The talking machine world (Aug-Dec 1919)

186 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD Septemeer 15, 1919 2 GRESHAM BUILDING, BASING HALL STREET E. C, LONDON, W. LIONEL STURDY, MANAGER British Gramophone Industry Deeply Concerned Over the Possibility of the Revival of German Competition — Many Members of Trade Adopt Pledge to Refrain From Buying Teuton Products — Polyphon Supply Co., Ltd., Reorganized With British Backing — Live Advertising in Belfast — Industry's "Victory Fund" Closed — New Grade Developments — Association of Gramophone and Musical Instrument Manufacturers and Dealers. London, E. C, August 30. — Matters of great import to the whole gramophone industry have been under way this last month or so, and at the present stage, when German competition again faces us, it may be useful to take stock of the situation if only for the purpose of assuring ourselves that the effect of recent propaganda is fully appreciated, particularly by the retailers. With the removal of restrictions upon trading it has been a matter of keen consideration among leading men of many British industries as to whether or not a resumption of commercial relations with our late enemies is necessary. Animated by detestation of the action of the German people in plunging the world into a sea of blood and slaughter, there is a very strong disinclination by the British peoples ever again to encourage the German manufacturer in any of our Empire markets. In no section of industry is this determination more to the fore than in the musical instrument trade, one side of which — the small goods merchants — has already voted almost solidly against handling late-enemy goods for at least a twelvemonth. The "never again" movement, as it is called, has now spread to the gramophone trade and has resulted in a very drastic pledge to which members of the gramophone section of the Trade Association have signified their approval. Describing the document as drastic is but to signify the strength of the case, in that under such a pledge there can be no backdoor entry to our markets. Against any attempts to find a waj' round the leading members of the trade will, I believe, be prepared for even stranger action than the pledge indicates. The last card could be played by the British gramophone industry. Whether or not it would" be played under the necessity of circumstances I cannot say, though feeling is very acute on the subject. For the moment the pledge in its present form is considered sufficient unto the day. As one leading wholesaler expressed it: "The Germans will find it very difficult to reopen here with all the usual channels of trade and distribution closed to them." An important fact to consider is that during the war we have managed to carry on with, mainly, mechanism of Swiss manufacture. Now we can import, if necessary, from America all the motors that can possibly be required. More welcome, still, several British manufacturers have come into the field. Why, then, should we encourage German imports? There can be no argument for it, even from the sordid commercial view. The essence of the whole thing is to encourage all British manufacturers of motors. Our home supplies of other parts and accessories are rapidly improving in quality and quantity, and if, therefore, my remarks in this connection are justified, as I believe probable, within the very near future the trade should gradually become more or less independent of foreign goods. Much more could be said, but at that the subject had best rest for the moment. The Price of German Gramophones By German talking machine papers which have reached England via Cologne I learn that the war-time turnover in gramophones has been large. Notwithstanding all their troubles a big trade is still being done. Carl Lindstrom's net profit for 1918 is said to have totaled close upon 2,000,000 marks! While prices of machines sold in Germany are not generally below ruling values in England, we need scarcely fear the figure at which they could be exported, even if English buyers were in the market. The facts are that the cost of materials and of labor in Germany to-day approximate pretty closely to our own meteoric figures. The purchasing power of the pre-war German mark is probably down over 50 per cent. Therefore, their manufacturing costs for gramophones are up proportionately. On that basis selling values must be doubled at least. To export, consideration would be given to the English equivalent of the German mark, being at the time of writing 7>y2. That means three times the already inflated selling value. On top of that there is the tariff duty of 33 1-3 per cent. Apart from increased freight rates enough has been said to show that even though we actually wanted German goods they could not be dumped on this market under very high prices. There are no war stocks or prewar supplies to give away, of that we may be sure. Let's get on with the British business; we are bound to win under any circumstances. New Polyphon Supply Co., Ltd. Under the Trading With the Enemy Amendment act, 1916, observations have been issued by the official receiver in the case of the above concern, which, he states, was ordered by the 'His Master's Voice' — the trade-mark that is recognized throughout the world as the HALL-MARK OF QUALITY Branches Agencies "His Mtsttr'i Vo\W Copyright This intensely human picture stands for all that is best in music — it is the " His Master's Voice " trade-mark, and it brings to you, no matter where you are, the very best music of every kind, sung and played by the world's greatest artists — the greatest singers, pianists, violinists, orchestras and bands — all enshrined in the unequalled " His Master's Voice " records DENMARK; Skandlnavlsk Grammophon-Aktleselskab, Frlhavne*i, Copenhagen. FRANCE: Cie. Franchise du Gramophone, 116 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, Place de la Republlque, Paris. SPAIN: Compafila del Gram&fono, 68-68 Balmes, Barcelona. SWEDEN: Skandlnavlska Grammophon-Aktiebolaget, Drottnlng Gatan No. 47, Stockholm. RUSSIA: The Gramophone Co., Ltd., 45, Nevsky Prospect, Petrograd (Petersburg) ; No. 1 Solyanka, Solyanol Dvor, Moscow; 9, Golorlnsky Prospect, Tlfflls; Nowy-Swlat 80, Warsaw; 11 Mlchallovskaya Ulltsa, Baku. INDIA: The Gramophone Co., Ltd., 139, Balllaghatta Road, Calcutta; 7, Bell Lane, Fort, Bombay. Great Britain : AUSTRALIA: S. Hoffnung & Co., Ltd., Sole Concessionaries of The Gramophone Company, Limited, 163, Pitt Street, Sydney. NEW ZEALAND : Gramophonlum, Ltd., 118-120 Victoria Street, Wellington. SOUTH AFRICA: Darter & Sons, Post Box 174, Capetown; Mackay Bros., Post Box 251, Johannesburg; Mackay Bros. & McMahon, Post Box 419, Durban ; Ivan H. Haarburger, Post Box 105, Bloemfontein ; Franz Moeller, Post Box 108, East London; B. J. Bwlns & Co., Post Box 86, Queenstown; Handel House, Kimberley; Laurence & Cope, Post Box 132, Buluwayo; The Argns Co., Salisbury. EAST AFRICA: Bay ley & Co., Lonrenso Marques. HOLLAND: American Import Co., 22a, Amsterd Veerkade, The Hague. ITALY: A. Bossl 4 Co., Via Oreflel 2, Milan. EGYPT (Also for the Soudan, Greece and the Ottoman Empire) : K. Fr. Vogel, Post Box 414, Alexandria. The Gramophone Company, Ltd. HAYES MIDDLESEX ENGLAND