The talking machine world (Jan-June 1920)

232 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD March 15, 1920 EUROPfAN HEADQUARTER bWfl^^^^^ I 1m 111 2GR.ESHAM BLDG..BASINGHALL ST.. EC. LONDON c W. LIONEL STURDY, MANAGER Gramophone and Record Sales Continue at Very High Level — Trade Running Beyond Normal, But Shortage of Supplies Still Exists — Trend of Prices Continues Upward in All Lines — Mica and Shellac Are Scarce and Expensive — General Phonograph Co. Incorporated in England — German Records Appear on the Market — Leipzig Messe to be Visited by British Gramophone Men — Exhibitors at Ideal Homes Display — Federated Board of Music Industries Dine — News of Month London, E. C, England, February 27. — Though remarkable, it is a pleasant fact that British gramophone and record sales continue to maintain a very high level. Trade is really beyond the normal for this particular period of the year. It rather goes to prove the progressive expansion of our industry. Indeed, notwithstanding good supplies of machines and records, production still lags behind demand. Record factories are pressing discs continuously, day and night, and in many cases building extensions to provide room for additional presses have reached the limit. Record output is restricted not by lack of labor or presses so much as inability to find sufficient space for their installation, and factory accommodation is so scarce to-day that applicants are offering big premiums (apart from high rent) whenever any suitable building becomes vacant. This is general. But I can count half a dozen or more gramophone firms who have been waiting months for the right place. The building trade has been stagnant (in the ordinary way of building) for five years. Now its energies are concentrated on bricks and mortar and wooden shanties for house accommodation. New factory construction is much less than is really necessary, partly owing to the enormous cost of building to-day. It is a drag on the rapidly advancing progress of the gramophone trade. Supplies of machine parts and accessories are good, but still — not good enough. The principal shortage is motors, as usual. Every gramophone manufacturer, factor, or assembler is hampered by the inadequate supplies of mechanisms. The adverse money exchange rate seriously affects supplies from your side. British firms cannot place orders with American motor manufacturers until the pound sterlingreaches a more normal value. At 3.34 (quotation at time of writing) the difference between the normal value — 4.87, of our pound sterling, would bring imports of American motors to a prohibitive selling figure, freight, insurance and duty charges considered. Unfortunately, imports of motors from Switzerland are susceptible to little or no possibility of increase, because there also production is of ' less amount since the introduction of an eight-hour day in the Swiss factories. According to David Sternberg, who recently visited St. Croix, deliveries of motors from Switzerland are far short of the actual requirements of British gramophone firms. While there is good labor available, it cannot be utilized to the extent desired, owing to absence of house accommodations within reasonable distance of the factory. Accordingly, my informant is of opinion that we; cannot hope for increased supplies of Swiss mechanism for some time. From Germany a few consignments of motors are now coming through, but in small quantities. Sentiment prevents many firms from buying German goods, but others quite eagerly buy up all they can get. Price of British Records Again Increased Notwithstanding strong opposition and protests from all quarters the selling price of most articles and commodities continues upward all the time. Productivity throughout the world has been stagnant for so many years as to dislocate the whole machinery of labor and commerce. An equal length of time is required to make good the ravages, of war and its stagnating effect upon industry. The world and men are working mighty hard to-day in an endeavor to satisfy the seemingly insatiable demand for every known article of luxury and essential need. Necessity — it is nothing less — recognizes no standard of price. Buyers of raw material — of everything, outbid each other in the supply markets of the world. Other than this, there is no competition in trade as we ordinarily measure it. And without the steadying influence of competition, materials and manufactured articles soar in cost and selling price automatically. It is no wonder "that gramophone record prices are very unsteady. There is no firm rate for labor and materials. The cost is upward. And so upward goes the selling price of records and machines. The position to-day is as hereunder: The "His Master's Voice" Co. announce an increase of one shilling in the price of ten and 'His Master's Voice' — the trade-mark that is recognized throughout the world as the HALL-MARK OF QUALITY Branches Agencies '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 " Hi6 Master's Voice " records DENMARK: Skandtnavlsk Grammophua-Aktleselskab, Frlhavnej. Copenhagen. FRANCE: Cle. Franchise du Gramophone, 116 Boulevard Richard Lenoir. Place de la Republlqne, Paris. SPAIN: CompaBla del Gramftfono, 56-58 Balmes. Barcelona. SWEDEN: Skandlnarlska Grammophon-Aktlebolaget, Drottnlng Gatan No. 47, Stockholm. RUSSIA: The Gramophone Co., Ltd., 45, Nevsky Prospect. Petrograd (Petersburg) ; No. 1 Solyanka. Solyanol Dvor, Moscow; 9. Golovtnskv Prospect, Tlfflls; Nowy-Swlat 30. Warsaw; 11 Mlchallovskaya Ulltsa, Baku. INDIA: The Gramophone Co., Ltd., 139, BalUaghatta Road. Calcutta; 7. Bell Lane. Fort. Bombay. AUSTRALIA: S. Hoffnung & Co., Ltd., Sole Concessionaries of The Gramophone Company, Limited, 163, Pitt Street, Sydney. NEW ZEALAND : Gramophonlum, Ltd., 118-130 Victoria Street, Wellington. SOUTH AFRICA: Darter & Sons, Post Box 1T4, Capetown; Mackay Bros., Post Box 261, Johannesburg; Mackay Bros. & McMahon, Post Box 419, Durban ; Ivan H. Haarburger, Post Box 106, Bloemfonteln ; Franz Moeller, Post Box 108, Bast London; B. J. Ewlns & Co., Post Box 86, Queenstown; Handel House, Elmberley; Laurence & Cope. Post Box 132, Buluwayo; The Argus Co.. Salisbury. Bayley & Co., Lourenso Great Britain EAST AFRICA: Marques. HOLLAND: American Import Co., 22a, Amsterd Veerkade, The Hague. ITALY: A. Bossl A Co., Via Oreflcl 2, Milan. EGYPT (Alio for the Soudan, Greece and the Ottoman Empire) : K. Fr. Vogel. Post Box 414, Alexandria. The Gramophone Company, Ltd. HAYES MIDDLESEX ENGLAND