THE
6
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
CLEVELAND MUSIC TRADE ASSOCIATION HOLDS MEETING
Listens to Analysis of the Reasons for the Confinned Pessimist-A Sale That Was Closed De
spite the Law's Interference-Music Merchants' Association of Ohi'o Appoints .C ommittees
CLEVELAND,' 0., December 17,-To Doubting
Thomases who see no daylight ahead in an
otherwise dark business world, words of encour
agement were offered to members of the music
industry of Cleveland here this week when Tom
V. Hendricks, humorist, advertising counselor
and manager of publicity for the Cleveland
Akron Bag. Co.,. when not otherwise engaged,
spoke before the December meeting of the
Cleveland Music Trade Association. Mr. Hen
dricks was brought to the meeting as the guest
of Harry R. Valentine, Association president.
The meeting was held at the show place of the
Knabe vVarerooms, where dealers had a chance
IrJ"AUAQiliiijiVilliVA¥AY 'ViY.&Y.A.liViv.,i,av ivicA,AvavAviviUAO '~
The
Proflt- Producing
Melostrelle
Is Easy to Sell!
I
want you to see and
W E play
this wonderful
instru men t. Then you
will know why we are so
enthusiastic over it. The
Melostrelle will sell itself.
Its val ue is unmistakable.
Popular Priced!
Dealers who feature it
tell us it is the best value
from the standpoint of
quality, they have ever
seen at the price. With
real musical worth and
strong sales appeal. the
Melostrelle is just the
kind of a player that will
help you to build a good
business upon the solid
foundation of pleased
customers.
Write for our wonder
ful proposition-today!
STEGER & SONS
Plano Manufacturing Company
Founded by John V. Steller, 1879'
Steger Building, Cbicago, Ill.
Factorfes: Steger. illinois. where the
"Lincoln" and "Dixie" Highways Meet
Easy to Sell-Tbe MELOSTRELLE
to inspect the unusual settings that
M. O.
1\1 attlin, head of the firm, has provided for th e
display of Ampicos in Knabe and allied lines.
Mr. Mattlin also presided at this meeting, get
ting into practice, so to. speak, since he is a
likely candidate for the post of Association
president next year.
In the opinion of Mr. Hendricks, alleged pes
simism on the part of some business people is
due to their failure to recognize old-time influ
ences, actions and conditions that make for
faith and confidence. He likened industrial,
social and commercial conditions of the last
five years to the !t.eling that certain individuals
used to have the morning after. At such times,
and during the present period, there appeared
no ground for optimism, though plenty of op
portunity to anticipate obstacles to overcome.
In his usual humorous fashion M r. Hendricks
showed that most of these obstacles are imagi
nary and that there was and is ground for real
optimism. .
He asserted that there are many people in
this generation who are prone to look back upon
"the good old days," believing they are the first
to do this, though certain persons in all previous
generations have done the same thing, and each
group has taken the credit for originating the
idea.
Th e real thought back of this, in the opinion
of Mr. H endricks, is that there are certain fun
damen tals that alwa ys can be used to steady
conditions, improve conditions and make for
progress forward.
One of these is the usual need for leader s
who find and make a way out and who them
selves find a satisfaction in doing so. Equally
so is needed a ge nius in following their lead
by others.
Yet, while awaiting this 'turn, the need for
application of the old-fashioned remedies is ap
parent, he asserted. One need that is impera
ti ve is to get away from the apparent unbelief
in the "other fellow." Re-establishment of faith
IS a p rime essential. Evidence of this, he pointed
out, is seen in the t endency of others to look
askance upon the really honest efforts of some
individuals, in business, for example, who· have
the goods to sell and honestly believe that those
they sell them to ne ed and can benefit by them.
Yet such 'are looked upon with suspicio·n.
Re-establishment of such faith, however, can
not be done ·throu g h legislation, through con
ferences, or by proclamation by kings or presi
dents, )..{r. Hendricks insisted.
It must be
a matter for the individual to decide. An illus
tration of this we cited in the victory of David
over Goliath, made possible because the youth
had faith in himse lf and worked long and hard
to establish that faith.
Another olel-time remedy that will help to
bring more certain conditions is sacrifice, ac
cording to Mr. Hendri cks, H e showed that this
country was founded on sacrifice, which meant
the doin ~ of the humble things, such as those
who found ed this conntry were willing to do ,
This can be done more readily to-day; in the
opinion of Mr. Hendrick s, through co-operation
in organization ;Lnd throu g h an elimination on
the part of the indi vidual of the fear that the
other fellow will benefit or gain by what the
first has already accomplished or done.
