Evening star., 1925-01-20
MUSICAL RECORDS
IN GREAT DEMAND.
Air and Newspapers Cause Of,
Amazing Boost in Pres
ent Weekly Sales.
BY J. c. RoYLE.

BY }. c. RoYLE.
Special Dispatch The Star.
NEW YORK, January 20-Advertis-
ing is the answer. That is the reason
the sale Of records by Victrola com
pany at present are running as heavy
for a week as they have for any
month last year. This Improvement
followed the radio broadcasting of
programs last week by Nictrola ar
lists. phe Brunswick Bake -Collen-
der Co, which also put selections by
stars on the air, has achieved some
what similar results.
These programs last week brought
in somewhere between 100000 and
800 600 letters from dealers and lis
taners TO station WEAF and others
whenever the programs were broad
cast 1t was necessary to put on ad-
ditional postal clerks temporarily in
some cities throughout the Eastern
section of the country to care for this
volume OF mail.
Newspapers Vital Factor.
1t is not alone the publicity given
the artists on the air which produced
the added volume of business to the
photograph companies. Each Of them
Laec newspa per advertising exten-
,'.ety in announcing their programs
throughout the territory covered by
the sending stations. The papers. in
their turn, undoubtedly haYe aided
materially through daily publication
of radio programs. In each case by
working together, the interests in
Nolved-ra dlo, phonograph and news
paper-have aided each other.
The phonOgraph industry was more
dangerously threatened by radio than
any other, yet. instead of attempting
the almost hopeless task of stem
ming the radio advance, the phono-
graph interests decided to adapt the
development to its own use. The ma
jority of the theateT managers still
are opposed to the broa adca sting of
performances by artists under their
control, in spits Of the experiences Of
the phonograph companies. Yet their
claims that the legitimate theater
has been damaged by radio do not
seem well substantiated here, at
least so far as the theatrical sue
cesses are concerned.
Radio Not Hurting Theaters.
Attempts were made in vain TO
purchase tickets for recent week day
performances OF any one Of seven
successes Seats could not be had
either at the box offices or from the
more prominent ticket agencies. In
connection with theater ticket prices,
| New Workers are proving repeatedly
that there is no easy mark like the
one from a big
One musical show recently charged
Sll seat for its opening New York
performance and turned hundreds
away. For succeeding performances
it has packed the theater at $40
seat. Yet this same show played a
whole week in Brooklyn to half-filIed
houses just before the New York
opening, with the best seat in the
house priced at S275. The Brooklyn
theater is a scent, 15minute ride
away from the New York theater
where this attraction is now playing
| but most New Workers preferred to
pay speculator just double the
Brooklyn price rather than go TO
Brooklyn.
Bill Posters Demand Raise.
They, in company with most of the
other citizens of the United States,
| would go far further to see a circus
| But probably circusgoers also will have
| to pay more for their tickets this
year than ever before. Circus plans
have been held in allegiance pending
an agreement by showmen with the
international Association of Bill
Posters and Billers. This organiza-
| tion includes the distributors of ad-
vertising which travel in advance
| of the tented shows.
The association had an agreement,
| which terminated at the end of last
season, calling for $50 a month. and
allowance of rs cents a meal and 50
a day for lodging when biIers were
| not lodged in railroad cars This
year they have demanded and been
granted s110 month, but with a
| S10a-month "holdback,' which is
paid them at the end of the season
| If they work until the show goes
| into Winter quarters. but which is
not paid if they quit before the sea-
son closes.
Protest Freight Rates.
Radio and photograph manufac-
| turers are preparing to protest to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
against an increase in rates on radio
equipment, of which they have been
notified by the official classification
committee of the railroads The new
rates affect shipments of less than
! car lots and car lots of less than
| 10000 pounds, and would mean an
added expense of about Ss,00OOO0 a
year, manufacturers estimate The
| shippers claim that a full car of any
| other radio equipment than batteries
would fail to weigh 10000 pounds