Pkksto
March 3, 1923
into and consistently adhered to. With the exception of the "na-
tionally priced" industry, we do not know of any that has been bene-
fited by the plan, though that one alone shows that it can be done to
advantage.
The American Music Trade Weekly
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT 407 SOUTH DEAR-
BORN STREET, OLD COLONY BUILDING, CHICAGO, ILL.
C. A. D A N I E L L and F R A N K D. ABBOTT
Editors
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partments. Cable Address (Commercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29. 1896. at the Post Office, Chicago. Illinois.
under Act of March 3, 1879.
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Address all communications for the editorial or business departments to PRESTO
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Advertising Rates:—Five dollars per Inch (13 ems pica) for single insertions.
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on request. The Presto does not sell Its editorial space. Payment is not accepted for
articles of descriptive character or other matter appearing In the news columns. Busi-
ness notices will be indicated by the word "advertisement" In accordance with the
Act of August 24, 1912.
Photographs of general trade interest are always welcome, and when used. If of
special concern, a charge will be made to cover cost of the engravings.
Rates for advertising in Presto Year Book Issue and Export Supplements of
Presto will be made known upon application. Presto Year Book and Export issues
have the most extensive circulation of any periodicals devoted to the musical In-
strument trades and industries in afl parts of the world, and reach completely and
effectually all the houses handling musical instruments of both the Eastern and West-
ern hemispheres.
Presto Buyers' Guide is the only reliable Index to the American Pianos and
Player-Pianos, it analyzes all instruments, classifies them, gives accurate estimates
of (heir value and contains a directory of their manufacturers.
Items of news and other matter of general Interest to the music trades are In-
rited and when accepted will be paid for. All communications should be addressed to
Presto Publishing Co., 407 So. Dearborn Street. Chicago, III.
SATURDAY. MARCH 3, 1923
PRESTO CORRESPONDENCE
IT IS NOT CUSTOMARY WITH THIS PAPER TO PUBLISH REGU-
LAR CORRESPONDENCE FROM ANY POINTS. WE, HOWEVER,
HAVE RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES IN NEW YORK, BOSTON,
SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, CINCINNATI, INDIANAPOLIS, MIL-
WAUKEE AND OTHER LEADING MUSIC TRADE CENTERS, WHO
KEEP THIS PAPER INFORMED OF TRADE EVENTS AS THEY HAP-
PEN. AND PRESTO IS ALWAYS GLAD TO RECEIVE REAL NEWS
OF THE TRADE FROM WHATEVER SOURCES ANYWHERE AND
MATTER FROM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS, IF USED, WILL BE
PAID FOR AT SPACE RATES. USUALLY PIANO MERCHANTS OR
SALESMEN IN THE SMALLER CITIES, ARE THE BEST OCCA-
SIONAL CORRESPONDENTS, AND THEIR ASSISTANCE IS INVITED.
ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Forms close promptly at noon every Thursday. News matter for
publication should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the same
day. Advertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, five p. m.,
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy should be in
hand by Monday noon preceding publication day. Want advs. for cur-
rent week, to insure classification, must be at office of publication not
later than Wednesday noon.
TRADE RESTRICTIONS
If only as showing how the piano has gradually developed into the
broad sphere of commercial activities, so as seemingly to call for
legislative protection, the appeal of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce to the Interstate Committee of Congress is interesting.
The idea is that the energetic but hurtful order of competition, which
has invaded all lines of trade has taken, hold also of the piano busi-
ness. It is thought that there is danger of the fine old piano names
being hurt by the distortion of prices, and the slashing of values, with
the eagerness to overcome opposition.
The movement also renews the old call for protection of the
manufacturer, by contract with the merchants, in the matter of prices
at whi'ch the pianos may be sold. That was the idea upon which the
late Mr. Calvin Whitney expended a great deal of thought and effort.
He believed that dealers in A. B. Chase pianos should bind them-
selves not to under-cut a fixed retail price, and he refused to make
agencies unless that stipulation was agreed to. Many years before
Mr. Whitney's ruling, another great piano industry had introduced a
similar consideration, but it did not work out well.
