Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1920 Vol. 71 N. 10

Page 4 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Win. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Stall
V. D. WALSH, W M . BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
WESTERN DIVISION:
BOSTON OFFICE:
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Telephone, Wabash 5774.
Telephone, Main 6950.
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NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
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under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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Lyman Bill, Inc.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Player-Piano and
Technical Departments
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
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 6982—5983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable address: "Elbill, New York"
Vol. LXXI
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 4, 1920
No. 10
CALL THE DOCTOR!
M
USIC dealers who are inclined to be pessimistic over business
conditions, and allow their pessimism to reach a point where
they are in a mood almost to welcome business disaster, should take a
leaf from the book of a New York automobile man who recently had
the following comments to make regarding the logical thing to do
when business appears sickly. He said in substance:
"If your children break out with the measles do you run for
the undertaker? Most certainly not. You get a doctor. And from
then on Mr. Husband and Father gives service, attention to details,
affection and real care until everybody gets well and they live
happily ever afterwards.
"All of the above being an object lesson for a few birds (and
there are only a few) that are always moaning about how the busi-
ness they are in has slipped on the top stair and after a terrible
descent has "turned out to be a total wreck. Oh! for the good old
days!
"To hear these crepe hangers talk everything's on the blink,
when the only trouble with these calamity howlers is they're sick.
They need an M. D. to diagnose their ailment and to prescribe for
their attack of 'Good Old Days.' That's the trouble. Always their
minds carry them back to earlier times, when sales were made with-
out effort, business was easy to get—prospects were congenial and
the 'sign here' was a cinch. The ones that make good today have
to think quicker, work harder and earn more—and gosh, how that
hurts. But don't forget that the money earned that way lasts
longer and does us more good."
MORE MUSIC, BETTER MUSIC, BRITISH MUSIC
T
HE organizing director of the Federation of British Music In-
dustries; Lieut.-Col. R. H. Tatton, has just issued a most inter-
esting and comprehensive statement relative to the aims and objects
of the Federation and some of its plans.
The Federation, be it said, owes its organization largely to the
inspiration furnished by the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
SEPTEMBER 4, 1920
merce of America, and its various activities and departments are
modeled closely after the successful American institution. Accord-
ing to Mr. Tatton's summary, the activities of the Federation are
mainly centered on two propositions—trade organization and propa-
ganda. Sixty per cent, of the total revenue for the financial year
beginning September 1, 1920, is to be devoted to propaganda, and
the other remaining forty per cent, to cover administrative costs,
trade organization costs and general expenses. Inasmuch as prac-j
tically all the divisions of the music industry, with the exception of
the music publishers, are members of the Federation and have been
liberal in their financial support, it is believed that the campaign to
be carried on by that body will be an extensive one.
As in America, most of the propaganda work will be in the
cause of music as a whole, but with this significant difference—- :
while we in the United States devote our energies to forwarding the
cause of music as an art without favoring this or that particular
form of music, the British Federation has for its slogan; "Music,
more music, better music and British music." It will be seen that
these last two words alone are calculated to change what might
be accepted as a propaganda for art into a propaganda for trade. It
is fortunate that the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music
in America has not taken it upon itself to specify what kind of
music should be favored in this country.
TWO IMPORTANT TRADE GATHERINGS
merchants throughout the Middle West will do well to
M USIC
take an active interest in the proceedings of the annual con-
vention of the Piano Merchants' Association of Ohio which will be
held in Youngstown on September 14th and 15th, and if possible to
attend the sessions, for there is every prospect that it will be a
noteworthy trade gathering, surpassing in interest the very successful
conventions held by the piano men of Ohio in the past. Men promi-
nent in every division of the industry, men rated as authorities in
organization work and in business, will come from many sections of
the country to address the conventionists, and there are listed a
number of discussions that are distinctly pertinent at this particular
time and under existing conditions. In many respects the annual
convention of the Ohio Association is almost national in scope and
its various activities, particularly the maintenance of an Ad Censor,
are worthy of consideration and emulation by other trade bodies,
both national and local.
While the Ohio Association is in session music merchants in
New England will likewise have an opportunity to get together at
the meeting of the New England Music Trade Association to be held
in New York on September 15th and 16th. The meeting will be
in the nature of a two-day outing, and is calculated to foster the
social spirit in the New England trade rather than to develop into
a strictly business session.
THE SHORTAGE OF CONCERT GRANDS
the new concert season approaches, a concert season that
A S promises
to offer rich treats for music lovers of America, it
becomes apparent from the reports of those piano manufacturers
whose instruments are used most frequently on the concert stage
that a shortage of concert grands promises to be just as acute, and
perhaps more acute, during the coming season as it was last Fall
and Winter.
Conditions during the past year have been of a sort still further
to curtail in many instances concert grand production, for these
instruments require the attention of experts of wide experience
and genuine ability. They cannot be turned out with the facility of
instruments of which less is demanded. The increase in the number
of pianists who will tour the country in itself serves to complicate
the situation, for to keep the average pianist supplied with a grand
wherever it is desired during the season means the tying up, or at
least the keeping available at all times, of not one but several
instruments.
