PRESTO
Presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT -
Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
Payable In advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter 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 current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1924.
FROM 407 TO 417.
The offices of Presto Publishing Co. have been re-
moved just one door south of former location on
South Dearborn street, Chicago. The new number
is 417 South Dearborn street, and only change of the
0 to 1 is required to have it correct. Presto has been
within fifty feet of its present location for nearly
thirty-five years. In its new and larger quarters it
will be better than ever equipped to meet the require-
ments of a steadily increasing business. Remember
to change your records to—
PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.,
417 South Dearborn Street, Chicago.
A BUSINESS PROPOSITION
There are few things more rigid, unbend-
able and unreasoning than custom. In busi-
ness, no less than elsewhere, this is so. The
average business man conducts his affairs just
as his father, or his former employer, or his
contemporaries in the same line, have and do
conduct them. This applies to all kinds of
private business and often to the larger cor-
porations and public institutions.
Now and then some radical idea finds a
spokesman and the business world is startled
to find its habits threatened with a change.
The old ideas are stirred out of p'umb with
modern thought. And in some instances the
innovation finds acceptance and the world is
better because of it. Many flourishing indus-
tries based upon innovation attest to the pos-
sibility of the New Idea in practical business.
One of the fixed customs whirh seems in-
applicable to the music trade especially—and
to some others equally—is that of closing the
year's business, and casting up its accounts,
at the end of the calendar year. It has been
so long customary to balance the books, and
settle the year's affairs at the end of the
twelve months that no other plan seems to
have occurred to the business world.
The old-fashioned and ever growing nui-
sance of breaking into the best period of the
year seems to have become a sacred rite not
to be disturbed, no matter what its cost to
business itself. Tke fact that the adjustment
of a fiscal year, the close of which would come
at a time when business is not rushed, and
when time for the more deliberate adjustment
of the past and preparation for the future
might be better, has not been thought of. But
it is now to have consideration in the music
trade.
Mr. Arthur Friestedt, of the United States
Music Company, has given the matter care-
ful thought. He has drawn attention to the
inconveniences and loss due to breaking into
the busiest month of the year with the de-
tails of accounting, stock-taking and the in-
come tax problem. He believes that if instead
of closing the books on the last day of the
year, the time for accounting could be fixed at
the beginning of the dull summer season—
say the end of June—a great saving of both
money and time might be the result.
Mr. Friestedt has made the suggestion to
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
and he believes that the revenue department
would agree that the proposition contains a
suggestion of relief to the business world. Of
course, the same rules do not apply equally
to all lines of industry. In the music business
the change suggested by Mr. Friestedt seems
to fit fully. The heart of the winter season
is the busiest of the year in this branch of
business. The summer time is usually the dull-
est period. It is the time when the details
of balancing the books and drawing off the
figured results of the year might best be done,
with the least of the inevitable loss of time,
office and store inconvenience, and slowing
down of the factory wheels.
The idea is well worth considering, and no
doubt the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce will give it the kind of attention which
may bring about results in a change of a hide-
bound custom.
January 26, 1924.
must be that it is folly to try to educate the
public, or to attempt to save them from them-
selves, when they are in no real danger. It
is enough to supply good pianos, and it may
be too much to try to do it by refuting every
malicious or unfair statement of shrewd rivals
in business.
Better to rely upon the common sense of
the customer, and put all of the effort and evi-
dence upon your own instrument. Fair Play
is a pretty good fellow, even if the competitor
doesn't recognize him. There is an old tomb-
stone epitaph which goes something like this:
"Here lies the body of William Jay.
Who died maintaining his right of way;
He was right, dead right, as he sped along.
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong."
MARTIN BROS. CO. HOLDS
GET=T00ETHER MEETING
Progressive Springfield, Mo., Firm Concludes Busi-
ness Event With Banquet at Colonial Hotel.
