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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PIANO STAFF OF LOESER & CO. HOLDS BI-MONTHLY DINNER
Manager E. Paul Hamilton Acts as Host at Successful Gathering Held at the Crescent Athletic
Club, Brooklyn—Geo. W. Gittins, W. L. Bjur and Others Speak—Those in Attendance
The first bi-monthly dinner of the staff of the
piano department of Frederick Loeser & Co.,
Brooklyn, for the season of 1917-18, under Man-
ager E. Paul Hamilton, was held last Saturday
evening at the Crescent Athletic Club, Brooklyn.
As is usually the case with the Loeser affairs
the meeting was full of "pep" and the talks and
discussions indulged in were of* the sort to
stimulate salesmen to greater effort.
The occasion of the dinner was most timely
inasmuch as the annual sale of used pianos at
Loeser's will begin on Saturday, October 6,
and it is the ambition of the department attaches
to beat last year's record of 198 instruments sold
on the first day of the sale, and to hang up a
record of 250 sales for the first day, if possible.
After an excellent menu had been enjoyed,
Manager Hamilton, who assumed the duties of
toastmaster, introduced Geo. W. Gittins, presi-
dent of the Estey Piano Co., and also president
of the New York Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation.
Mr. Gittins reviewed briefly the wonderful
progress made by the Loeser organization and
emphasized the fact that its work was known
and recognized by piano merchants throughout
the country. In some excellent advice to the
salesmen, Mr. Gittins laid special stress on the
value of being agreeable, and being able to
smile under all conditions ofbusiness, as among
the fundamentals of success in salesmanship. He
told of the opportunities that lie in the path
of piano salesmen at the present time, and in
the course of the evening invited the entire
staff to be present at a get-together dinner of
the Estey forces to be held in November.
After brief remarks by W. L. Bjur, president
of the Bjur Bros. Co., and E. Holt, of the Estey
staff, J. A. O'Donnell, manager of the outside
department and general assistant to Mr. Hamil-
ton, made a stimulating address in which he
stated that with those he had to work with and
the efforts they were putting forth, he was the
happiest sales manager in the country. He
praised particularly the manner in which the
members of the outside and inside staffs worked
together and for the common good, and closed
with some words in reference to the coming
sale. Other speakers were E. L. Mahoney, the
player expert of Kranich & Bach; W. L. Smith,
a veteran of the Loeser staff who enjoys the
mysterious privilege of using the Bond street
door; E. H. Weeks, who had something to say
regarding the proper raiment of salesmen.
Manager Hamilton then took the floor and in
one of his characteristic forceful addresses told
the salesmen that the present year was one of
the best that the piano trade has ever been
privileged to enjoy and that the salesmen should
take full advantage of the opportunity by doub-
ling and quadrupling their efforts in getting
prospects and closing sales. He gave some
graphic instances of the ease with which it was
possible to get in touch with new prospects
when the salesman gave his full attention to
the matter at all times. In the course of his
talk Mr. Hamilton predicted that the war would
last at least another year and that the wartime
prosperity would continue for at least a year
after that, following which business must look
for a period of reaction, and possible hard times.
He urged the salesmen, therefore, to work as
hard and make as much money as possible right
now in order to be better prepared for slack
times. In closing Mr. Hamilton naturally gave
considerable attention to the coming sale and
what he expected of his staff in connection
therewith.
The manner in which the Loeser department
plans for a sale is indicated by the fact that
157,000 letters and 8,000 postcards regarding the
sale have already been sent to prospects, a
thousand people have been advised of the sale
by telephone, billboards throughout Brooklyn
have been well filled with Loeser announcements
and a $10,000 appropriation has been made for
newspaper advertising. After that, some pianos
should certainly be sold.
W. M. PLAISTED IS A HAPPY MAN
Those who attended the dinner included: E.
Paul Hamilton, manager; Geo. W. Gittins, Estey
Piano Co.; W. L. Bjur, Bjur Bros. Co.; E. L.
Mahoney, Kranich & Bach; T. F. Green, Silas
E. Pearsall Co.; J. A. O'Donnell, manager out-
side department, and of the sales staff; Wm.
