10
PRESTO
WHAT SOME PIANO
MEN HAVE TO SAY
Here the Voice of the Trade Is Heard on
Topics of Interest to Every Reader, and
You Should Also Be Heard.
INDORSES PRESTO'S POLICIES.
Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 2, 1920.
Editor Presto: We mclose you herewith our
check for $2.00 for one year's subscription for
Presto. We would also like to have three copies of
the 1920 Presto Buyers' Guide and oblige.
The writer has been reading your paper with great
interest and notes that your policies of advertising
and conducting our line of business are ideal.
We are sorry to say that we still have in our
section competitors who are not friendly and de-
light in breaking sales and knocking every line of
goods they do not handle. This is not our idea,
and we have striven for years to maintain the high-
est standard possible and to deal fairly with our
competitors. It seems this is the time for the man-
ufacturers and dealers to co-operate with each
other and. break up all unfair competition.
The mail order house business is becoming alarm-
ing, and we believe that some of the manufacturers
are largely responsible, for the reason that they
manufacture "cheap-John" instruments and allow
them to be scattered throughout the country, and
represent them to be just as high grade as the stand-
ard, reliable makes of pianos that the better class of
manufacturers take such pride in advertising.
We think we are fairly good advertisers for a
town our size. We believe in full-page ads and
for some years we have spent quite a lot of money
advertising our goods. We are inclosing herewith
some clippings from our papers in order that you
may see about how we advertise. We never adver-
tise prices and terms, with the exception that we
specify value received.
We sincerely trust that this New Year may bring
to other dealers similar ideas as we have, and that
they will no longer hold to the old "yellow-dog"
tactics which is driving business to the wall. If all
dealers would follow your suggestions of conduct-
ing the music business, we would no longer be
looked upon as "horse-jockeys," fakers and
profiteers. We would like to help educate the world
that music is very necessary, and this has been
proven in our late war.
We could go on to say many other things re-
garding this question, but it is not necessary and
we are only trying to express our appreciation of
what your good paper is trying to get all music
dealers to do in regard to elevating the business in
which we are engaged.
Yours very truly,
SAMUELS-BITTEL MUSIC CO.
By Samuels.
* * *
FIRST 1920 CHECK TO PRESTO.
Newton, Kans., Dec. 30, 1919.
Editor Presto: I never know it's New Year's
time till about a week afterwards, when I have time
to rest up and check up my friends and wish them
everything that's good. Of course we all like to be
busy at Xmas time, as that means business, but I
like to find time, afterward, to wish some folks a
prosperous and peaceful New Year; and it would
PLANS FOR MUSIC MERCHANTS' BANQUET
All plans for the annual banquet of the National
Association of Music Merchants at the Commo-
dore Hotel, New York, Wednesday evening, Feb-
ruary 4th, are complete. "Al" Behning, the chair-
man of the Banquet Committee, has completed
plans for the largest and most brilliant dinner in
the history of the association.
Orators of international fame have been secured.
The principal speaker will be Nicholas Murray But-
ler, of Columbia University. It is a rare privilege
to hear Dr. Butler. His fame as an after-dinner
speaker is international.
Hon. James M. Beck, the second speaker, is one
of the most virile talkers in American public life.
His speeches enlist the highest interest because of
the virility of the message he has to give.
The third speaker is the Rev. C. Wallace Petty.
Dr. Petty is well known to the New York trade,
having been a speaker at numerous local trade
events. He was one of the principal speakers with
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., at the great mass meet-
ing in the Fifth Liberty Loan Campaign at the
Metropolitan House, under the auspices of the Al-
lied Music Trades loan drive. He knows piano
men, and something of the business, and every mo-
ment he speaks will be full of live interest.
