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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
16
company, says 1915 has been an off year in the
piano trade, notwithstanding the improvement
Holiday Business Will Not Reach Volume Dealers Expected—Some Houses Express Satisfac-
noted in the last few months, and considers the
tion—Outlook for New Year Satisfactory—Sheet Music Dealers to Meet—News of Week.
recent record nothing to boast of in either piano
(Special to The .Review.)
Weems, demonstrator of the American player or talking machine department. He still finds a
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., December 24.—While full lines, has finished his work at the Oakland elec- general disposition towards caution in expendi-
returns on the holiday business will not be in hand trical show, where he took quite a number of ture, and says Christmas buying has run more than
for some time, there seems to be a rather general Electrelle orders. Mr. Jackson will leave early usually to useful and inexpensive gifts. Locally,
feeling that the December sales will not reach the next week for a visit to the trade at Portland, also, he believes the sale of goods at the exposi-
tion has absorbed an appreciable amount of the
volume that dealers were led to expect by the Seattle and other Northern points.
Christmas money. However, in view of reports
spurt that started in October. Some houses ex-
Sheet Music Dealers to Meet.
he
has received from several leading factories, he
press great satisfaction, while others feel that busi-
The next meeting of # the local Sheet Music Deal-
ness is still far below what it should ibe. There ers' Association, to 'be held January 6, will be ad- is confident that there will be quite a revival in
is also some complaint of slow collections, though dressed by Mr. Atkins, San Francisco manager this section, but believes that, in view of the highly
uncertain after-effects of the war, a business man
this is hardly so general as it was a few months for Jerome H. Remick & Co., on the subject of
should keep himself in a position to adapt himself
ago. On the whole, the year is ending much better popular music.
quickly to sudden changes in conditions.
than it began, and even the dealers who are least
His Best Christmas Season.
Brieflets.
satisfied at present are confident of a prosperous
Clark Wise, of Clark Wise & Co., states that
year ahead, owing to the unusual industrial ac- this is the best Christmas season he has ever had
The J. D. Mariner Music House, of Reno, Nev.,
tivity which has been gradually spreading west- in the piano department, being the first, in fact, has leased a store at 27 West First street and will
ward from the larger centers.
when that department has been especially active. put in a stock there shortly.
Absence of Special Sales Gratifying.
The Fresno, Cal., City Council is considering
This he attributes to his special advertising work,
The absence of special sales of goods returned especially the circular advertising, to which he has figures on a pipe organ for the city auditorium.
from the exposition seems rather surprising, in given a good deal of attention.
The Waters Music Co. has opened a new store
view of the number of instruments returned. Thus
R. K. Maynard, of Portland, Ore., Coast repre- at Pasadena, Cal., where it will handle the Knabe,
far there has been practically no advertising along sentative of the M. Schulz Co., was a recent visitor Behr Bros., Mehlin and Behning pianos.
this HnCj which would seem to offer a decidedly to the local trade.
"Adams the Piano Man" has put in a stock of
good "excuse" for special bargains. Possibly this
Baldwin goods for the holiday season at Oroville,
Enthusiastic Over National Advertising.
is due to a desire to keep attention fixed on new
M. P. Thompson, Coast manager for the Bald- Cal.
goods through the holidays. Aside from this, it is win Co., is very enthusiastic over the national ad-
noted that local newspaper advertising in general vertising that has been done lately by the home
GONDITIONSJN CANADA
is a little light this week, at least on pianos, and office. He says it has attracted a great deal of at-
several dealers admit that the returns traceable to tention, and he is using it very effectively in a lot Steadily Bettering, According to Reports from
such publicity of late have been below expecta- of circulars that have lately been sent out from the
the Review Correspondent and Other Sources.
tions. The trade is entering the new year with local house. Mr. Thompson says that while it is
As reported by our Canadian correspondent in
stocks comparatively light. Arrivals were rather a little hard to get large cash payments, the holi-
heavy early in the month, but a great many of the day business at the local store has run well ahead last week's Review, conditions in the music trade
industry in the Dominion are steadily bettering and
instruments were needed by outside stores, and of last year.
uncertainty has been replaced by a firm confidence.
sales of late have been sufficient to clean up most
Getting Things in Shape.
