Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1773

PRESTO
July 17, 1920.
H. S. HOLLEY TAKES PARTNER
IN CARROLL, IOWA, HOUSE
GREAT NEW FACTORY OF BALDWIN CO.
His Brother, E. B. Holley, Made Vice-President in
Company Recently Incorporated.
Snapshot Taken the Other Day When Cement Work Had Reached the
Third Floor of Structure
H. S. Holley, Carroll, la., has sold a half interest
in the Holley Music House to E. B. Holley, his
brother, who has been associated with him for a
number of years. The business is now incorporated
under the firm name of Holley Music House. The
capital stock is $40,000 with $30,000 cash paid in.
The officers are: H. S. Holley, president and treas-
urer; E. B. Holley, vice-president and secretary.
The new firm will continue doing business at the
old stand, with the same lines of pianos and talking
machines. The company handles the Gulbransen-
Dickinson playerpianos and Packard and Hallet &
Davis pianos. Victrola and Brunswick talking ma-
chines are carried.
The name Holley, in the piano business, dates
back to 1893, when H. S. and E. B. covered the ter-
ritory in Northwestern Iowa as tuners. Later they
also handled pianos with sales made in freight houses
or hotel parlors. Persistent efforts, well directed,
in the same territory is the way the principals in the
Carroll Company say they have gained success.
PLANS FOR NEXT WISCONSIN
PIANO DEALERS MEETING
Big Day Expected in Milwaukee During the State
Fair in September.
The first of a series of monthly bulletins to be is-
sued by the Wisconsin Association of Music Indus-
tries, to keep a close contact between the officers
and members, made its appearance during the past
week. It was devoted largely to the promotion of
a campaign for new members which is being con-
ducted by President Richard H. Zinke from his
headquarters at 425 Milwaukee street, Milwaukee.
Attention is called in the bulletin to the second
annual convention of the Wisconsin music trades,
to be held under auspices of the association at Mil-
waukee on Wednesday, September 1, which is the
middle of State Fair week.
While the convention program is only partly out-
lined, it has been decided to divide the day into one
business meeting and trade conference, a visit to
the State Fair, where the Milwaukee Association
of Music Dealers will again conduct a Music Festival
and promote community singing, music memory con-
test, etc., and to wind up the day with a dinner,
followed by a concert and a dancing party.
President Zinke is trying to secure a speaker of
national reputation as the big drawing card of the
convention. At the first annual meeting held on
Sept. 10, last year, George W. Pound, general counsel
of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce was
the principal speaker.
GETTING PIANOS IS NOT
AN EASY MATTER TODAY
Milwaukee Dealer Tells of Difficulties in Transport-
ing Stock After Finding It,
"Getting pianos to the retail sales rooms now-
adays means camping right on the doorsteps of the
manufacturers, and then sticking like glue to trans-
portation factors until delivery is made," said Ed-
mund Gram, head of the Edmund Gram Music
House, in Milwaukee, who has just returned from a
scouting trip for goods in the East. On July 1, Mr.
Gram still had unfilled orders on his books dating
back to the holiday season of 1919.
While in the East, Mr. Gram attended midsummer
conferences of groups of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce a"nd National Association of Music
Merchants, of which he is a director. From Atlantic
City he hurried to New York to get goods through
to Milwaukee. He found that the unfavorable trans-
portation situation was principally at fault for the
delay in getting new stocks. Instruments shipped
from New York during the early part of April not
only have not been delivered at Milwaukee, but vir-
tually no information concerning their whereabouts
is available. The pianos are in cars on tracks "some-
where in America."
