Pretto Buyers 9 Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform - Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Muaic
Industries.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY /• c * » * . , H J H o r .
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1923
ACTIVE NEW YORK
PIANO FACTORIES
Efforts to Turn Out Instruments to Satisfy
Demands of Retailers Give Cheerful Air
of Prosperity to Famous Indus-
tries of Manhattan.
GRANDS IN HIGH FAVOR
Call for the Small Cases Is a Phase of the Trade at
This Time with Grand Demand Also
Keeping Up.
A morning visit to the factory of the Bjur Bros.
Co., 705-707 Whitlock avenue, New York, is a good
start for the day. For one thing, the plant itself is
the embodiment of enterprise. There is everywhere
evidence that men of experience are doing the work,
and in every department there is the smooth running
that produces results without suggestion of hurry. The
plant of the Bjur Bros. Co. is an admirable place to
get keyed up at the beginning of a day devoted to
learning conditions in the trade. George Derby,
treasurer of the Bjur Bros. Co., voiced the optimistic
spirit when he said:
"Why are a good many piano manufacturers com-
plaining? Aren't we all doing better this year than
we did a year ago, and didn't we do better a year
ago than we did a year previous to that. Why, of
course we are. We ought not to complain, things
are shaping around all right."
It was said in Mr. Derby's characteristically pleas-
ant way, but it was a frank rebuke, nevertheless.
With W. P. Haines & Co.
A lively business in small grands is a marked and
pleasant feature of the activities of W. P. Haines &
Co., and the corroborative evidences are the most
obvious facts to the visitor to the factory at East
138th street and Walton avenue, New York. The
W. P. Haines & Co. and the Bradbury, the latter
made by the Bradbury Division of the company,
share in the grand favor of dealers expressed by
orders that sometimes are very urgent. The calls for
grands for immediate shipment are continuous and
the advance orders already placed, for delivery in
1924, assure active grand departments for a long time
to come. A single order for grands received this
week for 1924 delivery was for twenty-five instru-
ments.
The grand departments in the factory of the W. P.
Haines & Co., at 138th street and Walton avenue,
New York, are hives of industry that show the mark
of the current favor for this type of instrument.
Similarly pleasant evidences of Grand favor are visible
in the Bradbury activities in the factory at Leomin-
ster, Mass., according to the statement of T. Linton
Floyd-Jones, president of the W. P. Haines & Co.
Big Premier Output.
When the final figures are entered, in the statement
for November of the Premier Grand Piano Corpora-
tion, 510 to 532 West 23rd street. New York, that
month of 1923 will stand out as the greatest in pro-
duction and sales in his history. The figures are not
complete at this writing, but fact anticipated is clear.
Approximately 5,000 pianos will be turned out this
year. Just now the company is sending out about
150 a week. One day 50 were shipped. Walter C.
Hepperla, president, is making things hum on his
110,000 square feet of factory space.
New Peerless Officers.
Tolbert F. Cheek and M. Campbell Lorini have
joined the forces of the Peerless Pneumatic Action
Co., 469 East 133rd street, New York. This business
has heretofore been run by Roy P. Cheek. The new
officers of the corporation are: Tolbert F. Cheek,
president; Roy P. Cheek, vice-president, and M. C.
Lorini, secretary.
Mr. Lorini has risen rapidly in the music industry
within ten years or since he started with Kohler &
Campbell in 1914. In the enterval he has acquired
an unusually broad knowledge of the industry in all
branches of manufacturing and marketing.
The new secretary of the Peerless Pneumatic
Action Co. has an army record of which to be proud.
He joined the army April 6, 191-7, the day war with
Germany was declared, and in a short_ time received
his commission as second lieutenant of infantry. Pro-
motion followed when he was assigned to the Seventy-
seventh Division and took part in the many engage-
ments in which this division distinguished itself.
Tolbert F. Cheek has had an unusually varied and
broad experience in the player field. In addition to
his work in player piano factories he planned the
course of instruction of the Danquard player school,
of which he was first instructor. It seems appropriate
that he should be given a high position in the Peer-
less Pneumatic Action Co. Many of the improve-
ments of the Peerless action are due to Mr. Cheek.
Reception for H. B. Tremaine.
H. B. Tremaine, president of the Aeolian Company,
New York, and E. S. Votey, a director of the com-
pany, accompanied by Mrs. Votey, were among pas-
sengers of the liner "Leviathan," which arrived from
Europe last week. The party enjoyed a record voy-
age, which brought the big ship past Ambrose light
five days seven hours and twenty minutes after she
had left Cherbourg. An average speed of 24.17 knots
had been maintained, beating by thirteen minutes the
24.11 knots record held by the Mauretania. A great
reception was accorded to Mr. Tremaine and Mr. and
Mrs. Votey by the officials and employes of the
Aeolian Company.
The Export Possibilities.
A noticeable feature of the piano industries of the
Bronx district in New York is the growth of the
piano export business. Those developing that phase
of the business are filled with the enthusiasm that
shows strong beliefs in its possibilities. The con-
fidence of houses which already have an established
export trade appears to be strengthened by the ex-
periences of the past few years and the present
urgency of the foreign customers' demands for
American instruments.
