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6
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MAY
3, 1924
Out in the Field With the Dealers
A. Frederick Carter, Field Editor of The Review, Sums Up Conditions in the Retail Music Trade in
Tennessee—Results of His Visits to Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville—Many
Merchants in This State Expanding Facilities Because of Increased Business
K
NOXVILLE, TENN., April 29.—Tennes-
see is one of the most progressive States
in the South, representative of the new
activity that this section of the country is now
building up in its industrial life. This State
has done much pioneer work in establishing
large manufacturing interests, which have been
responsible for a large number of other enter-
prises that have followed their lead. The great
factor, perhaps the one most responsible for the
remarkable growth of its cities and towns, is
that its industrial activities are widely diver-
sified, manufacturing being carried on in many
lines which supply products to all sections of
the country. In addition the State is actively
engaged in agricultural pursuits, which produce
varied crops, including a large cotton crop in
the southern part, an excellent grade of tobacco
in the middle and northwestern part, and a large
fruit and market produce yield that gives its
people a cash revenue of some proportion.
This latter activity is one tangible reason why
music dealers are continually cultivating the far-
mer and soliciting his business, as he is gen-
erally accepted as a prospect that is considered
a good risk. As one dealer explained it, the
farmer regards his debts with a greater respon-
sibility than does the man living in the city, as
his credit standing is affected to a much greater
degree, depending, as he does, on credit to
secure capital to plant his crops in the Spring
of the year. The city buyer is usually a wage
earner who has an income that hardly ever
varies, and at no time is he placed in the same
position as the farmer as regards credit. Con-
sequently every dealer I talked with is mate-
rially concerned in securing rural business and
leaves no stone unturned to sell the farmer at
all times, for, as this same dealer stated, they
can very nearly gauge their year's program of
activities on this class of business.
The large centers of the State, without one
exception, have an atmosphere of business ac-
tivity that is reflected by the retail shop win-
dows which have a truly cosmopolitan atmos-
phere and which no doubt attract many passers-
by into the stores. A sure sign indeed that the
music merchants are of a progressive type is
the amount of newspaper advertising used by
them. In only one or two isolated cases was
this advertising of an undesirable nature, most
of it being of a character that builds prestige
not only for the local dealer but for the entire
music industry. The price advertising merchant
is not numerous, and his store is typical of this
kind of a dealer, usually his business condition
being unhealthy, due to the great amount of un-
desirable lease paper which he is attempting to
carry.
From many points of view the music mer-
chants of the State are progressive and gener-
ally in healthy condition. It was gratifying to
find the large number of them who are exceed-
ingly well informed on the important question
of overhead, which is an entirely foreign or too
intricate question for so many retail dealers,
who are willing to leave this matter in the hands
of some disinterested accountant. The series
of articles on this much-discussed subject in
The Review was a matter of much favorable
comment by dealers here, many stating that the
information therein contained had served as a
basis for an intensive study which they were
prompted to make of their cost of doing busi-
ness and which in a good many cases was fruit-
ful of some startling information. I was shown
in two cases where leakages found were rem-
edied to distinct advantage.
Memphis, the largest city in the State, is
growing at a rapid rate, for in all parts of
its business section many new buildings are
under construction. Its main business thor-
oughfare contains a large number of high-
class retail buildings, and it is noteworthy to see
that music merchants occupy the pick of these
locations. In the course of the next few weeks
the city will boast of one of the largest depart-
ment stores in the entire South, as the immense
building now being constructed by the Lowen-
stein Bros. Co. will be ready for occupancy then.
As the store has a large department devoted to
pianos and talking machines, it is of special
interest to the trade.
The O. K. Houck Co., pioneers in the music
activities in the city and one of the oldest deal-
ers in the entire South, occupies one of the most
beautiful stores I have seen in this part of the
country. It has just completed extensive altera-
tions which have improved the general arrange-
ment of all four floors and which will give to
the officials and sales force many features that
will help materially in taking care of its large
clientele in a much more efficient manner.