Next meeting of the Cleveland Music Trade
Association will be the annual meeting, at which
new officers will be elected and a program of
local activities for the members, as well as fur
therance of the State convention program and
Cleveland's part in it, will be outlined.
Less Than Two Hours
Nearly all piano merchants will agree that
getting the prospect into the store is one thing,
that selling the piano is another and that keep
ing it sold is still another. To have to do all
three in less th'an two hours and joust with the
heavy arm of the law falls to the lot of few
DECEMBER 22, 1923
piano mer chant s. Yet that same thing wa s
accomplished here this week, and to Otto C
Muehlhauser, secretary-manager, the Muehl
hauser Bros. Piano r:o ., goes th~ palm for said
accom plishment.
Muehlhauser's have the distillctio·n of being
the Mason & Hamlin repo·sitory in Cleveland
and vicinity. Came thither a fair dams el who
in the old days would have been known as
"carriage trade." The visitor parked her car
nearby, right out on the avenue, came' in to
look at Mason & Hamlins, guaranteed to stay
only fifteen minutes-and remained for two
hours.
One Hour the Limit
One hour is the limit that the mounted knight
in blue with brass buttons will permit modern
cha riots t.o clutter up' the causeway. Hence the
fair shopper found a yellow ticket awaiting her
with the privilege of matching its other half at
the Champlain avenue tribunal next day. She
and the knight got into an altercation beside and
the latter vowed he'd do without his day off in
order to be sure that his victim got all that
was coming to her before hizzoner.
But the visitor had promised to' t ome .back
the next day and finish buying the piano. In
fact she came back tbe next minute and told
Friend Otto that she expected to spend the day
in court.
Whereupon the genial Mr. Muehlhauser inter
viewed the irate cop. And told the cop the
terrible state of affairs. Couldn't he fix it? Sure
he could, but the girl was sassy and bawled
him out and all thi§>:ilnd that. Can you imagine
it?
Otto could imagiiie that and a lot worse.
Imagine if the prosp.c.d went to 'coait instead
of Muehlhauser's the next day. Only one thing
to do. Otto had to sell the copas well. And
he did. Cop decided he 'd let it pass this once,
but never again. Prospect was called up and
told it was "all fixed." Did she show up the
)lext A. M .? Ask Otto. He knows.
Special Finish
In addition to its policy of finishiilg certain
pianos in shades desired' by the customer, the
Dreher Pi an o Co'., represent a tive in this terri·
tor y for the Steinw ay, is going a step farther
this week in ordering a special walnut finish
for a certain Cl eve land purchaser, this direct
from the facto.ry, Thi s particular client has de
sired a type of finish that is just a littl e different
from the usual finishes turned out at the fac
tory. Samples of the finish desired were pre
. pared by the Dreher factory here and submitted
to the purchaser. The one nearest to· the shade '
and finish required was sent to New York and
work on the special case started. Although ' it
will take from eight to ten months to bring the
finished piano here, the customer is willing to
wait that long, appreciative of the additional
effort the Dreher firm is taking to get the de
sired result, acco'rding to Robert Jones, publicity
, :1
manager.
Association Committees
Conlmittees that will function for t.he Music
Merchants' Association of Ohio, apart from the
special work entai led in connection with the
State convention, which comes to Cleveland
next September, were appointed at a special
meeting of officers here by President C. H .
Yahrling, Youngstown. Th e committees and
their memberships follow:
Legislative-W. V. Crowe, Columbus; F. J.
Vo·lz, Cincinnati; D . F. Summey, Cincinnati .
Membership-A. B. Smith, Jr., Akron; T. M.
Dollison, Columbus; Otto Grau, Cincinnati; C.
H, R an dolph, Cleveland; E, R. Laughead,
Toledo. ' Advertising- J. A. Jacober, Cincinnati;
R. C. Wilkin, Columbus; C. M. Alfred, Canton;
Henry Dreher, Cl evel and ; O. E. Westerfield,
Greenville. Insurance-Otto Grau, Cincinnati;
O. C. Baker, Columbus; A. B. Smith, Akron,
Miss Marie Kratz, of the Kratz Piano Co.,
Akron, and Raymo,nd W . Addleman were mar
ried recently in that city. Miss Kratz is th e
only active woman piano merchant in the Ohio
Association and has be en active in much . of
its work.