The talking machine world (July-Dec 1920)

July 15, 1920 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 207 Caravan Convention of Edison Dealers an Immense Success \ I Program Including Five Playlets by Wm. Maxwell, Addresses by Noted Personages, Business Discussions and | I Tone Tests, Presented in Succession in New York, Chicago and San Francisco — Convention | I Ends With Big Banquet — Hosts of Dealers in All Sections in Attendance | lllllllllllllll The Edison Dealers' Convention this year was in the form of a distinct novelty, the convention being divided into three parts, held respectively in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, with a view to saving time and money to the majority of the company's dealers. By this arrangement a large number of dealers located in the Middle West and on the Pacific Coast, who heretofore could not spare the time to come to New York to attend the former conventions, were given the opportunity to participate in the biggest and most unique trade convention ever held, by having the convention brought to them. And participate they did. Originality was an outstanding feature of every part of the program, which fu'fiUed in every way its purpose to demonstrate that the T. J. Leonard phonograph is not a luxury, but a definite need in American home life. Numerous phases of Edison phonograph salesmanship were illustrated in a striking way through the medium of five brilliant business plays, written by William Maxwell, in charge of the phonograph industry at the Edison Laboratories, whose forn:er productions of a similar character have created wide attention throughout the entire advertising field. Another highly interesting feature was that of having a number of celebrities, including an eminent psychologist and an American composer of international fame, address the dealers on subjects vital to their interests. In addition to this, the program included a tonetest by a widely known Edison artist and the presentation of a living picture of the September magazine advertisement, through the courtesy also of an Edison artist highly popular with the dealers. A series of open forums, in which the majority of dealers participated and without which no Edison Dealers' Convention would be complete, likewise came in for its share of interest. Long before the opening hour on July 8, dealers began to arrive in twos and threes from all points of the compass. By 10 o'clock, the hour set to begin, the Knickerbocker Theatre, that famous Broadway playhouse, was well filled with expectant dealers, primed for immediate III Illlll|l|||||||:lllll nil I Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll business. All day they came, and the second day, too, until it began to appear as though the well-worn phrase, "Standing room only," would be the only answer to greet the latecomers desiring seats. Virtually all Broadway took notice of the event, which was new even to that famous thoroughfare. T. J. Leonard Opens Convention Promptly at the designated hour, Thomas J. Leonard, general sales manager of the Edison Laboratories, stepped out on the stage and made the address of welcome. At the end of his address the house curtain rose, exposing the special Edison Caravan Convention drop curtain, whereupon he introduced the chairman of the convention, F. F. Christine, Edison dealer at Stroudsburg, Pa. Illlllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll of the Re-creation manufacturing laboratories. We have reached a stage where it is possible to divorce experimental work from manufacturing operations. The manufacturing technique has been stabilized to an extent that makes it safe to design automatic machinery to facilitate production. In other words, we are all set. The proposition has been turned over to Fred C. Pullin, who was recently appointed manager of the Re-creation manufacturing laboratories. Mr. Pullin regards his appointment as the one big opportunity of his career and he expects to achieve a success that will be almost startling in its scope and character. As all of you know, mould production is the neck of the jug in the nianufacture of Edison Re-creations. Mr. Pullin is devoting most of his attention to the proper distribution of mould production and, like a good Wm. MaxweWs Address Immediately following the formal opening, William Maxwell addressed the dealers on behalf of the Edison Laboratories in a talk entitled, "Judge Them By Their Deeds," in which he said: "A long, long trail — it has been all of that. You and we have met many adversities and endured many disappointments. The weight of these has rested heavily upon all of us — perhaps upon no one more heavily than upon myself. However, as I look back over the past six years, a somewhat consoling thought comes to my mind. This is the thought: If everything had been smooth sailing from the beginning we would not be here to-day. We would still be hedged about by the traditions of the talking machine business. There would be no Edison spirit, such as is manifested here this morning, and Edison salesmanship would not be what it is to-day — a thing utterly apart from talking machine salesmanship. "The hand of Providence, guiding the genius of Edison, has placed in our custody an instrumentality which, if properly employed by us, will make music, next to religion, the greatest and best influence in the world. In the hard school of adversity we have been purged of the methods and have cast off the limitations of the talking machine business. We have been made fit for the part that we are to play in the destiny of the greatest human art — music. 'T regard my appearance here to-day as a sort of farewell appearance. For several years I have come before you dealers with apologies for the past and promises for the future. The need for this is passing into oblivion and when the tcur of the Caravan Convention is ended I shall drop forever the role of official apologist. I hope to attend a great many Edison Conventions in the future, but this is the last convention at which I shall offer the slightest word of excuse for non-performance on the part of our manufacturing laboratories. "A year ago you had three chief causes for concern : "First — The supply of cabinets. "Second — The surface of the Re-creations. "Third — Increased production of Re-creations. "We promised to make good on cabinets. We have done so. "We promised to give you a smooth Re-creation. We have done so. "The third question looms large in your m.inds to-day. We have arrived at a point where it is possible to place a business man in charge William Maxwell general, is accumulating reserves. This plan is temporarily limiting production, but in a very short time, when his reserves are completed, he will have his production stabilized so that future supplements and reissued blocks of catalog numbers can be put through exactly on schedule. For example, all of the moulds for the November supplement will be completed before a single print is made. Then all of them will be put on at the same time and the end of the run can be calculated almost to an hour. "You will perhaps wonder why this has not been done in the past. Some of you undoubtedly have had sickness in your homes, which required the presence of trained nurses, and you will recall, no doubt, that the diet cooking in the kitchen was very disturbing to the regular culinary operations of the household. The experimental work, which for several years has of necessity been done in the manufacturing laboratories had about the same disturbing effect on manufacturing operations as a trained nurse's activities produces in the family kitchen. "The experimental men have done a good work. We owe a great deal to them, but we are glad to see them leave, just as any family is glad when the trained nurse's services are no longer needed. "Disc Re-Creation manufacture is up to Mr. Pullin and his assistants. He is unfettered and (Continued on page 208)