Music Trade Review

Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 15

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
T. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wtn. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Stafi
WESTERN DIVISION:
BOSTON OFFICE:
Republic Bldg., 209 So. State St., Chicago.
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone, Wabash 5774.
Telephone, Main 6950.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., D. C.
N E W S SERVICE I S S U P P L I E D WEEKLY B Y OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED I N T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered as second-class matter September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York, N. Y.,
under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $6.00 per inch single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $150.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques
an A {Mill
anil
' Pi
l lallU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
p
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this P*per. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Pnx
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma
Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5082—6083 MADISON SQ.
Connecting »11 Departments
Cabl» addretis: "J£lblU, New York"
NEW YORK, APRIL 10, 1920
•No. 15
TRADE ADVANCEMENT IN GREAT BRITAIN
I
HE success of the recently developed national organizations in
the music industry, particularly the Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce and its subsidiary body, the National Bureau for the
Advancement of Music, is strongly emphasized in the adoption of
the general plans of both the Chamber and the Bureau by the
British trade.
There has been in existence in Great Britain for some time the
Federated Board of Music Industries, a central organization modeled
along the lines of the Chamber of Commerce here, and with which
are affiliated the several associations representative of the various
divisions of the British trade—piano makers, organ builders, sheet
music men, talking machine manufacturers and dealers, etc. This
Federated Board was organized only after a close study of the
American plan by representatives of the British trade through the
medium of correspondence and by personal visits to this country.
The Federated Board of Music corresponds to the National
Bureau for the Advancement of Music, and has for its object the
promotion of a more general interest in music in Great Britain,
getting its support from the various trade organizations.
It is well that this work for music advancement has been
started and is being carried on in Great Britain, for it means that
through the medium of the American and British organizations the
message of music is being carried throughout the English-speaking
world. It is really difficult to conceive the tremendous development
of this music advancement idea to date, and the end is not yet.
Meanwhile, America has the satisfaction of being able to appear
in the role of pioneer.
T
APRIL 10, 1920
director of the department, Harry Brunswick Loeb, a musical
authority of high standing in the city, to render expert opinion on
matters relating to talent. His business will be to advise customers
on points of musical training, to tell parents whether their children
are worthy of a real musical education, and to offer to musicians
authoritative criticism.
This work as outlined constitutes service of the highest order—
service that would seem to be part and parcel of the progressive
music store's offering to the public. Under the new condition the
Werlein house will not simply sell musical instruments, but will be
able to offer advice as to how and under what conditions they can
best be used. It would not be surprising to see other prominent
retailers adopt some similar plan.
PREVENTABLE FAILURES
V. D. WALSH, W M . BRAID W H I T S (Technical Editor), £ . B. MUNCH,
L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
Vol. LXX
REVIEW
men hold a post-mortem on commercial
H OW failures often with do credit
which they are concerned for the purpose of
determining whether or not the failures might have been prevented.
Too frequently the merely embarrassed debtor is brought into
insolvency and forced into liquidation when a little skill and patience
would have put him on his feet. Indeed, we believe commercial
failures in large part are preventable, and if this be so is it not the
credit man's part to do his utmost to prevent the human waste that
goes along with bad debt waste?
When signs of trouble come, then the first rule should be, as the
secretary-treasurer of the National Credit Men points out, not to
rush to some collection agency or service, but to review the circum-
stances and evidence on which the credit was granted originally ;
next ascertain, if possible, what has caused the commercial illness
of the merchant and what the nature of the trouble; and, lastly,
decide whether it be curable. Skill along this line reflects the pro-
fessional side of credit management more than the mere granting
of the original credit. Let us, therefore, this year, take into account
the service we can render our customers, the failures we may be
able to prevent, the merchants we may be able to direct to safer
methods, rather than merely to make a list of the rejected orders,
follow up what happened eventually to the concerns we refused to
sell, and list the failures.
BETTER WEATHER AND BETTER BUSINESS
EPORTS from the piano and music dealers in various sections
R
who depend upon the rural trade in their vicinity in a large
measure to uphold sales totals indicate that the breaking up of
Winter and the reopening of the roads has meant stimulated busi-
ness. In many sections of the country the past Winter has been
one of the most severe in years, tying up completely road trans-
portation and even crippling the railroads at times. The result was
that there could be very little canvassing in the country districts
until traveling conditions improved. More than one dealer realized
probably for the first time the real importance of the ruralite as
a factor in keeping his business active.
Music in the home is not by any means confined to city dwellers.
The farmer and the village citizen are buying musical instruments
and plenty of them—good ones—and upon their patronage depends
in no small measure the general prosperity of the trade. In many
cases it is admitted that inability to realize upon country trade
during the first couple of months of the year was chiefly respon-
sible for reports of business slump, and now this handicap has
ended. Discussing the general condition of trade, Dun's Review in
its latest report says:
"Drawbacks to business through transportation congestion and
delayed deliveries of merchandise, although still conspicuously ap-
parent in some sections, are being gradually modified with the ad-
vancing season, and production records are now more favorable.
