Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1756

F>RESTO
March 18, 1920.
paper news. And when the fine old Chickering appears in a page
reminder of its splendors, that, too, is the best of trade news.
All of these very special news features appear in this week's
Presto. And we believe that they lend substantial backing to the
almost numberless lesser items of splendid news stories which are
scattered through the paper, from beginning to end.
It may be interesting, in connection with this discussion, to refer
to a peculiar illustration of the accuracy with which we place adver-
tising among the best of news stories. There is a popular monthly
magazine, now appearing in which the literary matter occupies less
than 30 of the 96 pages of the publication. And subscribers to the
magazine read the "letter press" almost solely because it diverts at-
tention to the advertising pages. No one will longer deny that the
same principle applies to other popular publications, from the Satur-
day Evening Post, up or down. We believe that in all the features of
this week's issue of the story paper just named, piano dealers, and all
others interested in player-pianos, there is nothing so good as the page
of the Q R S Company, which Presto also contained a week ago.
The best news in a trade paper, at all events, is the news that
helps the business, does nobody anything but good, and puts on perma-
nent record the facts that outlive the swiftly passing hour in building
the history of today into the progress of tomorrow.
AT WHAT AGE?
The very bad habit of discussing the age of a man's passing from
usefulness to not-wanted-ness in business subsided several years ago.
It is no longer the rule for employers to judge a man's capacity in
inverse ratio to his experience, nor to measure his abilities by the
changing of his hair from black or brown to grey. The narrow-
minded methods for approximating a worker's value by the wrinkles
in his brow, or by the condition of his teeth, are fortunately now dis-
regarded. And the vicious signs that used to give warning to appli-
cants that "men over 40 are not wanted," no longer insult brain and
brawn in the shops and stores. Things have grown better, and busi-
ness is getting proportionately bigger.
And this suggests a somewhat remarkable specimen of the kind
of men by whose courage and capacity the cruel and unreasoning
age limitations have been removed. The newspapers and public
speakers have helped, of course, but more than all has been the ex-
ample of the elderly men themselves in pulling down the barriers of
age.
In the piano business the rule that helped along the hair dye
industry also became effective, but not in the same degree as else-
where. And in the piano industry we have had some of the finest
examples of the way man's capacity and vigor and resourcefulness
may persist long after the period set, a few years back, by the unwise
employers who set the age limitation upon the usefulness of the
workers.
There are instances in the piano industry where factory workers
have remained in their places to the age of 70, and even 80. A few
days ago a Boston piano industry lost a worker who had been in its
employ more than seventy years. And, more to the point, perhaps,
is the case of a traveling representative of a western piano industry
who, nearing the scriptural measurement, is credited with doing more
business, and better, than any other in the same interests and doing
it along lines all his own. And the traveler has in his time been him-
self the employer of thousands of men.
It would help not at all to mention names. It might be offensive
to someone. But the man chosen to illustrate the point here dis-
cussed—the right age for man's best work—will soon start on a six
months' solid trip during which he will visit more than one country.
And he will accomplish better results than any other man in the
business, half his age.
And so, now, you piano men who have your own troubles and,
perhaps, feel that you work too hard yourself, how old are you?
THE PIANO'S NAME
When England's erotic genius, Oscar Wilde, returned home in
1883, from his second visit to the United States, he delivered a lecture
in which he gave emphasis to the homely names he had encountered
in this country. He also told the original story of the piano-player
of Leadville over whose instrument hung the sign "Don't shoot the
pianist; he's doing his best." The story has been appearing ever
since, credited to almost every writer, from Bret Harte to Jack
London. But Oscar Wilde told it first and, being himself a good
pianist, he had appreciated the wit of it.
Of course the English poet's ridicule of American names had
nothing to do with pianos, but referred to towns in the West. And
the special point of interest is in the difference between his mental
picture and that of a famous American poet who happened to select
a very similarly plain name with which to work the wizardry of his
genius. Wilde said this: "One place had such an ugly name that I
refused to lecture there. It was called Griggsville. Suppose I had
founded a school of art there—fancy 'Early Griggsville.' " And now
see how the American poet, in his homely way, made beautiful an
equally "ugly" and even very similar name—you remember "Griggs-
by's Station"—
What's in all this grand life and high situation,
And nary a pink nor hollyhock bloomin' at the door?
Le's go back to Griggsby's Station—
Back where we ust to be so happy and so pore!
The two quotations only serve to show the difference between
the mental characteristics of the two poets. And the point, so far as
concerns this paper and its readers, has to do with names common or
otherwise, as they may be applied to pianos. For it is often said that
a piano's name is its greatest asset, and if that is true, what kind of a
name should a fine piano have?
