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DECEMBER 5,
1925
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A. R. Farmer Is Elected President of
Strauch Bros., Inc., New York City
Promotion Comes as Reward for Constructive Wo rk Accomplished Since He Joined Organization
as Vice-President and General Manager One Year Ago
A T the annual meeting of the Board of
"^^ Directors of Strauch Bros., Inc., New York,
held on Monday of this week, A. R. Farmer
was. elected president. This honor came to Mr.
Farmer just one year from the date that he
A. R. Farmer
becajne vice-president and general manager of
the organization and also as a reward for the
splendid progress made during that year.
As is well known throughout the industry,
Mr. Farmer has devoted the greater part of his
life to the player action business, first being
connected with the New York Piano Hardware
Co., later with the sales organization of the
Musical Instrument Sales Corp., and then for
year his first thought was the incorporation of
several improvements in the player action itself,
after which he turned his attention to making
the factory organization more efficient in every
respect. To do this, he acquired the services
of W. H. Dowd as superintendent of the piano
action department, a man who has been in the
piano-action manufacturing business all his life.
It was not long after this that Oscar H. Carl-
son was placed in charge of the promotion and
service department, which has proved invalu-
able to manufacturers and dealers using the
Strauch player action. In the early Fall, a
London office was opened and put in charge of
Henry Billinghurst, a well-known piano man in
England. According to Mr. Farmer, it was
found advisable to do this due to the increased
demand for Strauch actions by English manu-
facturers. The result of these activities has
been that to-day there are over 33 1-3 per cent
more manufacturers using Strauch products
than ever before and that the factory is operat-
ing on a most efficient basis.
Regarding the future, Mr. Farmer stated to a
representative of The Review this week that
they would continue along the same progressive
lines and the trade can expect many new fea-
tures, both in product and co-operative methods
during the coming year.
"We feel very much pleased," he said, "at the
progress we have made already, and I am very
positive that the plans which we have for the
new year are of that character which will prove
most satisfactory to all the users of Strauch
products. A great many changes were made
during the last year and we have just about
completed the reorganization of our factory
force, and manufacturing facilities, which have
been greatly increased, are made more efficient
on account of these changes. Naturally, while
going through this process of co-ordination, as
well as expansion, we have had hard problem?
to contend with, but now that these have been
overcome we feel that we are in a position to
9
radio houses in Atlanta for the past few years
and is considered an expert in merchandising
this kind of stock. Another new appointment
is that of W. S. Miller as wholesale manager
for phonographs and records.
Seale Music Shop Now Has
Fine Home in Hot Springs
i
A. A. Seale Secures Garage and Has It Re-
modeled in Most Elaborate Fashion Accord-
ing to His Own Ideas
HOT SPRINGS, ARK., November 30.—It is due to
the fact that its climate is such as to check
the ravages of rheumatism that Hot Springs is
able to list among its successful merchants Auva
A. Seale, head of the Seale Music Shop. To
Mr. Seale's ability to carry out his ideas is due
the fact that what was formerly a garage in the
business section of the city has been remodeled
into one of the most attractive and well ar-
ranged music stores in the State, if not in the
South. Mr. Seale originally studied to be a
doctor but when he received his degree de-
cided he was not cut out for the work. He
then took up the sale of music study charts
and eventually became connected with a prom-
inent piano house in Texas. He was afflicted
with rheumatism, however, and was forced to
locate in various sections in an effort to secure
relief. He finally came to Hot Springs, got
rid of his rheumatism and decided it was a good
place to start business.
Starting with a small stock of second-hand
pianos and a few talking machines, and with
the assistance of his wife, Mrs. Lillian P. Seale,
he quickly developed a substantial business,
which has grown steadily and necessitated sev-
eral changes in location. Not long ago it was
found necessary to secure even larger quarters,
and Mr. Seale decided that the site of the
garage was the logical place. He mapped out
his own ideas, drew his plans, engaged work-
men, and developed what was a ramshackle
building into a most impressive store. In addi-
tion to several lines of pianos the Seale Music
Shop handles the Brunswick line of phono-
graphs, as well as radio and sheet music.
Ben Strub Plays "Double
Golf" Just for Exercise
Standard Pneumatic Foursome Does Some High
and Lofty Exhibition Work at White Beeches
Country Club
Factory of Strauch Bros., Inc., New York
eleven years as general traveling representative furnish the best value ever known in player ac-
for the Standard Pneumatic Action Co. During tions, piano actions, keys and hammers and
the last year, in which the active management render prompt and efficient service to the trade
of the Strauch business was under his super- at all times."
Mr. Farmer assumed his new duties as presi-
vision, many radical changes have taken place,
both in the construction of the Strauch player dent of the organization on Tuesday, Decem-
action and in the factory organization, which ber 1.
have proved most satisfactory.
The reports at the meeting show that the out-
Open Radio Department
put of player actions during 1925 trebled that
ATLANTA, GA., November 28.—A new radio de-
of the previous year and that in the piano action,
key and hammer departments there has been an partment has been opened in the local Sterchi
Bros., with V. A. McCarvey as manager. Mr.
increase of over 100 per cent in production.
When Mr. Farmer took hold of the reins last McCarvey has been identified with several other
A Standard Pneumatic golf foursome was par-
ticipated in on Sunday, November 15, by four
executives of the Standard Pneumatic Action
Co., New York, the event taking place at the
White Beeches Country Club in New Jersey.
Adam K. Gutsohn, superintendent and secretary
of the company, was the host of the occasion
and his guests included W. A. Mennie, presi-
dent of the company; H. E. Lawrence, treas-
urer, and Ben Strub, Western representative.
The foursome was played on the club's excel-
lent course, more, as Mr. Strub claimed, for
exercise than for the winning of points. By-
standers were amused to observe that in one
part of the course, which is par 73, Mr. Strub
took double swings at the small sphere on every
possible occasion, endeavoring to play two
games in one round and thereby gain the exer-
cise he sought. One onlooker stated that his
score for this section of the course was 149,
which brought his "double game" three below
par. It is interesting to note that the scores of
the other three players are being carefully
guarded against publicity, although all efforts
to obtain them have been made by The Review.
One can only guess.
Siegfried's Music Store, of Lodi, Cal., has
moved from its former location at 114 West
Pine street and is now situated in quarters on
School street.