Some prominent artists' have already discovered that they will
not only be compelled to modify their demands in the matter of
concert grands for next season's use, but that they may be kept on
the anxious seat for some time as to whether they will be able to
receive assurances of being able to use regularly pianos of their
favorite make. It is an interesting situation that, however, does
not make itself felt in the general run of retail trade.

Page 5 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
SEPTEMBER 4, 1920
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
TWO NEW MILTON EXECUTIVES
CLYDE TROWBRIDGE IN HANCOCK
INTERNATIONAL CREDITORS MEET
Corley Gibson Now Vice-president and Sales
Manager, and Lyman J. Potter Is Secretary of
Progressive New York Organization
Former Member of Grinnell Bros, to Manage
McLogan & Pearce Branch Store
Make Attempt to Place Business in Hands of
Creditors' Committee—Julius Schneller Suc-
ceeds £. N. Kimball as Trustee
Two members of the executive staff of the
Milton Piano Co., New York, have recently
won well-deserved promotion following the ap-
pointment of George W. Allen as president of
HANCOCK, MICH., August 31.—Clyde Trow-
bridge, who has been associated with Grinnell
Bros', music store, has accepted the position
of manager of the Hancock branch of the Mc-
Logan & Pearce music firm. His new duties
will be assumed to-day with his arrival from
the Soo.
The advent of Mr. Trowbridge here as local
manager will be received favorably by his local
friends, as he is a Hancock man, and all unite
in wishing him great success in his new work.
Although Mr. Trowbridge is employed by a new
firm, his work will be more agreeable, as he
will always be in the Copper Country. He has
been at Detroit and the Soo for some time in
the employ of Grinnell Bros.
FALL RIVER, MASS., August 28.—At a meeting of
the creditors of the International Piano Mfg.
Co. held at the company's offices here on Au-
gust 18 there were represented about seventy
creditors, with claims approximating $250,000.
An effort was made to take the matter en-
tirely out of the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy
court and place the business in the hands of
the creditors' committee made up of business
men who would act without compensation and
who would continue the business until the stock
in the factory could be worked up into finished
pianos and realized upon. Two of the creditors,
Mr. Reed, of the Metacomet Bank, and E. N.
Kimball, of Boston, were approached by the cred-
itors and agreed to resign in favor of a committee
of five to be appointed to work out the new plan.
DEATH OF BEN L CURTISS
The third creditor, Mr. Martin, of the Exchange
Retired Piano Traveler Passes Away at Trust Co. of Boston, was not present and later
refused to resign the receivership. The result
Brother's Home in St. Paul, Minn.
Corley Gibson
Lyman J. Potter
was»that the creditors' plan was not pushed.
that company. Corley Gibson has been ap-
E. N. Kimball resigned as receiver and was
ST. PAUL, MINN., August 30.—Ben L. Curtiss,
pointed vice-president and sales manager of the
Milton Co., while Lyman J. Potter has been a retired piano man who for a number of years succeeded by Julius Schneller, of Henry Haas
appointed secretary. Mr. Gibson, who has been traveled for several of the prominent houses in & Son, New York, who was duly appointed by
with the Milton organization for the past five the West, died at the home of his brother, J. F. the referee. Mr. Schneller is coming to Fall
years, enjoys a wide acquaintanceship and high Curtiss, representative of the Hobart M. Cable River to take charge of the business and con-
serve the assets as far as possible.
standing in the trade that well qualifies him for Co., this city, on August 19.
Mr. Curtiss entered the piano field in the early
his new duties. Mr. Potter has been with the
Milton Co. since 1913 and owes his advancement 70's with Pelton & Pomeroy, of Chicago. AMIE DUGAS WITH WILEY B. ALLEN
to an executive position through hard work and Later he went with Story & Camp and remained
with that firm when the Estey Co. took an Former Sales Manager of Bush & Lane Piano
a display of genuine ability.
interest and the name was changed to Estey &
Co. Takes Similar Post With Portland Store—
Dealers Selling Many Player-Pianos
BRAMBACH BABY GRAND AT FAIRS Camp. Later Mr. Curtiss was for some years
with the Estey Organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt., and
Popular Instrument Featured by Dealers in traveled for the Baldwin Co., of Chicago, from
PORTLAND, ORE., August 28.—It is not often that
1900 to 1903, when he retired at seventy-five.
