June 9, 1923
PRESTO
in the modern novel. "To step aside is human," said Burns. And if
there is any place in life's walk that presents a more slippery stepping
place than printers' ink it.has not yet been discovered.
There are. instances wherein the greatest cause has given birth
to the' most ludicrous and vexatious errors, as in the rare edition of
the Bible, the publishers of which had offered a large reward for any
error, however slight. When the book came off the press the very
first buyer of a copy drew attention to three capital B's in "Bible"
on the illuminated inside title. A few years ago an elaborate edition
of the Rubaiyat appeared, in which was a slip promising a reward to
any one who could detect an error in the book. Almost everyone
who had a copy must have discovered "enow" spelled with an "a."
During one of the Cincinnati May Festivals a new edition of "Elijah"
appeared for the occasion, with one entire page omitted.
And so the errors go, and we fear always will. Notwithstanding
wise Cicero's statement that "any man may commit a mistake, but
norte'but a fool will continue in it." And in a trade paper the printed
mistakes, of the kind for which Presto here offers apology to the
J, P. Seeburg Piano Co., usually arise, not from lack of understand-
ing, but from hasty work. In the particular case in mind, it came
from an old descriptive circular which in some way found lodgement
with current memoranda, upon the re-write editor's desk, and was
automatically treated as something new. In that way a Seeburg
style which has long been discontinued was described. We regret the
annoyance to the manufacturers and their customers. To most mem-
bers of the trade it is not necessary to say that the J. P. Seeburg
Piano Co. is making a live line of electric and automatic instruments,
and no ordinary players.
Dealers who are awake to the opportunities of profit in that
class of instruments, know the Seeburg products and represent
them. And dealers who permit the opportunities of the small
theaters and the thousands of other places of entertainment to pass
unsolicited and unsupplied are short-sighted and lacking in some of
the elements by which the piano business is developed and made
to prosper.
What is the matter with the music roll makers? They, as a rule,
complain of slow progress and still neglect to apply the very oil of
motion—trade paper publicity. Only that kind of advertising can
help largely, except in a general way. Music-love propaganda is
TRAFFIC WORK IS
UNSEEN BUT VITAL
Edward A. Leveille's Hard Work as Head of
Traffic Committee, in Caring for Transpor-
tation for Convention.
The average convention visitor, viewing the sixty
odd exhibits with their two hundred different pianos,
concerned himself little with such matters of detail
as to consider how and by whom the work of gather-
ing all these instruments together was accomplished.
Very likely, he fails to see that there was any very
great work to it.
Yet the task of superintending the shipment of all
these pianos, hauling them from the freight yards to
a warehouse, and then Monday morning to trans-
port them all to their rooms at the Drake, wiping,
tuning, and conditioning them, all this was one of the
detailed, unappreciated parts of the work of organ-
izing a big convention.
Edward A. Leveille, chairman of the traffic commit-
tee, is the man who took care of all this work. The
service of the traffic committee was invaluable, es-
pecially for the manufacturers from other cities,
in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, and
other states. For such firms, all the work of taking
care of their instruments, even to polishing, was done
by the traffic committee.
Arrangements were made to meet all instruments
at the railroad yards, ship them to the Drake, tune
them and polish them. All day Sunday and Mon-
day morning trucks which had been contracted for
the purpose hauled pianos into the Drake. When the
representatives of the companies arrived, their ex-
hibit was all ready for them.
In addition, Mr. Leveille arranged the reception of
the train bearing the New York delegation. At Gary,
the train was met by the reception committee from
Chicago and by the Gary school band. Arrange-
ments had to be made to have the special stop at
Gary, for this town is not a regular stop. Special ar-
rangements also had to be made to have the train
which carried the reception committee down to Gary
stop there.
The traffic work was complicated and detailed, but
having special attention by organized associations. The specific en-
terprise of the music roll industries must have special music trade
promotion.
* * *
In most lines of business there is a feeling that the time limit
under which sales are made must be cut down. Manufacturers are
inclined to consider the reduction of the period allowed to dealers,
so as to have a clearer outlook upon the future. Pianos have been
sold on too long time, in view of the readjustments promised in all
lines of business.
* ' * *
The very latest illustration of the power of music comes in the
story of the prisoner in a New York jail whose singing in his cell
caused the judge to discharge him. Next thing we know some Or-
pheus will be twanging his lyre outside some jewelry shop and cause
the diamonds to chase him down the street.