The following paragraph from the Furniture Man-
of the fall purchases.
A. W. Nicholls, of the Nicholls Piano Co., says
ufacturer
and Artisan bears out the reports of The
business with him has been limited to occasional
L. S. Sherman Greatly Improved.
Review
correspondent:
L. S. .Sherman is still away from his office, but drop-ins since he moved to the new location, as
"Piano manufacturers in Canada are feeling the
is feeling much better than for about a fortnight it is difficult to make the desired additions to the
benefit of the general improvement in business to
past, and is expected back at the store by the first sales force at this time of year. He is getting
an extent that is remarkable. There are about two
of the year. Fred Sherman says the piano depart- things in shape, however, and preparing to start
dozen firms in Canada making pianos and about
ment has been quite busy for some time past, and an active outside campaign early in the new year.
half
a dozen making piano supplies. For a couple
Some Striking Window Displays.
feels that the season is closing as well as could be
Kohler & Chase are keeping up their striking of years few industries have suffered more from
expected.
window display work, the piano feature this week adverse trade conditions. Recently their business
G. J. Jackson Discusses Conditions.
being
the Andrew Kohler line, which is shown in has improved to such an extent that most of them
George J. Jackson, Western representative of
are now fairly busy. It is significant that those
the American Piano Co., and Mr. Masters, his several choice styles, while the small goods side
busily employed are the ones who kept up their
is
decorated
with
a
large
line
of
C.
G.
Conn
goods,
assistant, are very busy getting their affairs
advertising
campaigns even when business was
straightened up for the end of the year. Mr. Jack- with award ribbons, and firemen's equipment to
dull."
son says business of late for his. entire territory call attention to the recent sale to the Firemen's
has been very satisfactory, and the outlook for the Band. They now have a very large line of music
coming year is much better. He says: "There has rolls handily located on the ground floor, but have
been such an advancement made by the factories, postponed the decoration of the demonstration
(Special to The Review.)
especially in the medium-priced lines, that we feel rooms until the holiday rush is over, and are still
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 27.—Patent No.
quite optimistic as to this class of goods. The working on the new small goods rooms in the 1,164,973 was last week granted to John T. Austin,
Electrelle business is extremely satisfactory; we basement. The fourth floor is being fitted up as Hartford, Conn., for a shutter mechanism, which
are rushing through seven or eight installations for an exclusive player department.
he has assigned to the Austin Organ Co., same
A Conservative View of the Situation.
Christmas." Mr. Masters has just returned from
place, the object being to provide simple and ef-
a week s visit to Los Angeles, and Mr. Jackson
George R. Hughes, of the Wiley B. Allen Co., fective means of the character set forth by which
returned from there a few days ago. Frank ii still in Portland. Frank Anrys, manager of the one or more shutters can be tightly closed irre-
DECEMBER TRADE DISAPPOINTING IN SAN FRANCISCO.
SHUTTER MECHANISM FOR ORGANS.
Store Rack for 500 Music Rolls-$12
y feet high, 3 feet wide, holding 500 rolls. Made of metal with
bright copper finish. Keeps rolls properly classified and displays
them so you SELL rolls instead of storing them. Send the $12
today on a money-back-unless-satiified plan.
If you want more detail*
before tending the $11,
atk IT Folder No. 9.
The
Syracuse Wire Worka, Syracuse, N . Y .
spective of the fact that the same may be warped
or other conditions be present which ordinarily
would preclude the result mentioned.
While shutter mechanism involving this inven-
tion can be employed with advantage in many dif-
ferent connections, the same is of particular utility
when used in organ construction.
Ella—Did you ever hear Hamlet's soliloquy ?
Stella—No; these monologue artists make me
tired.
Two-bits is a popular
price
pp
p for popular
p p Excello Rolls.
Ar-
g m t cutting,
cttin
b o x i g etc.,
t OK.
O K Music
M i roll
ll perfection
f t i at t
rangement,
boxing,
100% degree. Special offer: 6 rolls, $1, with catalog, terms,
etc. Send for it today.
THE HERBERT CO., 179 Chestnut Street, Newark, N. J.