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THE: MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
TRADE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
"SALESMEN'S OPPORTUNITIES."
OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.
Business in Excellent Shape—Behning Player-
Pianos in Favor—Change of Managers—
Trade Good in Vancouver—Mason & Risen
Co. to Open Store in Victoria—J. E. Cald-
well Joins Fletcher Bros. Forces—Has Splen-
did Record as Salesman.
How Eastern Salesmen Often Fail to Make
Good on the Pacific Coast—Difference in
Selling Methods—Must Stick to It.
Pianos and Other Musical Instruments Shipped
Abroad from the Port of New York for the
Week Just Ended—An Interesting Array of
Musical Specialties for Abroad.
(Special to The Review.)
Victoria, B. C, May 5, 1910.
Business has opened up in excellent shape with
the leading piano houses in this part of the
country. Fletcher Bros, have just received a
carload of Behning player-pianos, and have al-
ready sold more than half the shipment. These
instruments are steadily growing in favor in
British Columbia. They have also received two
cars of Gerard Heintzman pianos, which have
been divided between Vancouver and Victoria
stores, with the exception of six shipped to
Nanaimo.
There has been a change of management in
the Montelius store in this city, B. P. Green
succeeding Mr. Werner as manager. Mr. Green
has been living on a farm at Tacoma, Wash.,
for the past six or seven years, having been out
of the piano business, but he has decided to try
his hand again at the fascinating game.
The Hicks & Lovick Piano Co. report an ex-
cellent business. Gideon Hicks the head of the
firm, was in Vancouver last week and sang at the
Opera House there before the Ladies' Musical
Club, and scored quite a hit. He has a splendid
baritone voice, and is a thorough musician. On
his return to Victoria he reported the Vancouver
business as being away above his expectations,
which is gratifying in view of the fact that it
has been only a short time since they opened a
store in that city.
Supervising Agent Whitaker, of the Mason &
Risoh Piano Co., and Mr. Jones, manager of the
Vancouver store of the same firm, were in Vic-
toria last week looking for a location. They
subsequently secured a lease of the old stand of
Bleasdale & Co. When they get settled in this
city, Vancouver will have six piano houses, so it
is evident that the old slow town is waking up
a little bit.
J. E. Caldwell, the well-known piano man, has
joined the forces of Fletcher Bros, and has taken
charge of their piano department. In view of his
past accomplishments it is clear that he will
make a splendid showing in his new sphere of
activity.
PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS.
Important Subject to be Handled at Conven-
tion of National Association of Manufac-
tures Next Week—A Great Economic Waste.
When the National Association of Manufactur-
ers hold their fifteenth annual convention in
New York on May 16, 17 and 18 one of the most
important subjects to be considered will be the
prevention of accidents in manufacturing plants
and the safeguarding of employes with the direct
view of cutting down a great economic waste in
the manufacturing business in this country. About
500,000 persons suffer from accidents annually
in the United States and cause a loss estimated
at $250,000,000. It is believed that full half of
the accidents are preventable, and that at least
a large proportion of them can be prevented has
been proven in European countries, where de-
vices have been adopted and laws enacted de-
signed to protect the workman.
Employers all over the country have awakened
to the importance of the matter and the neces-
sity of prompt action with a view to bettering
conditions, and it is expected that at the coming
convention much will be accomplished towards
that end. Several papers on the subject will be
read by prominent authorities.
The W. L. Pace Piano Co., Beaumont, Tex.,
have opened a branch store in Oranges, that
State, under the management of R. E. Lee and
C. C. Miller.
A number of traveling men who recently re-
turned from the Pacific Coast have commented
upon the scarcity of first-class piano salesmen in
that territory who are open for engagement and
the difficulty experienced by various piano
houses in increasing their sales forces with the
desirable material. According to those who
know, the piano field on the Coast offers an ideal
opening for the experienced salesman who can
deliver the goods. Prospects are plentiful and
the salaries paid are much better than the east-
ern houses can offer for the same work.
A. salesman who has made a success in the
East and seeks to add fresh laurels of the Paci-
fic Coast had better consider well before making
the change unless he is able to change his
methods of doing business to suit the locality.
In all too many cases salesmen who have made
good back East have found that they are totally
unable to close with any satisfactory number of
prospects in the new field. They were conserva-
tive, painstaking and thorough, but didn't seem
to appeal to the trade. Yet those who got tired
and came back East in most cases quickly
showed their old form. And what is more to the
point is that Far Western salesmen who have
ventured into the eastern field have had the same
experience.
The average eastern salesman who decides to
go West must make up his mind to learn the
selling end of the business practically all over
again, in which endeavor he will find his knowl-
edge of pianos and the details of the business a
decidedly strong foundation to build upon. The
chief asset of the salesman in going into an en-
tirely new territory is courage, and plenty of it.
