The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1915)

TttE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 6i LOOK FOR RECORD BREAKING TRADE IN MILWAUKEE. Great Improvement Already Noted in Sales and Stock Shortage Threatened — New Manufacturers Enter the Field — W. P. Gensch Proves Popular Entertainer — Changes Among the Salesmen — Columbia Grafonola Demonstrated Before Teachers. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Milwaukee, Wis., November 10. — While Milwaukee talking machine dealers are not experiencing the unusually good business received during the month of October, trade is very satisfactory and is much more active than at this time a year ago. General business conditions here in Milwaukee and about the State are showing steady improvement, and dealers are confident that the holiday trade will attain a new high mark this season. The shortage of machines in all lines seems to be as serious as ever, and although jobbers are doing their best to fill orders, dealers are much concerned as to how they are going to get their stocks up in shape for the holiday trade. Jobbers seem to be finding it impossible to ship certain styles of machines even at this early date, and there seems to be no other way except for dealers to push the sale of those machines which they happen to have in stock. Victor dealers, for instance, are finding it extremely hard to secure any of the $200 Victrolas at this time, although they are receiving more of the $100 and $150 machines. Jobbers say that they could dispose of twice as many machines as they are able to at this time to dealers here in Milwaukee and about the State. As in various other parts of the country new talking machine manufacturing concerns seem to be springing up at different points about Wisconsin. The latest concern is the Milwaukee Talking Machine Manufacturing Co., which has been incorporated with a capital stock of $5,000, by C. F. Romadka, H. V. Heaney and G. W. Goodman. Factory and offices have been opened at 416-418 Fourth street. Mr. Romadka and Mr. Heaney are in direct charge. The manufacture of talking machines has also been taken up by the Lake Side Craft Shops, of Sheboygan, Wis., headed by F. A. Dennett, wellknown chair manufacturer. As announced recently, steps are being taken at Oshkosh, Wis., to manufacture a new talking machine, perfected by J. H. Ellis, formerly of Milwaukee, an inventor of the "Real Tone" diaphragm. W. P. Gensch, of the Gensch-Smith Co., 730 Grand avenue, handling the Victor line, is fast establishing a reputation as a professional whistler. He and the Victrola presented one of the interesting features on the program following the banquet of the annual Past Masters' night of the Lafayette Lodge of Masons on Oct. 29, where Mr. Gensch had the distinction of being the only one on the program who was not a Mason. Mr. Gensch and the Victrola also made a decided hit on the program at the first smoker of the Milwaukee Press Club, held recently. October trade was more than double in the Victrola department of the Edmund Gram Piano House. Manager Paul A. Seeger announces that R. C. Mosher, formerly with The Edison Shop in Milwaukee, is the latest acquisition to the sales organization. The local agency for the new Starr phonographs has been taken on by the Emil O. Schmidt Piano Co., of 310 Grand avenue. He has arranged attractive quarters. L. C. Parker, manager of the Victor department at Gimbel Bros.' Milwaukee store, recently completed the erection of a handsome new residence. Among the first guests entertained were Roy J. Keith and George Cheatle, of The Talking Machine Co., of Chicago. John T. McGrath, expert repair man, has joined the forces of the Flanner-Hafsoos Music House, where he is handling all the work in the house's Edison department. The Flanner-Hafsoos concern has been meeting with a brisk Edison business. J. H. Becker, Jr., in charge of the Victor department at the Twelfth and Vliet street store of Edward Schuster & Co., has been conducting a series of interesting concerts at the store, featuring the Victrola, accompanied by a player-piano. One of the hits on the program, presented by Mr. Becker, is the rendition of "A Perfect Day," by Evan Williams, accompanied by the player-piano. Mr. Becker says that business is very good in both machines and records. Lawrence McGreal, Wisconsin jobber for the Pathe Freres line, has moved into new quarters at 350 East Water street, where he has leased the entire fourth floor. Twenty dealers in Milwaukee and about Wisconsin have been signed up to handle the Pathe line. The Badger Talking Machine Co., jobber for the Victor line, is having its troubles in endeavoring to secure enough machines to meet at least a part of the insistent demand from dealers all over the State. S. W. Goldsmith, vice-president of the company, is still taking treatment at a Chicago hospital, but is said to show decided improvement. It is safe to say that the 7,000 or more teachers who attended the annual convention of the Wisconsin Teachers' Association, held at the Auditorium, November 4, 5 and 6, left Milwaukee with a most favorable impression of the Columbia Grafonola and Columbia records, as the result of the successful demonstration given before the convention by A. G. Kunde, Columbia jobber and dealer, 516 Grand avenue, assisted by Charles Robinson, an expert Columbia