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MAY
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1, 1920
RAIL STRIKE STILL HAMPERS ST. LOUIS PIANO TRADE
Embargo on Incoming Shipments of Instruments Causes Serious Shortage Among Retail Dealers
—Conroy Chairman of Committee in Charge of Civic Music Activities—Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., April 27.—The switchmen's strike
continues, which means that little freight is mov-
ing and business is in the same fix. The past
week showed no improvement in a business way
over the preceding one. Some dealers frankly
say it was worse, while some others say there
was a slight improvement. The situation see-
saws. One week one firm has a fairly good run
and another week the good luck goes to another.
But there is no such thing as continued good
business all along the line. A few pianos are
being received. Whether these were in the
yards before the strike began or have been
dribbling in on the occasional freights that are
run is not known. Most of the houses have
pretty good shipments on the way. When they
will arrive is another question. Stocks are low
but it is not probable that many sales are being
missed on that account. If this was the Fall
of the year the shortage would be a very grave
matter indeed. But this is the season of declin-
ing business and scarcity of goods works no
particular hardship. The lifting of the embargo
on express, announced Friday, is expected to
relieve the situation. Talking machines, records
and rolls which have been on the way are ex-
pected to arrive, and the lifting of the express
embargo is also expected to help, the freight
situation.
Notwithstanding everything, E. A. Kiesel-
horst, president of the Kieselhorst Piano Co.,
considers himself a lucky man. When the
freight constriction set in, the Gulbransen-Dick-
inson Co., of Chicago, notified him, along with
other handlers of Gulbransen players on the
Burlington route, that there was a chance to
get shipments through on that route. Mr. Kiesel-
horst promptly ordered 108 and has assurance
that they are on the way. They haven't ar-
rived, it is true, but Mr. Kieselhorst is confident
that they will be along in good time and he
will be glad to see them whenever they arrive.
It is luck enough to have that many instruments
on the way, but what is luckier still is the fact
that the price is to go up on May 1. The Kiesel-
horst firm will get them at the old price.
The Mississippi Valley Association had a two
days' meeting here last week and at the closing
session adopted twenty-five resolutions dealing
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
•—(Standard
Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
:and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wit.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clyboum Avenue
Chicago, III.
with inland waterways, flood control, good
roads, foreign trade and industrial relations, all
calculated, in the opinion of the delegates, to
promote the progress of the Mississippi Valley.
The resolution referring to industrial relations,
fathered by Governor-elect John M. Parker of
Louisiana, elicited the favorable comment of
piano men. It is as follows:
"We favor legislation which, while giving
all due protection to the rights of citizens,
whether organized or unorganized, whether
employers or employes, shall be based upon a
recognition of the fact that the rights of all
the people are supreme over the rights of any
portion thereof, as follows: That all labor or-
ganizations shall be incorporated and made fully
responsible for their acts. That no one may be
an officer of a labor organization who is not an
American citizen. That both strikes and lock-
outs on transportation systems and in essential
industries shall be prohibited. That local, State
and national boards of arbitration shall be pro-
vided so that all complaints may be heard and
all grievances remedied. That the advocacy of
sabotage or the use of violence in changing our
form of Government shall be made a crime pun-
ishable by deportation, in the case of an alien,
and by fine and imprisonment in the case of a
citizen."
J. W. Ong, who formerly was manager of the
piano department of the Stix, Baer & Fuller
Dry Goods Co., and who latterly has been in
the stock and bond business at Kansas City,
Mo., was in St. Louis a few days ago and called
on Manager Dockstader, now in charge of the
department. He contemplates opening a branch
of his business in St. Louis.
Alex S. Shoninger, of the B. Shoninger Co.,
visited the St. Louis trade during the past week.
The Civic Music Association of St. Louis,
with P. E. Conroy, president of the Conroy
Piano Co., as chairman of the general program
committee, will open the civic music season with
a Decoration Day concert at the Municipal Open
Air Theatre in Forest Park. The concert will
consist of band, choral and solo numbers and
a speech. It will be the first big community
music service given under the auspices of the
Association, which was organized last Decem-
ber for the purpose of unifying the music in-
terests of St. Louis.
Work is starting this week on the building
which has been leased by the Connorized Music
Roll Co., adjoining its present location on Olive
street near Thirteenth street. Manager Earl
Fay of the Connorized Co. is having all kinds
of trouble getting shipments through, but man-
aged to get 1,500 rolls off to a Texas dealer dur-
ing the past week.
A TIMELY AEOLIAN
ADVERTISEMENT
Announcement of Opening of Fordham Branch
Coupled With Facts Regarding World-wide
Distributing Facilities of Aeolian. Co.
The Aeolian Co. devoted an entire full page
advertisement in the newspapers last Sunday
to an announcement of the opening of the new
Fordham branch of the company at 270 East
Fordham road, and to some facts regarding the
manner in which the Aeolian Co., through its
exporters' department and branches, serves the
music-buying public throughout the world. The
new Fordham store was opened on Wednesday
of this week, April 28, special recitals being held
on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after-
noons and evenings as a feature of the opening.
In a special advertisement there were shown,
in addition to a sketch of the new Fordham
branch, views of the Aeolian Halls in the Bronx,
Brooklyn, Newark, London, Paris, Madrid and
Melbourne. The whole display was most im-
pressive and emphasized the extent of the
Aeolian Co.'s activities.
Turn over a
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1920
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Marshall
Player-Piano
STYLE 77
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I J. P. SEEBUR.G President
1508-1510 Dayton Street, Chicago, 111.