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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
11
HEALTHY CONDITIONS IN BRONX.
Month of July Goes Out With Flying Colors—Retail Demand Has Been Active and Call Was for
Better Quality of Goods—D. E. Woolley's Outing—Chas. H. Fischer Plans—Wanamaker's
New Piano Department—Pressey's Good Record on the Road—Heppe's Clearing Sale—
Other Items of Interest to the Trade.
Business Unusually Brisk With All Music
Trade Lines and Far in Advance of Same
Period of Last Year.
The revival in orders in the Bronx district,
which was noted last week, shows no sign of
(Special to The Review.)
D. E. Woolley left this week for East Pleas- abatement, and but comparatively few of the
Philadelphia, Pa., July 31, 190G.
anton, Maine, to join his family for the next
manufacturers have thus far been able to ac-
The month of July went out to-day with flags three weeks. While there he expects to take cumulate very much surplus stock for the fall
flying as far as the Philadelphia trade is con- a run over to Brattleboro. Big things are ex- t:ade. In several of the factories, it has been
cerned. Piano selling during the month has pected by the Philadelphia branch of the Estey impossible to observe the Saturday half-holiday,
been most satisfactory, and if anything was bet- Co. this fall in the way of organ erecting, as l.ut all will have to shut down during August, as
ter than June. It started in well, and continued that firm has the assurance of a very heavy busi- the employes demand their vacation. Out-of-town
throughout the month, and as a consequence the ness all fall and winter on pipe organs, orders buyers have fought shy of the city during thf
dealers are very much elated, and take it as a now being in hand to carry them through the week, but few having been reported, and they
good omen for the future. August is expected to summer and well toward the close of the year. were for the most part from the neighboring
drop off a little, as so many people are out of On Mr. Woolley's return he will push the Es- cities. Factory room is at a premium, and sev-
town, and the business in rentals is not as tey player-piano, believing there is a great future eral of the manufacturers, who have found their
large as in July, but the dealers are looking in that instrument, the Estey product being es- facilities unequal to the demand made upon them,
for the trade to begin earlier this year than usual.
pecially well liked in Philadelphia.
are looking for additional quarters, but with
very poor success thus far.
Another healthy feature of the present condi-
The Charles H. Fischer Co. are laying their
tion is the class of goods that has been selling plans for the fall, when they expect to be in
The action manufacturers complain of the
during the summer. It has been of a higher their new home. They will not be far from scarcity of skilled labor for their work, and find
grade than for many years past, and consequently their present location, and in their new home themselves greatly hampered by its scarcity. They
the dealers are expecting that this line of trade they expect to make quite a splurge. Charles are receiving orders for September delivery, and
will continue in the fall, and it is said that Fischer believes this is possible now that they many are doubling the orders placed by them
most of the dealers are sending in their fall or- have several thousands of stockholders on their at the same period last year.
So far none of
ders for a better grade of piano than for a Looks, giving them sufficient money as well as the action factories have been able to get even
number of years. Few, if any, stencils will be sufficient influence to proceed, and he is particu- with work in hand, and they dread the advent
ordered for the fall trade, for long ago the larly encouraged with his present line of agencies, of the busy season. The hardware houses are all
Philadelphia dealers have been of the opinion which he thinks fill all requirements. The Wiss- working up to their full capacity. The demand
that a halt should be called on these pianos, but ner has grown wonderfully popular in Phila- for piano player hardware is giving them a great
the trade seemed to demand them, and there delphia in the short time that the Fischer Co. deal of extra work, and as the result they have
was no alternative.
have had the instrument, and they will still been compelled to increase their facilities, and
put in machinery specially adapted to this class
Not alone in pianos has trade been good in continue the full Kimball line, and the Steger
July, but the smaller instruments have been and Singer pianos are also popular sellers in of work.
selling very well. The biggest manufacturer of this city.
small instruments in Philadelphia, the Bauer
Joseph F. Allen is just in receipt of a few
DECLARE AGAINST "TIPS."