Perhaps if all piano buyers were poets it might be essential to
choose the instrument's name with special reference to symphony of
sight and sound. But inasmuch as pianos are made and sold by men
of substance, and bought by people of practical common sense, the
name doesn't seem to matter much until it has attained to distinction
because of its quality sustained by the enterprise of its manufacturer.
That is why we have some of the most famous pianos bearing names
which if considered aside from the fall-board itself, may seem plain
enough.
As a matter of fact, while some of the great pianos bear names
also unique by reason of their exclusiveness, we have others of equal
fame that have given distinction to trademarks, which but for their
musical association might have no special significance. The piano
makes the name—plus a well invested proportion of printer's ink,
It is the poetry of the piano that, as with the poet, Riley, glorifies
the "ugly" name and lifts it above anything commonplace. With
pianos, as with poets and ordinary people, it is what the name stands
for, and not merely how it is spelled, that counts.
And if there is any useful thought in what has been said here it
is that too much consideration of a name for the new piano may
easily mean waste of time and grey matter. Any good name is good
enough for any good piano. Whether it ever becomes a great piano
name will depend upon the piano itself and the degree of energy and
courage that are put into it.
The prospects for selling pianos in Yap, an island in the South
Pacific, seem remote, and the cash would be hard to lug away if a
sale could be made. Smooth, flat stones, with holes drilled in the
center, constitute the form of money the Yaps use. A Yap dollar
weighs two pounds. When the natives get on top of a mountain and
pitch pennies, it reminds one of a landslide. And, by the way, we
have heard of Yaps selling pianos to other Yaps in our own country
—not?
The establishment of a complete system of good roads all over
the country would help the piano business immeasurably. Good roads
would enable the farmer to market more cheaply, would greatly in-
crease the attractiveness of farm life and would help to keep at home
hundreds of thousands of farm boys who now migrate to the cities.
The gain in farm funds would put millions of dollars into musical
instruments to be used on these modern farms.
* * *
There is still a goodly grand total of piano prospects in the
United States. To get at their number, consider the number of fami-
lies in this great country of ours. It is estimated that there are about
27,000,000 families in the United States, with an average of four and
a fraction of persons in each family. No totalizer can guess how
many families have no piano at all, but the number is somewhere in
the millions.
* * *
Is the cheap stencil piano ever to come back? Will it get a new
lease of life as soon as the lower cost of living sets in? One never
can tell about that sort of thing. It may come back, very much as
the farmer's cat, unsuccessfully drowned, used to do in the good old
days—rather subdued and reticent, but not much changed.
Piano keys are expensive owing to the high cost of ivory. Luke
McLuke asks, "Why is ivory so expensive?" And he answers his
own question as follows: "After coming into contact with a few
thousands of your fellow men, you will discover that ivory is the most
plentiful thing in the world."
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO
WHY "BARGAIN PRICES" ON MUSIC ROLLS?
Pertinent Question Is Put to Trade by Louis M. Kesselman, Milwaukee
Merchant, Who Sees a Menace in Practice.
A grave danger confronts the music dealers of
the United States in the development of player roll
business becavtse of the inclination of some stores to
feature cut-price bargain sales when such merchan-
dising methods are entirely unnecessary, in the opin-
ion of Louis M. Kesselman, president of the Kes-
selman-Q'Driscoll Co., 107 Grand avenue, Mil-
waukee.
If cut-price merchandising procedure is continued,
music roll business eventually will degenerate be-
cause the public will expect to buy its rolls at bar-
gain prices, in the opinion of Mr. Kesselman. He
regards with considerable apprehension the grow-
ing tendency of dealers to conduct bargain sales,
which are becoming more and more frequent in
Milwaukee as well as other cities. As Mr. Kessel-
man is one of the most progressive members of the
Milwaukee trade, and is at the head of a $250,000 re-
tail music corporation, his views are of decided in-
terest and deep importance.
lie draws an interesting parallel between phono-
graph records and player rolls and shows that it is
absolutely unnecessary for dealers to slash values of
either commodity because manufacturers and job-
bers have surrounded the retailer with safeguards
against cut-out numbers. At the same time he
points out that the phonograph record customer
has been taught not to expect bargains, and it is
high time to prevent the customer from learning to
buy player rolls at cut prices.
Mr. Kesselman believes the subject requires wide
agitation in order to overcome unfavorable ten-
dencies which are creeping into the methods of
merchandising player rolls, thereby threatening the
future welfare of an industry that promises to be-
come one of the greatest of all connected with the
music business of the United States. Here is what
he has to say:
PRESENTING THE CASE.