However, while in New York, Mr. Gram was able
to make arrangements to get carriage for a relatively
large shipment of Steinways which were shipped by
express and are now arriving. Practically all of in-
struments must be applied on old orders, leaving
nothing to put into stock to meet the usual heavy
demand during the fall and holiday season. He fears
FROM l.KKT TO IUG'HT: I«\ A. McGEK, THE BALDWIN PIANO CO.; G. A. GKIB, RESIDENT ENGI-
NEER, LOCKWOOD. GREENE & CO.; MR. HODGES, SUPERINTENDENT THE FRRRO CONCRETE CON-
STRUCTION CO.; N. ROWE, LOCKWOOD, GRE'ENE & CO.; THOMSON DESE1USY, THE BALDWIN CO.;
L. D. SARGENT, THE BALDWIN CO.; S. B. LINCOLN, LOCKWOOD, GREENE & CO., ENGINEERS;
LUCIEN WULSIN. THE BALDWIN CO.. AND E. E. BEACH, THE BALDWIN CO.
The cement workers on the Baldwin Piano Com-
pany's new building at the entrance to Eden Park,
Cincinnati, Ohio, are now pouring for the sixth floor.
Two more stories and they will be ready for the
roof. The accompanying picture shows the progress
of the work when it had reached the third floor. It
shows a group of Baldwin Company officials and
engineers on the third floor of the new Baldwin
building.
The general appearance of the building will be like
that of a beautiful big school, a decoration to that
part of the city. In fact Cincinnati prides itself on
the beauty of its factories, many of which are orna-
mental landmarks, and the city is hoping to have the
railroads wake up to the importance of erecting some
fine railroad stations there.
Bedford stone is used for the outer walls at the
first floor and red brick with terra cotta trimmings
at the top. The tower is to be 176 feet in height,
with a four-face clock, which will be visible for a
long distance in that part of Cincinnati. On the
first floor the columns will be 21 feet from center to
center, and not a beam of any kind is used. In the
front part of this floor will be two very beautiful
piano display rooms.
The columns on the first floor are 36 inches in
diameter, and they lessen as the building goes up.
The floors are 7% inches thick. The windows are
16 feet wide and 10 feet high. They are ample to
give plenty of daylight.
it will require several more personal trips to the East
before Christmas if he is to get anywhere near a
reasonable quantity of merchandise into his store.
PORTLAND, ORE., SALES
SHOW GRATIFYING INCREASE
L. O. ROGERS GETS OLD GIFT.
That dealers appreciate conscientious service was
proven recently by a unique present to L. O. Rog-
ers by Romero Lozada Hnos, of Lima, Peru. The
gift was a small gold coin issued by Peru but not
in active circulation and, therefore, considerably
rare. Mr. Hnos is a progressive Republic dealer
who while making a visit to New York City inspect-
ed the new Republic plant and became intensely in-
terested in the Republic method of manufacturing
Republic player rolls. He was entertained during
his visit by several of the Republic recording stars.
PIANO MAN 98 YEARS OLD.
A. D. Hildreth. of Rawlins, Wyo., whose picture
was used in the Chicago Tribune of July 7, in con-
nection with a story that he was the oldest Elk
at the Chicago Elks' convention, is also a piano deal-
er, although the Tribune did not mention that fact.
He braved the heat and the long journey to Chi-
cago in his 99th year to have some fun with his
fellow Elks at convention time. And he called at
the Price & Teeple Piano Company's offices and
chatted with the officers of that manufacturing con-
LANZ TAKES MANY ORDERS.
W. S. Lanz, nationally-known traveler for the
Brinkerhoff Piano Company, Chicago, is now in the
Northwest on a trip for that house. On this trip
Mr. Lanz has met with great success, having turned
in a big bunch of good orders for Brinkerhoff in-
struments.
That Glad Fact and Other Trade News There Re-
corded in Brief.
H. T. Campbell, manager of the Bush & Lane
Piano Co., Portland, Ore., says there is a big im-
provement over sales this time last year. The roll
and record departments show a gratifying increase
—at least 50 per cent better than during the same
period last year.
J. F. Matthews, of the G. F. Johnson Piano Co.,
Portland, Ore., who was severely injured in an au-
tomobile accident recently, is slowly recovering. Mr.