While shortages of goods continue to prevent some transactions
that might otherwise be consummated, yet the scarcity is less general
and pronounced than previously, with domestic output enlarging and
A NEW IDEA IN SERVICE
the disproportion between exports and imports narrowing steadily,
O far as can be learned, the House of Philip Werlein, Ltd., New
and abatement of consumptive demands serves to relax the pres-
Orleans, has blazed a new trail for the trade in the •establish-
sure for supplies in some quarters. Except in isolated instances, the
ment of its new artistic department, supplementing the regular
effect of these tendencies has thus far not been seen in any sub-
series of weekly recitals held in the company's Ampico Hall. In
stantial lowering of commodity prices, but the former buoyancy of
opening the new department the Werlein house has taken a step
some important markets is lacking, and the belief that the crest of
that appears to be most logical, for the idea back of it is for the prices has been passed is spreading."
S
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 10, 1920
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PRESIDENT HAMILTON APPOINTS COMMITTEES FOR YEAR NEW STORE FOR MILLER PIANO CO.
Secretary Dennis, of the National Association of Music Merchants, Issues List of Prominent
Music Dealers Who Will Serve on Various Committees During the Present Year
committee on suggestions proposed at the re-
cent New York Convention by C. A. Grinnell,
of Detroit.
The following are the new committees
named:
Membership Committee—C. L. Dennis, chair-
man- (ex-officio), 105 West Fortieth street, New
York; W. W. Smith, 801 Jefferson avenue,
Toledo, O., and Milton Weil, 125 West Forty-
second street, New York.
Press Committee—C. J. Roberts, chairman, 315
West Howard street, Baltimore, Mo.; C. L.
Dennis, New York; Roy E. Waite, Chicago,
111., and E. A. Parks, Hannibal, Mo.
Resolutions Committee—M. V. DeForeest,
Sharon, Pa.; Byron Mauzy, 250 Stockton street,
San Francisco, Cal., and Alex. McDonald, 31
West Fifty-seventh street, New York.
Legislative Committee—Ed. H. Droop, 1300
G street, Washington, D. C ; F. J. Heppe, 1117
Chestnut street, Philadelphia; John G. Corley,
213 East Broad street, Richmond, Va ; Wm. L.
Nutting, 4 Temple street, Nashua, N. H., and
F. N. Goosman, 314 Jefferson street, Toledo, O.
President E. Paul Hamilton, of the National
Association of Music Merchants, has made his
appointments of committees for the current year
in the first official announcement sent out
through the office of the secretary, C. L. Dennis,
since it has been established in New York.
This will be followed soon by the announce-
ment of commissioner appointments by the
first vice-president, M. V. DeForeest, of Sharon,
Coatesville Piano House Moves to Location on
Main Business Thoroughfare of City
COATESVILLE, PA., April 5.—On April 1 the Miller
Piano Co., Inc., moved into its new store at
159 Lincoln Highway, one of the main business
streets of the city. The business, which has
grown rapidly, was started five years ago by
Harry E. Miller, and a year ago he took in
O. E. Klinger as partner, the latter having pur-
chased a half interest in the Miller Piano Co.,
as the business was then called. Mr. Klinger
was formerly sales manager for Kohler &
Chase, New York. Previous to that time he
was wholesale representative in Pennsylvania
for the Hallet & Davis piano. The new building
has been entirely remodeled and the interior
finished in old ivory. Booths for the demon-
stration of player rolls and records have been
installed. In addition to pianos a full line of
all kinds of musical instruments and supplies
will be carried.
AUDITORIUM FOR L. A. RUSSELL CO.
Augusta A. B. Chase Dealer Plans Extensive
Improvements in Recently Purchased Building
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
E. Paul Hamilton
Pa. Mr. DeForeest and Mr. Dennis had an
opportunity for conference last week at a meet-
ing of the Cleveland Music Trade Association
and plans were made for early action in State
and city commissioner appointments. As soon
as Mr. Dennis has become fairly established in
the office quarters at 105 West Fortieth street,
New York, it is expected that the work of the
music merchants' organization will progress
rapidly. An important factor in this will be the
exchange of ideas between the various city,
vState and national associations. Vice-president
DeForeest will have charge of the organization
work as chairman of the commissioner organiza-
tions.
President Hamilton plans an intensive cam-
paign for the co-operation of music merchants
throughout the country in the work of the ad-
vancement of music. He was one of the men
responsible for the establishment of the Na-
tional Bureau for the Advancement of Music
and this department of the organization work
has always been of primary interest to him.
As president of the Association of Music Mer-
chants it is his earnest desire to bring about
nation-wide activity in the promotion of music
weeks like that recently held in New York,
music festivals, music memory contests, etc.
He has given careful consideration to the ap-
pointment of his committees in the expectation
that all of them will be active factors in asso-
ciation affairs.
A new committee appointed by President
Hamilton is the official stamp committee, with
ex-President P. F.. Conroy,. of St. Louis, as
chairman. Mr. Conroy was the "Father of the
Stamp Plan." He was in New York last week
and discussed with Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Dennis
and Alfred L. Smith, new general manager of
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
ways and means for- increased efficiency in
promoting the merchants' official stamp in con-
junction with the proposed new stamp of the
National Piano Manufacturers' Association
which will be in operation June 1.