Exhibits at Over Fifty County Fairs
there is a rush of business during August in
piano houses, but this was the case during the
The Brambach baby grand piano is believed MUSIC SUPERVISOR FOR NEW YORK first two weeks this month at the store of the
G. F. Johnson Piano Co. There is not so much
to hold a record as a popular exhibit at county
fairs throughout the country for, according to Russell Carter Assumes Important Post in doing at present, but a fine stock is on hand for
an expected big Fall trade. Mr. Johnson has
statistics offered by Brambach officials recently,
State Educational Department at Albany
had a severe attack of erysipelas, from which
that instrument was featured at fair exhibits by
over fifty of the leading Brambach dealers. In
With the creation of the office of specialist in fortunately he has recovered, and he with his
every case the instrument attracted wide atten- music in its, Educational Department at Albany, family will motor this week to Crater Lake and
tion from the public, due to its impressive ap- New York State has just taken an important enjoy an outing for a week or two.
pearance and excellent tonal qualities. In cases step toward the standardization of the courses
Amie Dugas, who has been sales manager of
where dealers use the regular line of Bram- in music in its public schools and toward grant- the Bush & Lane Piano Co. for several months,
bach publicity to full advantage, the results ing this study a more prominent place in the has resigned his position and is now with the
were even more satisfactory.
curriculum. The new appointee is Russell Car- Wiley B. Allen Co. of this city, acting as sales
The fairs at which the Brambach baby grand ter, for eight years supervisor of music in the manager in place of E. E. Gabriel, who has gone
was featured were held in almost every State in public schools of Amsterdam, N. Y., and more to England for a two months' vacation.
the Union, which shows that the Brambach ap- recently professor in the University of Michigan
C. J. Gould, of the Baldwin Piano Co., of
peal is countrywide and is not confined to the at Ann Arbor.
San Francisco, will be the new sales manager of
larger cities.
Mr. Carter's chief duties will be to set stand- the Bush & Lane Co., and will arrive in Port-
Some of the larger fairs at which the Bram- ards which are to be maintained in the schools, land in a few days.
bach was or will be shown follow: Franklin and to pass on the claims of schools for credits
To be entirely without player-pianos is a blow
County, Malone, N. Y.; Davenport, la.; Dan- in music by actual inspection of the work done. to an up-to-date music house, but this is the
ville, Ills.; Syracuse, N. Y.; Seymour, Wis.; The work will be virtually that of a general case of the Seiberling & Lucas Music House this
Hortonville, Wis.; Brower County, DePere, supervisor and will involve the preparation of week. The last Haddorff player in stock was
Wis.; Carroll, la.; Wheeling, W. Va.; Grant regents' examination questions, the reviewing of sold by W. A. Hodecker to a prominent hop
County Fair, Lancaster, Wis.; Rome, N. Y.; all examination papers, lecturing on methods dealer residing near Portland and the sale
Vernon, N. Y.; Pans Hill, N. Y.; Mercer, Pa.; of teaching, and helping individual schools to leaves them without a player on their floors.
Stoneboro, Pa.; Guilford, Conn,; Northampton, plan work.
The sales of players has been very numerous
Mass.; Greenfield, Mass.; Lancaster, Pa.; Car-
Whereas each school heretofore has been fol- and the demand greater than was expected.
lisle, Pa.; Centennial Expo., Carlisle, Pa.; Tri- lowing the music course prescribed by its in- The Haddorff and Hallet & Davis pianos and
State Fair, Parsons, Kansas; Mississippi-Ala- dividual school board, it will now have to con- players carried by the house have proved very
bama Fair, Meridian, Miss.; State Fair, Jack- form to the standards set up by the new de- satisfactory and customers buying these instru-
son, Miss; Canfield, Ohio; What Show, Wichita, partment if it hopes to offer its pupils a course ments have in turn recommended them to their
Kas.; Clinton County Fair, Wichita, Kas.; for which full credit may be secured. The New friends.
Montgomery County Fair, Wichita, Kas.; Foun- York City schools are not affected, however, as
W. A. McDougal, of the McDougal Music Co.,
tain County Fair, Wichita, Kas.; Saginaw, they are separately administered with their has returned from Rockaway Beach, where he
Mich.; Nebraska State Fair, Lincoln, Neb.; music work under the direction of George H. has been with his family for several weeks. Mr.
Green County Fair, Paragould, Ark.; Marathon Gartlan.
McDougal is gratified to find unusually big
County, Wausau, Wis.; Salt Lake City, Utah;
collections this month and business most satis-
Huron, S. D.; Birmingham, Ala.; Interstate
factory. The stock on hand for the Fall trade
- NEW INCORPORATION
Fair, Sioux City, Iowa; Carroltown Pa:; Mar-
is of splendid quality and indications for a sea-
shall County, Iowa.
The T. A. Haney Co., New York, has been son of unusual prosperity are evident.
incorporated with capital stock of $5,000 to deal
H. L. Graham, formerly connected with the
Turn to page 13.' White's article on the small in sheet music and musical instruments. The Ellison-White Chautauqua, is now in the piano
grand will give you seme interesting facts re- incorporators are T. A. Desmond, M. J. Fallon department of the Bush & Lane Co. store in
and T, A. Haney.
garding that increasingly popular instrument.
this city.
THE BEST KNOWN
MUSICAL NAME
IN THE. WORLD.
ESTEYPIANOCO - P I A N O S
A
NEW YORK CITY
THE BEST PROFIT
PRODUCER FOR THE
DEALER IN THE TRADE:

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