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DECEMBER 3, 1921
THE
BOND THANKS SENATOR PENROSE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
ARMSTRONG CO. BEATS LAST YEAR SPECIAL REGISTERS FOR TRAVELERS
President of Weaver Piano Co., Inc., Also Ex-
presses Appreciation to Congressman Brooks
for Work in Eliminating From Tax Bill the
Excise on Musical Instruments
Demand for Better Grades of Pianos and Large
Outside Sales Force Responsible for Excellent
Sales Volume at Knabe Warerooms
It is a common enough thing to seek special
consideration and favors, but not so common as
a rule to express appreciation for such consid-
eration. W. S. Bond, president of the Weaver
Piano Co., Inc., of York, Pa., however, believes
that having proved a factor in eliminating the
excise taxes on musical instruments the Senator
and Congressman from the York district is de-
serving of thanks, at least, and, therefore, sent
the following letter to Senator Penrose and Con-
gressman Brooks:
"We wish to thank you for whatever you have
done in eliminating the 5 per cent sales tax
from musical instruments in the conference re-
port. We believe you did a good thing for your
country and we are sincere when we say that
this belief is not based principally upon the fact
that we will be relieved from paying the tax,
but because we will be able to sell pianos that
much cheaper and if you knew the sacrifices that
many fathers and the greater sacrifices that many
mothers make to secure a piano in order that
they might give their children a musical educa-
tion you would realize even more than you do
now what a good thing it was to remove this 5
per cent tax from musical instruments.
"We understand you are besieged from all
sides with requests to take off taxes and, at the
same time, the obligation rests upon you as a
Senator to raise sufficient money from taxations
to meet the obligations of the Government. But
we believe there are many places where taxes
can be collected that will prove less of a burden
and will require less sacrifice on the part of those
who are already carrying as much of a load as
they can stand.
"We wish to assure you, Mr. Penrose, that
we do not wish to worry you with requests that
are impractical or that you cannot conscientiously
favor, and we appreciate the fact that you have
always given attention to such requests as we
have made."
warerooms of the Armstrong Piano Co., 603
Broad street, is steadily forging ahead and to
date sales exceed those of last year. Charles
J. Hunsberger, sales manager, states that only
the higher-priced instruments are selling, and
this, together with the activities of his large
outside force of canvassers and salesmen, is re-
sponsible for the company's ability to exceed
last year's figures. Knabe, Ampico, Marshall &
Wendell and other well-known makes of pianos
are handled here. Victor talking machines and
records are also handled.
NEWARK, N. J., November 28.—Business at the
NEW PACKARD_STORE TO OPEN
Retail Establishment in Ft. Wayne to Be Ready
for Business February First
FT. WAYNE, IND., November 28.—Present indi-
cations are that the new retail store of the Pack-
ard Piano Co. will be completed on February 1.
It had been originally planned to open the new
establishment at Christmas time and hold a
united celebration to mark the twenty-fifth anni-
versary of the retail establishment and the fiftieth
anniversary of the manufacturing side of the
business, but the opening has been postponed
until February.
The new store of the Packard Co. is at Har-
rison and Wayne streets, which location is ex-
pected to be in the heart of the new retail district
which Ft. Wayne is building up. Although most
of the business establishments are now on Cal-
houn street, there has been a marked tendency
toward an overflow movement which will create
a new Fifth avenue for the Summit City.
HOLIDAY VIGORjVr BAMBERGER'S
NEWARK, N. J., November 28.—The piano depart-
ment of the L. Bamberger store, Market street,
this city, is now fully prepared for a big holiday
business. Large shipments of pianos have been
received, some of which are on display. These
include Hardman, Peck; Behning and Estey
grands, uprights and players. Several salesmen
were recently added to the outside force and
these are now busy throughout the city and
vicinity and the results to date have been very
favorable.
THE BEST KNOWN
MUSICAL
NAME
IN THE WO OLD.
GRIFFITH PIANOCO. ACTIVITIES
Business Continues to Improve—John Slock-
bower Joins Inside Sales Force—Alterations
Continue—Constructing Sonora Booths
NEWARK, N. J., November 28.—One of the busiest
piano establishments in this city is the Griffith
Piano Co., at 605 Broad street. Brambach and
Steinway instruments seem to be popular with a
large number of Newark residents and this,
combined with the excellent inside and outside
staff of the company, is the reason that busi-
ness is better than it was last year.
John Slockbower, formerly associated with
the staff of the L. Bamberger piano department
and prior to that connected with the Landay
store in Bridgeport, Conn,, has been added to
the floor staff of the Griffith Piano Co. Mr.