Co., have never enjoyed such a July business styles of A. B. Chase pianos, of which he was
as they have just had, and the orders that they entirely sold out, which gives him a full line Three Organizations of Traveling Men go on
have ahead will keep them busy well on to the of that popular instrument. He enjoyed a splen-
Record,
Officially
Against the Common
holidays, and two of the largest shipments they did business in July, not only on the A. B. Chase
Habit—Hotel Men Advised.
have made this year will leave the factory this but also on the Poole.
week and on the 15th.
( S p e c i a l t o Mho K c v ; " v . I
J. B. Woodford, manager of the Wanamaker
In conversation with Mr. Emil Bauer this piano department, has fully perfected all the
Dallas, Tex., July Bit, 1!)OG.
week in regard to the recent banjo-drum that the plans for the department when it gets in its
That the fight against the "tipping" evil in
firm had gotten out, he said that it has amazed new building. He is making definite plans for the this State is on in earnest Ly the traveling men
him the way the trade has received this new in- ornamentation of the department, and it will un- cannot be doubted when it is known that resolu-
strument. Wherever he has sent samples to the doubtedly be the finest place in the city if not tions condemning the practice have been passed
agents of the house the firm have received or- in the country when it is finally finished. The by both of the national gatherings of the Travel-
ders in return with complimentary letters, say- new department will be located in the Market ers' Protective Association and the United Com-
ing that the musicians pronounce it an innova- street side of the store, which is a good move mercial Travelers.
tion in drum building, and one which will set
on the part of the Wanamaker house, for it will
The matter was first brought up by E. R.
the players wild with delight. Already the house make that department in the most important lo- Holland, chairman of the Hotel Committee of
has more orders than stock on hand, and that cation in the store. In spite of the alterations
Post E, the local lodge of the Travelers' Pro-
department is being rushed to the limit.
at the Wanamaker store, the number of pianos tective Association.
that were handled by that department in July
The post unanimously adopted resolutions con-
have been larger than any previous month, and
demning the practice. When the meeting of tlie
the stock on hand is tremendous, when consid- State organization was held at Houston it adopt-
ered in the hand of one dealer.
ed similar resolutions. Mr. Holland went to
H. C. Pressey, secretary of the Lester Piano Buffalo and attended the national meeting of the
Co., is nearing the Pacific Coast, and everywhere order, and it also passed the resolution.
he has met with much encouragement. Large
The traveling men have informed hotelkeep-
orders have been arriving at the Philadelphia ers that they dispense entirely with tips.
store from the Middle West, and particularly
"You must pay your men enough salary to
heavy have been the orders for grands, which
keep them, because we will not add a cent to it,"
shows that the Lester grand is a big feature of
is their ultimatum.
that firm's business. By September 1 the firm
expect to make all the case work they use at
STARK ADDITION NEAE COMPLETION.
their own factory.
(Si>eci:i! to T h e lii'viow.j
The Heppe firm are busy getting ready for their
August clearing sale. They are getting together
Richmond, Ind., July 30, 3 900.
all the old or damaged pianos they own, and
The new buildings at the factories of the Starr
will run them off at prices that will surely find Piano Co. are nearing completion and the roof
takers, for they want to start the first of Sep- will be put on this week. The building will be
tember with an entirely new stock. The Heppe devoted exclusively to the manufacture of grand
factory are working hard on the new styles pianos, and it is thought that by September 1 the
Heppe, and they promise much as they are built
Starr factory will be enabled to put out three
along artistic lines, and have all the special times as many pianos of this style as they are
features in them, controlled by the firm. The now doing. A new dry kiln is also being built,
Auto-Manual Co. are also very busy for this making the fourth of this kind. This will also
season of the year, and are making additional enable the firm to increase their production.
contracts for selling the player to other firms
who will place it in their instruments this fall.
The Kaliski Music Co., Monroe, La., have pur-
James C. Miller is away from the city enjoying chased a lot on Desiard street, and will erect a
When
life along the New England coast. In the mean- modern four-story fireproof building.
«!• A* H« DRESSEL, Manager
time G. Dunbar Shewell is holding things down, completed, the music company will occupy the
1 Madison Avc, New York
and is doing a splendid business, particularly on first floor and basement entirely and portions of
the second and third floors.
the Lyric grand.
Have You
Secured Space
at the
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MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NEW YORK CITY?
September 19th to 27th 19(k>