Music Trade Review

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MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
An Interesting Chat With a Member of the Trade Regarding Business Conditions as Compared
With a Year Ago—New Shipping Regulation Worth Remembering—Death of Mrs. Tuell—
Talking Machine Men at Atlantic City—What E. P. Hawkins Says—To Market the Sey-
bold Piano—J. F. Broderick on the Growth of Art Finish—Blumberg Goes East—Manager
Hill Resigns—R. K. Maynard New Adjustable Tilting Bench—Apollo Men Are Busy.
(Special to The He view.)
Grosvenor, Lapham & Co. have commenced the
Chicago, 111., July 6, 1908.
extensive improvements and enlargements to
"During the first six months of the present their fine piano store on the fifth floor of the
year," remarked the manager of the retail de- Fine Arts building. When completed it will be
partment of one of Chicago's largest piano crystal sided as well as fronted.
houses, "our retail business showed a 23 per cent.
W. S. Tuell, who represents the Cable Com-
decrease as compared with the first half of 1907. pany in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and West Vir-
This I believe was an excellent showing consid- ginia, has the deep sympathy of the trade in the
ering the trade conditions that have prevailed death of his wife. Mrs. Tuell had been ill for
during the period. Furthermore, while we sold the last six months and was in Asheville, N. C,
1'ewiT pianos than those represented by a similar in the hope of recovery. As soon as her condi-
amount of money last year, this year's output tion became serious the husband was, of course,
was, of course, a higher grade. This in itself notified by wire, but she had passed away before
would tend to reduce the selling cost, as every- he had reached Asheville.
one in the trade knows that it takes no more or
B. H. Uhl, manager of the Chicago house of
even less time to sell a high price piano than a Rudolph Wurlitzer & Co., left Saturday for the
cheap one. The main thing, however, is that Talking Machine Jobbers' Convention at Atlantic
while the volume of business in dollars and cents City, N. J. He was accompanied by his wife.
shows a decrease, the cost of doing business was They will make a tour of the Great Lakes before
reduced all along the line. One or two salesmen returning home.
were dispensed with, but the saving in other
The wife and daughter of A. B. Safford, of the
lines was equally important. Of course the
retail force of George P. Bent Co., were injured
'overhead' expense remained the same, but we
in an automobile accident on Monday of last
Boon found, when we got the economy fever, that
week. Fortunately they only sustained more or
during the times of lavish prosperity we had
less severe bruises and they were able to accom-
been unnecessarily lavish in the use of water,
pany Mr. Safford on his annual vacation this
light, etc. Moreover, we determined to find out
week.
whether we had been getting stationery and the
Since his return from the East, E. P. Hawkins,
hundred and one little items that enter into the
Western
representative for the Foster-Armstrong
economy ot a store like this, at the best price
obtainable. We took one of our men right here Co., naturally has been deluged with a torrent of
in the e:ore and appointed him our purchasing inquiries regarding the plans of the American
agent. It was only necessary for him to devote Piano Co., the new combination of the Foster
a portion of his time to this work, yet by doing Armstrong, Chickering and Knabe interests. Mr.
a little chopping around and buying everything Hawkins' classical countenance has come to wear
on a competitive basis he has really surprised an expression of childlike innocence whenever he
us by the amount of money that has been saved feels a shower of interrogation points impending.
"So far as I know there have been no plans
and therefore 'made' for us by the adoption of
made
whatever regarding any change in the
tMa plan. Now for many reasons, most of which
weie thoroughly covered by The Review in the present arrangements for the several lines in
introductory to the Chicago letter last week, we Chicago," remarked he in response to a question
are going to have a good normal fall trade, but asked by The Review. "I am devoting myself
we are going to watch the corners just as care- as usual solely to the Foster-Armstrong line. Of
fully as we have the past year. We hope we course, if I meet a dealer who wants the Chicker-
will be compelled to increase our sales force to ing or Knabe line I will gladly notify the com-
its original dimensions, but the economies we pany of the fact and they can take it up with
have been forced to practice in other respects him direct, but I know nothing of the prices or
will be continued and we shall certainly add to the terms of Knabe or Chickering pianos, and
our activities along these lines if we can do so so far as I know there have been no changes in
the factory representation of the concern. Since
without impairing the efficiency of our service."
It is important for dealers to remember that this conversation with Mr. Hawkins took place
the new regulation whereby pianos, organs, or he has left for a Western trip. While East he
players, either boxed or unboxed, can be shipped visited Canada and says that the return to nor-
In carloads at second class rates in official mal business conditions across the border is, as
classification territory is now operative. The usual, far less rapid than in the states.
J. M. Hawxhurst, Western manager for F. G.
dealers by concentrating their orders to get the
benefit of the new carload rate can effect a ma- Smith Piano Co., has returned from a trip to the
terial Baving. For instance, it amounts to ten branch houses in Kansas City and St. Louis.