salesman, associated with Mr. Kunde, who is now giving particular attention to the schools and general educational work in Milwaukee. Mr. Kunde and Mr. Robinson presented several of the selections by Miss Margaret Wilson, and these made a distinct hit in view of the fact that Miss Wilson herself appeared before the teachers on November 5. Mr. Kunde established another new Columbia dealer in Milwaukee this month, placing the Columbia agency with Victor Vogel at Twelfth and Walnut streets. The Edison line received some excellent publicity in Milwaukee on October 12, when Christine Miller, well-known American vocalist, appeared with the Edison machine in an interesting recital, held at the Pabst Theatre before a large audience. On the program were also leading instrumentalists, including Carl Flesch, violinist, orchestral and military band ensembles. The occasion marked an experiment by William A. Schmidt, manager of the Edison Shop, in this city, to demonstrate that Thomas A. Edison, in his diamond disc phonograph has solved the problem of the "re-creation of music," as Mr. Schmidt expressed it. Miss Miller sang intermittently during the rendition of her numbers on the phonograph, so that the remarkable purity of tone, enunciation and the timbre of Miss Miller's voice, familiar to concertgoers of Milwaukee, might be noted in the record. In addition to the duets, she sang "Suwanee River," the entire house being darkened so that the audience might not have the aid of the movement of the singer's lips to show when she was singing and when not. The duet made it possible for the audience to hear the same voice, as another part, and blending in so remarkable a degree as is utterly impossible in real life, where each voice has its own peculiar characteristics, no matter how nearly it may resemble another voice. Mr. Schmidt was highly pleased with the success of his experiment. "I am glad," he said, "to have had an opportunity to demonstrate to the people of Milwaukee how really wonderful is this pet invention of Mr. Edison's. I feel that it is quite as important and means as much to the general public as was his invention of the incandescent lamp, motion pictures, or his great improvements in the telephone and the telegraph." Gustave Spankus, the enterprising young manager of the Victor department of the Hoeffler Piano Manufacturing Co., has been attracting considerable attention by the interesting window displays which he has been arranging at the Hoeffler store. Charles Robinson, now associated with A. G. Kunde, Columbia jobber and retailer, gave an" interesting address on the "Educational Value of Music" before the Mothers' Club of Milwaukee at the Third street school on November 1. Mr. Robinson's address was full of helpful ideas, showing the educational value of music in all walks of life. It was a masterly presentation, and shows Mr. Robinson's wide grasp of his subject. ACTIVE WORK FOR STEVENS BILL. Committee of National Association of Talking Machine Jobbers Visit Congressmen Adamson and Howard, of Georgia, and Senator Hoke Smith in Its Behalf. J. Newcomb Blackmail, president of the Blackman Talking Machine Co., New York, Victor distributer, returned to his desk last week after a Southern trip, the prime object of which was to serve as a member of a committee of Victor jobbers who interviewed the Hon. William C. Adamson at his home in Carrollton, Ga., with reference to furthering the interests of the Stevens Bill. Mr. Adamson was chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce in the last session of Congress, and has been a member of Congress for the past twenty years. The committee who visited Mr. Adamson, in addition to Mr. Blackman, comprised E. C. Rauth. secretary Koerber-Brenner Co., St. Louis, Mo., and George C. Mickel, Nebraska Cycle Co., Omaha, Neb., Victor distributers. These jobbers had been appointed members of a general committee to promote the interests of the Stevens Bill at last month's special meeting of the executive committee of the National Association of Talking Machine Jobbers, but this Southern trip was a special one. Before interviewing Mr. Adamson the committee of Victor distributers enlisted the support of every merchant and banker in Carrollton, Ga., together with their employes, and secured a petition of 110 names from this one town supporting and favoring the passage of the Stevens Bill. Seven of the leading business men of Carrollton served as a committee of introduction for the visiting Victor men, who spent several hours in conference with Mr. Adamson. Their arguments impressed him considerably, particularly as every merchant in his own city was open in his support of the Stevens Bill. The committee also spent some time in conference with Senator Hoke Smith and Congressman Wm. S. Howard, .of Georgia, and Mr. Blackman also visited Congressman James J. Britt, of North Carolina, on the trip northward. This Southern trip is but the forerunner of an active, aggressive campaign to be initiated by the National Association of Talking Machine Jobbers to further the passage of the Stevens Bill, which will .be introduced in the session of Congress convening next month. PRACTICALLY 100% IL That is how we are filling Victor record S orders. May we not have the opportunity of demonstrating how Well We Can Serve yOU? Exclusively Victor BADGER TALKING MACHINE CO. j&.%S?&