Matthews was driving his machine and ran it against
a telegraph pole in order to avoid hitting a child.
The machine was demolished and Mr. Matthews
painfully injured.
It took just exactly three months for music or-
dered by Louis W. Mack, of Mack's Sheet Music
Store, Portland, Ore., from the Schirmer Co. of
New York, to reach Portland. It left New York by
way of the Panama canal on May 6 and reached
Portland on July 6. A big shipment of Wood pub-
lications from Boston for the Mack store arrived
this week by express. Mr. Mack says there is a
healthy demand for Pacific Coast publications, and a
splendid field here for publishers. Dealers do not
have to wait until music can be sent from the East,
but get good music from coast publishers.
W. E. Watkins, head of Watkins Bros., Hartford,
Conn., recently won high honors at a shooting tourn-
ament. He smashed ninety light "birds" out of 100.
Mr. Watkins scored a similar triumph last year.
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/
r
PRESTO
July 17, 1920.
EXPRESS SORROW AT
F. E. WELLINGTON'S DEATH
WILL ENTER TEST SUITS
'°
Family
At a recent meeting of the directors of the Musical
Supply Association of America, the following reso-
lution was adopted:
Whereas, The Musical Supply Association of
America has learned with sorrow of the death of
its esteemed member, Frank E. Wellington, presi-
dent Wellington Piano Case Company; and
Whereas, For many years he was an important
and successful member of the industry, well known
throughout the trade for the constructive and
thorough nature of his work, and respected for his
sterling character; therefore
Be It Resolved, By the Musical Supply Association
of America that the industry has suffered a great loss
by his death; and be it further
Resolved, That the sincere sympathy of the Asso-
ciation be extended to his family and business asso-
ciates for their loss of an ideal husband, father, and
friend, that this resolution be spread upon the rec-
ords of the Association, and that an engrossed copy
be forwarded to his family.
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Decides on Energetic Action to
Force Decision on Obnoxious Rulings of Internal
Revenue Department
CHAMBER ASKS JOINT ACTION BY TRADE
The "Boxing," "Board of Education," and "Player Piano" Excise Taxes,
Taking Millions of Dollars a Year From Music Industry,
to Be Fought in Court as Arbitrary and Unjust
The Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, b^
action of its directors, has decided upon energetic
action to force a final decision on the so-called
"Boxing," "Board of Education" and "Player-Piano"
rulings of the Internal Revenue Department, which
the Chamber believes have arbitrarily and unjustly
taken millions of dollars from the music industry.
All members of the industry affected by these
rulings will be advised to bring uniform suits against
DEALER ON LONG MOTOR TRIP.
the Internal Revenue Department for the recovery
Arthur Winter, piano dealer of Altoona, Pa., who of excise taxes paid on playerpianos, on musical in-
had been at Quincy, 111., on a motor trip, stopped at struments sold to state and municipal bodies for
Chicago on the way back. One of the calls he made public use, and on boxes and packing cars. It is
in Chicago was on the H. C. Bay Company. Mr. proposed in the interest of economy to insitute a
Winter reports good weather and good roads for test action, and to hold in abeyance the causes of
the major part of his trip. He says he saw good action of all members of the industry except that
crops all along the route, although corn is some- involved in the test action, permitting the others to
what late.
abide the event.
Suggests a Way.
AT FURNITURE SHOW.
However, it will be necessary even in these unliti-
Piano benches, piano lamps and phonographs are
included in the exhibits at the Chicago Furniture gated cases, to file claim for refund for such taxes
Market Association now open in Chicago at 1411 so paid. It is very essential that all these matters
South Michigan boulevard. The exhibition will close be done uniformly, in order that the same legal
theory and practice be maintained at all times, and
July 24.
Kohler & Campbell,
Product and Producer,
Will Stand By You
When you sell the Kohler & Campbell
line of pianos you have certain solid as-
surances that you could obtain through
no other line.
