Presto

December 18, 1920.
PRESTO
DID "DUMPING" SYSTEM
ORIGINATE OVER HERE?
months, he has studied hard and knows more about
the piano business than the average man who has
been in this business ten or fifteen years. He is 24
years of age.
Leipsic Trade Paper Charges That the Habit
of Unloading at Low Prices Was Started
by the American Manufacturers.
The "Christmas Annual" of Lyon & Healy, Chi-
cago, is comprised of thirty-two pages of sugges-
tions for gifts of the most suitable kind in music
goods. It is really a directory to five floors of the
big building at Wabash avenue and Jackson boule-
vard. In the booklet, which is copiously illustrated,
the notable pianos and players in the Lyon & Healy
warerooms are set forth in descriptive detail. Pi-
anos, players, grands are presented in an alluring
way to the prospective Christmas buyer. Victrola
"Outfits" are described in detail and should be
convincing to the hesitating prospect. A choice
Christmas list of records and music goods generally
are also described in the booklet.
In a bitter protest against the custom of a Lon-
don trade paper of always referring to Germans
as "Huns," the "Zeitschrift fur Instrumentenbau,"
of Leipsic, refutes the charge that the German piano
manufacturers are ambitious to return to the old
system of "dumping" their products. And it will
interest, and also surprise, American piano makers
.to read the following German definition of the
meaning and origin of the word "dumping."
"By 'dumping' says the Zeitschrift, "the English-
man understands a kind of system by which foreign
instruments may be bought for less than those of
home manufacture, or when the cost price of the
imported instruments is made that they may be
forced upon the market to the detriment of native
productions.
"The original creators of the 'dumping' system
are the Americans, who, if not earlier, certainly
are now seeking to flood the world-market. Eng-
land may try to hang this system upon the Germans
or, as the 'Piano-maker' will have it, the 'Huns,'
notwithstanding that until the war's outbreak the
English public demand for the quality German in-
struments was unapproachable."
Usually the Leipsic trade paper has been fair in
its discussion of American pianos and manufactur-
ers. This is the first time that American pianos
have been mixed up in the "dumping" system. As
a matter of fact, no American pianos have been
disposed of abroad by that process. And, whether
just or not, it is true that the German piano manu-
facturers have been charged—or credited—as you
prefer—with the habit of "dumping." When the
war broke out London was pretty well filled with
German instruments which were notoriously sold
at prices far below the possibilities of English in-
struments and vastly under the lowest price that
any American manufacturer could consider even
in "boat-load lots."
LYON & HEALY ANNUAL.
THE GIFT WORTH WHILE.
"A gift worth while" is what The Bruce Piano
Co.'s Lincoln, 111., branch calls the playerpiano.
"For those who are not musically inclined and can-
not maniplate the keys with their own fingers, the
player mechanism will bring all the joys of the lat-
est musical compositions adapted to the piano.
Likewise, if there should be some member of the
family who is talented, he or she can use this beau-
tiful instrument in the same manner as an ordinary
piano," is the suggestion printed.
A CHOICE LINE,
The Barthel & Dusenberg Piano Co. is a progress-
ive St. Louis company which has concentrated its
efforts on a few choice lines, the dependability of
which it vouches for with every line of advertising.
The leaders are the Packard piano and the Packard
Interpreter, a playerpiano which proves a great sales
success. Other pianos on display in the warerooms
are the Bond, Lyon & Healy and Washburn.
11
T. B. THOMPSON LEAVES
GULBRANSEN=DICKINSON
Contract Having Expired, the Expert Adver-
tising Man and Manager Will Embark
in Business for Himself.
Th. B. Thompson, who has for five years been
conspicuous in his association with the Gulbransen-
Dickinson Company, extensive player-piano indus-
try of Chicago, has resigned, the change to take
place with the opening of the New Year. Following
is the official announcement from the head of the
great industry:
To the Trade Press:
The announcement is made that T. B. Thompson
will sever his connection with, the Gulbransen-Dick-
inson Co. January 1, 1921, to enter business for him-
self.
Mr. Thompson was employed as Advertising and
Sales Manager under a five-year contract when the
Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. began the manufacture
of complete playerpianos in 1915. That contract ex-
pired July 1st, last.
Appointments to the vacancies created by Mr.
Thompson's resignation will be announced in the
near future.
