Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1927 Vol. 85 N. 8

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
The Music Trade Review
try, there is still a large and growing market
for the piano merchant to go after, particularly
as one-third of the instruments sold at the pres-
ent time are really replacements. He went on
to state that the country's 45,000,000 bank de-
posits are sufficient to pay for all the pianos
which will be produced by the country's fac-
tories during the next one hundred years even
if the manufacturers of the industry doubled
their output, and that the interest on those same
accounts would be sufficient to pay in cash for
all pianos produced annually in the United
States three times over.
C. J. Roberts, president of the National As-
sociation of Music Merchants, and the final
speaker of the luncheon, paid an eloquent
tribute to the late C. A. Grinnell, head of Grin-
nell Bros., and advised Mrs. Grinnell, who was
present, that engrossed copies of the National
Association of Music Merchants' resolutions on
the death of its esteemed ex-president would be
presented formally. Mrs. Grinnell responded.
The resolution was as follows:
Resolution on the death of Clayton A. Grin-
nell, passed by the National Association of
Music Merchants in Chicago, June 8, 1927, and
presented by Mr. C. J. Roberts, president, at
the convention of the Michigan Music Mer-
chants Association in Detroit on August 15:
Whereas, on the thirtieth day of April, A. D.
1927, Clayton A. Grinnell, of Detroit, Michigan,
was summed by the Divine Master to his eter-
nal reward; and
Whereas, Clayton A. Grinnell was a thorough,
unselfish and devoted worker in music trade
association activities, local, State and National;
and
Whereas. Mr. Grinnell, although president of
Grinnell Bros., one of the largest retail music
merchants in the Middle West, gave of his
time and energy to serve as president of the
National Association of Music Merchants and
as president of the Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce; and
Whereas, His example and unassuming lead-
ership in the trade has been and always will
be an inspiration to his legion of friends who
mourn his death, and yet shall always live as
a perpetual monument in the music trade of
the nation, now therefore be it
Resolved, That the National Association of
Music Merchants hereby vainly attempt to ex-
press, in mere words, the great loss which it
knows the music trade in America has suffered
through the death of one of its most loyal sup-
porters, Clayton A. Grinnell; and be it further
Resolved, That his business ethics, his spirit
of charity, his ideas of business friendships and
co-operation through trade organizations, be
commended to the younger and newer men and
women in our trade, as a constant future re-
minder of the fair play and fraternalism that
must be the corner-stone of all business suc-
cess; and be it further
Resolved, That two copies of these resolu-
tions be properly engrossed and presented, one
to the bereaved family of the deceased, and the
other to the loyal and devoted business asso-
ciates of Clayton A. Grinnell.
Following the luncheon, and in fact while it
was being held, the 430 public school champions
of the second Greater Detroit Piano Playing
Contest assembled in the grand ballroom of the
hotel with their parents and friends, to receive
their rings, which were in silver for the school
champions and gold set with a diamond for the
district champions. They were presented by
Roy S. Maypole, director of the contest, after
an appropriate address on the importance of
the piano as the basic musical instrument.
Monday Night
On Monday night the grand finals of the
Greater Detroit Piano Playing Contest in the
Crystal ballroom of the Book-Cadillac instead
of the Belle Isle Symphony^ Bowl, as planned
at first, were held. Here again was shown
strongly the wide interest aroused by the con-
test, for not only were a majority of the
school champions present with their parents
and friends but many outsiders were attracted
by the event with the result that the several
hundred people in attendance filled the room
and overflowed into the Italian room adjoining.
Roy A. Maypole, director general of the con-
test, presided at the finals and the judges had a
difficult time selecting the winners in each of
the three classes from the array of talent that
was presented for the final tests. The final de-
cision of the judges was in favor of Leah Zagel,
of the Northwestern High School for the high
school class; Jean Eckett, of the Hutchins
School, for the' intermediate and Vivienne
D. Arkos, of the Ruthruff school for the ele-
mentary. Each of the winners will receive a
grand piano as a prize, the ordinary name plate
of the instrument being covered with an en-
graved plate stating that the instrument is a
prize award from the Detroit Music Trades
Association. Each of the youngsters partici-
pating in the finals was awarded a diamond
ring.
