The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1912)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 27 TRADE NEWSJ^ROM GERMANY. Business Generally on the Continent Very Active— Caruso Interested in New Record Company— New Record-Lending Library in Berlin and How It Is Operated — Talking Machines in Theaters — Austrian Dealers Form Association — Statistics from Various Countries — Some Big Dividends Declared. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Berlin, Germany, May 4, 1912. Conditions in the talking machine trade in Germany and throughout the Continent generally are flourishing and there is apparently no diminishing of the interest of the public in either machines or discs. Of course, the hornless model is now the accepted type, while equal progress has also been made in the records, which are now offered in a larger list of titles and are generally of superior reproductive quality. Caruso Interested in New Company. Much interest is shown in a new company recently registered in this city, the Pianissimo Record, owing to the fact that Signor Caruso, the famous grand opera tenor, is heavily interested in the new venture. The new company plans to make records up to 41 cm. (about 16 inches) in diameter, and it is claimed that they will be of particularly high quality. Record-Lending Institute in Berlin. Berlin has now its lending institute for talking machine -discs. A former venture of this kind, which was intended to cater mainly for restaurant proprietors, proved a failure owing to the discs soon becoming useless through wear. The new undertaking has profited by the experience of the old and is restricting its attention to private users. Three styles of discs are carried. The cheapest subscription is three and a half marks for six discs. The same number of the most expensive discs cost five marks a month. Arrangements have also been made to furnish 10 discs a month at prices ranging from 4.20 to 6.75 marks a month and discs for from 5 to 8 marks. For 24 double discs per month the price varies between 6 and 10 marks, according to the kind of disc. Any disc can be exchanged against other discs of the same kind during the whole duration of the subscription. The exchange can be effected daily, weekly or monthly at the option of the subscriber. The subscriber can also exchange the discs singly or all at once. No doubt this idea of unlimited exchanges will be the greatest attraction to subscribers. And yet it would seem to be a perfectly sound offer and one which entails no risk to the venture, because it must always be borne in mind that only in very few cases will a subscriber exchange his discs every day. It seems safe to calculate that on an average subscribers will keep discs for at least a week. If this venture proves a success it means severe competition for the dealers in discs and records and many of them will be compelled to follow suit. On the other hand, it should certainly greatly increase the popularity of talking machine. It will, therefore, be interesting to watch developments in this direction. Talking Machine as Aid in Theater. Talking machines are often used with success in theaters, being set up behind the scenes, for instance, to imitate the cries of a crowd, of a chorus, etc. They were recently employed for a novel purpose in the Royal Opera House in Berlin. In Josef Lauff's work, "The Great King," which was given as a gala performance on January 26, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Frederick the Great, the ringing of the bells of the Garrison Church at Potsdam is heard during the last scene, which takes place in the park at Sanssouci. A wonderful imitation of the peal of bells was effected by means of a gramophone disc prepared by the German Gramophone Co. to order of the management of the Royal Theater. So true to nature was the reproduction by the auxetophone of this really magnificent record that it certainly created the impression that one was listening to the actual bells of the Garrison Church. This disc will also be placed on the public market. Austrian Dealers Organize. Word comes from Austria of the formation of a strong association of the Austrian talking machine dealers for the purpose of regulating various trade matters of direct interest to their business. The officers of the new association are: Herr Pickler, chairman ; Herren Pick and Arlett, vice-chairmen ; Herren Wieder and Hornyak, secretaries, and Herr Czadel, treasurer. Statistics of Austro-Hungarian Trade. The statistics of the Austrian and Hungarian talking machine trades for 1911 show imports amounting to 5,106 cwts., of a value of 8,169,600 kronen, against 5,680 cwts. (value 9,088,000 kronen) imported in 1910. This fall in imports of some 600 cwts. of a value of about 918,000 kronen, seems to suggest that the now large home industry is receiving increasing support. The exports reached 616 cwts. (value 739,200 kronen), against 638 cwts. (value 765,600 kronen). Of the imports by far the greater volume came from Germany, this country contributing 3,480 cwts., or some 68 per cent, of the total. France sent goods to the amount of 272 cwts., Great Britain 151 cwts. and Switzerland 227 cwts. On the other hand, of the exports Germany takes 36 per cent., the remainder being distributed between Bulgaria, Roumania, Servia, Russia in Europe and Switzerland. Form Limited Liability Companies. A large number of the manufacturing and retail talking machine houses in Germany have recently been converted into limited liability concerns for the purpose of facilitating the transaction of their growing businesses. Declare Big Dividends. The extent of the talking machine business in this country is