Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EASTER DISPLAYS A FEATURE OF PITTSBURGH TRADE
Window Displays Reflecting the Spirit of Easter Help Attract Business—Steady Trade Reported
—Kaufmann Male Quartet Gaining Popularity Rapidly—Personals and Other News
PITTSBURGH, PA., March 29.—In spirit with the
Easter season the progressive piano merchants
of this city have, during the past week, taken
cognizance of the great religious festival and
incorporated the universal love of music in the
heart of mankind by showing the beauty and
harmony that prevail under dominance of
noble and elevating music. Many of the piano
merchants utilized their show windows for ap-
propriate displays of pianos, talking machines,
records and player rolls, to which were added
floral decorations that attracted more than ordi-
nary attention.
Trade was reported as satisfactory, it being
pointed out by a number of the piano mer-
chants that while there was no rush of busi-
ness there was being maintained a steady and
uniform sale of pianos and player-pianos that
indicated a good trade for the Spring season.
As a whole, March sales show a decided im-
provement over the same period a year ago and
the optimistic dealers of Pittsburgh—and they
all are—believe that April will also make as good
showing. Industrial Pittsburgh is at a high ebb
at present and the mills are operating steadily
on day and night turns. Order books of the
huge steel concerns of the Pittsburgh district
are filled to overflowing with orders. Some of
the mills have sufficient contracts to keep them
busy well into 1921, while others are declining
to take on new orders. All this indicates that
the payrolls of the Pittsburgh section for the
next year are bound to show enormous disburse-
ments. The wise piano merchant will take the
hint and go after the business that is his to get
for the asking.
The celebrated Kaufmann Male Quartet is
being booked for a number of concerts this
season and while the musical body is yet in its
swaddling clothes the members have demon-
strated their artistic ability to such an extent
that their services are much in demand. They
recently gave a concert recital at the Chamber
of Commerce for the West Penn Power & Trac-
tion Co., at which they were compelled to re-
spond to encore after encore. The director is
Walter C. Steinecker, who also is the second
tenor of the quartet.
Manager H. P. Shearer of the Rudolph Wur-
litzer Co. made a hit the past week when he
placed one of the celebrated Wurlitzer band or-
gans on the large auto truck used by the army
recruiting squad who arc touring the city and
county. The organ is a powerful one and its
loud strains when playing could be heard sev-
eral blocks away. It drew such crowds when-
ever the truck stopped that the police were com-
pelled to aid in keeping the crowds moving.
Mr. Shearer is making a special publicity drive
or. the Apollophone, a player-piano that com-
bines the phonograph.
Lechner & Schoenberger had a special win-
dow display of the celebrated Gulbransen player-
piano with the "Easy to Play Baby" at the
pedal. It was a Gulbransen player-piano week
at the Lechner & Schoenberger store and the
sale attracted considerable interest.
Ben L. Sykes, manager of Chas. M. Stieff,
OPPOSITION TO STEAGALL BILL
New Measure Would Permit Assessment of Col-
lection Charges on Country Checks Despite
Provisions of Federal Reserve Bank Law
The Merchants' Association of New York has
called the attention of the Association mem-
bers and business men in general to the Steagall
bill recently introduced in the House of Repre-
sentatives and which is designed to permit coun-
try banks to make a charge for the collection of
checks. It is pointed out that the Federal Re-
serve Bank Law permitted the adoption of
cheaper and quicker methods for collecting such
checks through the Federal Reserve Bank with-
out cost either to the city banks or the coun-
try merchant, and that 27,000 out of 30,000 banks
in the country are now working under that
system, with the cost of collection paid by the
Federal Reserve Bank. It is declared that the
remaining 3,000 banks are opposing the system
and are responsible for the Steagall bill.
They demand the right, in paying checks
drawn on themselves by their own depositors in
favor of creditors in other localities, to deduct
a charge called "exchange," although they incur
no expense in paying such checks, and should
they desire to ship currency in payment thereof
the shipping charges are paid by the Federal
Reserve Banks.
