The talking machine world (Aug-Dec 1919)

The Talking Machine World Vol. 15. No. 8 New York, August 15, 1919 Price Twenty-five Cents TALKERS AND LANGUAGE STUDY National Educational Association Recognizes the Value of Talking Machines in Aiding the Student to Speak With Proper Accent At the recent convention of the National Educational Association of the United States, which met at Milwaukee, Professor E. C. Parmenter, of the University of Chicago, spoke on the immense value of the talking machine in teaching the French pronunciation. He brought forward the fact that by the use of the Dictaphone it was possible for a student to speak a sentence or two in French and then hear what he has said with his own pronunciation. ^jHe may in that way more clearly see the faults of his pronunciation. The value of the talking maching in teaching the proper accent in French he believed was a large one. Educational institutions which could not afford language instructors with a good accent could obtain their accent through the records. He stated, however, that the letter "S" was not distinguishable in the phonographic reproduction. In a discussion which followed, however, W. H. Willson, manager of the educational department of the Columbia Co.. made known the fact that during the past six or seven months great improvements had been made in the recording of the French language and that to-day the "S" was perfectly distinguishable, and that the letter "F," which was even more difficult to record formerly, may now be recorded with perfect clarity. Among the other representatives of the Columbia Co. present at this convention were J. Milner Dorey and Harry B. Goodwin. TALKING MACHINE EXPORTS DECLINE Exports, Including Records, for Eleven Months Ending May 31, 1919, Total $4,020,960 Washington, D. C, August 1. — In the summary of exports and imports of the commerce of the United States for the month of May, 1919, (the latest period for which it has been compiled), which has just been issued, the following figures on talking machines and records are presented : The dutiable imports of talking machines and parts during May, 1919, amounted in value to $49,190, as compared with $26,033 worth which were imported during the same month in 1918. The eleven months' total, ending May, 1919, showed importations valued at $282,318, as compared with $310,757 worth of talking machines and parts imported during the same period of 1918. Talking machines to the number of 4,002, valued at $123,058, were exported in May, 1919, as compared with 9,946 talking machines, valued at $337,865 sent abroad in the same period of 1918. The eleven months' total showed that we exported 45,186 talking machines, valued at $1,367,641, as against 88,239 talking machines, valued at $2,506,617 in 1918, and 69,221 talking machines, valued at $1,797,028 in 1917. The total exports of records and supplies for May, 1919, were valued at $325,748, as compared with $203,489 in May, 1918. For the eleven months ending May, 1919, records and accessories were exported valued at $2,653,319 in 1918 and $1,856,879 in 1917. McCORMACK BUYS LARGE ESTATE John McCormack, the celebrated tenor and Victor artist, has purchased the Henry L. Stoddard estate, formerly the Stokes Farm, at Darien, Conn. The estate comprises 160 acres and this land is partly in Darien and partly in Noroton. The price is said to be in the neighborhood of $200,000. WHAT FARMERS ARE BUYING NOW ANENT THE UNPAID BALANCE HABIT Advertising Man Discusses Talking Machine Trade Among Farmers — Standard Machines and Records Greatly in Demand These Days In discussing the financial conditions among the farmers of this country and the kind of goods they are buying these days, Herbert S.1 Cline, advertising manager of A. Livingston & Sons, Bloomington. 111., points out some very interesting facts regarding the talking machine trade. He also points out the value of advertising which tends to establish the trade-marked name of a product and says that the farmers are calling for machines by name. He says: "We sell more talking machines to farmers than to city people. And we are fortunate in having a standard make of instrument that is advertised in the farm papers. It has been our experience that our farmer customers are so strongly sold on this machine that they are willing to wait several months to get this particular make (on which there happens to be a shortage), when there are a score of other places in the city where they can get immediate delivery of other makes of machines not so extensively advertised. "Again, one has only to glance over the mail orders from farmers that we receive every month for records to get an idea as to their taste. Usually the woman in the family has a great deal to say as to the selection of records —and a taste that calls for McCormack, GalliCurci or Caruso is going to call for similar refinement in wearing apparel, accessories and household needs." INTERESTING WINDOW DISPLAY East Liverpool, O., Dealer Features Victor Record in Timely Summer Display Lewis Bros., Victor dealers of East Liverpool, O., recently featured McCormack's Victor record "When You Look in the Heart of a Rose." The window was arranged by the store manager, Most Artistic McCormack Window F. H. Burbick, and in the middle of the display was a beautiful rose with a girl's head in the center. On the left was a large Victrola and on the opposite side a picture of the famous tenor. Around the front of the display were several Victor records of the song with tapes leading the eye to the machine. In the lower right hand corner was a reminder that summer is still here and summer music is in order. COLONIAL METAL WORKS CORP. The Colonial Metal Works Corp., Manhattan, has been incorporated at a capital of $9,000 to deal in talking machine parts and metal novelties. The incorporators are M. Frideman, I. Lauter and I. Rentier, 867 East 179th street, New York. The Sonora agency has recently been placed with the Greenpoint Talking Machine Co., 638 Manhattan avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. Credit Men Discuss That Particular Evil and Means for Controlling It The New York Credit Men's Association has just been discussing in its Bulletin what to do with customers who habitually leave balances unpaid week after week or month after month. The feeling is that this is the first sign that an account which heretofore has been profitable and desirable has become risky without apparent reason. So far as the seller can see, there is no change in the customer's income or fixed expenses and the seller's consent to carry a balance is at first readily obtained, but the account grows beyond the former figures to an ever-increasing level and the merchant begins to feel uneasy and wonders what to do. His fear of iosing the customer is stronger than the fear of loss of money and so, trusting to luck, the account is allowed to drift along, first up and then down, for weeks and months. There is just enough of such accounts which eventually pay to mislead the seller into carrying and bothering about the others, which finally are lost. The remedy, of course, is not to let a prompt customer get into the habit of leaving balances. As soon as that habit shows itself, he must be talked with tactfully but firmly and insistently with a view to finding out why the change in the customer's circumstances has taken place. In other words, he must get the facts before him definitely and then have the courage to make the decision. HARDWOOD FOR TALKING MACHINES This Trade Has Established Itself as Largest Factor in Hardwood Panel Business The important position that has been assumed by the talking machine in the hardwood field is indicated by the following editorial comment which appeared recently in the "Hardwood Record" in connection with a review of market conditions. One paragraph read: "It is generally estimated that to date only about 4 per cent, of the population has purchased phonographs. The potential proportions of this field are so tremendous that they are incomprehensible at a glance. The phonograph going into these machines, and just as the largest single factor in the hardwood panel business, but the fact must not be lost sight of that there is also a substantial amount of solid wood going into these machines, and just as tht growth of the phonograph business has been reflected on the panel business, so it will be reflected on solid hardwood lumber for the legs, corners, tops and other parts." CUBAN MUSIC TRADE CONDITIONS Talking Machines Very Popular — Cheaper Machines Best Sellers — Natives Love Music The natives of the Island of Cuba are very fond of music of all kinds, says Consul C. SWilliams, Cienfuegos, and the market fo American makes of talking machines is excellent, for this seems to be the most popular type of music. In the local retail stores machines are selling at prices ranging from $5 to $181, while the most popular models are those retailing at from $20 to $30. In order to facilitate negotiations with Cuban firms, American manufacturers should send their correspondence in Spanish and catalogs and all other literature should also be in that language. A list of dealers and importing houses in Cienfuegos, Cuba, may be had from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce or by addressing the Talking Machine World. Cuba's trade in talking machines is growing. See lndex\of Advertisers on Last Page