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THE
Out-of-Town Trade Better Than Local—Con-
fidence Needed to Improve Business—Spear
East—Recent Visitors—Vacations Now in
Order—Branch Managers Visit Baldwin Co.
(Special to The Review.)
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
The Grau Piano Co. report a fine week's busi-
ness done in Lindeman players. Last week's
trade was fair generally. The firm sees a pros-
perous fall season ahead. Jos. F. Volz, vice-presi-
dent of the Grau Co., returned from his vacation
last week. The outing was of the typical rusti-
cating kind.
E. H. Pauling, manager of the Starr Piano Co.,
spent the week in Springfiald, Hamilton and
Middletown, visiting branch stores. W. O. Kirk,
of Cherry Fork, O., wholesale representative of
the Starr house, was a visitor during the week.
we find a very clever contribution entitled "The
Genesis of the Copy Man," by John Irving
Romer, the new editor, and well known to the
piano trade through the fact that he is also the
manager of publicity for the Aeolian Co.
Another article which is admirably conceived
is that written by Benjamin H. Jefferson, the
advertising manager of Lyon & Healy, of Chi-
cago, entitled, "A Small Chart for Small Adver-
tising Managers." The publication throughout
is full of "meat" and is a splendid augury of
the success of Printers' Ink under its new man-
agement.
There also appear in this issue many letters
congratulating Mr. Romer on his assuming
editorial change of this publication, and to
the success ol which he contributed so much in
the early stapes of its career.
Cincinnati, 0., July 21, 1908.
The piano trade continues dull here in the city.
The dealers find the country and up-state towns
in better shape and are doing nearly all their
business there. The tendency of sales is toward
SELFRIDGE'S_LONDON PLANS.
the higher-priced lines, the cheaper grades hav-
ing few calls. Generally speaking, the piano Transplanted Chicagoan Intends to Handle
men are well satisfied with existing conditions,
Pianos in the Big Department Store Which
believing the usual summer dulness is on and
He Is Building in London—American vs.
that the fall will line up in fine form.
British Customs—Why American Pianos Will
"Confidence," said one dealer, "is all that's
Have Little Chance.
BACK TO PROSPERITY.
needed to place business where it ought to be.
The country is in fine condition; the farmer has
There is some talk to the effect that H. C. National Association Again Appeals for United
more than he ever had, yet he delays his buying Selfridge, who was formerly manager of Mar-
Action by All Interested.
for no other reason than 'to see what's ahead.' shall Field & Co.'s establishment, and also in
Inject confidence in the public mind of the coun- business for himself in Chicago, and later in
(Special to The Review.)
try and business will take on its old vigor." It London, England, intends introducing a special
St. Louis, July 20, 1908.
may be added that this man is a member of one piano department in the big store which he is
Under the caption "Back to the Full Dinner
of our big piano concerns, and he is not a Taft now erecting in the British capital.
Pail and Regular Dividends," a pamphlet, de-
man. Sentiment politically is about evenly di-
Those members of the trade who approached scribing the present conditions of capital and
vided on the means of restoring confidence via Marshall, Field & Co. some years ago for the labor as contrasted with those of last winter
the election.
purpose of inducing them to install a piano de- and spring, was mailed throughout the country
Howard Spear, manager of the Aeolian Co., is partment in their great emporium in Chicago, to-day by the National Prosperity Association.
spending a time in the East, mixing business realized that Mr. Selfridge, who was then man- This association was organized in St. Louis two
and recreation. He expects to return about ager, was as strongly opposed to the idea as were months ago to further the return of normal busi-
August 3. The local office reports business quiet, the Marshall, Field & Co. interests. But he has ness conditions, and was responsible for having
due to the summer season.
evidently changed his mind because London is June 1 named as "Employment Day." In part
the article says:
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. report a good week not Chicago.
"Thirty days after we had begun work the
in the Steinway department, claiming several
The introduction of American ideas of piano
big sales to prominent parties. The high-grade selling in London may sound well on paper, but spirit of encouragement had developed such
lines appear strong, with the dulness of sum- we venture to say that if Mr. Selfridge introduces strength locally that between 17,000 and 20,000
mer resting heavy upon the cheaper grades.
a piano department in his new store he will men were put to work in the industries and
Edwin B. Pfau, of the Autogrand Piano Co., develop it along British lines, and moreover, commercial establishments of St. Louis and its
Connersville, Ind., was a Wurlitzer visitor last will handle the usual styles of pianos so much suburbs, and orders for $5,000,000 worth off
Friday.
beloved by our cousins across the sea. It is goods to increase stocks were given.
