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SKPTKMIIF.R \2,
1925
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Preparations Complete for the Annual
Gathering of the Ohio Music Merchants
Large Delegation to Attend From Cleveland—Exhibits at the Gathering—Rex C. Hyre Replies
to the National President—New Starck Manager in Cleveland
/CLEVELAND, O., September 5.—The discus-
^ sion started a few weeks ago by an editorial
of Rex C. Hyre, editor of the Retail Music Mer-
chant, official paper for the Music Merchants'
Association of Ohio, relative to the small retail
music dealer in connection with association
activities, services and aid, seems to be a closed,
incident so far as he is concerned.
Said Mr. Hyre in the September 1 issue of the
publication, answering his critics:
"Under date of July 1, 1925, an editorial ap-
peared in this column concerning 'National Ac
tivities.' About August 1, a reply to the same
by W. E. Weisert, of Chicago, president of the
National Association of Music Merchants, was
published in many of the national trade papers.
Several of the trade papers also carried editorial
comments thereon.
"The editorial in question was directed to a
principle. It made no reference whatever to any
person, nor was it intended as a personal reflec-
tion upon any person in or connected with the
music trade association. The reply and two of
the trade paper editorials savor of personalities.
If the remarks on 'National Activities' were
deemed worthy of serious consideration it
would seem that to attack the supposed mo-
tives or personal position of the writer is a
feeble endeavor to answer the criticism. The
new plan of operating the National Association
should have been defended solely on its merits.
"The article regarding 'National Activities'
was written in an attempt to strengthen and
perpetuate the National Association of Music
Merchants, with which the Music Merchants'
Association of Ohio is affiliated, rather than
harm it. The editorial pointed out in a frank
manner .v'hat was believed to be a step in the
wrong direction. It reflects the opinion of many
retail music dealers in Ohio and elsewhere. It
is herewith reaffirmed. Time alone will answer
its correctness or the fallacy of the criticism.
No good can come at this time through further
argument.
"All the ulterior personal motives ascribed to
the editor by some of the trade paper editors
are absolutely denied. A fair and unbiased
reading of the same conclusively refutes these
claims."
Exhibits at the Convention
Cleveland members of the Music Merchants'
Association of Ohio, including its secretary,
Rex C. Hyre, are busy with plans for
the annual convention in Cincinnati, the middle
of September. Mr. Hyre announces the follow-
ing exhibits have already been pledged by deal-
ers and manufacturers:
Automatic Pneumatic Action Co., New York
City.
George 1'. Rent Co., Louisville, Ky.
The Cleveland Talking Machine Co., Victor
distributor, Cleveland, O.
The Hallet & Davis Co., Boston, Mass.
B. K. Settergren Co., Bluffton, Intl.
Straube Piano Co., Hammond, Ind.
M. Schulz Co., Chicago, 111.
The Vocalstyle Music Co., Cincinnati, O.
Winter & Co., New York City.
The Buel Distributing Co., Cheney talking
machines, Cleveland, O.
The Sterling Roll Co., Cincinnati, O.
The Art Novelty Co., Goshen, Ind.
The United Piano Corp., Norwalk, O.
The Cleveland Radio Reproducer, Cleveland,
O.
The Starr Piano Co., Cincinnati, O.
The Milton Piano Co., New York City.
The Conway Securities Co., Boston, Mass.
The Zenith Radio Corp., Cleveland, O.
Rex C. Hyre, secretary of the Music Mer-
chants' Association of Ohio, announces the fol-
lowing new members: Albert V. Mertes, 22
West 12th street, Cincinnati; Adolph Spicker,
12th and Race streets, Cincinnati; Edwin S.
Williams (associate), United Piano Corpora-
tion,- Norwalk; Ray Lammers, 27 West 4th
street/Cincinnati; Erwin R. Milton (associate),
17800 Franklin avenue, Lakewood; Don M.
Weimer, 147 East Liberty street, Wooster;
Arthur Brand, 1618 Vine street, Cincinnati;
William N. Appel, 904 East McMillan street,
Cincinnati; H. H. Findt, 164 North 4th street,
Cincinnati; A. T. Loggie, 146 South 4th street,
Steubenville; Max Frank, 1205 Vine street, Cin-
cinnati; V. S. Pfenning, West Spring street, St.
Marys; Mrs. J. G. Herbold, 218 South Market
street, Galion; M. L. Phillips, 14 South Main
street, Mt. Gilead; Albert A. Fink, Public
Square, Kenton.
Golf at the Convention
Secretary Rex C. Hyre, of the Music Mer-
chants' Association of Ohio, announces that
these golf prizes have been donated by the fol-
lowing firms:
William H. Alfring, the Aeolian Co., New
York City; Grinnell Brothers, Detroit, Mich.;
Fred Gennett, the Starr Piano Co., Richmond,
Ind.; Henry Dreher, president the Dreher Piano
Co., Cleveland, O.; Arthur Wessell, New York
City; Fred P. Bassett, the M. Schulz Co., Chi-
cago; The Otto Grau Piano Co., Cincinnati, O.;
Otto C. Muehlhauser, Cleveland, O.; Charles H.
Yahrling, Youngstown, O.; the Baldwin Co.,
Cincinnati, O.; the Gulbransen Co., Chicago,
111.; William R. Graul, Cincinnati, O.; the Hotel
Sinton, Cincinnati, O.