Other committee appointments which will be
made later by President Hamilton are a recep-
tion comm'ttee for the 1921 convention and a
FOR TONE, BEAUTY
AND LASTING
A
ACCOMPLISHMENT ,
AUGUSTA, GA., April 5.—The L. A. Russell
Delegates to Chamber of Commerce—F. B. T. Piano Co., which recently purchased from Ty
Hollenberg, 415 Main street, Little Rock, Ark.; Cobb the property at the southeast corner of
Cscar A Field, 1120 Olive street, St. Louis, Mo.; Broad and Mclntosh streets, is planning exten-
John G. Cor.ey, Richmond, Va.; Edmund Gram, sive improvements to the building and will make
4l4 Milwaukee street, Milwaukee, Wis.; John it one of the best music establishments in the
A. Turner, 508 Franklin street, Tampa, Fla.; South. On one of the upper floors will be built a
Jas. F. Bowers, Lyon & Healy, Chicago, 111., large auditorium, where all kinds of musical
and P. E. Conroy, 1100 Olive street, St. Louis, entertainments may be given. The L. A. Rus-
Mo.
sell Piano Co. is the local A. B. Chase repre-
Alternate
Delegates—M.
V. DeForeest, sentative and has made many sales of these
Sharon, Pa.; Chas. S. Norris, 181 Tremont instruments in this section.
street, Boston; J. Edwin Butler, Marion, Ind.;
Parham Werlein, 607 Canal street, New Or-
MUSIC AN^UDJO LABOR
leans, La.; Harry Wunderlich, 1015 Grand ave-
nue, Kansas City, Mo.; F. J. Heppe, Philadel- Has Harmonizing Influence on Workers, Says
phia, and Byron Mauzy, San Francisco.
Charles M. Schwab
Official Stamp Committee—P. E. Conroy, St.
Louis, Mo.; F. B. T. Hollenberg, Little Rock,
Charles M. Schwab, chairman of the board of
Ark.; Oscar A. Field, St. Louis, Mo.; John G. directors of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation,
Corley, Richmond, Va., and Jas. F. Bowers, declared in a recent talk that music can do much
Chicago, 111.
as a harmonizing influence among labor.
Better Business Bureau—Edmund Gram, Mil-
"I believe," said Mr. Schwab, "music always
waukee; P. E. Conroy, St. Louis, Mo.; John A. has an elevating and harmonizing influence
Turner, Tampa, Fla.; E. Paul Jones, 807 West among working people. In all my establish-
Walnut street, Des Moines, la., and Ed. H. ments I encourage bands, choral societies and
Droop, Washington, D. C.
everything of a musical description. I have al-
Bureau for the Advancement of Music—C. A. ways believed that better business and better
Grinnell, 245 Woodward avenue, Detroit, Mich.; work is done by people who have an apprecia-
M. V. DeForeest, Sharon, Pa.; R. O. Foster, 811 tion of the finer things in life, and what is
Nicollet avenue, Minneapolis, Minn.; Lambert finer than good music?"
Groenier, Lancaster, Wis.; J. C. Phelps, 1021
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation has a well-
Elm street, Dallas, Tex.
trained band of 130 pieces. There is an or-
1921 Convention Committee—Jas. F. Bowers, chestral society in Bethlehem and the town also
Chicago; Adam Schneider, 305 South Wabash boasts of the celebrated Bach Choir. Mr.
avenue, Chicago; Matt. J. Kennedy, 532 Repub- Schwab is president of the New York Oratorio
lic Building, Chicago; Walter S, Jenkins, 225 Society, and it is through his generosity that
South Wabash avenue, Chicago; Kenneth W. the Music Festival held at the 71st Regiment
Curtis, 920 North American Building, Chicago. Armory this week under the auspices of the
1921 Banquet Committee—Adam Schneider, society was made possible.
Chicago; Matt. J. Kennedy, Chicago, and Walter
S. Jenkins, Chicago.
FATE OF HIGHBRIDGE UNDECIDED
STOCKHOLDERS TO MEET
A special meeting of the stockholders of the
General Phonograph Corp. will be held on April
15 at the offices of the company, 25 West Forty-
fifth street, New York. The object of the meet-
ing is to consider and vote upon a proposition
whether the number of directors of the com-
pany shall be increased from eleven, the pres-
ent number, to fourteen.
Claud Adams has bought out the interest of
Oscar Capps in the latter's music store in King-
man, Kan.
,-AUTO-PLAYER ~
The WERNER INDUSTRIES CO. Cii
Piano Men Among Organizations in Favor of
Removing Bridge Spanning Harlem River
The New York Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation and the Piano Club of New York are
among the organizations in favor of the removal
of Highbridge, which spans the Harlem River.
This bridge supports the aqueduct which brings
the water into New York City from the Cats-
kill Reservoir. The War Department at pres-
ent considers the piers of the bridge as ob-
structions to navigation and considerable dis-
cussion has arisen as to what should be done
in the matter.
P I A N O
AND
S

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