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The Music Trade Review
Sherman, Clay & Co. Report $690,000
Sales Increase During Year's Half
Semi-Annual Report of Pacific Coast Music House Shows First Six Months of Year Ahead of
Similar Periods of 1925, 1924 and 1923—Urges Attendance at Western Meeting
CAN FRANCISCO, CAL., July 15.—The semi-
annual report of Sherman, Clay & Co., made
public yesterday, shows a remarkable improve-
ment in business over the previous six months,
so far as this firm is concerned. Following is
the brief notice sent out to stockholders:
"We are pleased to report the excellent con-
dition of this business for the first six months
of 1926, during which period net sales show
an increase of more than $690,000 over the cor-
responding period of 1925, $510,000 over 1924
and $460,000 over 1923. This increased volume
of business has been accompanied by the largest
cash collections in any corresponding six
months' period in the company's history. Net
profits also show an increase over the same
period. The outlook for the balance of the
year warrants the belief that this increased
volume will continue. The Autumn and Winter
months have always been our best business
months."
The encouraging and optimistic report made
public yesterday by Sherman, Clay & Co. is
even more striking when one compares it with
the report issued by the firm six months ago,
which showed a net loss of $29,011. The loss
of last year came from the popularity of radio,
as against the former phonographs and the fact
that last year goods were not available to de-
liver the new Orthophonic Victrolas.
Financially Sherman, Clay & Co. are in an ex-
cellent condition, having current assets of $8,-
304,787, against current liabilities of $2,464,532,
according to the last balance sheet. The total
assets of the company amount to $9,325,698 at a
conservative figure.
Association Issues Convention Letter
Under date of yesterday, July 14, the Music
Trades Association of Northern California sent
out a notice, signed by Shirley Walker, presi-
dent: "To the Music Trades of Northern Cali-
fornia." The notice is to remind dealers of the
third annual music trades convention, which will
be held in Seattle, July 27 to 30 at the Hotel
Olympic. The letter states that the convention
committee has prepared a great program—both
constructive and instructive—and preparations
are being made to entertain men and women
visitors in a right royal manner. A canvass
of this district shows that quite a number in
the trade are going to the convention.
The letter states: "Remember that anybody
in the music business selling pianos, talking
machines, radio, musical instruments, organs,
sheet music or any kind of musical merchandise
is welcome to attend, whether they belong to
the Music Trades Association or not. Remem-
ber, also, that women members of your family
will be welcome."
Boys' Band for International Lions' Convention
The most famous boys' band on the Pacific-
Coast has been for some years especially aided
and fostered by the Lions' Club of San Fran-
cisco and these boys will play morning and aft-
ernoon every day at the tenth international
convention of Lions' Clubs, which opens its
sessions here next Wednesday in the Civic
Auditorium. The Columbia Park Boys' Band is
the organization fostered by the Lions. Some
time after the death of Peixotto, under whose
able direction the boys made more than one
successful world tour, the Lions took over the
education of the band. William H. Bickett is
their conductor. Speaking to-day of the boys'
work, this nationally known bandsman said that
the Columbia Park Band is now recognized as
being in the professional class. So many boys
from public schools want to join who are not
able to compete with the lads of the organiza-
tion that a Junior Columbia Park Boys' Band
has been organized. Mr. Bickett considers that
members of the Lions' Club are doing a great
work in fostering a love for good music among
boys and he anticipates that they will feel
much satisfaction in the performances of their
proteges.
Katherine Baxter Here for Aeolian Co.
Miss Katherine Baxter, of the Aeolian Co.'s
Educational Department, is here, making her
headquarters with Sherman, Clay & Co. She is
here especially to give educational lectures be-
fore students of the Summer schools. How
many students attend Summer school can be
imagined from the fact that there are some
5,000 students at the Summer school of the Uni-
versity of California, in Berkeley.
Baldwin Man Is a Local "Lion."
E. J. Jurgensen, sales manager of the Baldwin
Piano Co. here, is the representative of the
piano business in the Lions' Club of San Fran-
cisco. The official pianist for the local club is
Miss Eileen Sprague, with the sheet music de-
partment of Henry Grobe in the Wiley B. Allen
Co.'s store.
Buell Returns From Eastern Convention
Fred C. Buell, who travels out of the office of
the Western Piano Corp. here, with factory
connections, has returned from the East, where
he visited the factories, after attending the
music trades convention. Mr. Buell is the
Welte-Migon expert for the Pacific Coast.
Returns Here After Long Western Trip
Clyde Wilson, Western representative of C.
Bruno & Son, Inc., New York, is here, after
an extended Western trip.
