Presto

November 13, 1920.
PRESTO
WHY PIANO PRICES CANNOT
COME DOWN AT PRESENT
Analysis of Supply and Raw Material Market Furnishes Convincing Proof
That Wholesale Piano Prices Are Not Yet
Due For a Decline
THE WELL-KNOWN CENT
THAT WAS SENT BENT
Clever "Pome" by Popular Piano Man of
Washington That Revives the Most Suc-
cessful Slogan of Gee Pee Bee.
,
On the occasion of the recent dinner given 'by
Geo. P. Bent to his friends in Washington, D. C,
an event was the reading of an original set of
rhymes by Carl A. Droop of that city. As Mr.
Bent says, it was his custom, "in his young and
tender years," to make frequent use, in his advertis-
By O. C. Stone
ing, of the line "A Cent Sent Bent," and that, of
course, was Mr. Droop's inspiration. The Wash-
When the leading piano manufacturers of the
Sounding boards
213%
ington rhyme runs as follows:
country meet in special meeting, issue statements
Strings
78
That
a cent
and pass resolutions stating that their prices cannot
Tuning pins
275
Sent Bent,
be lowered at present, it would seem to be the rea-
Varnish
61
Was a cent
sonable thing to do to set forth their reasons why
In studying and analyzing this table it should be Well spent,
such a condition exists. Automobile manufacturers, borne
mind that the percentages of increase in We can all plainly see.
the shoe and leather trade, the textile industries, and cost of in these
various items hold good in every grade But had the cent
a few other lines of trade are reducing their prices; and classification
of supplies and materials enumer- Not been sent
why cannot wholesale piano prices come down?
ated. Some fancy grades of lumber and veneers To Bent,
That is the purpose of this series of articles, of show even greater percentages of increase, but with We must all fully agree
That our friend Bent
which that is one, to state the reasons why piano these this article is not concerned.
Could not blow the cent
prices cannot now be reduced.
That was not sent
Figuring It Out.
It was the overwhelming sense of the manufactur-
Now let us do a little figuring. Take the five most On such jolly company.
ers' meeting at Buffalo, October 28, as it was of a
when Bent
important
items that enter into a piano. These are Now
similar meeting of the western piano manufacturers,
Got the cent
,
the
case,
the
action,
the
plate,
the
sounding
board
which was held in Chicago a few days previous to
That so many spent
and
the
back.
Let
us
suppose,
by
way
of
illustration,
the one in Buffalo, that there was no possibility of
When the cent was sent to him,
.!
reducing prices while present costs of supplies and that in 1914 a certain manufacturer paid $30 for a He followed the scent
case; that case would cost him $84.30 today. Sup- Of the cent that was sent,
labor held.
pose that same manufacturer was paying $25 for an And here's where we will begin.
Conditions Prevent Reduction.
action in 1914; that action would stand him $62.50. He followed the scent
It was the unanimous opinion of the Chicago If he was paying $6 for a plate in 1914, today he is Of the oft sent cent,
meeting, as well as the meeting at Buffalo, that the forced to pay $18.66. If he was paying 1 $5 then for Until he found the sender.
trade at large, and especially the retail merchants, sounding boards, today he must come across with And with smiling face,
should be fully advised as to the exact conditions $15.67 for the same grade of board. If he was And equal grace,
existing in the industry, which prevent the reduction buying or building a back that cost him $4 in 1914, He treated him, Oh, so tender.
of wholesale prices at this time when the general today he cannot buy or produce that back under This was the way he started out,
In making friends in the trade.
tendency seems to be towards a lower level of prices. $13.52.
Arid though hardships he met,
And it is for this reason and in compliance with the
Now we have figured five of the largest single
unanimous sense of the two meetings of manufac- items of expense that a supposed manufacturer And may meet them yet,
friends that he made, they stayed.
turers mentioned that this article and others to would put into his piano in 1914, and we have also The
After
of hard work,
follow are being prepared and published through the figures of what these same five items cost him When years
he worked like a Turk,
the columns of the trade press.
today, assuming that he is today employing the He finally won renown.
The manufacturers not only believe that the entire same grade of materials and supplies he employed But he still followed the scent
trade is entitled to know the manufacturers' posi- in the "good old days before the war."
Of the Cent that was sent,
tion, but they insist that the trade shall know it, and
Let us arrange these figures in a table so that we Until he found the Bent Crown.
it is in the spirit of insisting that the fullest pub- can see how they look and in order to make com- Now this Bent Crown,
licity be given to the causes which operate to keep parisons easier.
Red, Yellow and Brown,
sent to every city and town,
costs up that these articles have been authorized by
Cost, 1914. Cost, today. Was
And no matter to what part of the world you went,
the National Piano Manufacturers' Association and 1. Case
$30.00
$84.30
All knew of the Crown, that had followed the scent
are being released for publication after being ap- 2. Action
25.00
62.50
of the. cent
proved by its president, Otto Schulz.
