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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PITTSBURGH DEALERS GETTINGJTRADE ON A BETTER BASIS
Local Piano Men Believe an Organization Among Themselves Would Be of Mutual Benefit—Turn-
ing Down Undesirable Sales—Mrs. Mullen Gives Talking Machine to Soldiers
PITTSBURGH, PA., September 30.—Music dealers
of this city and vicinity are deeply interested in
the proposition made by Internal Revenue Com-
missioner D. C. Roper, whereby he urges all
retail merchants to install business accounting
systems to enable them to calculate accurately
their income taxes.
Explaining that the $8,000,000,000 revenue bii!
means an average tax of $76 for every man,
woman and child in the nation, Commissioner
Roper says that every merchant should study
the income tax law and regulations and see to
it that his accounts are kept in a manner that
will enable him to determine his net income for
taxation purposes and adds in his message that
if merchants would keep even the simplest books
of account the "bad debt" wastage would be
reduced materially.
While the message of the Internal Revenue
Commissioner does not apply particularly to the
retail piano dealers, it is worthy of mention that
there is at present a general movement among
the trade here to get the piano trade on a more
satisfactory selling basis.
This matter was incidentally referred to by
W. C. Dierks, general manager of the C. C. Mel-
lor Co., in course of a conversation with The
Review representative. He said, when queried
concerning the proposed plan to form an or-
ganization of piano merchants in this city: "I
feel that an organization of the piano men
would be a commendable move and one that
would be highly beneficial to all concerned. It
will enable the various dealers to get in closer
touch with each other and to let each other see
that 'the other fellow hasn't got horns.' It
will give the piano men an opportunity to get
together and compare notes on such business
matters as they are vitally interested in. It
will be a potent factor in weeding out the bad
pay, slow and other patrons of the piano trade
that are really not desirable. In our own
house we, within the past few weeks, turned
down at least $5,000 worth of business. Some
of the prospective customers really couldn't af-
ford to buy a piano. Others lived in houses
where the rents were far above that justified
by their earnings and still others lived in
dwellings where the fire risk was hazardous.
. These are a few of the sidelights of the piano
trade that all dealers come in contact with, and
I feel that with a body of men—men of standing
and character—such as are found in the piano
industry here an organization can be formed
that will be very satisfactory in its workings."
Mr. Dierks has just returned from a brief va-
cation spent at Louisville, Ky. While there he
took in the horse show and races.
Mrs. C. C. Mullen, secretary-treasurer of the
Henricks Piano Co., noting a request made for
a fund in the Pittsburgh Dispatch for the pur-
pose of buying a talking machine for the stu-
dent soldiers at Schenley Barracks, immediately
got in touch with the Dispatch and placed at
their disposal for the soldiers a $150 Superba
talking machine. What money had been sent
to the Dispatch fund will be utilized in buying
records. Mrs. Mullen was impelled to make the
donation by the fact that she had just returned
from visiting her nephew, who is in camp at
Cape May, N. J., and while there she observed
that the three pianos and two talking machines
were in constant use. "I felt," said Mrs.
Mullen, "that as a business woman I have not
the time to devote to some of the activities
that other women engage in, so I thought that
the gift of a talking machine would be a help
to the boys in their camp life." Mrs. Mullen
is a daughter of the late John R. Henricks, a
pioneer in the piano trade of Pittsburgh.
William Plaisted, of New York, general man-
ager of Hazelton Bros., Inc., was in Pittsburgh
on business several days the past week.
George Schroeder, Jr., of the Schroeder Piano
Co., has joined the colors and is with the Mer-
chant Marine in training at Boston, Mass.
George W. Remensnyder, of the Schroeder
Piano Co., was a visitor to the branch office and
store of the company at Butler, Pa. The Butler
BETTER BUSINESS IN TWIN CITIES
Piano Trade Shows Marked Improvement, With
Suburban Sales Leading—Redel Covering
Much Territory—Pin Shortage to Be Relieved
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, MINN., October 1.
OCTOBER 5,
1918
office is in charge of Peyton Harding, and is
located at 221 South Main street.
Horace Hays, of E. G. Hays & Co., who has
been seriously ill for quite some time with pneu-
monia, is convalescent and is able to leave his
room, As soon as he is able to travel he will
go to Cambridge Springs, Pa., to recuperate.
C. J. Roberts, manager of the Stieff Piano
Co.'s Pittsburgh branch, who is engineering the
plans for the formation of an organization of
piano dealers in this city, stated that within a
few days he will have some definite announce-
ment to make concerning the new organization,
which appears to be, meeting with favorable con-
sideration on the part of the local trade.