Yours very truly,
GULBRANSEN-DICKINSON CO.,
A. G. Gulbransen, President.
Mr. Thompson has made a record in the publicity
department of the Gulbransen-Dickinson Company
and all who know him and his abilities will wish
him the greatest success in his new enterprise.
A SMALL FAILURE.
Arthur A. Dion, music dealer, 192 Whitman
street, New Bedford, Mass., has filed a petition in
bankruptcy. His schedules show liabilities of $5,-
159.26; assets, $1,816.50.
A DANQUARD SPECIAL COURSE
OUT-OF-TOWN DEALERS
ENCOUNTERED IN CHICAGO
Men in Search of Pianos and Players Make Things
Lively in Offices.
F. B. Fisher, while on his way back from a pleas-
ure trip into Canada, called at the M. Schulz Com-
pany's main office in Chicago this week. Mr. Fisher
is manager of the Southern Sales Department of
M. Schulz Company, at Atlanta, Ga., where he has
several men working under his direction.
C. W. Patterson, piano dealer of Roseland, 111.,
was in Chicago on Thursday of this week ordering
more goods. He says pianos and playerpianos are
in great demand in his suburb of Chicago.
Guy Hornish, piano merchant of Peoria, 111., was
in Chicago this week ordering goods.
Howard Guild, of Topeka, Kan., was in Chicago
this week. He also left good orders for goods for
the Guild stores.
HIS SUCCESS DUE TO
PLAIN LOVE OF WORK
"Bill" Saunders, Who Led in Sales in Knabe Ware-
rooms, Talks About It.
"Bill" Saunders, as he is commonly known to the
trade, was high man for November in the Baltimore
and Washington stores of Knabe Warerooms, Inc.,
of which J. H. Williams is president. When asked
what he thought was the reason for his wonderful
success, Mr. Saunders said he did not know, only
that he loved the work. But, those who know him
feel that his cheerful manner and happy smile was
the real cause of his success. When Mr. Saunders
sells a customer, you can count on that customer
sending in several other buyers, as Bill never forgets
a customer after he sells them.
Mr. Saunders was born in Havre de Grace, Md.,
and has lived in Baltimore since he was four years
old. He was in the army for three years, eight
months of which he spent on the Mexican border.
He spent some time in the infantry, of which he
was regimental supply sergeant, 29th Division. The
balance of the time was spent with the field artillery,
so he has seen plenty of service. After the armistice
was signed he spent three months with the Food
Administration in Europe. Previous to his entering
the army he worked on the Baltimore American.
While Mr. Saunders' piano experience has been
limited, as he has only been with the company ten
A CLASS IN THE DANQUARD SCHOOL.
In a recent announcement the Danquard Player.
Action School, New York, described its special
short-term course which will be inaugurated after
January 1. This course extends over a period of
ten working days and consumes only a little over
two weeks of the students' actual time. Every player-
piano repairman, turner or salesman who can possi-
bly spare this short period from his active work is
urged to take advantage of the benefits offered.
Milton Cheek, principal of the school, outlined the
course of studies carefully in a recent conversation.
"We have realized that the average tuner and re-
pairman cannot readily devote three, four or six
weeks of his time to come to New York and attend
our school," said Mr. Cheek. "We know that he
is busy and in most instances loses his income while
he is in New York City. But we know that the in-
struction given by the Danquard Player Action
School is of vital importance to him. It gives him
not only a general knowledge of player action op-
erations, but also makes him familiar with the va-
rious parts used in the pneumatic action and it en-
ables him to locate trouble and make necessary reg-
ulation in the quickest possible time. So, we feel
safe in assuming that our instruction is almost neces-
sary to every man interested in the player business."
To make this knowledge obtainable in the shortest
possible time we have carefully abridged our studies.
We have gone thoroughly into the knowledge which
is most desirable and have arranged this special
course which covers all the theory of pneumatic
action and takes the student through a thoroughly
comprehensive application of player action parts.
"This special course is laid out to extend over a
duration of ten actual working days. As our school
convenes only five days a week the actual time taken
by a student to complete this course will be about
two and a half weeks. Allowing he comes from out
of town, the total absence from his business will be
approximately three weeks. We consider this will
be a good investment on the part of any tuner or
repairman who has not had our instruction and urge
all who possibly can to make their decision early
and come as soon after the holidays as possible.
"I will be pleased to correspond with any inter-
ested person and outline more in detail the course of
study offered in this abridged course. Application
for entry, or requests for information can be had by
addressing the school, 609 West 51st street, care of
my attention."
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