The talking machine world (Jan-June 1919)

The Talking Machine World Vol. 15. No. 2 New York, February 15, \9\9 Price Twenty-five Cents THE MAKING OF PERSONAL RECORDS INCREASES IN FAVOR HOMEWARD BOUND TO NEW ZEALAND Prominent Members of the Trade Believe That the Actual Record of the Voice Will Soon Take Its Place Alongside the Photograph in the Favor of People in the Home According to the opinion of a man who has long played an active part in the development of the talking machine industry to its present high position, there are to be expected some moves for the enlargement of the appeal of talking machines and records along entirely new or practically new lines. One of the most interesting points of his prophecy is that within a comparatively short time the personal talking machine record will be almost as common as the high-class photograph. In other words, that h\ addition to preserving a physical likeness of a loved one, people of sentiment will demand, and have offered to them, the opportunity of obtaining and preserving a record of the voice — a record that in most respects would have far greater value than even the most treasured family album. There have been in the past efforts made along the line of encouraging the making of personal records, but those concerns in a position to take up the work, so far as equipment went, have found that all their facilities were required in meeting the general demand for their products, and that the time devoted to making a personal record at a reasonable price could be devoted with far more profit to the production of a rec TO HANDLE EXPORT BUSINESS Emerson International, Inc., Organized With C. L. Seller as President to Develop Foreign and Domestic Trade — L. D. Rosenfield on Staff Emerson International, Inc., was incorporated this month for the purpose of handling and developing the export business of Emerson products and to handle the International Emerson Louis D. Rosenfield records in domestic markets. The offices of the new company will be located at 366 Fifth a\enue. New York. The officers of Emerson International, Inc., are C. L. Seiler, president; Robert Clifford, secretary, and Benj. E. Sniythe, treasurer. Mr. Seiler was previously associated with the Emerson Phonograph Co., and is well known in talking machine circles. Mr. Clift'ord was formerly connected with several prominent Chicago houses in a sales executive capacity. Mr. Smythe is first vice-president of the Scandinavian Trust Co., New York. Louis D. Rosenfield, formerly manager of the Emerson Phonograph Co.'s international record department, and a recognized authority in this branch of the industry, has joined this new company and will be in charge of the merchandising end of the business. He will also be responsible for the production of the company's catalog, and he states his detailed plans will be announced in the near future. ord that would prove salable on the general market. With the broadening of the industry, however, it is the belief that the personal record will again be taken up, and with more success than in the past. To start oft', this service will, of course, be only for those who can afford the luxury, for recording work is expensive, and where only a dozen or so records are to be pressed from the masters those dozen records must command a price that will cover recording expense, and likewise leave a profit. Where tb.is work is specialized in, however, it is believed that a sufficient demand could be created, especially among the " wealthier people in the larger cities, to put the plan on a paying basis. The talking machine man in question even goes so far in his belief as to hold that if the plan was properly exploited, and inciuiries carefully classified and grouped, the recording experts with their apparatus can make a very profitable tour of the country, stopping for necessary periods in the various cities and finishing their work of producing the final records upon their return to the laboratories. It is an interesting thought regardless of its ultimate practical value. THE POLICY TO WHICH TO ADHERE One price! The fixed, uniform, fair price is the one strong protection of the small dealer against his big competitors who can afford to slaughter prices to control trade. Price-cutting in its essence is in restraint of trade. Let Congress make note of this fact. BUSINESS DEPENDS LARGELY Louis M. Nathan, of Auckland, N. Z., in New York After Long Service in British Army Among the many interesting visitors to the city the past few weeks was Louis M. Nathan, of the firm of Arthur H. Nathan, Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand, who handles the Grafonola and Dictaphone lines through the London office of the Columbia Co. He was en route to San Francisco after spending two years in the British Army, and naturally had many interesting experiences during his long and distinguished service. He stated that during the past year he had received splendid reports through New Zealand regarding the business outlook, and is now ready to enter a campaign for new achievements in the Antipodes. TALKER LURES WILD DUCKS Oregon Attorney Adopts a Modern Form of Decoy With Much Success Portland, Ore., F~ebruary 3. — Luring wild ducks with a phonograph brought Ben Woolner, former Oakland City attorney, the legal limit in 15 minutes on the marshes of California. Woolner has a dictagraph in his office. He procured a duck and let it squawk into the transmitter, making a record of its sounds. Then, with a shotgun, the machine and some friends for witnesses, he set out for the marshes. The machine was placed in position and the "duck" record was put on. As soon as the squawks began to issue forth wild game mobilized from all points of the compass. Woolner shot his limit and came home. He has called his device the "Duckwerfer." It has a range of 1,000 yards. [No affidavits accompany this story.— Editor.] UPON YOUR~SALES EFFORTS Wm. Maxwell, Vice-President of Thos. A. Edison, Inc., Tells How Dealers Can Be Patriotic and Also Expand Their Business by Helping Uncle Sam's Returning Soldiers Become Salesmen "Under the stimulus of the war there was practically no sacrifice which we were unwilling to make. Patriotic fervor ran high, and, while there were a few human cooties who profiteered, they were an almost inappreciable minority. Taken in the aggregate, our wartime patriotism was practically above reproach, but a lot of us seem to feel that the necessity for patriotism ceased on the day the armistice was signed. The soldiers quit fighting that day and the work of transition from war to peace began. The responsibility was shifted from General Pershing to you and me. What are we going to do about it?" asks Wm. Maxwell, vice-president of Thos. A. Edison, Inc., in-a recent statement. "During the war your business and my business were not regarded as very important. You and I, however patriotic we may have been and no matter how much money we invested in bonds or gave to the Red Cross, probably did not contribute a great deal to the winning of the war. Certainly our respective 'contributions were relatively insignificant when we are compared with the boys who wore the uniform. "Those boys are now coming back from camp and overseas. It's going to be a burning shame if a single one of them has to wait for a job. This is your chance and mine to demonstrate that our patriotism did not come to an end with the end of hostilities. Every soldier salesman we put on not only makes a job for that man, but if he turns out to be a good salesman his work makes work for others. "Of course, you are going to take back all of your former employes who went to war — unless there are gold stars on your service flag. But that isn't enough. The man who has ten good salesmen working for him makes more profits and does more business than the man who has only one. "This year gives every promise of being a banner year. The merchant, particularly the phonograph merchant, who doesn't put on additional salesmen to plant the seed and reap the harvest of orders that 1919 holds in store for him has probably nothing but sheer laziness as an excuse. "Once in' a while a merchant tells me that he would like to hire a salesman if he could get a good one. In other words, he is too lazy to take a little initial pains in training and directing the work of a green salesman. If farmers were too lazy to 'break' colts what would happen to agriculture? Many of you merchants consider the farmer unprogressive, but there are some merchants who are equally lacking in progressiveness. "Uncle Sam took stunted, narrow-chested East Side boys ''and made fighting wildcats of them. There is practically no kind of an American or Canadian who cannot be made into .;a good fighting man, and there is certainly no American or Canadian, of reasonably suitable type, who cannot be made into a salesman. "Training a salesman, is one of the most profitable things a merchant can do. I know that it takes time, but it is time which you can well afford. I am sure you are now spending a portion of your time on work not one-half so important to the success of your business as the hiring and training of a few salesmen. "Every Edison dealer has plenty of elbow room and ample population on which to work. The size of. your business depends principally upon the size Of your sales effort. How much sales effort. will you put forth this year?"