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THE
matter what may be the ultimate result of present inter-
N O national
complications, there is certainly no reason whatever
for any feeling of pessimism over the future of American indus-
tries. It has been said that the piano business acts as a sort of
barometer of business conditions, being one of the "luxury
trades"-—though wrongly so-called—the rise and fall whereof
mark the parallel movements of national prosperity. Of course,
when things are active in all lines, it is certain that the musical
instrument industries will benefit in proportion; but what is not
half well enough understood is that a country of our size and
resources can never be either unduly elevated or unduly de-
pressed all at once and everywhere. It is impossible that hard
times should prevail all over the country at once and in fact hard
times never do prevail in this way. Industrial depression is
usually matched by agricultural expansion and vice versa. But
in the present case, the industries of the country are in such
a condition that the coming of war would have no other effect
than to stimulate them. In Great Britain at the moment, the
piano business is in a flourishing condition, and would in fact
flourish as never before but for the appalling shortage of supplies,
for which English firms had been going to Germany and which
they are now unable to improvise in sufficient quantities to meet
trade demands. In short, the player business, like that in all
other musical instruments, would most likely find itself expand-
ing instead of contracting if extreme measures should have to
be taken by the government to uphold the honor of the nation.
HE more one analyzes the situation, the plainer it seems that
T
the ideas set forth recently with so much force and good sense
by J. A. LeCato, of the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., are
thoroughly well founded. The player-piano business of the coun-
try has not yet been scratched. Consider our enormous agri-
cultural interest. Consider the tremendous aggregate wealth of
American farmers and the steadily growing prosperity that is
theirs. Consider that education and the improvements of modern
life have made the farmer appreciate the value of good home
surroundings, and that the days when more money was spent
on housing the pigs than on housing the wife are gone forever.
When we think of only a few of these things, we cannot fail to
be impressed with the fact that the opportunity to dig deep into
the solid rich earth of the farming trade is one that cries aloud
for action. Dealers who claim that they cannot sell player-pianos
to the farmer are not fit to be selling pianos. They ought to be
handing out pounds of tea over a counter. Of course, the player-
PRIZE FOR SALESMANSHIP ARTICLE
Standard Pneumatic Action Co. Offers $50 for
Best Essay on "Player Points to Pack the
Salesman's Purse"—Rules of the Contest
Under the caption of "$50 for Some Salesman"
the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., Fifty-second
street and Twelfth avenue, New York, in its
February "Standard Player Monthly" has offered
this prize for the best article by a salesman on
"Player Points to Pack the Salesman's Purse."
The contest is open to every individual in the
world whose income in whole or in part is de-
rived from the sale of pianos and player-pianos,
whether he be in business for himself or an em-
ploye. The manuscript may not exceed 2,000
words and the contest will close June 1, 1917.
Any manuscript received after that date will not
be considered.
Contestants should write upon one side of the
sheet and manuscripts should be typewritten
when convenient, although it is not essential.
The name of each contestant should be plainly
written in the upper left hand corner of the
sheet and enclosed with the manuscript should
be either a business card or a letter giving the
names of the instruments he handles, if he is in
9
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
piano is still a new proposition to the rural citizen, and the other
day a manufacturer uncovered one of his dealers who had never
sold a player-piano to his country trade and declined even to try.
This man really seemed quite proud of the fact, whereas, of
course, he ought to have been thoroughly ashamed of himself.
The country trade is our one best bet just now. Suppose we all
get after it 1
i -:
is easy to talk in a vague way about shortages of goods and
I to T facts.
all that sort of thing, but not so easy to reduce the claims
Yet it seems fairly certain that fewer player-pianos were
sold during the holidays than might have been sold, owing to lack
of stock. So long, of course, as the piano and the player-piano
are regarded as specialties, to be sold by tricks of salesmanship
to as many as can be talked into buying them, so long will un-
scientific methods of placing orders prevail. When, however, it
is realized that the player-piano, in its various forms, is a staple
article which will sell always at its face value, and that the
demand for it is not going to stop this year or next, then we
shall have order in place of chaos. Manufacturers cannot be
expected to do all the hard work and take all the responsibility
of making up stock to meet uncertain demands. If dealers would
help in this way, they would make more money and have Jess
trouble in the process.
controversy that is always raging about something, is
•I now lashing its tail (if controversies can be said to have tails
—a controversial point) about whether the upright piano without
player action will be buried under the combined weights of the
small grand and the player upright. The whole question is per-
haps a bit academic, but it might be remarked that no one would
be the loser and many would be gainers if the ordinary domestic
upright piano were to pass into oblivion at no distant date in the
future. From the purely musical point of view the upright piano
has always been a disappointment. The natural shape of the
piano is horizontal and the fact remains true beyond all question
that the smallest horizontal piano, with strings and sound board
alike smaller than those of a standard size upright, has a quality
and volume of tone finer and larger than the other type of piano
can ever call into being. On the other hand, the player-piano
is at its best in upright form on account of the necessity for
stowing away the mechanism of the pneumatic action. The
upright player is an upright piano first of all; and also a piano
plus the technique to play it.
business for himself, or the name of the in-
dividual or firm by whom he is employed, if he
is working on salary or commission. If the re-
turn of the manuscript is desired stamps should
be enclosed.
All manuscripts are to be submitted with the
understanding that, in the event of their not
earning the first prize, the Standard Pneumatic
Action Co. may, at its option, become the owner
to all rights of publication upon the payment of
$5 for each manuscript.
PLAYING TWO PIANOS AT ONCE
WASHINGTON, D. C, February 19.—Patent No.
1,215,813 was last week granted to Richard S.
Irvine, San Francisco, Cal., for a combination
piano and organ player mechanism.
This invention relates to improvements in
musical instruments, the object of the inven-
tion being to produce an electrically controlled
contact means whereby when one instrument is
played, another instrument may be automatical-
ly played in conjunction therewith.
A further object of the invention is to pro-
duce a simple and inexpensive device and yet
one which will be exceedingly effective for the
purposes for which it is designed.
GOOD DANQUARD SCHOOL REPORT
Several New Students in January Day and Night
Classes—One Graduation During Month
The Danquard Player Action School, New
York, opened the New Year with a large number
of pupils enrolled from various sections of the
country. The report for January shows that
twelve new students were registered in the day
class and five in the night class. One student
was graduated from the day class, the latter
being Harold Beddow, of Troy, N. Y., who had
an average of 8 9 ^ per cent.
The new members of the day class are: A. L.
Olson, Kane, Pa.; Willard B. Davis, Lincoln,
Neb.; Clarence Newell, Clinton, B. C , Canada;
Elmer L. Spotts, Elverson, Pa.; L. E. Stevens,
Lebanon, Ind.; H. A. Stein, Humboldt, Sask.,
Canada; Francis A. Tavarozzi, New York City;
Leland R. Appleman, Rohrsburg, Pa.; Stanley
Learning, Bakersfield, Cal.; Frank Getman, Mo-
hawk, N. Y.; Nathaniel E. Paine, Jr., West New-
ton, Mass.; Daniel Blacklock, Newark, N. J.
Those in the night class are: Frank Pace, New
York; George Castagnetta, Astoria, L- I.; Wm.
Burrell, New York; M. L. Van Weeghel, New
York; Clifford von der Lippe, Kearney, N. J.