When the family is seated around the fireside lis-
tening to the phonograph and looking over the list
of new records, it seldom enters their minds as to
where they can buy new records at bargain prices.
They do think, "Where can we buy the quality rec-
ords that we like, and get the service we desire?"
This condition is a big asset to every phonograph
manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer. It is the
foundation of the present and future of the phon-
ograph and record business, and we owe it to the
parent companies of the talking machine industry.
What do we gain by advertising bargains on
player rolls? Is it necessary to do this to stimulate
business? Positively no. The effect of bargain ad-
vertising, whether running frequently or occasion-
ally, is very serious on the trade in general; mostly
of course in the locality where the advertising runs
frequently. It has a tendency to encourage dealer
after dealer to start this bargain advertising (which
is only human nature), and if that continues for any
length of time it will undoubtedly affect seriously
the present and more so the bright future of the
player roll business.
WHY CUT-RATES?
Why must a player roll department have bargain
prices? Does a dealer make money at reduced
values? Absolutely not. Does he build up a steady
clientele that will eventually be profitable? Posi-
tively no. Does he have to do it to move his slow-
selling stock? Absolutely not, for the leading
manufacturers have adopted a policy similar to that
of makers of phonograph records, some of whom
use a cut-out list every six months, and take back
all cut-out rolls, while others allow you to return a
certain percentage of your previous month's pur-
chases. Then why jeopardize the player roll de-
partment's present and future success with bargain
advertisements, the purpose of which apparently is
to merely show a large volume of business during a
certain week or a certain month, with the balance
on the wrong side of the ledger sheet?
Can a retailer, with a newly opened player roll
department, build up a profitable business without
featuring cut-price bargains? I, for one, will say
an emphatic "Yes." Our own player roll depart-
ment, only four months old, will answer the ques-
tion affirmatively. Give the people quality prod-
ucts; the best of service; a large and complete stock
to select from; individual demonstration rooms (like
you use with records) with electrically-operated
playerpianos in each room; quick service counter;
efficient sales people; legitimate one-price, high-
grade advertising, and watch it grow!
SHOULD SHOW INTEREST.
Every reader of this trade paper, every manufac-
turer of player rolls, every wholesaler, jobber and
retailer, should be heard in this matter and use the
combined mighty influence to discourage cut-price
player roll advertising.
Let's hear from progressive retailers like C. C.
Baker, of Columbus, O., from the wholesalers, and
from the parent manufacturers. I would like to
suggest that C. C. Baker take the lead in a national
organization with some kind of an interchange bu-
reau, so that dealers may interchange surplus stock
through the bureau and buy from each other. Let
it be a sort of clearing house. Let us all, too, in-
terchange ideas and get together to avoid the bar-
gaining expectation on the part of the customer
when it comes to buying player rolls.
Tell the trade papers what you think, and let's
get together to protect the future of the player roll
business.
JOBS FOR VETERANS.
Former soldiers, sailors and marines who will
have an opportunity to learn the manufacture of
phonograph records with a Connecticut concern
left last week from the Longacre Hut of the
Knights of Columbus, Forty-sixth street and Broad-
way. Officials of the concern recently told James
F. Drum, head secretary of the employment service,
to pick "as many men as he thought could qualify"
to be taught the business. The applicants will be
schooled for three weeks at the factory and paid
while learning. After they have mastered the trade
they will be paid for piece work and are guaranteed
a minimum salary of $40 a week at this rate. An-
other group of men is being picked for the same
work.
WESER BROS. BUSY.
The ability and general desire of Newark, N. J.,
people to buy music goods is warmly attested by
Max Levian of Weser Bros., Inc., New York, who
has recently returned to his office at the factory,
520-528 West Forty-third street, New York, from an
observation trip. The country generally is in a buy-
ing mood, but it was the New Jersey city Mr. Levian
particularly noticed in a prolonged stay at the
branch of Weser Bros., Inc., there. Weser Bros,
upright and grand piano, the Marveola playerpiano
and Weser Bros, talking machines were all favored
by the appreciated customers in busy Newark was
the report of Mr. Levian on his return.
FASHION ON PIANO ROW.
"Fashion Week" in .New York is to begin on
April 5. The Fifth Avenue Association has chris-
tened Fifth avenue "Golden Way" for that week.
High school pupils will write essays on "The Most
Beautiful Window I Saw." The Good Taste Com-
mittee of the Fifth Avenue Association announces
that the avenue "will be harmoniously decorated for
the first time in history." Inasmuch as Piano Row
is a part of that wonderful avenue, the stores that
sell the instruments of harmony will do their best
to contribute to the harmonious decoration of their
section of it.
STARR CHICAGO BRANCH MOVES.
