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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
11
BIG DEMAND FOR STEINWAY PIANOS
H. C. PRESSEY RESIGNS
OUR EXPORT AND IMPORT TRADE.
In Milwaukee Indicates Improved Times—
' Great Record Made in This Connection by
the Edmund Gram Music House—Peerless
• Automatic-Piano Also Gains in Favor.
As Officer and General Traveling Representative
of the Lester Piano Co.— His Future Plans
Not as Yet Announced.
Import Trade of Musical Instruments Shows
Decrease—Exports for Ten Months Much
Larger—Player Shipments Make Fine Rec-
ord—The Figures in Detail Regarding the
Various Instruments Furnish Some Interest-
ing Particulars for Our Readers.
(Special to The Review.)
(Special to The Review.)
Milwaukee, Wis., June 5, 1912.
Steinway sales in Wisconsin during the past
few weeks have been reaching 1 a new high mark,
according to representatives of the Edmund
Gram Music House, handling the Steinway, Ever-
ett, Steck, Gram-Richtsteig and the Aeolian and
Peerless player lines. The fact that the Gram
house is located in temporary quarters at 413 Mil-
waukee street while the handsome new Gram
building, at 414-416 Milwaukee street, is being
completed, does mot seem to have hampered busi-
ness in the least. A sale of •special interest was
made this week, when Charles H. Jackson, a mem-
ber of the Gram force, sold a Steinway miniature
grand to Dr. John W. Cunliffe, professor in the
English department of the University of Wiscon-
sin at Madison. Dr. Cunliffe had been watching
the excellent showing made by the large number
of Steinways in the university school of music,
and although various piano' houses endeavored to
place one of their instruments with him, he de-
cided in favor of the Steinway. Paul A. Seeger,
another member of the Gram sales force, disposed
of a Steinway miniature grand to M, Bargman,
president of the Manhattan Bottling Works of
Milwaukee. Sales Manager F. D. D. Holmes re-
ports other good Steinway sales, as well as a fine
showing of Everett, Gram-Richtsteig and Peer-
less sales.
Edmund Gram, accompanied by Mrs. Gram and
their eldest daughter, Miss Viola, who recently
graduated from Bryn Mawr College, have re-
turned from the East, where they attended the
Atlantic City, convention and visited various points
of interest.'.
Philadelphia, Pa., June 4, 1912.
H. C. Pressey, for many years connected with
the Lester Piano Co., and general traveling repre-
sentative as well as officer of that company, has
resigned and will withdraw from the business en-
tirely. It is not known with just what house Mr.
Pressey will connect himself, but he will not leave
the piano field, in which he has been wonderfully
successful.
GRAVE CUBAN SITUATION.
J. L. Stowers, Weil-Known Piano Dealer on the
Island, Tells of Recent Observations—Be-
lieves Intervention Necessary.
(Special to The Review.)
Tampa, Fla., June 1, 1912.
J. L. Stowers, who owns a chain of piano stores
in Cuba, was seen recently by a correspondent
after returning from the island, and talked at
length on the present situation there, stating, that
the sentiment was that Cuba will not be able to
put down the insurrection and that American
property is menaced to such an extent that in-
tervention would be all that would prevent much loss
of property and possibly life. Mr. Stowers, who
handles the R. S. Howard pianos and player-
pianos, besides other American instruments, was
quite stirred up over the situation.
"I left Havana Saturday morning," he said,
"just after receiving reports from my agents at
Santiago and Cienfuegos. They informed me that
the negroes are rapidly forming bands, small ones
at first, but merging with others until there are
now two large forces, numbering about 4,000 men.
These are arming rapidly. Evidently the leaders
had made preparations for just such an outbreak,
for they seem to be plentifully supplied with im-
ENTIRE PROPERTY TO BE SOLD. proved firearms and ammunition.
(Special to The Review.)
"Several cars of provisions have been looted by
Ann Arbor, Mich., June 4, 1912..
the rebels and whole herds of cattle have been
A foreclosure sale of the property of the Ann driven away. The latest action is threatening the
Arbor Piano Co., of this city, will take place at sugar mills. I was informed by one of my agents
public auction on Thursday, June 20. The property that a three days' notice, which would end Sat-
includes all real estate, personal property and goods urday night, was issued to all mills to shut down
manufactured and unmanufactured and in course or that they would be attacked. This is supposed
of manufacture; all office furniture, machinery, to be done to force the workers to join the rebels.
implements, tools and utensils; all accounts, bills
"The Cuban Government is making frantic ef-
and notes receivable, leases, agreements, contracts, forts to get troops into the field, but most of these
patents, and all other property.