Tuesday Luncheon
The principal speaker at the Association
luncheon on Tuesday was Hon. Charles L. Bart-
AUGUST 20, 1927
lett, of the Recorder's Court, Detroit, who had
for his subject "The Piano as a Crime Deter-
rent." The Recorder stated that an apprecia-
tion for and the ability to play music repre-
sented a powerful influence for good in the
home and served to develop the finer impulses
in youth. He also expressed strong opinions
on the wisdom of punishing criminals promptly
and with certainty.
Another speaker was Charles Deutschmann,
president of the National Piano Tuners Associa-
tion, who urged the necessity of a co-operative
trade campaign to educate the public to the im-
portance of keeping the pianos in first class
playing condition and the wisdom of scrapping
those instruments which had outlived their use-
fulness. It was a great mistake for the manu-
facturers and dealers to advertise that pianos
would last for a lifetime, he said, for it was not
so, and simply served to make the public place
a fictitious value on old instruments which pre-
vented their replacement with new pianos or
created extravagant demands for trade-in al-
lowances. If all pianos now in homes and made
before 1920 were replaced with new instru-
ments, said Mr. Deutschmann, the piano fac-
tories would have more business than they
could handle for years to come.
C J. Roberts, president of the National
Association of Music Merchants, took the op-
portunity at the meeting to present to the
Michigan Music Merchants' Association its
charter a» an affiliated association with the
National body, the charter being accepted by
President Bayley of the State organization. Mr.
Bayley then outlined at length the planning and
carrying out of the piano contest this year and
how the city authorities and the merchants in
other lines had been persuaded to put on the
monster music carnival which for two nights
held sway in Washington boulevard from Grand
Circus Park to Michigan avenue—four full
blocks—with a boardwalk fifteen hundred feet
long constructed down the center together
with platforms for bands and dancers and a
tank for diving exhibitions.
A. K. Gutsohn, of the Standard Pneumatic
Action Co., before and after the luncheon, gave
a player-piano recital and displayed the musi-
cal possibilities of that instrument.
Prior to the close of the meeting the annual
election took place with the following results:
President, Frank J. Bayley, Detroit; vice-presi-
dent, H. J. Pulfrey, Ann Arbor; secretary, C.
H. Hoffman, Grand Rapids and treasurei
Arthur H. Howes, Detroit.
(Continued on page 9)
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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
AUGUST 20, 1927
The Music Trade Review
or living accommodations on the long railroad
trip are 50 per cent higher than they were
before the war, and this same expense applies
to everyone else.
"We have to enlist public support and arouse
Over Forty Members of the Association Compete in Event Which Draws Large the people to the knowledge of the fact that
it touches each individual directly. The
Audience—Proper Demonstration Will Sell More Player-Pianos
traveling man, of course, as a unit, and the
/^VNE of the high-spots of the convention of & Wire Co. They stated that the quality of house which he represents, are asking for its
the National Association of Piano Tuners playing made it difficult to determine the win- removal, and the National Piano Travelers'
held last week in the Hotel Commodore, New ners, and it was only after a. great deal of de- Association is doing what it can to present to
York, was the player-piano contest conducted liberation that the three winners were chosen, Congress the unfairness of this surcharge. We
by the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., New only one and one-half points separating the first want all the help we can get from individuals
because it is obviously necessary to show our
York. A proof of the widespread interest in three men.
Ralph Hawley, of Wheeling, W. Va., who Representatives and Senators that the public is
the event was shown by the fact that about
behind our movement, and, so far as our Asso-
ciation is able, we intend to put it through.
"It can be done if the people will let their
representatives in Congress know how they
feel about it, and I am hoping that with the
active help of the trade in the way of letters
to members of Congress this will result in doing
away with this war tax expense. It is hardly
necessary to say that the traveling men are not
against the railroads. They are in favor of
them. That the railroad is an absolute neces-
sity to our civilization is conceded by everyone,
but the $15,000,000 which this surcharge brought
into the railroads this last year is not needed,
and it should be remembered that the stability
and future prosperity of the railroads themselves
are guaranteed by our national laws, which, as
supervised by the I. C. C, insure to the rail-
roads themselves a sufficient return on the
capital invested to enable them to take care
of their bonds, to pay their stockholders decent
dividends and to earn enough money to secure
on reasonable terms any additional capital they
may need and will need for future expansion
Winners in the Standard Playing the Player Contest
forty members of the association took part in may be seen sitting in the center of the accom- and development."
the elimination trials. When the final trials were panying photograph, was successful in being
held in the East ball room following the Thurs- chosen as winner of the contest, securing a A. L. Bretzfelder, New
day morning session, about two hundred tun- large silver loving cup. This was not the first
President of Krakauer
ers and their wives stayed to witness the com- honor won by Mr. Hawley in this field, he car-
ried off the second prize in the contest held at
petition.
The selection played by each of the ten con- the national tuners' convention in Chicago last Former Treasurer of Firm Succeeds the Late
I. E. Bretzfelder as Its Head—Other Officers
testants in the final competition was the year, where the player-piano playing contest
Elected
"Minute Waltz," Op. 64, No. 1, of Chopin, as was inaugurated by the Standard Pneumatic
recorded on the Q R S music roll without ex- Action Co. Frank Poslednik, of New York,
A meeting of the board of directors of Kra-
pression marks. The judges were A. K. Gut- seated at Mr. Hawley's right, won the second kauer Bros., New York, was held in the offices
prize,
another
loving
cup,
and
Louis
Berman,
sohn, secretary of the Standard Pneumatic Ac-
of the concern on Friday, August 12, to hold an
tion Co.; W. P. Sigley of the Ampico Corp.; of New York, was the third choice of the election of officers as a result of the recent
judges,
securing
a
smaller
loving
cup.
and William Braid White of the American Steel
death of I. E. Bretzfelder, president. A. L.
Bretzfelder, brother of the late I. E. Bretz-
was favorably reported to Congress, and only felder, was elected president of the company.
Travelers Again Fight
the filibuster at the end of the session pre- He has been identified with the Krakauer Bros,
firm about twenty-five years, and had held the
the Pullman Surcharge vented a favorable vote.
President Gordon Laughead, of the National position of treasurer for many years.
Other officers were elected as follows: H. K.
Association Headed by President Gordon Piano Travelers' Association, is actively inter-
Laughead to Take Active Part in Struggle ested and is enlisting support to abolish this Bretzfelder, first vice-president; M. Bretzfelder,
charge. As he puts it: "While some people son of I. E. Bretzfelder, second vice-president;
Before Next Congress
may have the idea that any expense in using C. S. Bretzfelder, third vice-president; S. C.
the Pullman car, either by day or night, is Lubin, secretary, and Arthur Hahn, treasurer.
CHICAGO, I I I . , August 8.—The National Asso-
ciation of Piano Travelers, which is affiliated merely an added expense to the rich, that's a Mr. Bretzfelder, on assuming his new duties as
with the National Council of Traveling Men's wholly mistaken idea. They fail to take into head of Krakauer Bros., stated that the policies
Association, is ably representing the music in- account the thousands of traveling men who of the company, which have been responsible
dustry in an effort to have Congress abolish almost constantly are on the road in the in- for its success under' his brother's direction,
an unnecessary and unjustifiable expense to all terests of business. Obviously, these men are will be continued as before, in every respect.
who travel on railroads. It will be remembered performing a most highly useful service to the
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
that the bill to abolish the Pullman surcharge, trade and to the entire public.
"No one questions the economic usefulness of The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
which adds 50 per cent to the pre-war cost of
a Pullman sleeping berth or chair car service, the traveling man, yet his expenses, sleeping free of charge for men who desire positions.
Standard Pneumatic Playing the Player
Contest Feature of Tuners' Convention
ESTABLISHED 1862
IJXUTER-
ONE OF AMERICA'S FINE PIANOS!
GRANDS
UPRIGHTS
THE LAUTER-HUMANA

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