Another feature of the letter to Congress has to do with the
stamping of prices upon the instruments. That, of course, is being
done, and at least one large playerpiano industry has made a feature
of it for years past, building up a "national price" system upon it,
and successfully. It is, of course, a good thing, if seriously entered
The idea of a monopoly in the piano business presents a very
remote contingency. The gentlemen who have struggled to form
great piano combinations know how it is, and why. The part of the
plan which provides that goods shall be offered back to their source
before trying to sell at reduced prices, opens up another well-worn
dilemma. It is a phase of the piano business which, without doubt,
would work well in very exceptional cases. There is, at this time,
a case of a distinguished piano which has been advertised to be sold
at "less than manufacturer's cost" by a mid-west retail house. But
the manufacturer found, upon making application, that he, in any
event, could not buy back his pianos at the price the dealer paid for
them.
As applied to "used," or second-hand pianos, of distinction, there
is nothing in the proposition. Of all things there are few "used"
articles that are so obviously "used" as pianos. It is the new piano
of distinction, obtained by devious methods that, not infrequently,
annoys the manufacturers and their authorized representatives. If
it could be made a crime for a merchant to sell a piano he had secured
from any source save the manufacturer or the authorized agent of
the manufacturer, to sell again, there might be something in it for
all concerned, including the public.
In earlier days, the menace was the "stencil" piano. The hoofs
and horns having been removed, seemingly at least, there are not
many things left for the law makers to do in trimming the sails of
the piano trade. The business is one that demands great energy and
no little persistency. There are obstacles in the way of both manu-
facturer and dealer, and it might easily be possible to introduce laws
designed to make easier the road to fortune, which might actually
cast stumbling blocks in the uphill roadway.
KEEPING MUSIC ROLLS
It takes time to round out the equipment, and to develop the
conveniences, in any branch of art or industry. It has required time
to finish and polish off the accessories of the player music-rolls. Even
today it is not uncommon to see the music-roll departments, in the
smaller piano stores, in ill-kept and sprawling disorder. It is still
more common to find the same condition existing in the homes of
music loving people who possess playerpianos and therefore must
have music rolls.
„-»
If there is anything that a music trade paper can do that will
help the entire field, without hurting any individual in any branch of
it, that thing is to point the way to the helps that conduce to order
and beauty in preserving the things of music. The music roll is as
essential to the player as food to the banquet, or clothing to the
naked. It doesn't mean anything to see a playerpiano in a parlor un-
less there is an assortment of music-rolls with which to make the in-
strument vocal, and to interpret the genius of the composers.
And if the music-rolls are good for that, and cost the money that
so many playerpiano owners seem so much to grudge that they don't
buy enough of them to avoid monotony, it is essential that the inusic-
rolls be taken care of. And it is a part of the dealers' business, and
profit, to let their customers know when something good for the
preservation and orderly keeping of the rolls may be had—anything
that has the merit of both newness and beauty.
There are a number of devices for taking care of music-rolls.
Some of the attachments to the instrument itself are ingenious and
practical. And some of the complete cabinets are both beautiful and
conveniently secure, in the safe-keeping of the rolls and the conveni-
ence of their arrangement. One of the latest of these cabinets comes
in a line of several styles from the Q R S Music Co., of Chicago.
They are distinctive—different from others. They are produced in
upright and console styles. They are sectional, permitting of the kind
of expansion that has made a line of book cases famous. And they
possess the merit of substantial construction in keeping with their
appearance, adding to any drawing or music room.
We are not directing attention to the Q R S Music Player Roll
Cabinets by way of advertising. The idea is to let the dealers know
about them, that they may inform themselves of one more acquisi-
tion to their business, in which there should be profit and a ready
sale. And this because these cabinets are artistic and must help sus-
tain any dealer who likes to sell things of art. This is the clay of fine
furniture, and these Q R S conveniences, produced by makers of
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