are poorly equipped and almost unfit for emer-
Schedules of the foregoing property will be filed gency duty. The standing army numbers about
with the Register of said court, and in the office 6,000 men, but it is believed by many that it can-
of William H. Murray, receiver of said defendant, not cope with the situation unless it is mobilized
at Ann Arbor, Michigan, five days prior to the at once at the seat of the trouble.
sale thereof. Said property will be offered for sale
'The situation is so tense that wholesale deal-
in separate parcels, as set forth in the schedules ers have discontinued shipments into the prov-
aforesaid: before said several parcels are struck inces. While Havana was little disturbed by the
off to the respective bidders therefor, said property news from the provinces, all government officials
will also be offered for sale as one parcel, and as regarded the situation as the most serious that has
a going concern, and be struck off either as a
faced the present republic."
whole, or in parcels or in combination of parcels,
and such sale, or sales shall be subject to confirma-
REGULATES BILLS OF LADING.
tion by the court.
IN NEW QUARTERS IN JOPLIN.
The J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co., Kansas
City, Mo., has opened a new store in Joplin, Mo.,
, which has practically twice the floor space of the
. ;old store in that city. Pianos, small goods, sheet
music and talking machines are handled and well
displayed, there being separate parlors for the
, more prominent makes of pianos.
The Scott & Jones Co., piano merchants of
Y.oungstown, Ohio, have opened a branch store in
Niles, Ohio, with J. B. Trimmer as manager.
Merchants' Association Endorses Measure Re-
ported by Senate Committee.
The Board of Directors of the Merchants' As-
sociation has given its approval to the bill re-
ported by the Interstate Commerce Committee
to the United States Senate regulating bills of lad-
ing and defining the liability of carriers under
them. During the hearings upon this subject the
association was represented by Edward D. Page,
chairman of its Committee on Commercial Law.
The Board of Directors in aproving the perfected
bill acted upon the recommendation of Mr. Page.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, N E W YORK
Manufacturers of
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, June 4, 1912.
The summary of exports and imports of the
commerce of the United States for the month of
April, 1912, the latest period for which it has
been compiled, has just been issued by the Bureau
of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and
Labor. The figures relating to musical merchan-
dise, including pianos, organs, piano-players and
miscellaneous "small goods," are as follows:
The dutiable imports of musical instruments
during April amounted to $142,758, as compared
with $129,829 worth which were imported the same
month of 1911. The ten months' total ending
April shows importations valued at $1,304,821, as
against $1,348,545 worth of musical instruments
imported during the same period of 1911, and
$1,140,846 in 1910. This gives a decrease of im-
ports for the ten months ending April of $43,724.
The total domestic exports of musical instru-
ments for April, 1912, amounted to $311,821, as
compared with $364,258 for the same month of the
previous year. The ten months' exportation of
musical instruments amounted to $3,091,654, as
against $2,823,471 for the same period in 1911 and
$2,606,700 in 1910. This shows an increase in ex-
ports for the ten months ending April of $268,183.
Of the aggregate exportations in April there
were 870 organs, valued at $71,281, as compared
with 814 organs in 1911, valued at $59,003. The
ten months' total shows that we exported 8,399
organs, valued at $585,460, as against 7,706 organs,
valued at $534,141, for the same period in 1911 and
7,905, valued at $598,131, for the same period in
1910.
In April, 1912, we exported 683 pianos (in-
cluding player-pianos), valued at $143,767, as
against 627 pianos, valued at $145,726, in April,
1911. The ten months' total exports show 6,417
pianos (including player-pianos), valued at $1,488,-
045, as compared with 4,574, valued at $1,066,337,
exported in the same period in 1911, and 4,160,
valued at $975,934, for the same period in 1910.
Of the aggregate exportations in April there
were 126 automatic piano players, valued at $33,802,
as compared with 307, valued at $93,441, in April,
1911. For the ten months period 1,534 of these
instruments, valued at $419,472, were sent abroad,
as compared with 2,342, valued at $635,893, in 1911,
and 2,234, valued at $597,616, in 1910.
The value of all other instruments and parts
thereof sent abroad during April, 1912, amounted
to $63,171; in the same month of 1911 the value
was estimated at $66,088.
The total exports for the ten months under
this heading foot up $598,677, as against $587,100
exported during the same period of 1911, and
$435,619 exported during the same period in 1910.
This shows an increase of $11,577.
EXHIBITS AT TRAVEL SHOW.
Among the exhibitors' at the Travel and Vaca-
tion Show, recently held in the Grand Central Pal-
ace, New York, was the Pease Piano Co., which
showed several styles of pianos and player-pianos
arranged in an attractive manner, and E. Boecker,
the well-known importer, who displayed the Phono-
liszt-Violina, the Phonola, the Dea player and the
Henry F. Miller grand piano.
E. G. Hays & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., has opened
an agency in New Castle, Pa., under the manage-
ment of H. R. Sankey.
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos