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The Music Trade Review
Philadelphia Association Planning a
Melody Way Club to Be Held in That City
Local Association, at Meeting, Authorizes Executive Committee to Make Arrangements
With Newspaper for Publicity and to Promote Plan Generally
P H I L A D E L P H I A , PA., May 2.—The bright-
ness of outdoor life is reflected in the im-
proved tone of the music trade that wound up
the closing week of April. In summarizing the
past month's business piano dealers were much
elated to find that sales of these instruments
were slightly in excess of April, 1926, despite
the apparent dullness which many of the 1 mer-
chants complained of during the earlier days of
the month. While the dealers in the cheaper
types of instruments did not enjoy the same
activity that the more prominent stores in the
central city section noted in the higher-priced
pianos, there nevertheless was a slightly better
demand for the less expensive styles that in-
dicated the public again is taking an interest in
the trade.
While the trade has been making progress
businesswise in these late Springtime days, the
piano merchants have been co-operating to-
wards the betterment of conditions in the in-
dustry through organized effort of the Phila-
delphia Piano Trade Association. In a special
meeting called last Thursday at the Adelphia
Hotel, members of the recently revised Asso-
ciation made another stride towards the goal
which it has set in improvement in the trade
by bringing together the dealers in unified and
constructive action on a particularly successful
factor which has been tried out in other cities
to the advantage of the piano merchant.
As the associates assembled around the ban-
quet board they were greeted by the newly
elected president, G. C. Ramsdell, of Ramsdell
& Son, who welcomed his fellows and then
turned the meeting over to the interesting
speakers of the evening's program.
This special meeting was called for the pur-
pose of laying before the members the Miessner
Melody Plan and the consideration of its adop-
tion by the trade as means of promoting piano
sales. When Louis Rogers, of the Kohler In-
dustries, of New York, who journeyed here with
President Herbert W. Simpson, of that enter-
prise, completed a discussion of the Miessner
Plan and its educational methods in a series of
ten lessons, the dealers were unanimous in ac-
cepting and adopting the proposition while the
officers and executive committee were author-
ized to make arrangements with a newspaper to
handle its publicity, and promote and stimulate
public interest by backing and exploiting the
trade innovation.
With Vice-president P. J. Cunningham, of the
Association and head of the Cunningham Piano
Co., and President Henry Miller, of the F. A.
North Co. and the Lester Piano Co., two leading
exponents of trade organization work in this
city occupying the platform, expressions of ap-
proval and commendation of the plan and any
other constructive movements for the industry
as the association might see fit to adopt were
given with hearty accord. Vice-president Cun-
ningham excoriated fake and misleading adver-
tisements as a baneful influence upon the in-
dustry and urged the members to take measures
towards correcting this trade abuse. He as-
serted that much of the present lack of interest
in the piano instruments was due to this decep-
tive means of attracting business on the part of
some dealers.
That all trades have been afflicted within re-
cent times by such deceptive advertising was the
opinion of Mr. Miller. He cited the automobile
industry as a competitor of the piano trade and
held that the public favoritism for this form of
outdoor diversion was responsible for the fall-
ing off of interest in the piano. He further
alleged that the prevailing habit of purchasing
on instalments all kinds of merchandise as com-
petitive bidding for business which heretofore
was almost entirely given to pianos and such
types of furnishings and a means of competi-
tion which the dealers did not have to combat
a few years ago. However, he pledged his con-
viction that the piano trade has brighter pros-
pects in the future and said that he showed his
confidence in the improvement of the industry
by extensions to the factory, stating this was
the best evidence of his optimism.
Always alert to the best interest of the piano
and music trade generally, Bernard D. Munch-
weiler, buyer for the Lit Bros, department
store, tendered the use of W L I T Broadcasting
Station as a means of exploiting and advertis-
ing the Miessner Plan and aiding in putting it
1
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MAY 7, 1927
over through Lit Bros.' broadcasting station.
Those who attended this second meeting held
since the organization sessions of last month
were: D. H. S. Hangen, manager, Gimbel piano
department; Wm. S. Grass, M. Grass & Son;
Geo. W. Witney and A. E. Wilcox, of C. J.
Heppe & Son; David Jacobs, Knabe Ware-
rooms; B. J. Munchweiler, Lit Bros, piano de-
partment; T. W. Powers, Ludwig Piano Co.;
George Miller, Henry Miller, H. R. Whitcraft,
of F. A. North Co.; G. C. Carter, Cassius
Ramsdell, Ramsdell & Son; E. W. Eisenhardt,
N. Snellenburg & Co.; Ben Witlin, Starr Piano
Co.; A. Tannehauser, Stern & Co.; Luke H.
Moore, N. Stetson & Co.; C. E. Marshall, Straw-
bridge & Clothier; Herbert W. Weymann, Wey-
mann & Son; P. J. Cunningham, Cunningham
Piano Co.; Louis Rogers, Kohler Industries,
and Herbert W. Simpson, Kohler Industries.
Among the piano dealers who will journey
to Harrisburg to attend the Pennsylvania State
Music Merchants Association Convention this
week at the Penn Harris Hotel are President
G. C. Ramsdell, of the Philadelphia Associa-
tion; Vice-president P. J. Cunningham; Treas-
urer B. J. Munchweiler; Secretary Luke H.
Moore; Henry Miller and George W. Witney.
While the Story & Clark Piano Co. will re-
main in the wholesale and manufacturing branch
of the industry the local store which has been
given over to the retail distribution is to be
closed according to an announcement made dur-
ing the week. The local offices will remain in-
tact for the collection of accounts. Gimbel
Bros, have taken over all the stocks of the
Story & Clark retail piano store and are now
preparing to feature these in a big sales cam-
paign within a few days.
Three stores have been added to the Ludwig
Piano Co. chain in the Philadelphia territory.
The three are located at 800 Orange street, Wil-
mington, Del.; 45 East Eighth street, Chester,
Pa., and in Burlington, N. J. Thomas W.
Powers, who formerly was associated with the
advertising department of the Philadelphia
branch of the Estey Piano Co., is now asso-
ciated with the Ludwig Co. and is traveling
sales manager, looking after the interests in the
three new stores. The Philadelphia store con-
tinues under the management of J. J. Ryan,
while the advertising also will come under the
direction of Sales Manager Powers.
President George W. Miller, of the Lester
Piano Co. and the F. A. North Co., who has
been touring the Western section of the country
and who spent several weeks on the Pacific
Coast, in California, is again back at his desk
at headquarters, 1306 Chestnut street.
Continuous concerts are being given daily at
the House of Heppe, 1115 Chestnut street, in
demonstration of the Duo-Art reproducing
pianos. The Duo-Art Grand is connected to the
electrical equipment of the store and auto-
matically a rendition of a great artist is rolled
off on the instrument so that intervals of a few
minutes are left between selections. Many cus-
tomers are being entertained at the store by
this continuous concert, chairs being provided
for their comfort in close proximity to the in-
strument so that they rest while enjoying the
.music. Three new models of the Steck pianos
are being shown at the C. J. Heppe & Son store
in the window.
Buys Algona Music House
ALGONA., IA., May 2.—John Mesing. who has
operated the Algona Music House here for
about twenty years, has sold control of the
business to John Van Deest, and will conduct
a musical repair shop in the same building in
the future. Mr. Van Deest, the new proprietor
of the music store, has been associated with Mr.
Mesing for the past year in the conduct of the
business.
B. P. Bratt has opened a new piano store at
2440 Broadway, Baker City, Ore., featuring a
full line of Kimball pianos.