"The re-employment idea proved widely in-
The John Church Co. report a quiet week in not as easy to shatter British customs as it was
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago and
local trade, but claim a fine showing in the to introduce western methods of piano selling fectious.
wholesale department for high-grade instru- into New York. The up-to-date ideas of system many smaller places took up the proposition,
ments. The Everett line especially is making a and concentration will, of course, be employed, adopting dates to suit each community.
fine showing. L. L. Alnutt, of Chattanooga, Tenn., and to very great advantage, because of the "Results are evident. Business activity has
was a visitor last week, sizing up pianos and economies effected, but the British or would-be been accelerated. There is a co-operative expres-
prices.
British shopkeeper, whether he operates an as- sion of confidence everywhere. There is less
The Krell Piano Co. apparently are having semblage of shops, or a single one, is not prone recklessness against business and industrial in-
terests. There has been more improvement in
some difficulty in gaining the consent of three to inaugurate startling or spectacular ideas of
sixty days than has followed any preceding
piano trade journals to act as judges in its con- retailing.
panic in a corresponding period. We believe that
test which is to decide the oldest piano in this
If pianos are to be sold by Mr. Selfridge in
section. Several journals have declined to serve London, we venture to say they will not be sold if level-headed, common-sense, straightforward
for reasons of their own. One has consented to by American salesmen, and that the percentage business men will pull together we can get back
serve, and Manager Hollingsworth is hustling of American pianos to be handled will be very to a healthy and prosperous condition in six
months instead of taking from three to five years
for the other two.
small. The better classes in Great Britain do
C. E. Guild, floor salesman of the Krell ware- not buy pianos in department stores, and Ameri- to complete the restoration, as has been the
rooms, has left for a vacation, after which he can pianos or player-pianos being necessarily case with former panics."
goes to Wheeling, W. Va., to locate. His suc- high-priced, and standing in the front rank,
THE BIG WINNERS OF THE CAMPAIGN.
cessor here has not been determined upon, but when it comes to quality as well as price, they
Manager Hollingsworth is seeking a young, ac- must be surrounded with sympathetic environ-
The Price & Teeple Piano Co. have sent to the
tive man for the position.
ment to appeal to the people who can afford to trade a unique novelty which is quite seasonable.
The Baldwin Piano Co. were visited by a num- buy such instruments. It is said that Mr. War- It is a portrait in colors in the center of a
ber of their branch house managers during the ing, head of the department store known as folder, accompanied on either side by openings
week, their purpose being to place orders with Waring's of London, is back of Mr. Selfridge's containing isinglass in red and green. When the
the factory for instruments. Among those here enterprise.
red is .turned on the portrait it shows a picture
were: H. C. Dickinson, of Chicago; E. H.
of Bryan, and when the green is turned on it
Hereth, of Indianapolis; 0. S. Boyd, of St. Louis;
shows a picture of Taft. Underneath appears
"PRINTERS' INK" CELEBRATES
E. E. Beach, Mr. Williams and Mr. Bingel, of
the query, "Which Bill goes to the White House?"
Chicago, and Mr. Wilson, of Denver.
Its Twentieth Anniversary by the Publication The printed text above the portrait is as fol-
W. B. Wren, manager of the Smith & Miller
of a Number of Exceeding Interest—Many lows: "Either way the Price & Teeple piano is
Piano Co., has gone to Detroit to visit the Clough
Articles by Leaders in the Domain of Pub- a big winner. Made in Chicago."
& Warren Co., which now owns and directs this
licity.
local piano house. Mr. Wren is getting the local
The annual meeting of the Carl Hoffman
sales force in good working order, and expects
Printers' Ink has well been designated "The Music Co., Kansas City, Neb., took place on
results therefrom this fall.
Little Schoolmaster," and the twentieth anni- Wednesday, representatives being present of the
Manager H. B. Lewis, of the Cable Company, versary number, issued this week, deserves that Emerson Piano Co., Chickering & Sons and the
spent last week in Chicago, at the annual meet- title. It contains a number of special articles Sterling Co.
ing of the branch house managers. He reports of unusual interest to all desirous of keeping in
a fine trip and outlook good as seen by the Cable touch with current publicity, written by men of
I. Delson is making arrangements for opening
people.
experience in their chosen fields. Among others a piano store at Coal City, 111.
POOLE
Appeal to cultivated tastes. They are
marvels of beauty and form at once a
valuable accessory to any piano store
7 APPLETON STREET, BOSTON. MASS.