The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1915)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 9 ler, general manager Victor Co., and other Victor officials will be present. Mr. Geissler came from California years ago to assume the general management of the Victor Co. He was for many years a distinguished factor in the music trade life of the Pacific Coast, being a partner in the famous house of Sherman, Clay & Co. Mr. Geissler 's old friends on the Pacific Coast will have a warm welcome for him. This will be the first time that President Johnson has attended the jobbers' annual meet, and the Victor representatives will be delighted to have him join them at San Francisco. THE advantage of business association with interests of stability and permanence is obvious. In every trade there are institutions of ephemeral existence which delude buyers with more or less flamboyant promises, few of which are ever kept. Their appearance on the business horizon is somewhat comet-like, leaving a faint illumination for a while and then total extinction. Every trade has had 'visitations from this type of men. So far as this trade newspaper enterprise is concerned, we have always endeavored to make reasonable investigation before accepting the business announcements of clients, and we have at various times rejected advertising because the investigation made did not disclose what was to our mind satisfactory conditions. DESPITE the references to the value of efficiency in the talking machine and other industries it is a curb on our perfection or our pride to know that, according to the philosophic statistician of a large business house, the proportion of mistakes made every day in the business world of New York averages twenty-five to every 100 transactions. This does notmean 25 per cent, of serious errors, but that one-quarter of the business transactions of New York show an error large or small in judgment or action. The statistician declares that the general managers of all large concerns make at least one mistake a day in the conduct of their business affairs. It is true that this one mistake is not so easily detectable as are the mistakes of subordinates. Only the general manager's secretary or confidential stenographer knows about it in most cases. Yet the mistake is made. What kind of mistake? Well, one kind is where the general manager has been informed by his subordinate that a certain matter must have his yes or no as soon as it can be given. The general manager may be hurrying away for a week-end or going out to the golf links on an early train. He will say : "Bring that to my attention on Monday." On Monday the matter is brought to his attention again, but he is just going to lunch with a visitor. He postpones it again. When he takes it up finally the situation that called for his decision has changed, and no matter which way he decides a certain opportunity has been lost. Of course, the general manager in most cases makes light of the remissness. Before his subordinate he affects to believe that it is just as well that nothing was done because it might have led to unsatisfactory entanglements. The subordinate knows bettter, but he doesn't presume to say so. In fact, he would have advised his superior to have come to a decision while the situation could be saved had he dared. But he knew that such advice would have met with haughty rebuff. And it may as well be noted that the same sort of remissness on the part of a subordinate would meet with severe reprimand from the general manager. The latter would be likely to tell the subordinate that such conduct was very reprehensible. But this is not a recital of the differences between employer and employed. The mistake statistician figures that 15 per cent, of the daily mistakes in the business world are in computations. Bookkeepers are supposed to be exact, yet not a day passes that some absentminded man at a ledger is not setting down naughts where there should be sixes and fives where there should be eights. He is putting trouble in cold storage through the mistake. It will not be discovered perhaps for months, but when it looms up it will have become a mountain of error. There are few lines of business where mistakes do not occur. We have them on the railroads, in the telegraph world, even in the banks where they are most quickly ascertainable — in fact, the men at the head of the concerns make trivial mistakes of routine every day. In fact, they are part and parcel of humankind, but mistakes by the men who direct things seem the more flagrant because they have so many aids to prevent error. All in all, if the statistician is correct in his computation, the business world is far from the goal of infallibility that many suppose it long ago reached. In the case of mistakes made by the big or little fellows in control remember : "To err is human." IDEAS are as essential to progress as a hub to a wheel, for they form the center around which all things revolve. Ideas begin great enterprises, and the workers of all lands do their bidding. Ideas govern the governors, rule the rulers, and manage the managers of all nations and industries. Ideas are the motive power which turn the tireless wheels of toil. Ideas raise the plow-boy to president, and constitute the primal element of the success of men and nations. Ideas form the fire that lights the torch of progress, leading on the centuries. Ideas are the keys which open the storehouses of possibility. Ideas are the passports to the realms of great achievement. Ideas are the touch-buttons which connect the currents of energy with the wheels of history. Ideas determine the bounds, break the limits, move on the goal, and awaken latent capacity to successive sunrise of better days. DITSON Victor SERVICE WE know every condition involving all Victor retail sales and we know that having the goods is an important factor towards getting the big profits. For your benefit, we maintain the largest stock in the East of Victor machines, records and supplies, and you can feel sure that your orders receive quick attention. The Ditson organization is trained to render the leading service and you can link up your store to our warehouse and feel safe. Ask us to explain the value of Ditson cooperation. It means much to your business. OLIVER DITSON CO. BOSTON CHAS. H. DITSON & CO. NEW YORK