The pending Steagall bill (H. R. 12379) pro-
poses to legalize this exchange charge, and to
permit banks to deduct 10 cents per $100, or
part thereof. This will cause to be reimposed
APRIL 3,
1920
Inc., Pittsburgh branch, was a business visitor
to Johnstown, Pa.
W. C. Hamilton of the S. Hamilton Co., spent
several days in the East the past week.
M. V. DeForcest, the well-known piano mer-
chant of Sharon, Pa., who is also first vice-
president of the National Association of Piano
Merchants, was a Pittsburgh visitor the past
week. Mr. DeForeest is always a welcome vis-
itor to the Steel City music houses.
The Art Society of Pittsburgh on Wednes-
day evening, April 14, in Carnegie Music Hall,
will present the Georges Barrere "Little Sym
phony" and the Adolph Bolm "Ballet Intime."
Madame Louise Homer will be the soloist
at the concert to be given by the Pittsburgh
Choral Society at Carnegie Music Hall, Thurs-
day evening, April 15. Charles N. Boyd is con-
ductor of the society. At a similar concert on
May 11 Harold Bauer, the pianist, will be the
soloist.
upon the business of the country a wasteful,
needless and enormous burden.
It is to the common interest of all business
men that the former harmful system, which
caused endless friction and annoyance, as well
as heavy and wasteful expense, be not restored.
It is manifestly unjust that a needless outlay
be forced upon the entire business community
merely to enable a small minority of the smaller
banks to continue a charge for service which
the better system now in effect has eliminated.
It is suggested that all business men, as well
as business associations, get in touch imme-
diately with their Congressmen and register
their opposition to the measure.
SCHM0LLER & MUELLER TO REBUILD
Wholesale and Retail Business Being Carried on
From the Warehouse Headquarters
OMAHA, NEB., March 29.—The Schmoller &
Mueller Piano Co., which was recently de-
stroyed by fire, expects to go back to the old
location as soon as the structure can be rebuilt.
It has been very difficult to find even a tem-
porary location in Omaha and the wholesale
and retail business has been handled from the
warehouse. It will be at least six months before
•the buildings can be completed and the officials
are making strenuous efforts to secure an ade-
quate location to tide them over until that
time.
MISS GOLDSMITH TO VISIT CUBA
Manager of Export Department of Aeolian Co.
on a Flying Trip to Havana
Ludwig Leaders
These three leaders are all any dealer needs to do a high class
piano business. Their recognized musical excellence enables
them to hold their own in any company.
Priced reasonably, not low enough to sacrifice quality—not
high enough to be out of reach. Many leading dealers have
handled this complete line since we made the first Ludwig.
That's worthy of consideration.
Ludwig & Co.
Willow Ave. and 136th St.
New York
Miss Lucy Goldsmith, manager of the export
department of the Aeolian Co., left on Tuesday
of this week for a short visit to Cuba in con-
nection with business matters, and expects to
be back at her desk about April 15, in order
to meet the Aeolian Co. representatives coming
from Australia and other points. Miss Gold-
smith took the railroad route to Key West,
thence by steamer to Havana, and will return
over the same route.
PIANO MEN IN MERCHANTS' ASS'N
Additions are constantly being made to the
Merchants' Association of New York. Among
the twenty-nine new members taken in last
week were the Packard Piano Co., represented
by O. W. Williams, resident manager, 130 West
Korty-sccond street, and the Story & Clark
Piano Co., represented by George H. Eucker,
manager. 12 West Thirty-second street.
HERE'S HOPING FOR THE BEST
They say that in Albany there is agitation to
add new Section 107 to the Transportation Cor-
porations Law, making telephone companies
liable to a penalty of $10, in each case, for
failure to respond to a telephone call within five
minutes after proper signal is given.