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A department store is advertising Columbia $100 phonographs for
$27.50, at retail. Aren't you glad you didn't divide your piano factory
with the talking machine industry? There's nothing quite so good
as a good piano.
Last week Presto said that more pianos would be sold in Chicago
this week than before in twelve months. Perhaps not, but there were
factory representatives present who went home with order books
well filled.
* * *
It is a delight to turn the pages of a piano catalogue that treats
of, and represents, artistic pianos in an artistic manner. The new
Mason & Hamlin catalogue is reviewed briefly in this issue of Presto.
*
*
*
It was a great convention. No music man who was so fortunate
as to be in Chicago this week will ever forget it. And the permanent
good to the industry and trade is beyond computation.
* * *
Compulsory study of music in the public schools is advocated in
New York. A vastly better suggestion than nine-tenths of the propo-
sitions presented by political and fanatical influences.
it was carried off without a hitch. In spite of the late
shipments of some of the out-of-town manufacturers,
every piano was safely received in Chicago and sent
to its exhibition rooms. Labor was scarce, but men
were rounded up for the wiping and polishing of
every piano which needed conditioning.
Mr. Leveille also arranged with a warehouse firm
for the repacking and reshipping of the pianos after
the convention was over.
It is the drab, indispensable details like those taken
care of by Mr. Leveille at the expense of his own
work, which is usually taken for granted by the
visitors and left unappreciated.
A. H. HOWES OF DETROIT
WINS MEMBER CONTEST
Music Merchants' Contest for New Members Won
by Manager of Grinnell Bros.
A. H. Howes, manager of the piano department of
Grinnell Bros., Detroit, won the first prize in the
membership contest of the Music Merchants' Asso-
ciation. Mr. Howes is state commissioner in Michi-
gan for the association, and gained most of his new
members through an active letter campaign.
''Hard work," said Mr. Howes, "is the only trick
I used to get members." He kept up his work until
the last minute, even getting a good part of his mem-
bers at the Drake after the convention had opened.
Mr. Howes has been with Grinnell Bros, for thirty-
one years.
MEMORY CONTEST FOR CANAL ZONE.
Striking evidence of the extent to which the Music
Memory Contests inaugurated by the National Bu-
reau for the Advancement of Music have spread, is
furnished by a letter received by C. M. Tremaine,
director of the bureau, from Miss Helen L. Currier,
of Balboa, chairman of the Music Supervisors' Ad-
visory Committee for the Canal Zone, in which that
lady asks for information, adding that "I should like
to have that work conducted on the Canal Zone."
W. R. Truax has closed out his music store in
East Rochester, N. Y.
THE RIGHT THOUGHT IN
THE PIANO ADVERTISEMENT
Opportunity of the Better Homes Idea Gives Sug-
gestion to Mark P. Campbell.
Mark Campbell, president of the Brambach Piano
Co., New York, is an enthusiastic endorser of the
Better Homes in America idea. He has had two
very fine illustrations made up with the Better
Homes idea in mind to send out to the Brambach
dealers all over the country. These advertisements
are an exception to Mr. Campbell's usual method of
procedure. Before a campaign is sent to dealers, it
is usually tried out by some representative of the
Brambach Piano Company to give it a test to see
how it works out. The dealer who has never experi-
enced having a good appearing ad fail to pull is in-
deed the exception. No matter how fine advertising
sometimes looks, it may lack that something which
produces business.
There are three more advertisements sent out with
these two Better Homes Week ads, on the June
Bride, which have been tried out and found to be ex-
cellent advertising. The way that dealers all over the
country are subscribing to the idea is best evidenced,
according to Mr. Campbell, by the way they have
sent in for mats and electros of these advertisements.
"It has been a revelation to me," continued Mr.
Campbell, "the number of dealers that have asked for
these, many dealers whom we have considered small
dealers and who never do very much advertising, have
risen to the occasion and asked for a full set of ser-
vice for this advertising.
'"The first step to better homes, or at least one of
the first steps, is a piano. So it is my opinion that
every piano manufacturer, dealer, and supply man
should get back of this movement. I want to con-
gratulate the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce on the very aggressive support they have
given to the movement," said Mr. Campbell.
G. W. Wickman, owner of a music shop in St.
Ignace, Michigan, stopped off at the Chicago branch
of the Columbia Graphophone Company on his return
home from a winter's stay in Florida.
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