The Starr Piano Co.'s branch at 1228 K. 63rd
street, Chicago, is holding a removal sale prepar-
atory to moving to a new location on W'abash ave-
nue, when alterations there are completed. This an-
nouncement was made in the Chicago papers this
week: "For the next few days we shall offer as-
tonishing reductions on every piano, playerpiano
and talking machine which we have on our floors.
These instruments comprise both new and used
pianos and talking machines—every machine in per-
fect condition."
MILWAUKEE MAN HONORED.
Fred A. Kunz, of the Lange & Kunz Piano Co.,
1401 Fond du Lac avenue, Milwaukee, was elected
secretary of the Fond du Lac Avenue Business
Men's Association at the annual meeting on March
10. This is one of the most progressive of about
a dozen energetic associations of neighborhood
business men in as many business communities in
the outlying sections of Milwaukee.
March 18, 1920.
GEO. W. POUND HELPS
ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC
General Counsel of Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce Much Sought by Organizations.
George W. Pound, general counsel of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce, will speak on
music at a great mass meeting at York, Pa., on the
evening of Friday, March 19, and in the forenoon
will address the school teachers and students of
York.
Mr. Pound's services are much sought by organ-
izations of a cultural nature in all parts of the
country. His knowledge of the subject makes his
addresses highly interesting to his audiences.
Mr. Pound addressed the Ladies of Ridgefield
Park, N. J., last week on "Music in the Home."
SHIPPING CONDITIONS
BETTER IN NEW YORK CITY
Autopiano Company Announces That Transporta-
tion Impediments Have Been Removed.
The Autopiano Co., New York City, announces
that transportation conditions in the near vicinity
of their factory have so improved that the company
again has been able to resume the normal shipping
of Autopianos. Transportation facilities for the
past four weeks have seriously hampered these
shipments. Since the storm early in February the
side streets on the west side of New York, which
afford the only means of egress from the Auto-
piano factory, were almost completely obstructed.
The tremendous task of cleaning the highways of
New York City progressed slowly. The earlier
work permitted the opening of the main avenues.
The side streets leading to the Hudson River and
the Autopiano factory remained untouched until
very recently.
The Autopiano Company is also very steadily
reaching the normal mark of production. During
the recent strike, of course, production almost
stopped and it was found necessary, even after the
strike was settled, to break in many hundreds of
new employes. These new employes, however,
have grasped the work to be done and in conse-
quence the daily output of the Autopiano factory
nearly equals that of last summer and may be ex-
pected to surpass it this year.
*
With the better shipping facilities and the in-
creased production in the plant, officials of the
Autopiano Company hope, in the near future, to
be able to come nearer supplying the immense de-
mand which the Autopiano has created for itself
throughout the country.
OLD PARSONS, KANS., STORE
HAS CHANGE OF OWNERS
Johnson Music House, Established Thirty Years
Ago, Bought by Smith, Barnes & Strohber Co.
The Johnson Music House of Parsons, Kans.,
has been bought by the Smith, Barnes & Strohber
Company, Chicago. The deal was closed by W. J.
Simonson, general manager of the Kansas City
branch of the company. The Johnson Music House
had been known to the buyers of music goods in
that section for the past thirty years. The John-
son family has been in active control of the busi-
ness for that period.
L. D. Noll, who has been connected with the
Kansas City branch of the Smith, Barnes & Stroh-
ber Company, has inaugurated the new owners'
possession of the business by a rousing special sale
to clean up odds and ends of stock. The Parsons
store is another important link in the chain of
stores of Smith, Barnes & Strohber Company is
establishing throughout the Southwest.
F. E. JONES DIES.
Frank E. Jones, a prominent piano man of St.
Louis, Mo., who died recently, had been connected
in his time with prominent houses in the East and
the West. He was associated at one time or an-
other with Jacob Doll & Sons, New York; Lord &
Taylor, New York; Kohler & Chase, San Francisco,
and other firms of prominence.
CHANGE IN WALLA WALLA, WASH.
OPENS PIANO DEPARTMENT.
The name of the Baird Music Co., Walla Walla,
Wash., has been changed to the Baird-Ross Music
Co. Floyd A. Ross has purchased an interest in
the linn. The firm will soon move to 27 West
Main street, where the building is being remodeled
and generally prepared for the purposes of a pro-
gressive music house.
Clark F. Gross is now manager of the piano de-
partment of the E. B. Colwell Co., Monmouth, 111.
Tin- company is a new piano department with mod-
ern demonstration booths and other facilities for
pleasant piano purchasing. L^p to a few weeks ago
Mr. Gross was a partner in the Ryder Music Co.,
Pawhuska, Okla.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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