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JANUARY 4, 1919
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
NEW HOME FOR ESTEY ORGAN CO.
RESIGNS AS ADVERTISING MANAGER
IMPROVE QUARTERS IN TORONTO
Four-Story Building on Forty-ninth Street, Just
Leased, to Be Occupied by Local Headquar-
ters of That Company on March 1.
Chas. A. Stein Severs Connection With Kohler
Industries to Join Birch-Field & Co.
R. S. Williams & Sons Co. Make Numerous Im-
provements to Their Store in That City and
Move Various Departments Around
The Estey Organ Co. has just leased for a
term of years the four-story and basement
building at 11 West Forty-ninth street, New
York, in a most exclusive section, and will move
the local headquarters to the new address on
or about March 1, 1919. The building, which
has a frontage of about fifty feet on Forty-ninth
street, just off Fifth avenue, occupies a lot 125
feet deep with an extension to the basement and
first floor running the full length of the lot.
The Estey Organ Co., which now maintains
offices and showrooms at 25 West Forty-fifth
street, has arranged for extensive alterations in
the interior of the new building, which will in-
clude the installation of an elaborate demon-
stration studio for Estey organs. J. W. Crook
is the local Estey manager.
Charles A. Stein, who for the past five years
has been advertising manager of the Kohler In-
dustries, resigned that position on December 31
in order to associate himself in an executive
capacity with Birch-Field & Co., general adver-
tising agents, 110 West Fortieth street.
Mr. Stein became advertising manager of the
Kohler Industries after a number of years of
VANCOUVER DEALERS TO MEET
Several Important Matters to Be Discussed by
Local Association—A Vancouver-Made Piano
—Better Retailing Conditions Prevail
VANCOUVER, B. C, December 26.—The local
Music Trades Association will get together
shortly and several important questions will
come up for discussion. The boys here are
eager for expansion and are determined to make
the Vancouver Association the best in the Do-
minion.
To develop interest in music the Daily Sun
of this city held a prize essay competition. Cash
prizes of $10, $5, $3, $2 and five of $1 each were
offered for the best essays on "Music and Pa-
triotism." The contest was open only to pupils
in Vancouver grade schools.
There has been on display in the warerooms
of Fletcher Bros, a handsome upright piano
which has only recently been completed by
Harold Harris, tuner for that firm. The case
of the instrument is made of quarter-cut oak,
and the design is of the Colonial type, full iron
plate, bush pins, copper-bound strings and over-
strung scale. This Made-in-Vancouver piano,
which has been attracting much attention late-
ly, is a striking tribute to the workmanship of
Mr. Harris. The tone of the instrument, more-
over, is of highly satisfactory character.
In conversation with Mr. Kennedy, manager
of the Mason" & Risch branch here, one is im-
pressed with the fact that better piano retailing
conditions prevail. Money being more plentiful
cash sales are in better ratio, and on deferred
payment contracts the terms are more business-
like. Where, in years gone by, considerable
trading was done on the vanity of the people,
pianos going into homes "to keep up with the
Joneses," they now go into the homes that the
children's musical education may be taken care
of. Furthermore, the people have advanced mu-
sically to a degree that the piano is indispen-
sable in the home equipment and an article that
no sane family willingly denies itself.
KNIGHT=BRINKERHOFF FIRE
Plant at Brazil, Ind., Suffers $40,000 Loss From
Gasoline Explosion
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., December 28.—A loss esti-
mated at $40,000 was caused Friday at the
Knight-Brinkerhoff Piano Co.'s plant at Brazil,
Ind., when a gasoline tank exploded, causing the
destruction of one of the company's buildings
used for the manufacture of talking machines.
T. A. Knight, proprietor of the company, said
the building would be rebuilt at once.
F. W. Evans was recently elected president
of the D. H. Holmes Co., music dealers of New
Orleans, La. He had occupied the post of vice-
president and manager of the concern for the
past ten years.
TORONTO, ONT., December 30.—Various altera-
tions are nearing completion in the retail de-
partment of the R. S. Williams & Sons Co., Ltd.,
Toronto, which, of course, will be of greater
convenience and all departments concerned will
be made much more attractive.