First, the product: It is a tried, proven and
firmly established full line of instruments,
standard and staple, made to meet exact-
ing requirements, yet to sell at a price
within the means of the majority of Ameri-
can families. It will stand by you inallcases*
Second, the producer: It is the world's
biggest manufacturer of musical instru-
ments, perfectly equipped, powerfully cap-
italized and efficiently organized, insuring
a minimum production cost with a maxi-
mum quality. And it will stand by you,
by standing by its product in all cases.
Kohler & Campbell instruments are
fciiilt in many types of Upright Pianos,
Player Pianos, Qrand Pianos and Repro-
ducing Pianos, but of only one quality
KOHLLR & CAMPBLLL, Inc.
in all instances; otherwise the test suit may be of
no avail in setling the action for recovery in the
suits brought by individual members of the industry.
It is therefore urged upon such members of the in-
dustry as are planning to bring similar suits on their
own behalf, that nothing be done along these lines
without consultation with the General Counsel of
the Chamber.
Look for Questionnaire.
A questionnaire is now being prepared, and will
be sent shortly to all individual members of the
Chamber, or members of the Division Member As-
sociations of the Chamber who have paid taxes un-
der these rulings, and then from the material thus
gleaned the proper and necessary papers will be pre-
pared, and the individual members of the industry
advised of the best procedure. It will be of the
utmost importance that all members of the Chamber
postpone definite action in this matter pending re-
ceipt of final detailed instructions from the Cham-
ber.
The test suit will strive to recover the tax paid
upon the price of the packing case or box. This
tax was not originally collected under the present
law, but is due to a later interpretation of the In-
ternal Revenue Department. The music industry
was not itself the subject of attack by the Internal
Revenue Department when this ruling was made.
The soft drink manufacturers started an argument
about containers and the Department ended it by
decreeing "The amount paid for both the beverage
and closed container is the basis for computing the
tax, though the container is billed separately." Then
by analogy this ruling was extended to the music
industry and to all others.
The "Boxing" Ruling.
Both the phonograph and piano branches of the
industry are vitally affected by this "Boxing" rul-
ing. Originally manufacturers of musical instru-
ments were expressly directed by the Internal Reve-
nue Department not to pay nor "pass on" any taxes
on instruments sold to Boards of Education and
similar state and municipal bodies, when bought
from public funds for public purposes. Thus a
manufacturer assessing any tax thereon would have
been guilty of crime. Months afterwards, the de-
partment completely reversed this ruling, and held
that such sales were subject to tax. Furthermore,
the department's rulings are retroactive. Hence the
industry was compelled to pay upon all instruments
theretofore sold. This is an injustice, and the reason
why it is sought to recover the tax paid on such
sales. The "Board of Education" ruling is a very
important one to the trade, as many phonographs,
pianos and other musical instruments are sold to
public bodies for public purposes. The Government,
in other departments, and by the decisions of its
courts, has always recognized the playerpiano as a
separate and distinct instrument and article of com-
merce, as distinguished from both piano and piano-
player. The Chamber was successful in its efforts
before the Congress to keep the playerpiano from
being named in the bill as subject to taxation. It
therefore believes the action of the Internal Reve-
nue Department in taxing the playerpiano is arbi-
trary and unjust, and without warrant of law.
The Chamber has arbitrarily taken these matters
up with the Internal Revenue Department to no
avail, and it now becomes necessary to bring suits if
the taxes are to be recovered.
The adjudication of the issues here involved are
vital to the entire music industry, not only in con-
sideration of the vast sum of money involved both
in past and future payments, but as well to preserve
the legal and traditional status of the playerpiano.
Success in respect to the playerpiano ruling will
have an indirect but really substantial benefit to the
phonograph and pipe organ, and all automatic in-
strument elements of the industry.
Charles Duncan Allen, Michael Rose, Robert S.
Read and Larry Gullum have joined the traveling
forces of the Imperial Player Roll Co., Chicago. Mr.
Allen is well known in the music roll trade.
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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