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OCTOBER 12,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1918
STREET CAR STRIKE HANDICAPS BUFFALO PIANO TRADE
Tie-Up of Transportation Facilities Keeps Shoppers at Home—Loan Quota Oversubscribed by
Music Trade—Difficult to Get Laborers Who Are Steady—News of the Week
BUFFALO, N. Y., October 7.—The one big event
which is engaging public attention in Buffalo
this week is the street car strike, which is wide-
spread throughout the city.
Thousands are
using motor trucks for transportation purposes.
The downtown piano, talking machine and other
stores are losing thousands of dollars on ac-
count of the tie-up because an army of shop-
pers living any distance from the central busi-
ness district prefer to do their buying at their
neighborhood stores rather than take a chance
on the makeshift irregular service which the
motor truck men offer. According to the Buf-
falo Retail Merchants' Association, of which
some of the piano firms are members, that or-
ganization lost upward of $100,000 on the first
day of the strike. There seems to be little let-
up in the losses as the strike progresses. It is
estimated that Buffalo's workers, who have been
held up in getting to their employment, have
lost $25,000 in wages and the plants many thou-
sands in working hours and production. Some
of the downtown stores report that during the
strike they are doing only one-quarter of the
regular total of their daily trade.
The report of the division of trades of the
general distribution committee of the Liberty
Loan campaign has been submitted. The re-
port includes the following: "Piano, musical
instruments, manufacturers and merchants, in-
cluding talking machine jobbers and dealers, W.
H. Daniels, chairman—Quota, $215,000; amount
already subscribed $217,650."
This brief report means that the piano and
talking machine men of this city have already
gone "over the top" in the campaign and will
likely surpass considerably the mark set for
them.
To buy instruments and sheet music for the
regimental band at Fort Porter, Buffalo, the
directors of the Chromatic Club, a musical or-
ganization of this city, has set out to raise funds.
The band plays for the patients at the hospital.
Chromatic Club members and other persons in
sympathy with the cause are sending contribu-
tions to Miss Sylvia E. Spencer, 172 Linwood
avenue, Buffalo.
Piano dealers these days have to use diplo-
macy in handling unskilled help they employ as
janitors, porters and in other work. The rea-
son of the independent spirit of these employes
is that it is very easy for them to get work else-
where. In fact, the dealers say that such help
won't stick to their positions. They seem in-
oculated with the wanderlust germ and when
they decide to lay down in the middle of a job,
with good money in sight, it seems physically
impossible to induce them to stay.
C. N. Andrews, of W. D. & C. N. Andrews,
talking machine jobbers of Buffalo, recently fig-
ured in a runaway accident in Syracuse. He
and his father-in-law, W. H. Collins, ninety-
three years old, were riding in a carriage to a
train on a "gasless Sunday," when the accident
occurred. Both escaped injuries. The team
was stopped by Private J. Noel, of the U. S.
army, who before he accomplished the feat was
dragged for nearly a block.
Fred P. Besser is taking a special course in
artillery at an officers' training camp in France.
He was formerly employed by Mr. Andrews.
MADISON
Piano Co.
Incorporated
Manufacturers
The Madison Tone—
Supreme—Its Own
219 Cypress Ave.
NEW YORK
The Utley Piano Co., Inc., emphasizes that if
a customer wants to be certain of securing the
maximum value for what he spends for a piano,
he must buy from a house of unquestioned repu-
tation. According to this firm its reputation
"has been earned by a policy of fair treatment
of patrons, extending over a period of seventy-
six years."
Following the precedent set in the days of old
by Jenny Lind and Adelaide Patti, Miss Amelita
Galli-Curci, who appeared in Buffalo recently,
visited the piano store of Denton, Cottier &
Daniels. The famous singer listened to a few
of her records on the Victrola and also greeted
the head and employes of this firm.
Buffalo firms, which in the past had a profit-
able trade in the sale of coin-operated pianos to
local "drink emporiums," have already lost
much of that business on account of the closing
of one thousand of these places in this city and
throughout western New York.
Piano and
talking machine dealers generally agree, how-
ever, that the so-called "dry movement" will
give the working people more money to spend
on pianos, players, talking machines and rec-
ords.
Victrola XVII, $275
BACON PIANO AT CAMP LEE
Victrola XVII, electric, $332.50
Mahogany or oak
Letter Received by W. P. H. Bacon, President
of Bacon Piano Co., Praises Instrument Pur-
chased for Officers' Training School
Among the recent sales made by the Bacon
Piano Co., New York, was one to the Central
Officers' Training School, Camp Lee, Va., where
a Bacon piano is now being used for the bene-
fit of the men who are training there.
In connection with this Wm. P. H. Bacon,
president of the company, received the follow-
ing comment from Joseph B. Darcey, treasurer
of the Company Council, Eighteenth Company
C. O. T. S.: "Enclosed please find check for the
Francis Bacon piano which arrived this morn-
ing. All the members of the company and espe-
cially the pianists are delighted with its beau-
tiful tone."
The Francis Bacon upright and player-pianos
have been in use for many years in musical
conservatories, schools, colleges, theatres and
auditoriums all over the country. Several of
these instruments may also be found aboard
United States battleships, and that this piano
also appeals to the men in the army is evidenced
by the commendation above.
Other styles $22.50 to $950
Victor
Supremacy
The Victor has earned
its supremacy by the
great things it has ac-
tually accomplished.
The large measure of
success enjoyed by the
Victor retailers is in
keeping with Victor
supremacy.
D. E. H0LBR00K WEDS
Dallas Music Man Marries While on His Va-
cation—Bride a Former Dallas Girl
DALLAS, TEX., October 7.—D. E. Holbrook, for
fifteen years connected with the Will A. Wat-
kin Co., music dealers of this city, and who is
widely known throughout the Southwest, sur-
prised his friends by marrying Miss Viola
Sparks, of Wellington, Tex., a former Dallas
girl, while on his annual vacation recently. The
happy couple have returned from their honey-
moon trip and are now established in their beau-
tiful new home in this city, where they have
been receiving the congratulations of a host of
friends.
Victor Talking Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., U. S. A.
Berliner Gramophone Co., Montreal,
Canadian Wholesalers
" V i c t r o l a " j , the Registered Trade-mark of
the Victor Talking Machine Company designating
the product! of this Company only.
W a r n i n g : The me of the word VictroU
upon or in the promotion or sale of any other
Talking Machine or Phonograph product! it mis-
leading and illegal.
I m p o r t a n t N o t i c e . Victor Records and
Victor Machines are scientifically co-ordinated
and synchronized in the processes of manufacture,
and their use, one with the other, is absolutely
essential to a perfect reproduction.
M. MAX ON LATE VACATION
M. Max, manager of the piano department of
Gimbel Bros. New York store, expects to leave
shortly for a month's vacation in Northern
Canada. Wm. J. Lewis has recently joined the
Gimbel sales staff. Mr. Lewis has been con-
nected with Krakauer Bros, for the past ten
years.
Liberty Bonds or German Bondage -take your
choice.
"HIS MASTERS VOICE"