Renewed evidence of the aggressiveness and high
ideals of the Martin Bros. Piano Co., Springfield, Mo.,
was furnished at the sales meeting held January 11
and 12, in that city. Martin Bros.' managers and
salesmen connected with the local store and the vari-
ous branches of the company, attended the meet-
ings, which were notable for the real, concrete value
of the dfscussions and demonstrations that were pre-
sented to further assist the workers in their efforts
during the current year.
One of the most interesting features of the meet-
ings was the practical demonstration of the musical
qualities of the Gulbransen Registering Piano, its
merchandising, its advertising, its construction, etc.,
by T. J. Mercer, sales manager, and W. J. Eden,
salesman, for the Gulbransen-Dickinson Company,
Chicago. The Springfield house makes a strong feat-
ure of the Nationally-Advertised, Nationally-Priced
Gulbransen Registering Piano.
The big social affair of the meeting was the annual
banquet at the Colonial Hotel on January 12. Presi-
dent C. G. Martin had ample reason for feeling proud
of the splendid and enthusiastic organization that got
together on this occasion. The policies of the com-
WHEN RIGHT IS WRONG
In business it sometimes pays to submit to pany are set forth in the following creed for 1924:
"Fair dealings, result in satisfied customers. Price
what may seem slight infractions of the pre- maintenance based on honest values. Specialization
cise law of justice in dealing with captious or. which means you will know your line. Determination to
over-exacting customers. The public often do our best (meaning six days work per week). Cour-
tesy, remembering that our customers are our friends
does not know as much about pianos as we and that through our employes our customers gain
think should be a part of the natural inher- their impression of this company. Solicit suggestions
itance of intelligence. This had an illustra- that will tend to improve the operation of this com-
tion in a letter which came to this paper last pany.
"Make the work of employes more interesting and
week from a piano dealer in northern Wis- profitable. Teach our representatives to be better
salesmen. To protect the future of this business by
consin.
increasing the efficiency in each department."
The dealer complained that he had lost a
sale after having practically closed it, because
a customer had taken umbrage at a state-
ment made by the salesman concerning an in-
strument which had been entered in compe-
tition with his own. The customer had re-
peated what the rival dealer had said about
the correspondent's piano. It was unfair, even
untruthful. And the result was a counter at-
tack by the correspondent so violent as to
create a suspicion in the prospect's mind. The
declaration had to do with the. construction of
the competing instrument.
When the shocked prospect repeated to the
rival dealer the disparaging charge concerning
his piano, a counter attack, of very unethical
character followed. It was again unfair, and
on hearing it, the enraged correspondent re-
peated his declaration of inferiority in the par-
ticular feature of his rival's instrument. He
was so emphatic in his expression that the
customer decided that he would ask the rival
dealer to disprove the charge by a detailed ex-
hibit of the piano's construction. It was done
and, while the defect may have been there, the
inexperienced buyer couldn't see it and made
the purchase.
And what is the lesson? If there is any, it
CHARLES P. MITCHELL SELLS
BUSINESS IN COLUMBUS, 0 .
Earl W. Elkins, Former Manager, Now Owner of
Prosperous Music Store.
Charles P. Mitchell, proprietor of the Columbus
Music House, at 417 Third street, Columbus, O., last
week sold the business to Earl W. Elkins, who has
managed the store almost since Mr. Mitchell bought
it. James S. Rice, an experienced and successful sales
manager for the Columbus Music House for six
months, will continue with Mr. Elkins.
The Columbus Music House has the local agency
for the Pearson Piano Company, of Indianapolis, and
will continue to sell that company's products. The
business has prospered since Mr. Mitchell bought it
and with the present ownership and its efficient man-
agement and salesmanship there is no doubt but that
the past prosperous conditions will not only continue
but increase.
MISS MAYER'S RECITAL.
Miss Lois Mayer, a clever young artist of the
Southwest gave a song recital recently in the High
School, Paris, Tex. Miss Mayer, who has a mezzo-
soprano voice of great power and sweetness, is the
daughter of Henry P. Mayer, the well-known dealer
of Paris.. This recital was pronounced an exceptional
and most successful musical event and Miss Mayer
is justly entitled to a very prominent place among the
successful and artistic musicians of the great Lone
Star State.
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