Slockbower has real sales ability and his new
connection will give him ample opportunity to
demonstrate it.
Alterations are still going on apace here and
the rear roomis of the store, which were for-
merly too crowded, are being completely reno-
vated atjd rearranged with an eye to beauty
and comfort. Old ivory is the predominating
color scheme. In the rear of the main piano
display room two large Sonora demonstration
and display rooms are being constructed.
SCHAFF BROS^STAFF MEETS
Officers and Salesmen Lay Plans for 1922 at
Recent Conference
HUNTINGTON, IND., November 26.—A conference
was held here this week in which officers and
the sales personnel'of the Schaff Bros. Piano Co,
got together on problems of the coming year.
Plans were laid to make the coming twelve
months the brightest period in the history of
the organization.
L. F. King, who represents the Schaff Bros.
Co. in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
and Maryland, expressed his faith in the future
of the South and predicted a big expansion in
business as soon as the cotton situation becomes
settled. Mr. King said, "The trouble is that the
uncertain situation'of the cotton market leaves
the public in that frame of mind in which it does
not know whether or not it can afford a piano or
anything else. This uncertainty is difficult for
any dealer to overcome, but as soon as cotton
comes up in price they will start in to sell. At
the present writing cotton is in the neighborhood
of seventeen cents and the minute it goes over
twenty business in the South will hum. Tobacco
also has been more or less of an uncertainty.
The crop was smaller in size this year, but of
a better quality and averaged in the neighbor-
hood of thirty-one cents."
Benjamin Greenstein, who has been connected
with the piano department of Gimbel Bros., New
York, has been transferred to the talking ma-
chine department.
Geo. H. Bliss Starts Campaign for Special Regis-
ters in Hotels for Members of the National
Piano Travelers' Association
At the suggestion and with the co-operation
of the executive committee of the National Piano
Travelers' Association, George H. (Jack) Bliss,
first vice-president of that organization, is start-
ing a campaign to revive the interest in special
hotel registers for members of the Travelers'
Association.
Mr. Bliss left on last Saturday, November 26,
for a two weeks' trip through the # Middle West
and plans to interview hotel managers in the
larger cities, asking them to provide the piano
travelers with a special register, so that the
members of the Association on reaching the city
may learn what other members are in town at
the time. The hotels will also be asked to pro-
vide small signs to be hung in the lobbies an-
nouncing that those hostelries are headquarters
for the National Piano Travelers' Association.
The special register idea was launched some
years ago and was adopted by a number of
hotels, but gradually dropped out of use. It is
held by many travelers that a chance to locate a
fellow traveler while on the road will serve to
break the monotony of traveling to a material
degree.
ADDITIONS TO LAUTER SALES STAFF
George Flemming and W. H. Dale Join Sales
Force of the Lauter Piano Co.—New Branch
Store Opened in Bayonne, N. J.
NEWARK, N. J., November 28.—A recent addi-
tion to the inside sales staff of the Lauter Piano
Co., Broad street, this city, is George Flemming,
formerly manager of the Wissner Piano Co.,
also of this city.
Another addition to the staff is W. H. D_ale,
who has been associated with the company for
several years in the capacity of sales manager.
Both these men have had considerable experi-
ence in piano merchandising and will prove
valuable additions to the Lauter sales force.
E. C. Pullen, manager of the warerooms on
Broad street, announced the opening of a new
Lauter branch in Bayonne, N. J. This is the
eleventh branch which is operated by the com-
pany. Other branches will be opened in vari-
ous communities within a reasonable distance of
the local headquarters as soon as necessary.
AMERICAN PIANOS IN NORWAY
Increased Although Limited Shipments to That
Country Reported by Government
Information reached the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce this week, through the
new Specialties Commodity Division of the De-
partment of Commerce, that while the total num-
ber is still low imports of American pianos into
Norway show an increase.
In 1912, according to these advices, one grand
and seven uprights were shipped into Norway
from the United States. In 1919, the latest date
given, 161 grands and sixty-two uprights were
shipped.
Germany is the principal source of supply for
pianos for Norway. In 1912 102 grands and
1,312 uprights were imported from Germany. In
1919 imports from Germany were 389 grands
and 2,593 uprights.
"In judging the market for any commodity
in Norway," the Specialties Commodity Division
report adds, "attention must be given to the
fact that the population of the entire country
is only about 2,648,000, of which number about
1,863,300 live in country districts, while the re-
maining 785,700 live in cities. There are only
eighteen cities having a population of more than
10,000 each."
THE BEST PROFIT
PRODUCER FOR THE
DEALER IN THE TRAD