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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
DECEMBER 20, 1919
9
ST. LOUIS TRADE EXPECTED TO SHOW MARKED INCREASE
Lack of Business During Past Two Weeks Will End Almost Immediately, Say Local Piano Men—
Lehman Co. Completes Alterations—Welch & Co. Take Over Former Wurlitzer Store
ST. LOUIS, MO., December IS.—The depression in
the piano business which set in over two weeks
ago continued during the past week and even
the wisest business doctors have not been able
to diagnose the ailment to their own satisfac-
tion. A peculiarity of it is that it does not
manifest itself in the talking machine depart-
ments. Business is whizzing at all the stores
in talking machines. It may be that part of the
trouble is a reaction from too great expecta-
tions. Everybody has been expecting that as
Christmas drew near the people would be climb-
ing over each other to get into the piano stores.
Early buying probably had something to do with
it, too, for in the latter part of November there
was a good run of buying for Christmas de-
livery. It is probable, too, that when December
business is balanced and comparison made with
other Decembers it will be found that the vol-
ume is as great or greater than any other Christ-
mas month, on account of the higher prices re-
ceived, but the number of sales is falling behind.
The coal strike undoubtedly had a good deal to
do with it and it is not unlikely that with the
resumption of the mines and the industries which
were stopped or slowed down by the strike
piano sales will hum again.
Alterations have been completed at the store
of the Lehman Piano Co. which provide three
booths for the demonstration of player rolls.
The stock of rolls, which formerly occupied the
space now given over to the booths, has been
moved to the west wall of the main salesroom.
G. H. Day, formerly manager of the St. Louis
store of the P. A. Starck Piano Co., has taken
a position as salesman with the Aeolian Co.
E. A. Kieselhorst, president of the Kieselhorst
Piano Co., and his wife will leave Saturday for
Santa Fe, N. M., to spend the Christmas holi-
days with their three sons, who are attending
school at Los Alamos Ranch..
James Bradford, for several years connected
with the credit department of the Aeolian Co.,
left Saturday for Cleveland, O., to take a posi-
tion with a piano firm there. He received testi-
monial g i t s from the employes of the Aeolian
Co. and from Keystone Lodge, F. & A. M.
H. C. Dickinson, vice-president of the Baldwin
Co., was a visitor to the trade last Saturday.
Manager J. F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr
Co. music department, says that Ampico sales
have been stimulated by the Ornstein concert
last week.
Manager Russell Elam, of the Scruggs, Van-
dervoort & Barney piano department, thinks that
the recovery is already here. The day after
the strike was settled was one of the biggest in
the history of the department. Thirteen was
the lucky number of the day's sales. They in-
cluded three Acoustigrand players, the first ones
which the department has offered. They were
all three taken the day they were put on the
floor. One went to a St. Louis purchaser, one
to Alton and one to Arkansas. A Kurtzmann
Welte was another of the sales.
The factory stores have the best of the agency
stores in the matter of stock. All of the factory
stores report good shipments and their sales
floors show that they have a good supply on
hand. The floors at the other stores are thin-
ning out gradually and none of them will have
many instruments on hand Christmas eve, even
if the depression continues. As for the talking
machines, everybody will be sold out before
Christmas.
E. C. Storer, sales manager of the Baldwin
Co., says stock is coming in well and that the
Baldwin factory is about at normal production.
Welch & Co. have occupied the store formerly
occupied by the Wurlitzer Co., at 1109 Olive
street, with pianos, talking machines and fur-
niture. The firm carries the Kreutzer line of
pianos. Arthur Fihn is the manager.
O. R. Bowman, traveling representative of
Steger & Sons, Chicago, stopped here Friday
on his way to Denver. He said that the firm
had not been bothered by labor troubles, but
that coal shortage had practically put an end
to production prior to the settlement of the
miners' strike.
DEMAND OUSTING OF BOLSHEVIK
FOTOPLAYER
for the finest
Motion Picture
Theatres
AMERICAN PHOTO
PLAYER CO.
San Francisco
Chicago
New York
Workers in Packard Piano Factory Present Pe-
tition Calling for Dismissal of Worker Who
Favors Russia Over the United States
FT. WAYNE, IND., December 15.—The employes
of the Packard Piano Co. recently presented the
following petition to the management of the
plant:
"We, the undersigned employes of the Pack-
ard Piano Co., believe in the established form
of government of the United States. So be-
lieving, we do not feel we should tolerate any
one in our organization who does not so be-
lieve.
"We, therefore, ask for the resignation of
John Schedel, who has on various occasions
shown by word, deed and act that he is not in
sympathy with American ideals, and is opposed
to our form of government. Said resignation
to take effect at once."
The petition was signed by practically every
man employed in the department in which Sche-
del was employed. Employes of other depart-
ments also signed the petition.
The action of the employes follows alleged
disloyal statements made by Schedel at a meet-
ing some t'me ago.
Victor
Supremacy
The supremacy of
the Victrola is as evi-
dent in the prosperity
of Victor retailers as
in the great musical
accomplishments of
the instrument itself.
V i c t o r supremacy
means retailersuccess.
" V i c t r o l a " ;, the Registered Trademark of
the Victor Talking Machine Company designating
the products of this Company only.
W a r n i n g : The use of the word Victrola
upon or in the promotion or sale of any other
Talking Machine or Phonograph products is 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 should be used together ..to secure a perfect
reproduction.
JOSEPH R WARE DIES SUDDENLY
Pioneer Kansas City Piano Man Stricken With
Heart Disease—Was Representative of Bald-
win Piano Co. for Several Years
KANSAS CITY, MO., December 15.—Joseph F.
Ware, a pioneer in the piano industry in this
city, died recently at the home of his daughter,
Mrs. Dick Smith, 4217 Chestnut street. His
death was sudden and unexpected and was due
to heart disease. He was fifty-five years of age.
Mr. Ware came to Kansas City thirty-five years
ago and has had a wide acquaintance among
piano and music men in this territory, especially
in this city, where he was the representative of
the Baldwin Piano Co. for fifteen years. Re-
cently he has been engaged in business in
Wichita. He is survived by a widow, a daughter
and son, Joseph F. Ware, Jr., city editor of The
Post.
NEW MUSIC STORE OPENED
Charles Kasparek, representing the Topeka,
Kan., and Fairbury, Neb., music stores, opened
a music store in Brainard, Neb., recently in the
Sypal Building.
Victrola XVII, $300
Victrola XVII, electric, $365
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $25 to $950
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., U.S.A.