The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

54 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. Modifies the Tone — Eliminates the Scratch SUBDUES THE HARSHNESS PREVENTS THE MECHANICAL NOISE ENTIRELY OBSCURE FROM SIGHT EASY TO ADJUST— EXPRESSES THE REPRODUCTION PUTTING ON THE iHORN ELBOW The Tone Controller FOR VICTOR TALKING MACHINES Controls the tone of the record reproduction and requires only a slight movement of the horn to obtain all the expression so much appreciated by all lovers of music. We Must Complete Our Distributing Arrangements AT ONCE. Write To-day for Sample and Discounts. H. N. McMenimen Sales The TONE CONTROLLER CO., t Tgt Providence, R. L WHERE CONCENTRATION PAYS. In Advertising It Pays to Keep Your Name Before the Public and Tall< Quality All the Time — Avoid Poorly Written Advertisements. When a dealer goes into advertising, lie should go in to stick and be prepared to pay the piper liberally. False economy has spelt failure for more than one advertising campaign, and ignorance of the subject has ruined many more. One of the greatest faults of the experienced advertiser is to spread his publicity too much, figuring, for instance, that one inch in twenty papers is better than twenty inches in one paper. As a matter of fact, twenty inches in five papers, consisting of strong and convincing matter, is better than the same amount in one or a lesser amount in more mediums. A campaign of advertising should be conducted in a manner to create the greatest effect, and little Inch ads. won't have that effect. If a man wants to create a big splash he doesn't throw in a number of pebbles at intervals, but takes a large stone and dents the water with that. In weight and bulk the lot of pebbles mary equal the stone, but they cannot produce the effect. The same principle governs good advertising. It is not sufficient to simply keep a dealer's name before the public, but there must be something additional to cause readers to remember the name, and the space used for the puriwse should be as large as a liberal appropriation will allow. Poorly written advertisements also mean a waste of money which might be saved if the writing was left to a competent ad. writer, who could do the work either on a salary or at so much per ad. Many dealers seem to think that they know more about advertising and advertisement writing than the man who discovered the game, but their work often displays woeful ignorance of the subject. A good number of amateur ad. writers believe that cheap prices must be quoted to interest the public, and a favorite phrase nowa-days is "We need the cash and are selling of£ our stock at low prices to get it," or words to that effect. That kind of advertising does not interest that portion of the public whose patronage is worth obtaining. The best plan is to cut out prices and talk quality and the reasons therefor. It will mean more direct business than all the bargain sales on record, and will attract trade that will remain to put the business upon a substantial foundation. NEW SALTER CABINET STYLES. The Salter Mfg. Co., of Chicago, III., whose new line of cabinets is shown on another page in this journal, deserve credit for their enterprise In bringing out these new and original styles. Their new disc cabinets are especially adapted for the double-face records, as the shelves In them are lined on both sides and front with soft green folt, which prevents scratching while handling. Another good fea ture about them is that there is a special compartment for each record which is numbered to correspond with index cards furnished with cabinets. The shelves are made to lie horizontal, which fills a long-felt want, as there has been .SALTEE STXLE 7S2. some complaints about discs warping while standing up. These cabinets are most attractively finished, and all up-to-date dealers should not delay looking them up. The Salter Co.'s new line of cabinets for cylinder records have a separate compartment to .S.VI.TKR STYLE 783. hold each carton box, as by keeping the records in cartons Ihey will be protected from the dust and also from breaking. The compartments will hold the new Edison Amberol records and all other makes. They have lately Issued a new catalog which will be sent to the trade free on application. NEW MISSION FOR "TALKER." Being Employed Most Effectively to Inform the People to Avoid Tuberculosis and Typhoid— Fast Replacing Professional Talker. If the typewriter has to a great extent rendered the art of penmanship useless, the phonograph which appears in some new role almost daily has done its share toward retiring the professional talker, not to give him the more dignified title of orator or lecturer. When one man in a half hour can furnish the material for "records" that will carry his voice to millions of hearers, the natural tendency is to throw a large number of talkers out of a job. Nature has gifted the human race with but two ears apiece, through one of which the words of others may pass in, and through the other one pass out. We can listen to only so much of speech in a lifetime, and if one man can address a thousand audiences in a day through the medium of machinery, 999 rival orators may well begin to wonder where their bread and butter, not to mention jam, are coming from. Up in New York state the Charities Aid Association has been employing lecturers to tell the people how to avoid tuberculosis and typhoid. All the county fairs are visited every fall, while in the winter the lecturers address gatherings in school houses and churches. Now, in the interests of economy, the phonograph is to take their jobs, says a local daily. One first-class lecture will be loaded into half a hundred talking machines, which will be sent about the state. One or two popular songs and comic dialogues will be interspersed with portions of the lecture so that the audience will be sure to remain to the close. Since the phonographs will run up no hotel bills, nor any other expenses incident to maintaining a force of lecturers in the field, the annual saving will enable the association to extend its beneficent work much farther than formerly. But what are the poor lecturers to do? Some undoubtedly will seek positions as barkers for summer shows, but it is only a question of time until the phonograph follows them even into this field and they will be compelled to "move on." Others may obtain jobs in railway stations to call out the trains, but the phonograph will be hot on their trail. Experience has shown that wherever modern mechanical ingenuity has thrown a certain class of humanity out of work, some new avenue of employment has been opened. HE HAD SEEN THEM! Patient Salesman. — "Now, here's a lively jig, that ought to be just the thing for the hotel." Hotel Keeper. — "Take it off! No good!" Patient Salesman. — "Ah, you don't want to annoy your other customers by the noise ^f dancing on the floor. I'll find you something else." Mrs. Hotel Keeper. — "Why, dear, its a lovely record. Think how they'll all enjoy to jiff!" Hotel Keeper. — "I'd get it, if they icoidd jig." Eenest Wmninck.