T. J. Miller, of Dixon, 111., and one of the
dollars on a carload of pianos shipped from Chi-
cago to New York. As the western territory has pioneer piano dealers of the State, has enrolled
enjoyed the second class rate on carloads for himself among the agents of the Schaeffer piano.
The Seybold Piano & Organ Co., of Elgin, 111.,
some years instruments can be shipped at these
rates all over the country with the exception of are preparing actively to market Seybold pianos,
which they recently commenced to manufacture.
the South.
The Weber Bros. Manufacturing Co., of Law- Seybold organs have long maintained a high
rence, Kan., is out of the running. The stock position in the musical instrument field and con-
was sold at a trustee's sale last week. This is tain special features, such as the pipe tone. The
the kind of retribution that sometimes camps company's general reputation for excellence of
on the trail of concerns that practically pirate product will be fully maintained as they enter
well known and established names in the piano the piano world. The Seybold scale is an admir-
field. The fact that there were Webers in the able one in every respect and the piano is offered
concern had little, morally at least, to do with in three styles of cases of most artistic design.
Mr. Ackermann is certainly to be congratulated
the case.
The Matchless
CUNNINGHAM
"The piano that
has hewn its way
to the front through
a solid wall of in-
telligent conserva-
tism."
Players
Grands
Uprights
If you want to join
the forward march
of our "pushful"
army of dealers,
write for prices, ter-
ritory and proposi-
tions.
i§
upon the realization of the ideal which he has
long entertained.
F. M. Harrison, of the J. O. Twitchell sales
force, was recently married to Miss Fryberg,
formerly Mr. Twitchell's cashier, and they have
returned from their wedding trip, which ex-
tended the entire length of the Grand Trunk
Railroad system. Mr. Harrison is very enthu-
siastic regarding the scenery, especially through
the White Mountains, and no one can doubt that
he was in a mental attitude fully to appreciate
its beauties.
• -
"Slowly but surely the art finish is making its
way in the piano trade," remarked James F.
Broderick, president of the Straube Piano Co.
"In the past four weeks we have had calls from a
number of customers for this finish, and now
have under way a full line of our styles for a
certain large dealer in the dull finish.
"The demand for this finish, on account of its
beauty and artistic effect, although slow in de-
veloping in the past, promises to become propor-
tionately as large as in the higher class of fur-
niture. The art finish does away with many of
the troubles and annoyances which have hitherto
made the lot of the piano manufacturers and
dealers anything but a happy one. It does away
with winter checking and cracking and elimi-
nates many little defects which show up so
plainly on highly polished surfaces. Further-
more, the beauties of the veneer can be developed
through the art finish as well as with a high
polish. I think that the campaign of education
conducted by the Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion by its literature committee, of which I was
a member last year, will gradually open the
eyes of the dealer and buyer of pianos to the
advantages of the dull finish. In the new
catalog that I have just received from the printer
the statement is made that every style we make
can be furnished, at the option of the dealer, in
the art finish. This shows the faith I have in it."
Parenthetically, it may be remarked, that al-
though dealers may not realize it, there are "art
finishes and art finishes," and that Mr. Broderick
and his company stand for the best.
The many friends in Chicago and the western
trade of J. Blumberg, for some years western
manager for the Regina Co., although sorry to
lose him, will be glad to hear of his promotion
to the general managership of the company, suc-
ceeding Mr. Furber, who resigned to engage in
business as a member of the Manufacturers Out-
let Co. Mr. Blumberg assumed his new duties in
the east on July 1. Michael J. Faber, who has
been Mr. Blumberg's assistant in the conduct of
the Chicago office for the past few months, and
who was formerly an officer of the Healy Music
Co., is now the acting manager in Chicago.
Among the visiting dealers the past week were
Mr. Ditzell, of the Ditzell Music Co., Leaven-
worth, Kan.; Allen Marshall, of the Marshall
Music House, Beaver Falls, Pa.; R. E. Davis, of
Overeich & Arnold, La Porte, Ind., and H. E.
Clark, Michigan City, Ind.
A committee consisting of members of the
Chicago Association of Commerce and representa-
tive of the city administration has been formed
to draft ordinance and promote the construction
of industrial side tracks in the outlying districts
for the purpose of industrial settlement on large
lines. Col. E. S. Conway, of the W. W. Kim-
ball Co., is the chairman of this committee.
Ira J. Markley, representing Ludwig & Co.,
New York, has been a visitor within our gates
the past week.
J. H. Rice, manager of the Davenport (la.)
branch of the Schiller Piano Co., was a Chicago
visitor last week.
O. Hill, a most capable small goods man and
who has had charge of that department for the
past few years for the Detmer Music House, has
resigned and will take a month's vacation in the
The Cunningham Piano Co.
OFFICE AND WAREROOMS. Chestnut and Eleventh Streets
FACTORIES. Fiftieth Street, Parkside Avenue and Viola Street
Philadelphia, Pa.