Presto

December, 1930 PRESTO-TIMES YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE (From The Presto, Dec. 16, 1915.) The last meeting of the year 1915 of the Progress Club of the Kohler Industries was held at the Associated Industries restaurant in New York the evening of December 13. President Mark P. Campbell was in the presiding chair. There was a very good attendance despite the stormy weather, and the usual first-class banquet interspersed with excellent vocal solos were features of the evening. The Victor Talking Machine Co. has outstanding $4,999,000 of common stock, $409,200 of 7 per cent preferred, and no bonds, says the Chicago Tribune's Investors' Guide. In the same quiet, unostentatious way by which he has won financial, commercial and industrial prominence, Mr. Jesse French, of the Jesse French & Sons Piano Co., of New Castle, Ind., has by his writing acquired no small distinction in his home city of St. Louis as a critic and poet. To Mr. French, writing is, of course, a pastime. He has a passion for good literature and he now finds time in which to indulge it. But as a poet the always alert and energetic piano merchant and manufacturer is something of a discovery in the broad sense of the piano trade. Thomas M. Pletcher, general sales manager and second vice-president of the Melville Clark Piano Co., Chicago, recently spent a few days in St. Louis, the attraction there being the opening of the new warerooms of the Field- Lippman store, reported in detail elsewhere in this issue of The Presto. One of the most novel of advertising ideas was exploited recently by the E. E. Forbes Co., of Birmingham, Ala., and also by the Springfield, 111., retail store of Jesse French & Sons. A photograph was taken of the branch division of the retailers. A large number of papier mache figures of dancing couples on a waxed floor surround a Jesse French & Sons grand piano. This idea was carried through by the French & Sons Co., of Springfield, 111. The popularity of the new F. Radle player-piano has been proved so unequivocally as to emphasize the belief of President E. J. Radle of F. Radle, Inc., New York, of seeing the 1916 mark double the output of the industry for players. Last Sunday morning the Syracuse, N. Y., Herald bore a full-page advertisement of the Clark Music Co. of that citythe firm of which Melville Clark's nephew is the head. Mr. Melville A. Clark is also the noted inventor of the famous Clark Irish Harp, an instrument which has figured largely in the general revivals of folk-singing as well as in solo recitals of modern songs, and the use of the harp for accompaniment purposes invariably adds to the splendid prestige already gained for it by the manufacturers. Say "Good-bye, Bad Business," not "Au revoir"! Max J. de Rochemont, vice-president and general manager of the Laffargue Co., New York, recently sojourned in the West and in the course of a trip to Universal City, the famous movie manufacturing town in California, encountered Charlie Chaplin and another almost equally known comic, Eddie Foy, who recently deserted the musical comedy stage for filmland. WantedGood, reliable hustler who can handle men and sell pianos on the floor. Will pay from forty to fifty dollars per week, depending upon results. The man who definitely makes good in this position can have a fourth interest in the business. Address Floor Salesman, care The Presto. Salesmen wanted in several sections of the country to handle "Ideal" player-piano rolls as a side line. Address Plaza Music Co., 11 West 19th street, New York City. WantedExclusive selling rights for piano and player-piano. Give all particulars in first letter. Address F. G. Punch, 1381 Arlington avenue, St. Louis, Mo. J. Harry Shale, president of the Foster-Armstrong Co., Rochester, N. Y., arrived in New York last week for a short visit. Mr. Shale says that business conditions throughout the country are showing great improvement. The Aeolian Co. has just announced a new Weber grand piano to be known as style LL. This piano is an unusually small grand, measuring only five feet long, and is now said to be the smallest grand piano made. (From The Presto, Dec. 20, 1900) Adam Schaaf will have out a handsome new catalogue showing several new styles of pianos within a fortnight. It is supposed that Mr. H. B. Morenus of Atlanta, Ga., will, early in the new year, become associated with the new Hobart M. Cable Piano Co. of this city (Chicago). Here is the manner in which the M. Steinert & Sons Co., of Boston, announce their business in the Boston papers: "A fine piano is an ideal Christmas gift." M. Steinert & Sons Co. have some of the largest warerooms in Boston and branch stores throughout New England. They are the sole rep- resentatives in New England for the Steinway piano, which is, they maintain, the only uniform, and invariable standard of value by which other pianos are judged. Butler Music Co., of Wabash, Ind., celebrated its first anniversary last week by a reception to its employes and a grand concert to the general public. Mr. W. H. Bush, president of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co., and Mrs. Bush returned from their trip to the Pacific coast yesterday (Wednesday). The former employes of the Harvard Piano Co., Dayton, Ky., have been very obstinate in their dealings with that house, but finally have all practically given in and accepted a proposition of the company of ten hours' pay for nine hours' work, and time and a half for overtime. Mr. George J. Dowling, manager of the Vose & Sons Chicago house, expects to leave this week Saturday for Boston. Mr. Dowling goes away happy in the knowledge of a magnificent Vose business in his territory. An extensive two-story addition will be made to the Lester Piano Co.'s factory in Philadelphia next spring. The dimensions of the proposed "annex" will be 50 by 200 feet and the contract for the work has already been given. The Tonk Manufacturing Co. is working so well up to the limit of its present facilities that it will be obliged to add about 10,000 square feet more of room to its factory. Mr. Henry L. Mason, of Boston, formerly manager of the New York branch of Mason & Hamlin, but now with the home establishment, will deliver a lecture in the Women's Century Club of Utica, N. Y., the 19th of February next. The resignation of Mr. James E. Healy from the house of Lyon & Healy, which took place on Friday last, was owing to certain disagreements and misunderstandings with other members of that concern. Mr. Edward Moulle, the eminent music dealer, musician and composer of Paris, is doing some effective though conservative advertising of his leading piano, the Steinway, in the prominent Parisian dailies, which advertising includes some of the testimonials given by eminent musicians to the merits of the Steinway