The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1916)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 71 2 GRE8HAM BUILDING, BA8INGHALL STREET E. C, LONDON, W. LIONEL STURDY, MANAGER. Abundant Business Has Been Experienced in Trade Circles Generally and Especially Prior to Christmas — Lack of Competent Labor Owing to War Demands Hurts Trade Progress — How Musical Instrument Factories Contributed to the Derby Scheme — Invicta Co. Developing Its Export Business — Anent the "Marathon Record" — Two Striking Posters from "His Master's Voice" Co. — Progress of Bull Dog Record Co., Inc. — Some Holiday Music — News of the Month. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) London, E. C, January 3, 1916. — In talking machine and musical instrument trade circles generally abundant business has been experienced of late, and more especially is this applicable to the December weeks prior to Christmas. Trade, of course, is by no means within approach of normality, except in one or two isolated cases, for the simple reason that the circumstances do not permit of luxuries which hitherto were largely imported being manufactured in England. The biggest trouble is the labor difficulty, which, it can easily be understood, is becoming more acute each week. The new armies are gradually swallowing up the manhood of the nation, the latest scheme of enlistment — that under Lord Derby's direction — having resulted in drawing from trade an enormous amount of labor which is absolutely irreplacable. This means a very serious pull against the country's trade. While the same restriction of labor affects the output of musical instruments, it is curious to note that the demand is comparatively unaffected. Plenty of money is being made by the millions engaged upon munitions and other necessary work, and to a large extent this surplus cash is being spent — a small proportion on musical in struments, the bulk upon jewelry, expensive clothes, etc., for the workmen's wives and sweethearts. Officialdom is apparently none too pleased at this, for it is argued that the money should be saved for the benefit of State use. All well and good ; but the man who toils twelve hours or more at a stretch maintains his inalienable right, as he puts it, to please himself regarding the laying out of that which he has earned. Hence, luxury manufactures will, t suppose, continue in demand. Certainly the musical instrument trade may pride itself upon having contributed very largely to the forces of the Crown. Factories are working with only 60, 50, in some cases 40, per cent, or less of their normal staff. I know of several instances where the principals of firms have found it necessary to return to the bench in an attempt to maintain an output which will show just a small margin of profit to justify keeping their works open. Every member of one Gramophone house has enlisted under the Derby scheme, and even the director is not out of it ! All of which, to my mind, demands some official consideration, especially as a very fair percentage of musical instrument manufactures are for the export trade, thus keeping alive a section of trade which in the national interests reacts beneficially on foreign money exchange. New Year Greetings. I would take this opportunity of extending to all my readers a very hearty good wish for happiness and prosperity during 1916, with the added hope that the new year may witness for us a satisfactory adjustment of the world's -present conflict. The Test of Real Patriotism. An instance of real patriotism came under my notice upon the occasion of a call at the Invicta Record Co.'s warehouse, New Inn Yard, E. C. In course of conversation with one of the directors, Mr. Barton, I learned that every man in the place had enlisted under Lord Derby's system, not excluding my informant. Truly one may say, "Guardsman, to the fore." A Story of Progress. The Invicta Record Co., manufacturer of the "Guardsman" double disc, is certainly out to secure a fair share of the trade hitherto the more or less monopoly of our enemies. "Our export business," said Mr. Barton, "is three times that of last year, and we are opening up in different foreign and colonial markets which previously were served by German goods." The company's only trouble, apparently, is how to keep pace with the rapid growth Of orders' from all parts of the world. As with other firms, its output is restricted by insufficient labor. Marathon Will Be Revived. When the long-playing "Marathon" record was held up on account of the parent company being forced into liquidation I ventured to make the statement, in my report, that "though this may be the last of the Marathon Co., it is not the last we shall hear of the Marathon record." I am now in possession of information which leads me to believe my prediction was not far out. At the moment, it being deemed inexpedient to publish full details, I am only permitted to say the Marathon will be shortly revived along lines which will appeal more widely to the public at large than was the case under its old regime. It is planned to publish in 10-inch and 12-inch double-sided form at 18 pence and half a crown, respectively, the records to carry popular vocal and instrumental items by reputable artists. Upon this basis there can be no (Continued on page 72.) 'His Master's Voice' — the trade-mark that is recognized throughout the world as the HALL-MARK OF QUALITY 1 Branches Agencies iiilili® "His Master's Voice" Copyright This intensely human picture stands for all that is best in music — it is the "His Master's Voice" trade-mark, and it brings to you, no matter where you are, the very best music of every kind, sung and played by the world's greatest artists — the greatest singers, pianists, violinists, orchestras and bands — all enshrined in the unequalled "His Master's Voice" records DBnCilKl Skandlnavlsk Grammophon-Aktl«aelskab, Frihavnen, Copenhagen. PBANOEi Cle. Francaise du Gramophone, 115 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, Place de la Republlque, Parla. SPAIN! Cla. Francesca del Gramophone, 56, Balmea, Barcelona. SWIDBVi Skandlnavlaka Grammophon Aktiebolaget, Drottnlng Gatan No. 47, Stockholm. BTJTSSlAi The Gramophone Co., Ltd., 45, Nevsky Prospect, Petrograd (Petersburg); No. 1 Solyanka, Solyanol Dvor, Moscow; 9, Golovlnsky Prospect, Tlflls; Nowy-Swlat SO, Warsaw; 33, Alexandrowskaya Ulltsa, Riga; 11 Mlchallovskaya Ulltsa, Baku. INDIA, i The Gramophone Co., Ltd., IS*. BalUarhatta Road, Calcutta; 7, Bell Lane, Fort, Bombay. AUSTRALIA I S. Hoffnung & Co., Ltd., Sol* Concessionaires of The Gramophone Company, Limited, 1«3, Pitt Street, Sydney. NEW ZEALAND: Gramophonium, Ltd., 118120 Victoria Street, Wellington. SOUTH AFBIOA: Darter & Sons, Post Box 174, Capetown; Mackay Bros., Post Box 251, Johannesburg; Mackay Bros. & McMahon, Post Box 419, Durban; Ivan H. Haarburger, Post Box 106, Bloemfonteln; Franz Moeller, Post Box 108, Bast London; B. J. Ewins A Co., Post Box 86, Queenstown; Handel House, Klmberley; Laurence & Cope, Post Box 132, Buluwayo; The Argus Co., Salisbury. EAST AFBIOA: Bayley * Co., Lourenzo Marques. HOLLAND: American Import Co., 22a, Amsterd Veerkade. The Hague. IT ALT i A Bossl & Co., Via Oreflcl 2. Milan. EGYPT (Also for the Soudan, Grceos and the Ottoman Empire): K Fr. Vogel, Post Box 414, Alexandria. Great Britain : The Gramophone Company, Ltd. HAYES MIDDLESEX ENGLAND