JEWETT FACTORY BUSY.
Volume of Orders Presages Summer Activity—
New Addition Ready Soon.
The factories of the Jewett Piano Co., at Leo-
minster, Mass., are very busy at the present time
and are being operated at capacity in order to
keep up with the demand from all parts of the
country. The new addition to the plant, which
will be ready for occupancy next month, will
give 9,000 square feet of extra floor space and,
judging from present conditions, the entire es-
tablishment will be kept running at full time
throughout the whole summer. 1910 is proving
a record year for the company, they having a
number of styles on the market that are much
in favor with the dealers and the public.
THE KNABE AGENCY I> DENVER.
Piano Dealers Speculating as to Who Will Get
Agency for Piano Upon Retirement of Me-
Kannon Bros.
Following the announcement of the coming
retirement from the piano business of McKan-
non Bros., Denver, Col., the trade in that city are
much interested in the speculation as to what
house will secure the agency for the Knabe
piano held at present by McKannon Bros. Sev-
eral of the larger houses are anxious to secure
the agency and the prospects are that the nego-
tiations will be lively. McKannon Bros, also
handle the Foster-Armstrong and Wegman lines.
MINERS' STRIKE SETTLED.
The strike of 40,000 miners in the district
around Pittsburg, Pa., was settled last week and
the men returned to their work. The piano deal-
ers of Pittsburg are much pleased over the set-
tlement and expect it to have an excellent effect
upon coming business.
Frederick A. Dean, the piano dealer of Spring-
field, Mass., has moved to larger quarters in the
Masonic building, that city.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, May 10, 1910.
The following were the exports of musical in-
struments and kindred lines from the port of
New York for the week just ended:
Bremen—13 cases piano players and material,
$3,900.
Buenos Ayres—3 cases piano players and ma-
terial, $954; 72 pkgs. phonographic goods and
material, $4,769.
Colon—1 case pianos and material, $200.
Copenhagen—32 cases organs and material,
$556.
Florence—1 case pianos and material, $110.
Hamburg—4 cases pianos and material, $122;
5 cases piano players and material, $560; 19 pkgs.
phonographic goods and material, $422.
Havana—13 pkgs. phonographic goods and ma-
terial, $1,279.
Leipzig—3 cases organs and material, $139.
Liverpool—1 case music, $200.
London—3 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $203; 383 pkgs. phonographic goods and ma-
terial, $8,315; 6 cases pianos and material, $3,-
350; 51 cases piano players and material, $13,-
340; 2 cases organs and material, $1,500; 3 pkgs.
phonograpnic goods and material, $149.
Melbourne—1 case pianos and material, $120;
6 cases organs and material, $178; 64 pkgs.
phonographic goods and material, $800.
Oporto—1 case pianos and material, $160.
Ringkjobing—1 case organs and material, $150.
Santo Domingo—4 cases pianos and material,
$434; 9 pkgs. phonographic goods and material,
$215.
Savanilla—65 pkgs. phonographic goods and
material, $2,950.
Stockholm—6 cases organs and material, $243.
Sydney—8 cases pianos and material, $875.
Tampico—15 cases pianos and material, $244;
1 case piano players and material, $300; 4 cases
music rolls, $485.
Vera Cruz—140 pkgs. phonographic goods and
material, $4,358.
Verona—1 case pianos and material, $306.
Yokohama—63 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $2,109.
LONG VACATION FOR PIANO MAN.
C. O. Arnold, vice-president of the Van Sant
Piano Co., who started in busines in Los Angeles,
CaL, last year, is to be numbered among the
fortunate piano men in that he is at present en-
joying a vacation of a year's duration on his
ranch near that city. F. Belles, treasurer of the
company, has retired, owing to ill health, and has
purchased an orange ranch.
A BIG PIANO DEALER.
N. M. Bradley, who handles the Kroeger and
other pianos very successfully in Rutland, Vt.,
might well be given the title of the largest piano
dealer in the Green Mountain State, standing six
feet five inches in his stockings and weighing
250 pounds. And Mr. Bradley is a mighty popu-
lar man in his territory.
WASHINGTON DEALERS EXPAND.
T. P. Culley & Son, piano dealers of 523
Eleventh street, Washington, D. C, announce the
fact that they will remodel their entire build-
ing in order to secure increased space for the
display of their large stocks of Kimball and
other makes of pianos.
R. B. OVERMAN MAKES CHANGE.
R. B. Overman, who was connected with the
Wulschner-Stewart Co. for eighteen years, has
become manager of the Indianapolis, Ind., store
of the King Piano Co.