piano. "Billy" Tremaine, otherwise William B. Tremaine, vice-president of The Aeolian Co., sailed on the Lucania for London last Saturday and after spending a few weeks in the English capital Mr. Tremaine will proceed to Australia. The surprising growth of trade with Australia in American pianos and organs and musical merchandise makes the latest revised official tariff on musical instruments to that country of interest to the trade in general. Mr. Anders Holmstrom of James & Holmstrom, piano manufacturers, New York, reports the completion of a new grand piano which, doubtless, is destined to make a more than favorable impression on the trade. The Milton Piano Co., of New York, is out with a new style K piano which promises to create quite a furore in the trade and among musical connoisseurs. The business of the Milton Piano Co. has grown with surprising rapidity and success, so that today its goods are found in many of the leading establishments of the country. Mr. Hobart M. Cable finds enough to keep him busy these days in looking after the details of preparation preliminary to the opening of his new factory in Chicago. George J. Dowling"I think December will be only a fair month in the piano business locally, although it includes the holidays, which generally bring an important increase of trade. We are going right along, trying to sell all the pianos we can. I don't know what is the matter with the retail business, but it is not right for this time of the year." The latest piece of piano trade news and a practical illustration that Chicago is to be a greater pianoproducing center of the United States, is the fact that Adam Schaaf contemplates the erection at once of a new piano factory at Washington boulevard and Morgan street, which will be one of the most complete establishments of this nature in the country. UNGER PUBLISHING NEW SONGS. Present indications are that the two new songs, "Smiling Silv'ry Moon" and "Martha, Only Girl of Mine," put out by the J. S. Unger Music House, Reading, Pa., will be winning numbers, especially the former. Orchestrations are in preparation and will be issued shortly, and the company has one order to supply 24 professional union orchestras in one of the larger cities of Nebraska and quite a number from Chicago. Watkins Brothers, 241 Asylum street, Hartford, Conn., are featuring a Christmas sale of Wheelock pianos. M. SCHULZ PIANOS COMPLETE THE HOME In days like these when competition is keen, any house that can produce a certain line of instruments that fill the piano requirements of a dealer so that he can satisfy his customers, is rare. It is a rarely good house that nowadays can supply the several styles and make them available to the average dealer in small and large towns. Such a house is a good one for a dealer to tie to. There are a few of such houses in the United States. Quite a number of them are in the East and several in the Central West. A house in the Central West filling this description comes to the mind of the writer as he types these wordsthe M. Schulz Co., Chicago, a piano manufacturing concern whose line of instruments meets the requirements of practically every dealer. The house of Schulz for j'ears has been making special efforts to establish the sort of reputation here indicated and the distinct proof of its success is evident among the many witnesses to the merits of the pianos produced by them. Letters from the men at interests praising the goods and the service come in at the Schulz headquarters with gratifying regularity, and Presto-Times has frequently received communications from dealers and other representatives of the Schulz instruments expressing their satisfaction at being associated with the house. Such unsolicited testimonythe opposite of any such thing as urged claimssustains the reputation of the M. Schulz Co. for its service and its good pianos like these have been a great boon to dealers and buyers. In stylish cases made from rare woods, in sizes particularly in small grands and uprights for the modern city apartments where space is limited-the M. Schulz Co. instruments are filling the requirements with the approbation of the buyers who are finding them the proper thing to give the apartment the final home touch of daintiness. INDIANAPOLIS NEWS IN BRIEF Rudolph Reuter, Steinway & Sons artist, will appear December 15 in concert at the Indianapolis Propylaeum. The Steinway concert grand will be used and a very attractive program is scheduled. The Wilking Music Co. is coming in for its share of the business although, like many others, says Christmas business is slow in opening up. The company reports the Jesse French & Sons' ensemble as being well accepted by many of the leading musicians of the city. Several of these have been sold recently and prospects for this particular ensemble are good. The Marion Music Co. have no complaint to make, and while business could be better, some instruments are being sold. One of the style " E " Schumann grands was sold to public school No. 54. The Schumann was selected after the committee had shopped at every store in the city. This is only one of the public schools that recently selected the Schumann piano, and every one that has a Schumann is more than pleased with instrument and heartily recommend it. The company has an increasing demand for radios, and sales in this department are holding their own. PIPE ORGAN BUSINESS IS PICKING UP A marked pick-up in inquiries for pipe organs in the past 60 days indicates a market approximating $7,800,000 for 1931, or a substantial increase for the industry over 19.30 figures, according to an analysis of sales by Harry F. Waters, general manager of the Estey Organ Co., made public at the New York offices of the company. Inquiries for the last two months are at a ratio of nearly 4 to 1 as compared with the preceding four months, the statement reveals. Pipe organ sales of the Estey Organ Co. for 1930 will exceed those of 1929 by approximately 10 per cent, according to the statement, which shows that sales for the year were greater than for any similar period since 1926, the statement reveals. The company's carry-over of unfilled orders will represent full time operation for four months and will be the largest for any year since 1926. Largely increased volume of sales to educational institutions is in part responsible for the exceptional showing of the company, the statement declares. Among the public school contracts closed by the company this year is listed the sale of seven automatic reproducing pipe organs to the New York city schools for $168,000. M. F. Shea, 242 Fifth avenue, N., Nashville, Tenn., who handles Starr pianos, says to the public: "Buy now for Christmas. Nothing will please your family more than a gift of a grand piano." 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