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MARCH 24, 1923
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
WELTE REPRESENTATION NOW OPENED TO ALL DEALERS
George W. Gittins, President of Welte-Mignon Corp., Announces That Welte Grands and Cabinet
Piano Players Will Hereafter Be Sold on Unrestricted Territory Arrangement
tion of the Welte-Mignon Corp. itself, due to
the fact that it will give it a much wider dis-
tributing outlet.
George W. Gittins has been identified with
the reproducing piano in this country since its
pioneering days and his purchase of the control
of the old M. Welte & Sons Co. during the war
gave him an opportunity to apply modern mer-
chandising ideas to one of the best-known
names in the reproducing field and at the same
time to the output of a foreign concern that had
up to that time done little to propagate its name
in the American piano industry.
In making this announcement the Welte-Mig-
non Corp. offers the trade the Welte-Mignon
grand with the spool box above the keys. This
instrument comes in two sizes, five feet long
and six feet long. It also offers several models
of the Welte reproducing cabinet player with
cases in period designs. Those who think that
the day of the cabinet reproducing player has
passed will find upon investigation that there
exists a field for this instrument, as there are
many people who possess high-grade grand
pianos which they would not consider trading in
on an interior reproducing grand and which
have thus far been barred from the dealer's ap-
proach on this proposition. With the cabinet,
and especially in the handsome designs which
the Welte-Mignon Corp. has produced which
eliminate the awkwardness of line usually asso-
ciated with these instruments, there should be
no difficulty in selling this type of prospect.
This new policy on the part of the Welte-
George W. Gittins
selling this line opens up to every dealer a new Mignon Corp. cannot help but increase the pres-
selling opportunity and gives him the chance to tige of the Welte name among the American
place the line which he carries on a parity with public which purchases reproducing instru-
all his competitors. At the same time it will, ments and lead to a wider distribution of the
no doubt, have its reaction upon the produc- Welte line.
The announcement by George W. Gittins,
president of the Welte-Mignon Corp., New
York, to the effect that the Welte-Mignon grand
and the Welte-Mignon cabinet reproducing
player will hereafter be offered without restric-
tions to every retail piano dealer in the trade
marks a novel departure in merchandising the
reproducing piano.
Eliminating all restrictions on territory in
"The Merritt bill is the simpler and confined
largely to legalizing the principle of price stand-
Representative Kelly Declares Two Price-main- ardization. It would permit the producer or
tenance Bills Have Fairly Good Chance of manufacturer to fix his price and to refuse to
sell to any dealer who cuts it. It provides no
Being Passed by Next Congress
machinery but, if enacted into law, would be,
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 19.—"Business men rather, an expression by Congress of recogni-
arc wandering in a bog of uncertainty as a re- tion of the principle of price standardization and
sult of the Supreme Court's decisions in the maintenance.
"I had a conference with Representative Win-
Colgate and Beech Nut cases, and there is an
imperative need for legislative action recogniz- slow, of Massachusetts, chairman of the House
ing the principle of price standardization," de- Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee,
clared Representative Clyde Kelly, of Pennsyl- just before the adjournment of Congress, at
vania, in a statement given out recently, in which he declared that the time had arrived for
which he forecasts legislation early in the next action on these measures and said that he would
session of Congress giving recognition to that call a meeting of his committee soon after Con-
gress meets to take action on them.
principle.
"I am convinced that before the next session
"The situation for favorable action on the
price standardization principle is in better shape of Congress has proceeded very far the prin-
right now than it has ever been before," con- ciple of price standardization will be written
tinued Mr. Kelly. "Two bills were pending into law. It is the greatest need in business to-
when the last Congress adjourned and will be day. Business men are compelled to wander in
reintroduced early in the next session. One is a bog of uncertainty. The Supreme Court de-
known as the Kelly-Stephens bill, originally cisions in the Colgate and Beech Nut cases have
drawn by Justice Brandeis before he became a made it impossible for any manufacturer of a
member of the Supreme Court, and the other is standard trade-marked article to know how far
the Merritt bill, introduced by Representative he may go in protecting his own property. This
Merritt, of Connecticut, which contains sugges- condition is intolerable and the only remedy is
through legislation such as Mr. Merritt and I
tions from Secretary of Commerce Hoover.
"The Kelly-Stephens bill would set up ma- have suggested."
chinery for price standardization to permit any
independent manufacturer of a standard, iden-
MAUS RETIRES fROM PIANO TRADE
tified article to file a schedule of his price with
the Federal Trade Commission. He would
LIMA, O., March 20.—The Maus Piano Co.,
have authority to maintain the retail prices of which has been in the retail piano business in
his article or articles, but, under Section 3 of this city for the past fifteen years, has closed
the bill, the Federal Trade Commission may, out its business. H. P. Maus will devote all his
on complaint of any person, investigate the time to the Page Organ Co., which he organ-
standard prices so fixed to determine if they ized at Defiance, O., recently, for the manufac-
are fair. Under another section of the bill a ture of high-grade theatre and church pipe or-
retailer handling the standard price articles gans. The factory of the Maus Co. at Defiance
would be required to offer them for sale to the will be devoted to the manufacture of radio
manufacturer at the price he paid for them be- equipment. The new organ company has man-
fore he would be permitted to offer them for ufactured and installed several very fine pipe
sale to the public lower than fixed prices.
organs in this part of the country.
NEWEDISON
.
^
r ( | M j ' \ K M S ( ) S W|TH THE I . M V . . \ ! . M - ! y
^
• -\LS N O DIFFERENCE
^ ^
HPHE NEW EDISON
actually re-creates the
golden tonal quality of fa-
mous voices, a distinctive
feature of the New Edison
that is daily influencing
music lovers in their pref-
erence for the phonograph
they purchase.
The
NEW EDISON
Baby Console
$175
CHANCES FOR PRICE MAINTENANCE
The N e w E d i s o n Baby
Console is winning the ap-
proval of m u s i c lovers
everywhere. Its superior
tonal qualities, its attractive
design and its moderate cost
have made the Baby Console
a popular member of the
New Edison group.
THOMAS A. EDISON, Inc.
Orange, New Jersey