The talking machine world (Jan-June 1919)

July IS, 1919 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 9 talking machine or the player-piano — the production of which requires little or no technical training and very little labor — has proven a dominating factor in making America musical. The war unquestionably has helped in this work, for wherever soldiers and sailors congregated in any number they had the opportunity of listening to music and plenty of it, but without the war the advertising of the industry itself has brought results that have now been acknowledged by those who keep their fingers on the pulse of advertising and its effect. It is hoped that with the ice once broken this recognition will become more general, for music advertising deserves it. THE announcement appearing elsewhere in The World this month of the return from France of E. A. Widmann, president of the Pathe Freres Phonograph Co., with contracts for producing in this country phonographs and records approximating in value $100,000,000 annually, has a deep significance for members of the trade in general, whether or not they are allied with the Pathe interests, for it means a new and important step in the development of American talking machine and phonograph production. The Pathe products referred to were formerly manufactured in France, and the transferring of the contracts for their manufacture to the United States and the placing upon the Pathe interests in this country the responsibility of taking care of all the requirements of the Western Hemisphere, together with those of England and her colonies, form one of the most important moves made in many years. While these contracts will, of course, revert most directly to the benefit of the Pathe interests themselves, they tend to lend added importance to the talking machine industry in the United States, and every factor of the industry, whether allied or competitive, basks to a certain extent in the reflected glory of the achievement. THE introduction in the House of Representatives by Representative Kelly, of Pennsylvania, of a new bill to provide for the maintenance of resale prices is naturally viewed with particular interest by piano and talking machine manufacturers, inasmuch as the provisions of the new bill apply most directly to the music industry. While it was hoped by many that the remodeled Stephens bill, with some objectionable features removed, and with provisions made for the supervision of fixed prices by the Federal Trade Commission, would be enacted into a law, it is generally believed now that the Kelly bill, broader in scope and with the objectionable features of the old Stephens bill eliminated, has even a better chance of being passed by Congress and of being enacted into a law. The bill as it now stands is designed particularly for the protection of trade-marked names and special brands by preventing price cutters from utilizing these trade-marked names, or brands, in the carrying on of their practices to the detriment of the manufacturer of the product. It provides for a number of features, including the sale of excess old style or damaged stock at other than fixed prices at appropriate intervals, that the dealer in closing out his business may offer goods at less than the fixed prices, provided he has first offered them to the manufacturer, and. includes provisions that are practical in their bearing towards possible objections to placing too much power with the manufacturer. The House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to which the Kelly bill has been referred, is expected to hold hearings on the measure in the near future, and it is expected that the music industry will be well represented at such hearings. Certain it is that in the talking machine trade at least, and in the piano trade to a considerable measure, the growth of the business has depended to a tremendous extent upon the maintenance of prices, and that its future progress likewise depends in no small measure upon some form of protection against those who cut prices and by so doing tend to cast discredit upon trade-marked names and special brands of the industry that have become household words throughout the country as a result of millions of dollars spent in advertising them. If any evils ever resulted from the old systems of price maintenance, it is quite certain that they were far more than offset by the benefits recurring therefrom. The progress of the Kelly bill, in view of the existing situation, will be watched with interest. THE importance of advertising as one of the essential factors to success in business is too obvious to need reiteration. Every progressive man to-day realizes that advertising does two things primarily — it creates a demand, and more important still it establishes a name value that is worth hundreds, thousands, or millions of dollars as the case may be, because it cost that much to create it. No more striking illustration of the value of advertising can be adduced than the following paragraph written by M. P. Gould: "The best known commercial agency in the country, an organization that does nothing but investigate business conditions, recently announced that 84 per cent, of the failures in the country were among non-advertisers. If ever there was conclusive evidence of the absolute necessity for advertising one's business, here it is . . . 'Out of every 100 failures 84 had done no advertising.' This tells the story !" IN Grand Rapids, Mich., just now there is being held the first talking machine or phonograph exhibition, with close to two score manufacturers of machines, records and accessories represented. The exhibition in Grand Rapids is indicative of two things. First, that that city has become one of the recognized talking machine producing centers in the United States, and second, that the industry has developed sufficiently to make an exhibition of such size and character worth while, and sufficiently diversified to make it interesting. It is more than likely that an annual show of this character will become a feature of the trade, just as the holding of semiannual furniture expositions is recognized as an institution. It is just one more bit of proof of the growth of the industry. Cellars and Sellers CELLAR service will soon need traffic cops to regulate it. Toil know! We don't have to even whisper. But Seller Service we like to holler about. Some Prohibition specials can now be imbibed! Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes; The Stein Song, "Simon the Cellarer," and others. SILAS E. PEARSALL COMPANY WHOLESALE ONLY Victrolas and Victor Records 1 0 East 39th Street, N. Y.