3. Plate
6.00
18.66
That was sent to Bent.
High Cost of Materials.
4. Sounding board
5.00
15.67
But now that we've had this terrible war,
4.00
13.52
There are many reasons why wholesale piano 5. Back
And Crowns are not what they were before,
prices cannot yet be reduced, but certainly one of
Our dear Old Friend,
Will worry no more,
Total
$70.00
$194.65
the principal reasons is the present high cost of
But in peace will travel from shore to shore,
materials entering into piano construction, and it is
Increase of 178 Per Cent.
Still bent on following the scent of the cent,
the purpose of this article to treat specifically with
Here is your answer. Here is proof "conclusive" Enjoying life till the last one's spent.
this phase of the present situation.
The writer has had unusual facilities placed at his why manufacturers say that they cannot now reduce
disposal from which to glean the exact facts per- prices. Here is a supposed case of a manufacturer
taining to costs of materials and supplies. After who had an investment of $70 in his case, action,
much painstaking work, in which he had the ablest plate, sounding board and back in 1914; today
assistance to be had in the piano industry, he is able these same items cost him $124.65 in excess of his
to present a table showing the percentage of in- 1914 costs, or an increase of 178 per cent on these Men in Search of Pianos and Players Make Things
crease of costs on practically everything that enters five items alone.
Lively in Offices.
These are cold facts which will not down. These
into piano construction over and above prices that
are facts which will be vouched for by every manu-
prevailed in 1914.
W. F. Schwentker, of Evansville, Ind., was in Chi-
With this table at hand anyone, at interest, can facturer in the industry, and with the table of in- cago on Monday of this week ordering more goods.
creased
percentages
before
one,
it
is
a
very
easy
easily figure out for himself why wholesale prices
W. G. Alden, of Waukegan, 111., called on some of
are what,they are, and why they cannot be reduced, matter for anyone to figure the costs of supplies and the piano manufacturers in Chicago early this week
so long as the present level of material costs obtain. materials in any grade of instruments sufficiently seeking pianos and playerpianos. His orders will
close to convince oneself that so long as these per-
Percentage of in- centages hold, wholesale prices cannot possibly be be filled.
F. Beyer, accompanied by his wife and son, piano
crease in present reduced.
costs over 1914
(Next week's articles will deal with labor costs dealer of St. Louis, Mo., stopped in Chicago early
this week and made calls on some of the manufac-
costs.
and how it affects the situation.)
turers. The firm is F. Beyer & Son, and the family
Actions
150
were returning from a stay of several months in Los
Backs
238
Angeles, Calif.
JNO. T. CHIDSEY HONORED.
Bridges
222
R. M. Dearth, piano dealer of Bloomington, 111.,
President John T. Chidsey, of the American Piano
Cases
181
Supply Company, of New York, has been elected was in Chicago on Tuesday of this week ordering
Continuous hinges
94
president of the Chamber of Commerce of Bristol, instruments for his trade.
Glue
ISO
E. L. Mills, piano dealer of Kankakee, 111., was in
Conn. Mr. Chidsey's prominence in the piano sup-
Hammers
109
ply industry suggests that the Bristol Chamber of Chicago on Wednesday of this week and ordered
Keys
102
Commerce has made a good selection and it is pianos and playerpianos from some of the manu-
Locks
171
noticeable that a number of gentlemen associated facturers.
Lumber—
Harry Hopkins, of the West Music Company,
with music trade interests have been selected for
Chestnut . . . . . . . . • •
125
Joliet, 111., was in Chicago on Tuesday of this week
preferment in various activities this fall.
Birch
250
ordering goods. He said business was very good at
Rock maple
294
present in Joliet.
Oak
150
FORD HELPS IRON MOUNTAIN.
George Fleer, piano dealer of Elgin, 111., was in
Poplar
263
Charles Hademan, piano dealer of Iron Mountain, Chicago on Tuesday of this week. He left sub-
Quartered oak
250
Mich., was in Chicago on Monday of this week. Mr. stantial orders for pianos and playerpianos.
Veneer
289
Hademan said that piano trade was good in Iron
Ordinary hinges
180
Realty Associates, New York, sold through James
Mountain, and likely to have a boom soon, because
Pedals
75
Henry Ford was putting up an immense automobile W. Stearns the two-story business building, 20x125,
Pedal traps
166y 3
body works in the city, which would attract a large at 291 Livingston street to Oliver W. Williams,
Plates
211
piano dealer.
influx of the better-paid classes of mechanics.
Shooks
OUT-OF-TOWN DEALERS
ENCOUNTERED IN CHICAGO
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