Practical Business Session Followed by
"Follies"
The convention of Atwater Kent dealers and
executives takes place here on July 20 under
the auspices of Ernest Ingold, Inc., northern
California distributor of Atwater Kent products.
Ernest Ingold, who is noted for doing things
thoroughly, has provided business and entertain-
ment for the visitors. In the afternoon there
will be a business session, covering specifically
sales development and selling angles. In the
evening there will be the 1926 edition of the
Ernest Ingold, Inc.-Atwater Kent Dancing
Musical Follies, to be given following the ban-
quet. This runs to twenty acts with three danc-
ing musical ballets.
How Better Business
Bureaus Aid Merchants
(Continued from page 3)
the "gyp advertiser"—the slick fellow who op-
erates from a flat in the residence district—who
advertises in the classified columns of the daily
newspapers that because he is going East sud-
denly, he must sell his furniture at a sacrifice.
Those who bite find that they paid more than
if they had gone to a legitimate store, that
they would have had a greater variety from
which to choose, and that a guarantee of satis-
faction would have gone with their purchase.
The bureaus are constantly worrying over this
fakir for he is hard to combat. The news-
papers cooperate with the bureaus in handling
this problem, refusing their columns to such
advertisers when they have been "caught with
the goods," by the bureau.
I have outlined six distinct services which the
Better Business Bureaus render to the retail
merchant to rid advertising of misrepresenta-
tion and fakery and to make all advertising
more nearly believed. I want to point out
here that the Better Business Bureaus are
ideally organized to render these services. They
are the logical policing agencies.
First because as a division or activity of the ad-
vertising clubs, they are made up of all the ele-
JULY 24, 1926
ments of advertising and of retail business. They
are in a position to recognize what is error,
what -is misrepresentation and what is crooked.
They are in a position to handle any situation
which may arise from the controversy.
Second, because the Better Business Bureaus
are a neutral body. As a cross-section of busi-
ness they represent all decent business that
stands for truthful advertising and sound mer-
chandising.
Third, and lastly, because they have the
machinery with which to investigate, to edu-
cate, to expose or prosecute if prosecution is
necessary.
The retail merchant is indeed fortunate in
having at his command the services of the
Better Business Bureaus. As a retail merchant
who has been closely affiliated with organized
advertising and Better Business Bureau work,!
I urge every merchant, big and little to sup-
port the bureau in his city. Use it. Cooperate
with it. Support it. Improve it. As the re-
tail merchants give strength to the Better
Business Bureaus of these United States, they
will help to cut the waste in advertising, they
will help give the advertising dollar its full
value, they will help restore belief in all ad-
vertising. They will do their part to raise the
standard of American business—a standard as
high as only truth can raise it.
Straight's Orchestra a
Hit in Kansas City
Popular Brunswick Recording Orchestra Has
Engagement at Muehlbach Hotel Extended
for Additional Period of Six Weeks
Charley Straight and His Orchestra, Bruns-
wick recording artists, who sometime ago signed
a contract to play at the Muehlbach Hotel,
Kansas City, for a period of six weeks, proved
so distinctly popular with the hotel patrons that
the management prevailed upon the orchestra
to continue for an additional period of six
weeks.
The Kansas City branch of the Brunswick
Co. took advantage of the orchestra engagement
to place in the lobby of the Muehlbach a giant
replica of a Brunswick record, five feet in di-
ameter, informing the public that Charley
Straight is a Brunswick artist and that any
dealer will gladly play his records. A number
of dealers also tied up with the orchestra by
means of special window displays and direct
mail campaigns with the result that an unusual
volume of sales of records made by the or-
chestra was recorded.
In many other cities of the country dealers
have long ago learned the value of tieing up
with local appearances of prominent recording
orchestras as a means of promoting record
sales.
Heads Membership Drive
AKRON, O., July 17.—C. J. Tolan was elected
chairman of the committee to stage a mem-
bership drive for the Akron and Summit
County Radio Dealers Association, recently
organized auxiliary of the Akron Merchants
Association. Practically all talking machine
dealers in the city are identified with the new
organization and are lending aid in develop-
ment of the new organization.
Plaisted Judged Incompetent
WHITE PLAINS, N. Y., July 20.—William M.
Plaisted, well-known piano man who is now at
the Blythewood Sanitarium, Greenwich, Conn.,
has been adjudged incompetent by a sheriff's
jury. Miss Helen P. Baird, with whom he had
made his home in Larchmont, was appointed to
manage his estate, which is valued at about
$16,000. Physicians testified that Mr. Plaisted,
who went to the sanitarium four months ago, is
subject to illusions.