Henry Dreher will present plans during the
golf dinner, September 14, for organizing "The
Ohio Music Trade Golf Association."
No meeting of the Cleveland Music Trades
Association will be held until after the Cincin-
nati convention of the State organization.
Henry Dreher, president of the Cleveland body,
and other members expect to put into operation
some of the suggestions brought out at the
State gathering.
Cleveland sheet music dealers report big calls
for "Footloose," the latest popular release of
the Sam Fox Publishing Co. Talking machine
records featuring this song are also having a
big sale.
Daily newspaper advertising by music stores
and department emporium and furniture estab-
lishments handling radio sets, equipment, phon-
ographs and records is beginning to indicate
a more optimistic attitude of retailers who are
striking out for increased Fall trade.
New Law on Payments
July 21, this year, a law enacted by the last
session of the Ohio legislature became effective
radically changing the homestead exemptions of
judgment debtors who are family heads. Offi-
cial copies of the new law now in print indicate
that married judgment debtors earning over
$75 a month may have at least 10 per cent of
their earnings garnisheed for any debt, includ-
ing amounts owed for musical instruments.
Formerly the Ohio law of 10 per cent applied
to heads of families owing for necessaries which
did not include musical instruments. The new
law includes these instruments and raises the
percentage to 20 per cent for necessities. Under
the law the head of a family is not permitted
to claim any passenger automobile owned by
him as an exception from execution. This
means a "family car" can be made to pay for
a musical instrument which has been mortgaged
to the selling agency. The new law as a whole
is intended to compel the payment of honest
debts.
New Starck Manager
Another change in the management of the
Cincinnati branch of the P. A. Starck Piano
Company is announced. ,*«-.- r „
H. B. Bruck, well-known Cleveland music
merchant, who took over the direction of the
Starck store in lower Euclid avenue soon after
his firm, H. B. Bruck Sons & Company, of
Huron Road, went into receivership and bank-
ruptcy, has.,retired from the management and
has been succeeded by W. R. Trembley, of De-
troit. Mr, Trembley came, here direct from the
Detroit store of the firm and has made a fine
impression during his short stay among the"
Cleveland music merchants.
Whether he remains permanently in charge
is largely a matter of personal choice, as his
home is in Detroit. Practically all of the store
staff have been retained, as most of the sales
people are trained employes of the Starck Co.
Starck musical instruments, including phono-
graphs, are exclusively handled by the store.
No radio merchandise is offered.
When H. B. Bruck retired from the manage-
ment his two sons went with him. The Brucks
have not announced their intentions. Just prior
to taking charge of the Starck store the Brucks
incorporated a company under their own name
to do business in Akron, but the project was
dropped.
Summer Opera
Summer opera for Cleveland has taken on a
new impetus. City Manager W. R. Hopkins
has just returned from a trip to St. Louis, where
he made a personal study of what has been done
in this direction there, and in the $9,000,000 civic
and improvement program before the Cleveland
administration are $100,000 in bonds to get the
open air opera project started. Park Director
Frank S. Harmon has had the scheme in mind
for several months and a*'riatural amphitheatre
in Rockefeller Park is the, tentative site chosen
for the opera. The summer open air opera is
proposed to offset the mid-Winter season of
grand opera in the Public Hall.
The "Nite Caps on Lake Erie" had their
monthly midnight frolic and radio entertain-
ment broadcast from station WTAM, Septem-
ber 2. The broadcasting started at midnight
and ran until about daylight, the Euclid Beach
Orchestra being on the air locally, with music
drawn from several other cities.
"I'll be glad to see the quadrille and lanciers
and waltz quadrille return," said Fred W. Kohl,
"daddy" of the national convention of dancing
masters, held last week at the Hotel, Winton.
He has spent 41 years on the dance floor and
this Fall will take the management of the danc-
ing at the Coral Gables pavilion, Florida. In
his book "Quadrille Book and Guide to Eti-
quette" he urges dancers not to romp.
The Cleveland Talking Machine Co. has sold
over forty-five carloads of Victor talking
machines since the nation-wide campaign went
into effect. Music firms still report ithat best
sales in pianos, players and talking 'machines
are among the higher priced instruments. This
is particularly true of the more exclusive music
merchandising stores. The Dreher Piarto Co. has
taken several orders for the new Victor radiola
promised early this fall.
Frank Walker, a piano salesman, Detroit, was
a visitor along "Music Row" this w«ek. He
says business is good in Detroit.
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• '
The Zenith Radio Corp. of Chicagd sells its
products through the Cleveland Talking Ma-
chine Co. This concern is the Ohio distributing
agency for Zenith products. Howard t. Startle,
president, and Milton Wells, treasurer of the
Cleveland Talking Machine Co., will lbok after
exhibits for their concern at the convention ex-
position. Phil Dorn, George A. Bitteflich and
Joe Nowalk cover Ohio for the company in
selling musical and radio merchandise.;
p *
Wm. R. Steinway to Yisit
William R. Steinway, general manager of the
European business of Steinway & Sons," with
headquarters in London, is expected in the
United States on a visit early in October. At
about the same time Paul H. Schmidt, ^assistant
to the president of Steinway & Sons, will re-
turn from a lengthy visit abroad.
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