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THE
AUGUST 13, 1921
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ALEX MCDONALD ADDRESSES CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION
TWIN CITY DEALERS OPTIMISTIC
Manager of Wholesale Sales of Sohmer & Co. Delivers Splendid Talk Before Music Trades As-
sociation of Southern California—Community Chest Plan Gains Favor
Large Grain Crops and Prices Which Favor
Farmers Will Boost Fall Trade, Predict Deal-
ers—July Heat Seriously Damaged Crops
Los ANGELES, CAL., August 6.—At the last gen- and co-operation towards their friends in the
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, MINN., August 9.—
North.
eral meeting of the Music Trades Association of
Southern California the address made by Alex-
President Geissler also introduced J. P. General trade conditions will not be as poor in
ander McDonald, of Sohmer & Co., New York, Simmonds, of the Kohler & Chase Music Co., the Northwest during the Fall and Winter sea-
who was the principal guest of the evening, Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks, Louisville, Ky., sons as many had been led to believe as a con-
inspired members to such an extent that the who recalled early association days in the music sequence of the unseasonably hot weather in
meeting, which was scheduled to be one of the trade in New Orleans; Harry N. Briggs, new June and July. The grain crops, which appeared
shortest (on account of its being Elks' Conven- manager of the music department in Hamburg- to be of bumper dimensions in May, were se-
tion Week), occupied the entire evening, and er's Department Store; C. Inslee, assistant man- riously damaged, but it now appears that the
when members adjourned on motion many were ager of Hamburger's, and G. A. Shafer, from yield will be greater and the quality much better
than had been forecast. At any rate, the general
surprised to see the lateness of the hour.
Louisville, Ky.
A lively discussion took place later on busi- business atmosphere is more encouraging than it
Mr. McDonald, who is a director and chair-
man of the press committee of the National As- ness and local trade matters, in which frank was a month ago. It also is quite apparent that
sociation of Music Merchants, chose as his theme criticisms were made between members, which, prices will favor the farmers, and this will have
the importance of selling music and the love of as ex-President Marygold remarked, were and the effect of stimulating business.
"Our traveling men report a rosy future," says
music in the homes, "Once teach a person to love would always constitute the life-blood and raison
S. W. Raudenbush, president of Raudenbush &
music and he will come after your musical in- d'etre of the Association.
struments and take them away from you," said
Members of the music trade frequently de- Sons. "In view of the brighter outlook for crops
Mr. McDonald. "The idea that you must adver- plore the multiplicity and seemingly ceaseless an air of cheerfulness has displaced the feeling
tise musical instruments and emphasize their demands for donations toward charities and ot gloom and we are confident that there will
price is out of date and has been proven waste- other institutions which are made on them day be considerable business in the Fall. Just now
ful.
A man does not want a musical instru- after day. It is like the case quoted by the things are somewhat slow. We have been doing
ment as a gift unless he loves music—except a Scotch minister in his sermon advocating "tem- very well with used pianos, but can't say that
limited number of persons, who might want perance." "A dram or two before breakfast, and the demand for new instruments is brisk."
Raudenbush & Sons have been redecorating
it as an ornamental but useless piece of furni- a few drams between meals, and then, of course,
ture." Mr. McDonald declared that this idea social drams in the evening are all right. But their downtown warerooms at 410 St. Peter
even pervaded the National Convention in Chi- this continual dram-dram-ing all the time should street, in the Hanim Building, and now have
cago. At first there was some talk of prices, but and must be abolished." Of course, other trades what is represented to be the most artistic ap-
very soon dealers and manufacturers settled suffer more or less in the same way, and all pearing piano store in the Northwest. W. R.
down to the discussion of quality and advance- complain that the business man, because of his Raudenbush is away at present on a business
ment of music.
accessibility, bears most of the burden. This trip to British Columbia.
Edward M. J oil, formerly in the piano busi-
Another guest at the meeting was E. M. would be partially done away with by a Com-
Coothe, of the Jacob Doll & Sons Piano Co. and munity Chest, which is in operation in many ness for himself in Chicago, is at the head of
Premier Piano Corp. Walter S. Gray, president cities, notably in Cleveland, O., where it has the piano department of the Golden Rule store.
of Walter S. Gray Co., San Francisco, was also been tried and has met with unbounded success. He finds business much better than he had ex-
pected and believes that St. Paul does a better
present, and told the members that in addition
piano business in July and August—in propor-
to being a member of this Association he was
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
tion, of course—than does Chicago. At any rate,
also a member of the Northern California Asso-
Wm. Leive & Son, jewelry and musical instru- he is satisfied with his move and with his re-
ciation. This was the first meeting in the South
turns.
which he had been able to attend and he took ment dealers of Aurora, 111., are going out of
"August started out very nicely," says Harvey
the opportunity of thanking them for their help business.
Whitstruck, of the Metropolitan Music Co. "The
sales are all that anyone could look for at this
time of the year, when almost everyone is away
on a vacation."
Traveling piano men have not been numerous
of late, but we note the appearance in the Twin
Cities of Col. Briggs, of the Ludwig Piano Co.,
and Col. Jewctt, of the Starr Piano Co. Both
lilid the Northwest a profitable field.
There is little to discuss about the piano busi-
ness during July and August, according to W. S.
Collins, head of the Cable Piano Co. The com-
pany's three stores are paying expenses and all
the supernumeraries are eating three times a day,
but it is conceded that the company is not piling
up any great store of profits. And yet times
have been worse.
Elmer A. Brooks, cheerful and debonair as
ever, is scouting about and chipping out some
business here and there. "The Summer has
been not so bad," he says, "and better times are
coming."'
The only way to get a
reputation for good goods
is to make goods good.
We have been doing just
that for a number of years.
MUSIC INFORMATION FOR SPEAKERS
National Bureau for the Advancement of Music
Offers Service to Members of Trade That Is
Much Appreciated—A Recent Instance
Contributing Member
Alutic Industries
Chamber of Commcre*
tattoo
Unionville, Conn.
The service rendered by the National Bureau
for the Advancement of Music, with which the
trade at large should become familiar, is that of
preparing special articles or speeches for the
local use of members of the trade. A number of
music merchants have had occasion to. address
clubs and other organizations and found the in-
formation offered by the National Bureau almost
invaluable. A dealer in Texarkana, Ark., re-
cently advised the Bureau that he was scheduled
to make a fifteen-minute address before the
local Rotary Club on "The Development of
Music." The Bureau supplied a suitable ad-
dress and the retailer in a later letter expressed
much enthusiasm over the success of the talk
and the service rendered by the Bureau.