W. T. Sutherland, vice-president and general
manager of this splendid store, a live wire and
a worthy product of the training and teaching of
the founder of this well-known concern, is no
doubt one of the best-posted men on matters
pertaining to the merchandising of music in the
South. Mr. Sutherland's remarkable rise to his
present position is worthy of comment as it was
occasioned by close study and his tireless efforts
in the period of years he spent in the sales force
in both the piano and talking machine depart-
ments. This gave him a perspective of retail
selling, which bears the mark of the high-grade
methods that built up his business for its
founder, O. K. Houck. Mr. Sutherland has
associated with him a group of sales people
who are imbued with a spirit of co-operation
that is productive of excellent results, both in
the sales of the store and in its general high
management. Last year the store celebrated
its fortieth anniversary in an appropriate man-
ner, a feature being the use of all the local
papers in which full-page advertisements were
used, featuring the high spots in the develop-
ment of the business, printing one of the last
messages of its founder to the sales staff, and
also showing the names of every member of
the present force. The remarkable thing re-
garding the sales force is that the average
length of service in the Houck organization is
seven years, a matter really to be proud of.
Memphis Symphony Orchestra
While visiting Mr. Sutherland I had the pleas-
ure of meeting A. B. Williams, the man respon-
sible for the splendid Memphis Symphony Or-
chestra, which appears in concert in the city
several times during the season. Mr. Williams is
the chairman of the music committee of the city
Chamber of Commerce, and is closely associated
with the O. K. Houck Co. in the many musical
events that take place in the city each season.
Saul Blustein, who was for many years the
manager of the music department of the Lowen-
stein Bros, store, is now comfortably located
in a lucrative business of his own on Madison
avenue, where he carries a complete stock of
Brunswick and Columbia records and machines,
and an excellent display of band and orchestra
instruments. The latter phase of the business
is indeed a very live one as Mr. Blustein has a
large following of professional musicians who
make his store their headquarters.
One merchant who is doing a commendable
work as regards the fostering of good music
in the city of Memphis is W. M. Reinhardt,
president of the Reinhardt Music Co., whose
activities in the public schools have been pro-
ductive of great results. In the last two years
he has introduced to pupils in the schools a
large number of instruments of the band and
orchestra through the medium of several organ-
izations which he has developed through his
efforts. Recently a high school band, which
he has been training for a short time, appeared
in the leading theatre and was billed as a reg-
ular part of the vaudeville program for an entire
week. Another feat which has brought tangible
results is the organization of several "Kiddie
Bands" in the lower grades, composed of simple
instruments designed by Mr. Reinhardt, which
has created much favorable publicity for his
store as well as- many sales of instruments.
I had a very interesting chat with J. E. Horn-
berger, assistant general sales manager of the
Sonora Phonograph Co., who was in the Rein-
hardt store helping out in the arrangement of
the Sonora stock just arriving, preparatory to
the wholesale activity which this store has re-
cently taken on.
Here also I had the pleasure of meeting F. A.
Brenner, representative of the Fred Gretsch Co.,
of New York, who was on his way home after
a successful trip through the Southwest.
A concern that is bound to be heard from
soon is the new Witzniann-Stuber Co., which
opened warerooms in the same location that was
previously occupied for so many years by the
father of Ernest Witzmann, who is a member of
the present concern. Both these men have had
a long experience in selling pianos, Mr. Stuber
having been associated with the elder Witzmann
for a period of fifteen years, where he made a
host of friends and an enviable reputation.
Nashville, Term.
Nashville is the capital city and caters to a
different class of business from Memphis or any
other city in the State, due to the fact that a
great portion of the citizens of the town are
the residential type, who are connected in some
way with the State governmental activities.
There is little manufacturing done here and the
music merchant is obliged to secure his busi-
ness from the outlying districts, from the farmer
especially, and the residential class in the city.
The Starr Piano Co. has a large wareroom
here, which is in charge of Hugh M. Light, a
man of many years' experience in selling pianos
in the State. He has been connected with this
well-known company for the past twenty-four
years and is considered one of the most efficient
men in the Starr organization.
Robert L. Whitlow, manager of the O. K.
Houck store, is one merchant who is keenly in-
terested in every musical event that the city has
during the season, and his work in this direction
has done much for the advancement of good
music. At the present time he is working hard
to make Music Week in May a success. He has
been appointed chairman of this committee, and,
through his efforts, the local Chamber of Com-
merce has shown a keen interest in the program
prepared, a feature of which will be a large out-
door pageant to be held on the grounds of the
largest high school. Mr. Whitlow has also ar-
ranged for the appearance of Fiske Jubilee
Singers, who are well known all over the coun-
try. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra will
give daily concerts in several parts of the city.
The M. F. Shea Piano Co. is one of the oldest
stores here and its warerooms are well ap-
pointed with modern equipment, so its clientele