to be realized when the earnings of the Carl Lindstrom Co. for the past year are considered. The net earnings of the company are given as 492,529 marks, and the Beka Record Co. and the Fonotipia Co. paid dividends of 12 per cent, and 20 per cent., respectively. The Lindstrom Co. paid dividends of 20 per cent, on 2,000,000 old shares and 10 per cent, on 1,500,000 new shares. The International Talking Machine Co., of Weisscensce (Germany), owned by the Fonotipia Co., declared dividends of 100 per cent. China a Poor Market. Notwithstanding a population of some 400 millions, China is still only a small buyer of talking machines. The figures of the imports for 1910 show that they totaled only 163,386 taels (a tael equals about half a crown). Nevertheless this is a 50 per cent, increase over the figures for 1907. In this market curiously enough the German exporter has not got it all his own way. He has never reached a higher position than third place, which is that he occupied in the year in question. On the other hand, Canada and the United States, who in previous years accounted for about half of the whole of the imports between them, only accounted in 1910 for 17 per cent, of the total. The actual distribution was France 17 per cent., Belgium 13 per cent., Germany 11 per cent., Russia 11 per cent., Canada 9 per cent, and the United States 8 per cent. PERFECTS TALKING PICTURES. Professor William Stirling, of London, Succeeds in Inventing Means for Synchronizing Operation of Cinematograph and Gramophone and Gives Interesting Demonstration of the Process at the Royal Institution — Separate Motors of Identical Pattern Used to Produce the Effect — Calls New Invention the "Chronophone" — Americans Will Be Interested. A dispatch to the New York Times gives an interesting report of a demonstration given at the Royal Institution, London, on May 10 by Prof. William Stirling of an invention by means of which cinefriatograph films and gramophone records taken of a public man making a speech can be presented simultaneously with the sounds and movements in perfect unison. Prof. Stirling said that the invention, which is due to the ingenuity of Leon Gaumont and his collaborator, comprised two electric motors of identical pattern for driving the gramophone and the cinematograph. There is a special arrangement by which any want of accord between the sound and the movement can be immediately rectified. A demonstration of the "chronophone," as it is called, was given two years ago, but was then not quite perfect. Siace then the inventors have overcome all difficulties. A distinguished gathering of scientists and others witnessed the demonstration. On the screen one saw Ian Colquhoun and heard him recite "The Clampherdown." M. Gallipaux acted a comic monologue, illustrating the humor of an irate telephone subscriber who cannot get his number, and this was followed by a lion tamer cowing loans that roared and leaped about him. The next was a banjo player, and a one-act comedietta, which had a railway carriage for its scene, concluded the propram. The prelude to the entertainment was a wonderful living picture of a rooster that crowed. It appeared on the screen brilliant in its natural coloring, for all the "chronophone" pictures are in natural colors, so that one saw the bronze sheen of the plumage, the red comb, and pale yellow spurs. It flapped its wings, rolled its eyes, thrust its neck upward and forward, and from its wide-opened beak there came the triumphant crow. The whole audience could watch the characteristic movements of the rooster just as if it were real and living before them. The picture of the lion tamer in his den was even more remarkable, for here there was a mixture of sounds, the man speaking, the crack of his whip, the thud of an iron bar falling on the floor of the cage, and the terrible snarls and growls of the lions, all so lifelike that it seemed impossible that the actual lion cage had not been somehow sp:rited into the room. The possibilities of the invention are obvious. At election times, for instance, a great leader can be seen and heard simultaneously in every constituency. The records of famous people will go down to posterity as they appeared and talked. Every town will be able to have its "chronophone" opera house. FORM EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE. New Committee of Columbia Phonograph Co. Will Visit Branches and Inaugurate New and Improved Methods. In line with their usual progressiveness the Columbia Phonograph Co., General, New York, has formed what is in the future to be known as an efficiency committee. The head of the committee is H. L. Willson, assistant to General Manager Lyle, of New York. Mr. Willson is at present in the West and will pay visits to all of the larger branch stores of the company, going as far West as California. His route calls for the Western trip through the Northern sections of the country and returning via the Southern route. The object of the above-mentioned committee is to promote efficiency in the branch stores, inaugurate new and more economic methods of management in both the selling departments and the manufacturing. It is easy to see that the committee has prospects of doing much good service in the interest of the Columbia company. The Farrand Co., of Detroit, Mich., has arranged to handle the Victor talking machine in its new store in Detroit next month. Salesmen Wanted WANTED — Three salesmen. Must have experience at selling Victor Talking Machines at retail. Permanent position and good salary to the right men. Apply promptly by letter only, giving full particulars, to Max Landay, general manager, Landay Bros., 563 Fifth Avenue, New York.