The speaking card for the banquet is at once
the strongest and most diverse, and a fine treat is
in store for those who enjoy after dinner speaking
of the highest order. President P. E. Conroy will
preside as toastmaster in his inimitable style and
with the sparkling wit that only comes from the
tongue of the Celt. There will be a fine orchestra,
and a quartette of well known singers will lead the
chorus singing.
The magnificent ball room of the Commodore
will be used, and it will be a revelation in artistic
beauty. The menu has been selected with the dis-
crimination worthy of the well-known gastronomic
finesse of the industry. It will be highly satisfying,
minus all regrets.
Dancing will begin promptly at 11 o'clock. The
music will be furnished by a famous jazz band, as
well as by the orchestra, and all jazzers are ad-
vised officially of that fact. "It looks like a big
night" that no one can afford to miss.
The price is $6.00 per plate, which means that
on this occasion the dollar will be on a pre-war
basis, and buy one hundred cents worth of pleas-
ure and enjoyment. Formal invitations will be
mailed within a few days. In the meantime reser-
vations can be made through Mr. Albert Behning,
217 West 125th street, New York, N. Y. The trade
is accustomed to fine banquets, but the one sched-
uled for February 4th, at the Commodore Hotel,
promises to outshine all previous efforts.
January 8, 1920.
be a mighty poor world if we couldn't express a
kindly thought to those whom we regard as
"Friends!"
I enclose you my first 1920 check and of course
it's for Presto.
Sincerely yours,
H. S. DICKEY.
* # #
THE EARLIEST EARLY RISER.
Editor Presto: I take an exception to the story
about the earliest riser in trade having been dis-
covered in E, P. McMurray, of Pontiac, 111., which
appeared in a recent issue of Presto. I get the 5:30
a. m. train out of New York every morning, and
open the Kroeger factory at 6:45 a. m.
I rise at
4:30 a. m. in order to accomplish the foreging.
If Mr. McMurray can make that average over a
period of twelve months I'll "give him best," but
I have to be convinced.
Yours merrily,
EDWIN JARRETT.
CHICAGO VISITORS WERE FEW
FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY
The Central West Furnished Most of the Quota
with Several from Illinois.
J. L. Wells, of LaSalle, 111., piano dealer, was in
Chicago on Monday of this week placing orders for
playerpianos and pianos.
E. W. Strong, of Ottawa, 111., was a Chicago
visitor on Monday of this week in a search for
pianos.
B. R. Brassfield, of Salina, Kan., piano merchant,
called on some of the Chicago piano manufacturers
on Saturday last and placed orders for instruments.
Harry Hopkins, of the West Music Company,
Joliet, 111., was in Chicago last Friday placing orders
for pianos and playerpianos.
Mr. Banks, of Peru, Ind., representing the Chute
& Butler Company, was in Chicago on Monday of
this week on a business trip.
ALFRED DOLGE IN CHICAGO.
A few of the friends of Alfred Dolge had an
agreeable surprise when that gentleman stopped
off in Chicago this Thursday on his way from Cal-
ifornia to Rockford, 111. Mr. Dolge shows no
effects, other than good, as the result of his year's
hard work as far-West representative of the Had-
dorff Piano Co. He has achieved every object for
which he has exerted himself, and has again proved
himself a "piano man" in the best sense of the
term. The annual conference of the entire staff
of the Haddorff Piano Co., at the offices of the
industry in Rockford, will take place the latter part
of this week.
R. S. HOWARD NEW YORK BOUND.
Right from Frisco, and other far-west points,
Robert S. Howard, of the New York industry
which bears his name, passed through Chicago on
Tuesday of this week. Mr. Howard carries his big
enterprises as lightly as most of us do plans for a
tea party. A picture and particulars of the enlarged
factory of the R. S. Howard Co. appeared in last
week's Presto. Mr. Howard, never looked better
and was never more sanguine concerning affairs in
the industry and trade.
BALLROOM OF HOTEL COMMODORE, WHERE BANQUET OF N. A. OF P . M. OF A. "WILL BE HELD.
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