The small goods department, under the man-
agement of Frank Shelton, formerly located on
the ground floor, has moved to a fine location
on the ninth. The main floor is being taken
over by the phonograph department.
The retail piano department has also very ma-
terially contributed to the progress of the house.
J. A. Hassall has an energetic and loyal staff
among whom the spirit of friendly rivalry is
productive of good business and efficiency.
The old violin department, formerly located
on the fifth floor, has also been moved to the
ninth floor and the fifth floor has been taken
over by the piano department, providing them at
the present with three floors for sales purposes.
The additional one has been arranged prin-
cipally for the display of player-pianos and other
automatic instruments.
The allotment of additional space to depart-
ments was made possible by the removal of
wholesale departments to a separate building at
468 King street West, where they are now com-
fortably located and in a position to provide
much improved service.
ESTEY ORGAN FOR BIG THEATRE
Large Instrument Containing Many New Fea-
tures to Be Installed in New York
Charles A. Stein
capable service as advertising manager of the
Stevens Arms Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. His
wide experience with the various problems of
advertising enabled him to grasp quickly the de-
tails of piano trade publicity, and during his
association with the Kohler Industries he de-
veloped and broadened on a most progressive
basis the Kohler advertising activities. Mr.
Stein had charge of the dealers' service depart-
ment, as well as the general advertising, and
introduced a number of new features therein.
Mr. Stein's going will mean a distinct loss in
piano trade advertising circles. His many
friends have full confidence that he will meet
with distinct success in his new venture in the
general advertising" field, and he, of course, has
their best wishes.
E. E. Rex has joined the staff of the J. W.
Greene Co., music dealers of Toledo, Ohio.
The Estey Organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt., has
secured the contract for supplying a pipe organ
for the new theatre now being erected at Broad-
way and Fifty-first street, this city, which it is
declared will be the largest theatre in the world.
The organ also will be the largest ever installed
in a theatre. It will have a four-manual con-
sole specially designed, and several new stops,
among them one called "first violins," and will
likewise contain other novel features.
W. C. WHITNEY TO LIVE IN NEW YORK
The following announcement has been made
of the marriage of Miss Blanche Fern DaCosta,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. DaCosta, Park
Rjdge, 111., to Warren C. Whitney, vice-presi-
dent of the A. B. Chase Co., Norwalk, O., which
occurred on December 25. Mr. and Mrs. Whit-
ney will be at home, 124 West Seventy-first
street, New York City, after January 15.
STARR PLANT READY TO RESUME PEACE TIME OPERATIONS
Large Piano Manufacturing Organization in Richmond, Ind., Ceasing to Produce Balloon and Air-
plane Parts, and Will Devote Entire Facilities to Piano, Player and Talking Machine Output
A recent visit by the Review representative
to the plant of the Starr Piano Co., Richmond,
Ind., disclosed the fact that this large insti-
tution of the piano trade is rapidly changing
over from a war production basis to a peace-
time output of pianos, players, talking machines
and records. The fact is the Starr Co. was
utilizing about 90 per cent, of its factory capacity
in war work at the time hostilities were ended
on the Western front. If the war had continued
for a few months longer the Starr Co. would
have been engaged exclusively in war work,
and would have been turning out in large
quantities important parts of balloons and com-
plete airplanes. However, the minute the war
ended the officials of the Starr Co. energetically
set themselves to the task of readjusting the
factory and its output to musical instruments.
Already a great deal has been accomplished
along this line, and within a short time the
readjustment will be completed.
The Starr Co. recently announced through
an advertisement placed in The Music Trade
Review that the prices which prevailed before
Starr production was restricted by Govern-
mental order would go into effect January 1,
1919. In talking over this matter with Fred
Gennett, secretary of the company, it was
learned that the Starr Co. has acquired by its
experience with Government war business a
production efficiency never heretofore thought
possible, and hence was splendidly equipped to
supply the various needs of the music trade dur-
ing 1919.
Contrary to what happened in most factories
in the music trade field during the war period,
the working force in the Starr factory did not
decrease, but was actually increased by several
hundred employes. The activities of the Starr
Co. planned for 1919 and the succeeding years
will require the services of all of these additional
men, and the Starr organization therefore
emerges from the war considerably enlarged in
equipment and in operating force.