Chalmers, E. Holt, E. H. Weeks, J. Warner, F.
Severence, W. Reid, A. G. Love, T. J. Walsh,
A. Allen, C. E. Nelson, G. P. Gunther, E. J.
Mehinel, H. A. Gregory, B. A. Rotolo, S. Api-
sell, F. McCarthy, J. J. Carey, G. Dean, J.
Leavy, F. Featherstone, J. Love, M. Jones, J. F.
Ennis and W. L. Smith.
MUST HE GIVE THE PRESENTS BACK ?
Returns From Extended Trip and Says He
Found Dealers Enthusiastic About New
Hazelton Piano—Great Prosperity Ahead
J. J. Caples, After Receiving Farewell Gifts
From Members of the Lauter Staff, Finds
Uncle Sam Is Not Ready for His Services
W. M. Plaisted, vice-president of Hazelton
Bros., New York, has just returned from a six
months' trip among the Hazelton dealers and
says it is his time to smile. To a representative
of The Review this week he said: "Every dealer
who has the new Hazelton has stated he has now
secured a high-grade piano, one that can be
sold at a retail price to about every customer
John J. Caples, purchasing agent of the Lauter
Co., of Newark, is now trying to find out "where
he's at." This well-known Lauter man had
prepared to leave last week for service in the
National Army, in accordance with instructions
from the War Department. He had been given
various presents from members of the company,
all the farewells had been said, and when the
final day arrived Mr. Caples was observed in the
great parade of drafted men marching to the
station.
However, after the subject had been closed
and the company had regretfully prepared to
relinquish all hopes of having Mr. Caples' serv-
ices, he appeared next morning ready for work.
It seems that on the very day of the parade
Mr. Caples was notified by mail that, owing to
the fact that his district had supplied more than
its quota for immediate service, he would not
be required at present. Accordingly, Mr. Caples
is now back on the job waiting for whatever the
future may bring forth in the way of orders
from the War Department.
CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY
Ludwig Branch Store Has Band Concert as Part
of Its Second Anniversary Celebration
GREENFIELD, MASS., October 1.—The Ludwig
Piano Co., of this city, recently celebrated its
second anniversary of business. Among the
interesting features was a band concert given
by the Greenfield Military Band in the band
stand in the public square, the concert being
given under the auspices of the Ludwig Co.
The headquarters of the concern are located at
23 Federal street, and the management reports
an excellent demand for the line of Ludwig
pianos and players featured at the store.
W. M. Plaisted
who comes in to the store, or in other words,
that the retail price of the new Hazelton pianos
and player-pianos does not prohibit its purchase
by parties who desire a high-grade instrument,
but who do not feel that they can pay a big
price. I also had much success in securing sev-
eral new agents and a considerably larger volume
of business than I had expected. I was pleased
with the condition of the country in which I
traveled, as I found farmer, mechanic and busi-
ness man well supplied with money and ready
to spend it."
The record which has been made by the
Hazelton factory has been very satisfying. Three
times as many instruments were shipped in Sep-
tember of this year as were shipped in the
same month last year. The new cases which
were put on the market last spring have also
become very popular. The factory at present
is very busy.
L. W. Andrist, of 109 Cherry street, Mankato,
Minn., has opened a new piano store.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
FORM EMPLOYES' ASSOCIATION
WHEELING, W. VA., October 1.—The employes
of the Davis, Burkham & Tyler Co. recently
formed an organization among themselves for
the purpose of promoting better teamwork
among those in the employ of the concern. The
officers of the association are W. M. Kelly,
president; R. A. D. Beaty, secretary, and J. C.
McGuire, treasurer.
DEATH OF C. J. LUTTINGER
Chas. Joseph Luttinger, a retired organ
builder, died at his home, 717 Rutger street,
Utica, N. Y., last week, following an illness of
over one year's duration. He was eighty-eight
years of age, and is survived by a widow, two
daughters and one son.
Adam Schaaf, Inc., Dallax, Tex., has recently
removed to its new store, 905 Elm street, in
the building formerly occupied by the John E.
Rogers Piano Co. This establishment is hand-
somely fitted up, and a very fine line of instru-
ments is displayed.
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos