Music Trade Review

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DECEMBER, 1930
The Music Trade Review
Wm, H. Alfring Elected Aeolian Co.
President; Tremaine Chairman of Board
\ T tlie annual meeting of the Board of Di-
•^^ rectors of the Aeolian, Weber Piano and
Pianola Co. and its subsidiaries, held at the
offices of the company on November 11, Wil-
liam H. Alfring, who for some years past has
been vice-president and general manager, was
elected president of all the companies.
With the advancement of Mr. Alfring to the
Wm. H. Alfring
presidency of the company, H. B. Tremaine,
who has been Aeolian Company's president
since its organization, was elected chairman
of the board and all other officers were re-
elected, including: E. S. Votey, F. W. Hessin,
C. Alfred Wagner and M. Wayman, vice-presi-
dents; R. W. Tyler, secretary and treasurer; A.
McDonnell, assistant treasurer, and E. C.
Thompson, assistant secretary.
The election of Mr. Alfring to the presidency
will be welcomed with much satisfaction by
his host of friends in the industry for the
honor has been earned by long and capable
service with the company. Mr. Alfring joined
the Aeolian organization nearly thirty years ago
when the headquarters of the company were at
Thirty-fourth street and Fifth avenue. In his
early days he was in charge of the Indianapolis
branch, later became manager of the St. Louis
branch and subsequently was placed in charge
of the wholesale activities of the company, even-
Fred'k P. Stieff Discusses
Recent Piano Publicity
Baltimore, Md., Nov. 7, 1930.
Editor, Music Trade Review:
Congratulations on your editorial in the
November issue under the heading "Publicity
for the Piano." I agree with you 100 per
cent and I think the National Association of
Music Merchants as well as the Music Indus-
tries Chamber of Commerce are decidedly
weak-kneed in their failure to find out why
they should not object strenuously to the un-
fair and unwarranted statements relative to the
commercialization of the piano which were
published as affecting a cross-section of the
trade and without any authorization whatso-
ever. It seemed to me at the time, and it
does now, that the Associated Press should
be willing to make a correction to the effect
that their article .pertained only to such
pianos as were made by one company and
should not be construed as being applicable
In the entire industry.
tually being made vice-president and general
manager.
His thorough grounding in both the retail
and wholesale phases of the business made Mr.
Alfring particularly well qualified to look after
the general management of the business and his
responsibilities have increased steadily. With
this broad background of trade experience his
election to the presidency carries the assur-
ance of a thoroughly capable administration.
During his career with the Aeolian Co. Mr.
Alfring has seen the company's business grow
steadily and particularly during the recent
years he has been a decided factor in that
growth. From the sizable quarters at Thirty-
H. B. Tremaine
fourth street and Fifth avenue, he saw the com-
pany move to the famous Aeolian Hall on Forty-
second street, which became an institution in
the musical life of the company, and then finally
the removal to the present palatial building at
689 Fifth avenue, near Fifty-fourth street, where
in future he will preside as president and ex-
ecutive head.
As chairman of the board, Mr. Tremaine will
be in a position to assist the company actively
in the solution of various problems and give
them the benefit of his experience from the
time he organized th'e company in the nineties
and guided its destinies through the years that
have intervened. He turns over to his suc-
cessor as president an organization that is
world-wide in scope and one of the largest in
the industry.
Had this been taken up when I first men-
tioned it, it is quite possible that Harvey Fire
stone would not have come out in the article
which appeared subsequently in the magazine
section of the Herald Tribune of last Sunday.
I also feel that the cartoonist who wrote
"Mr. and Mrs." for the Herald papers on Sun-
day week ago is due a vote of thanks from
the trade. I presume, of course, that you have
seen this. More of this type publicity could
not be anything but beneficial to the entire
industry.
Very cordially,
FREDERICK PHILIP STIEFF,
Vice-President, Chas. M. Stieff, Inc.
New Concern Takes Over
Stone Piano Co. Business
FARGO, N. D.—Assets and good will of the Stone
Piano Co., which went into the hands of a
receiver a few weeks ago, have been sold to
Stone's Music Store, a newly organized cor-
poration. The new company takes over the
lease of the Stone Building, owned by F. J.
Carlisle and F. A. Bristol, and will continue
the music business there. The sale was con-
summated by the trustee in charge, it was an-
nounced Saturday.
C. R. Stone, Jr., son of C. R. Stone, who
established this business in 1894; A. J. Deveau,
who has had charge of the small goods de-
partment of the store for the past thirteen
years, and Mrs. M. S. Stone are the incor-
porators of the new organization,
Receivers in Equity for
Premier Grand Piano Corp.
The Irving Trust Co. and Harry Meixell
w ere last month appointed co-receivers in
equity for the Premier Grand Piano Co.,
which manufactured pianos in the factory of
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc., for which company
the same co-receivers are acting.
At the present time the books of the com-
pany are being prepared for an audit and a
complete inventory is being made of pianos
on hand as well as materials and supplies. In
due time creditors will be requested to file
proofs of claim against the company.
At the present time the creditors' commit-
tee of Jacob Doll & Sons hold a number of
shares of the preferred and common stock of
the Premier Grand Corp. as collateral security
for the payment of certain credit extension
notes upon which there is due a balance of
approximately $94,000. What effect the re-
ceivership of the Premier Grand Piano Co.
will have on this stock is a matter of con-
jecture.
Four New Baldwin
Pianos Are Announced
The Baldwin Piano Co. recently announced
four new interesting additions to the company's
line of pianos. These include a new Howard
baby grand style 450, 4 feet 7 inches in length,
in a case design from Provincial France, to-
gether with a new Hamilton baby grand style
250, 5 feet in length, and available in three new
case designs, namely Hepplewhite, Colonial and
Georgian.
New Dealers Named by
American Piano Corp.
The following new dealers have been appoint-
ed their agents by the American Piano Corp.:
Popma Music Co., Boise, Idaho—handling the
Knabe; A. V. Manning's Sons, Trenton, N. J.—
handling the Knabe; Allen-Johnson Co., Eau
Claire, Wise.—handling the Chickering; Bush
& Gerts Music Co., Dallas, Tex.—handling the
Knabe; Schroeder Piano Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.—
handling the Chickering; Troup Bros., Harris-
burg, Pa.—handling the Chickering, and Hol-
lenback Piano Co., Spokane, Wash.—handling
the Knabe.
Death of F. H. Andrews
Mrs. F. H. Andrews, wife of F. H. Andrews,
head of the Andrews Music Store, Charlotte,
N. C, died in that city on November 5, fol-
lowing a stroke of paralysis. She was in her
eightieth year.
McCoy's, Inc., with headquarters in Hart-
tord, Conn., and branch stores in several other
Connecticut cities, has purchased the business
of the Nelson Music House, which is located in
Bristol, Conn.
R. H. Pilgrim has been appointed sales man-
ager for the Fox Piano Co., Oakland, Cal.