Distance Telephones — Numbers 5982-5983 Madison Sq. Cable Address: "ElbiU," New York. NEW YORK, JANUARY 15, 1919 "IVJITH achievement of victory on the battlefield, it is now up W to the talking machine industry to achieve victory in the domain of business — to develop all forces and all energies toward niaking the year 1919, which has just made its debut, one of the ^greatest in the history of the industry. To put business back on a normal basis calls for consistent and untiring effort along progres.;sive lines. Business men must have faith and courage — must realize that the clouds are gone, and that -we are now entering a new era of expansion and prosperity for the entire nation. The great moral victory achieved by the United States in entering the world war to uphold the rights of humanity and justice has made this country known and admired the world over, and we must maintain this reputation not alone in the field of statesmanship and arms but in commerce. American manufacturers will undoubtedly find a larger market throughout the world than ever before, and in the enlarged export field the talking machine will play a notable part. There is no other product so distinctly American as the talking machine — no other product in its development and construction has won a higher standing for reliability and value. Hence it only , needs the spirit of enterprise on the part of our manufacturers to bring the products of this typically American industry to the people of the world in a larger measure than ever before. At the present time, of course, the immense demands of domestic buyers must be met, but we must work not only for to-day but for the future. 1919 will be a year of restoration of industry to not only its former status, but to a greater expansion, for we have learned much during the past year as to what organization and concentration can do in this country in the way of speeding up factory production and in attaining other ends most desirable in the business world. The War Industries Board, for instance, although exercising strong control over industries such as ours, has nevertheless brought real benefit by compelling talking machine men to take stock of their own businesses — to present accurate figures as to their equipment, capital invested, output, etc., by compelling the compilation of statistics that should prove invaluable. Members of the industry have learned to work together, to discuss problems of their businesses, and this spirit of co-operation should continue, for from this spirit of frankness and harmony greater results must inevitably acerue to individual enterprises, as well as to the talking machine industry as a whole. NE need not be a persistent optimist to believe that some beneficial developments in the matter of price maintenance will soon materialize — that the long fought battle to bring about some definite means for insuring the maintenance of fixed prices on trademarked and patented articles, provided such prices are equitable, is likely to result in favor of the manufacturers of such articles and those who on principle are in favor of the price maintenance idea. The price maintenance question has long been a debatable one, and those who have championed the cause have found traveling at times rather rough and their championship somewhat expensive. The situation looked particularly difficult when the Supreme Court of the United States and the various Government agents, including the Federal Trade Commission, appeared to put their feet down on price maintenance and hold for an open market for the seller. In other words they held that the seller, having become possessed of the article in question, could dispose of it at any price he saw fit. Recent developments, however, have indicated that the authorities have suffered a change of heart, that they have become cognizant of the damage that can be done by the unscrupulous price cutter through the way in which he can undermine legitimate industry, discourage capital, and indirectly keep his heel on the neck of labor. The result has been that the Federal Trade Commission only recently went so far as to advise Congress that it would be favorably inclined toward some form of legislation that would permit of the maintenance of resale prices on trade-marked and patented goods, and would permit of the drawing up of contracts holding the retailer to an observance of such prices, provided the contracts adopted by the manufacturer would be subject to revision by some competent authority to insure their fairness to all concerned. This new attitude by the Federal Trade Commission is acclaimed by those who long have realized what price maintenance has done in the building up of the talking machine business on the solid foundation on which it rests to-day, and particularly what it has meant to the smaller exclusive dealer who could go his way in the past without being threatened with business extinction by the price cutter, who usually had immense buying capital at his command and few scruples as to how to proceed. It is generally believed that if the well-known Stephens bill is so amended as to include in its provisions means for subjecting price maintenance methods and contracts to official supervision, either by the committee representing the Federal Trade Commission or by some other body, the bill will have a very fair chance of passage, and one of the strongest arguments of those opposed to fixed prices will be overcome. The supervision of price maintenance methods will be welcomed by those manufacturers who set a fair retail value on their products and whose sole aim is to protect their good-will and trade-mark and patent rights from the price cutter, and who desire to restrain the latter from utilizing names and products of recognized and standard values in the eyes of the public, for the purpose of foisting on that same public other articles of unknown origin at higher than ordinary prices. It may perhaps be true that in endeavoring to maintain pricfes some manufacturers have overstepped the bounds and have sought to fix a retail value on their products not warrantedby manufacturing and selling costs. Manufacturers of this type have in a considerable measure and to a considerable degree served to attract disagreeable attention to the principle of price maintenance generally. The talking machine trade, however, can feel with all consciousness that in supporting price maintenance as a principle in their industry they are also working in all fairness to and for the benefit of the pubHc as much' as for themselves. The history of the industry demonstrates the correctness of this viewpoint. With the war excitement out of the way and peace time legislation again receiving proper attention, it is hoped that the price maintenance question will receive the favorable consideration it deserves from our national legislators. MEN who are in a position to know declare that we may expect a wave of advertising during 1919 that will exceed all previous records. In other words, there is reason to believe that American business men who for months, or years, as the case might be, have been marking time in the matter of exploiting their wares, will go after business through the columns of the newspapers and magazines as never before in the history of the country. It is logical to