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons.
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons put it right in their invita-
tion card to the trade to visit their factory at West
New York, N. J., when this is said: "A delightful
half hour's ride." It is a model factory with a splen-
did grand trade. Thos. A. Edison is not a far-away
neighbor.
Active Haddorff Man.
Encountering W. B. Williams, general eastern rep-
resentative of the Haddorff Piano Co., Rockford, 111.,
in New York last week was an enlivening incident of
the day. Mr. Williams is much pleased over condi-
tions in his territory. His sales this month surpass
any month in his territory, and he says the factory
will make more pianos in November than in any
similar month in its history. September was a great
month, the greatest since the war. October and No-
vember are larger, the largest months of the Haddorff
Piano Co. business not alone as to the operations in
the factory, but as to Mr. Williams' own achieve-
ments in the selling field.
Two Model Stores.
A pair of up-to-date stores are found at No. 27 and
No. 37 West Thirty-seventh street, New York, not
too far west of Fifth avenue. No. 27 is the retail
store and general offices of the James & Holmstrom
Piano Co., under the general management of John G.
Glynn, secretary and a James & Holmstrom man.for
many years. It is a handsome and attractive place
where a retail business is done which for extent
would be a surprise to many.
The store at 37 is the New York retail headquar-
ters for the Mathushek pianos. This store goes under
the name Mathushek & Sons. Mr. Weber is the
manager and he has under his jurisdiction two other
retail Mathushek stores in New Jersey. Stepping
into this showroom one is impressed by its appear-
ance of expansiveness. A great array of parlor grand
pianos is on the floor. The room is 50 or 60 feet
wide and of an impressive appearance. These two
stores of the metropolis are run on wide-awake lines.
Some Personal Notes.
William G. Heller, son of G. Heller, vice-president
Winter & Co. and himself secretary of the company,
POINTS OUT INJUSTICE
TO PIANO INDUSTRY
Manager A. L. Smith Shows Pennsylvania
Insurance Rate Making Bureau a
Discrimination.
Through the efforts of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce, at the request of piano manufac-
turers, the Pennsylvania State Insurance Rating
Bureau has been persuaded to reclassify the piano
manufacturing industry by separating it from the
furniture industry, with which it had formerly been
grouped, resulting in an increase in the rate for
Workmen's Compensation Insurance.
The matter was taken up by the Chamber over six
months ago with the Pennsylvania Compensation
Rating and Inspection Bureau, which contended that
because of the comparatively small extent of the piano
manufacturing industry in Pennsylvania, it was im-
possible to arrive at a compensation rate for that
industry based on experience, and that, because of
the similar nature of the work involved, it was ad-
vantageous to combine piano manufacturing with fur-
niture manufacturing for purposes of rate making.
Alfred L. Smith, general manager of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce, made several trips
to Philadelphia, and argued the matter personally be-
fore the Rate Making Bureau. He pointed out that
the risks of injury and death were very different in
the furniture and piano manufacturing industries, and
urged that the classification of the latter with the
former constituted an unfair discrimination against
piano manufacturers, whose record showed a high de-
gree of safety and who, therefore, should be entitled
to a lower rate of insurance. Statistics were pre-
sented showing the number of workmen employed in
piano factories and the ratio of injuries to the number
of hours of labor, and the Bureau finally agreed to
take the matter under further consideration, and to
reopen it after a period during which further statis-
tics would be collected.
Advice has just been received by the Chamber
that the classification of piano manufacturers has
been restored, carrying an annual rate of 50c, as com-
pared with the rate of 75c, which was in force when
piano manufacturing was grouped with furniture
manufacturing. This means that the State Fund
Manual Rate for such insurance will be only 45c,
which represents a saving of over 40 per cent in the
matter of compensation insurance premiums to
Pennsylvania piano manufacturers.
EXHIBIT BRINGS RESULTS.
The Owens Music Store, Greensburg, Ind., which
recently provided the musical instruments for a co-
operative style show given by many of the merchants
of that city, now reports excellent sales results from
its action. A theater was rented for the two days
of the show and the music dealers found this particu-
lar method of advertising very profitable. The in-
struments exhibited by the Owens Music Store made
a very favorable impression.
ACTIVE INDIANAPOLIS DEALERS.
The Baldwin Piano Co., Robertson Music House
and the Rapp & Lennox Piano Co., Indianapolis, have
taken space for exhibits in the Home Complete Ex-
position to be held in that city next spring. The ex-
position is the biggest event of the year in Indian-
apolis. It is staged annually by the real estate dealers
and every business which sells something to make a
home more complete is entitled to exhibit. Last year
the show was attended by more than 100,000 persons.
is now an active factor in the management and oper-
ation of the house.
R. S. Howard is in Havana, Cuba, the guest of his
old friend and business associate, John L. Stowers,
head of the John L. Stowers Music Co., Havana, and
Key West, Fla.
J. A. Stewart, president of the Ludden & Bates
Southern Music House, Atlanta, Ga., was in New
York for several days last week, leaving for home
Friday afternoon.
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