The Pittsburgh Art Society will open its sea-
son on October 11 with Mischa Levitzki,
pianist, in Carnegie Music Hall.
Minneapolis and St. Paul might be completed
in three days, but while there is no question
of the cities going over their quota, it must be
confessed that the generals in the dlrive cut out
a mighty big task. Of course every piano man
will subscribe liberally.
William H. Foster, Joseph E. Frank and The
Review scribe were caught for jury duty last
week, and all got away except the scribe, and
he did not want to. One would hardly believe
it, but "Bill" Foster was excused for old age,
absolutely true. Just what dodge Mr. Frank
worked is not known.
Edward R. Dyer still is rusticating in the Chi-
cago Lakes country. He selected an ideal time
for his outing for the weather of late has been
of the kind that the poets rave over.
—Piano matters have chirked up considerably
within the past few days in the Twin City terri-
tory. Almost all dealers in either St. Paul
or Minneapolis will say that business is livelier
and that the general prospects are much brighter
than they were a month ago. Now they are
beginning to worry for fear they may not be
able to obtain as many pianos as the public may
demand. The enhanced activity embraces all
lines, but principally affects the better grades
of instruments.
The city sales do not yet touch the rural
WILLIS TELLS OF PIANO'S VALUE
sales in number, and it may be doubted that
they will overtake the latter for some time, for Head of Willis & Co., Ltd., Montreal, Gives In-
the country is simply swollen with wealth and
terview in Defense of That Instrument
hardly knows what to do with the cash. True
it is that the phonograph dealers are getting
In an interview given recently to the Ottawa
much greater attention from the spenders than Journal A. P. Willis, head of Willis & Co., Ltd.,
do the piano dealers, but the latter by no means Montreal, the prominent piano manufacturers
are being ignored.
and retailers of that city, and likewise Canadian
Manager George Redel, of the Holland Piano representative of the Win. Knabe & Co. line of
Co., is spending nearly his entire time on the pianos, testified that the piano was no longer
road, as he finds there is much more business to be regarded as a luxury, but as an essential
to be had in rural districts than in Minneapolis. feature of the home. It has been found that
He left Monday night on an extended tour of man needed four things to contribute to a ra-
South Dakota. The Holland plant at Meno- tional existence. First, food; second, raiment;
monie has not been affected in a serious way third, shelter, and fourth, music.
by various war influences, but is turning out all
"To-day it is not the wealthy citizen who is
the instruments that the law allows. With good buying pianos," said Mr. Willis, "but mostly the
foresight a sufficient quantity of piano material struggling citizen, which proves conclusively the
and supplies was obtained to keep the plant in piano is no longer a luxury by any means. Mu-
operation for a long time. Barring an absolute sic teachers tell me they are teaching the poor
embargo on manufacturing the factory will con- man's children. Who knows but what some
tinue to bustle.
poor man's child may become an artist who will
The Raudenbush piano factory in St. Paul still one day mount to the highest pinnacle in the
is handicapped by the famine in tuning pins, but realms of music. Is it not a fact that some of
the leading organists in our churches have been
a large shipment of pins is on the way.
It is permissible to state in behalf of the Met- the children of comparatively poor parents?"
ropolitan Music Co. that its piano business in
"If the piano manufacturing business, for ex-
September almost doubled that of September, ample, were to be suddenly stopped," said Mr.
1917. Other dealers make no definite compari- Willis, "what would happen? It would break
son, but things are better. This statement is up the entire concert system, which is a per-
vouchsafed by the Cable Company and the Starck petual education for the great masses of peo-
stores both in Minneapolis and St. Paul, by ple. It would put a damper on church music,
W T . J. Dyer & Co., Foster & Waldo, the North- concerts, musical entertainments of all kinds, at
western Music House, R. W. Bonyea Piano Co., a time when people more than ever in the
the Brooks Piano Co., M. L. McGinnis, who world's history need the uplifting, softening and
handles the Starr pianos and phonographs, the diverting influence of music, to lessen sorrows
Watson-Marshall Piano Co., N. S. Hoogner, and imposed by war. In time we would become
the J. E. Frank Piano Co. It is safe to assume almost barbarians."
with this general experience that the other
houses will tell the same tale.
L. R. Tippin, formerly manager of the Lud-
The Liberty Loan drive in the Ninth Federal wig Music Store, Orange, N. J., is now con-
Reserve District began last Saturday w'th a nected with the piano department of the
rush. It was hoped that the campaigns in Scruggs, Yandervoort & Barney Co., St. Louis.
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.