Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1924 1961

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
EttablUhcd 1884. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform B o o k -
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
10 Cent.; $2.00 a Yea,
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1924
UNAUTHORIZED LETTER
HITS AEOLIAN COMPANY
Tempest in a Teapot Caused by Circular Sent
by W. V. Swords to Employes of Big
New York Industry.
PRESIDENT TREMAINE EXPLAINS
Newspapers Were Misled Into Unfair Comment Be-
cause of Publication in the American Legion
Weekly.
The trade paper is not the place for the discussion
of politics, in the ordinary meaning of the word.
But when politics becomes so mixed up with the
affairs of trade in its special line, the trade paper is
obligated to give place to whatever may seem neces-
sary to correct any impressions, or to set right un-
fair judgments, w 7 hich might seem to affect directly
the interests it conserves. This week the newspapers
have had a great deal to say about the affairs of the
American Legion, and efforts of the ex-Service Men's
Anti-Bonus League which is alleged to have tried to
''besmirch" the former organization so far as to
become a matter of public concern. And, as collateral
to that "fight," some of the newspapers have given
place to very caustic criticism of the Aeolian Com-
pany of New York, based upon a misunderstanding
due to the unwise and wholly unauthorized zeal of
a member of the staff of that house.
From all that can be gathered the charge against
the Aeolian Company was due to a letter written by
W. V. Swords without the knowledge of its presi-
dent, H. B. Tremaine, or any other in Aeolian Com-
pany authority. And the climax of the matter, so
far as concerns the Aeolian Company, is told in the
following telegrams which are presented here to fore-
stall any judgments which might arise from read-
ing of the incident in the daily newspapers:
New York, Feb. 19, p. m. 7:33.
Presto, the American Music Trade Weekly,
Chicago, 111.
Letter referred to was written by William V.
Swords, general manager, without knowledge of the
other officials of the Company. Letter does not rep-
resent attitude or principles of the Aeolian Company.
Matter has been acted upon by our Board of Direc-
tors and Mr. Swords is no longer connected with the
Company. Will call your office on the 'phone tomor-
row morning at 11 o'clock and explain fully.
President H. B. Tremaine, The Aeolian Company.
New York, Feb. 20, 1924.
Presto, The American Music Trade Weekly,
417 South Dearborn St., Chicago, 111.
Impossible to get you on telephone as arranged
in Mr. Tremaine's wire to you last night because of
storm. On February 16 following letter signed H.
B. Tremaine, President, was sent to all employes:
"You were recently the recipient of a letter written
by Mr. Swords requesting you to write to your sena-
tors and representatives at Washington urging them
to support the
Mellon tax bill and oppose the soldiers'
bonus bill w r hen it should come before Congress for
consideration.
"This letter was written by Mr. Swords without
consultation with the other company officials, and
without my consent or approval. I had no knowl-
edge of it until it appeared in the papers.
'"The action by Mr. Swords in this matter is with-
out precedent in the history of the Aeolian Company,
covering a period of nearly half a century, and it is
entirely contrary to the ideals and policies of the
company directors and officials.
"I do not know that any one has been influenced
by this letter to act in any way contrary to their
convictions. If such is the case, it is my earnest re-
quest that they take the necessary steps to correct
this regrettable occurrence."
Do not think retraction or additional publicity ad-
visable unless further editorial comment appears.
Thank you.
W. H. ALFRING.
There is little to add to those telegrams. The cir-
cular letter sent to Aeolian Company employes by
Mr. Swords was unauthorized. In that is the whole
story so far as concerns the statements set forth by
the Chicago Tribune, a great newspaper which cir-
culates more largely over the territory throughout
which Presto is the only music trade paper that is
largely read by the music dealers. But for this fact
it would be considered better to let the matter drop
without mention here. For, to the man of the piano
trade who understands his business and knows
what the Aeolian Company is and does, no hot flash
of the political newspapers derogatory to the great
New York industry can be credited. But not all the
music dealers are thus informed.
The Chicago Tribune's leading editorial was writ-
ten without the understanding of the case, in its
bearing upon the Aeolian Company, which should
have been consulted before the publication of so
scathing and unfair an arraignment. It is believed
that, so far as concerns the piano business, what has
here been said, even counter to the implied request
of the Aeolian Company, may serve a good purpose.
GETS MASON & HAMLIN
AGENCY FOR CORSICANA
Southwestern Music Co. Now Selling Grands of
Boston Manufacturing Concern.
The Southwestern Music Company, Corsicana,
Texas, has just secured the exclusive agency for the
celebrated Mason & Hamlin line of Grand Pianos.
The Mason & Hamlin line, declares Mr. Newsom
of the Southwestern Music Company, "is one of the
outstanding lines of the world," and he is glad to be
able to secure the agency.
A Mason & Hamlin Grand, $1700 style, has just
been installed in the C. A. Tripp home at 208 North
Twelfth street, Corsicana.
TUNERS ARE NEEDED.
A recent report made by the National Association
of Piano Tuners states that there are only five tuners
in Chattanooga, Tenn., to take care of the pianos
of a population of approximately 60,000 people. There
are nine houses that sell pianos in the city.
NEW YORK HAS ONE MORE
ACTIVE PIANO INDUSTRY
Mayer Bros. Piano Co. Incorporated for Purpose of
Making Instrument of Special Construction.
Among the new incorporations noted in this issue'
of Presto is that of the Mayer Bros. Piano Co., of
New York. The Messrs. Mayer have been engaged
in the piano business for many years, having been
associated with the J. & C. Fischer Piano Co. at the
factory on West 28th street. About a year ago one
of the Mayers devoted months to the display of an
upright piano presenting some rather novel ideas in
which he had great faith.
In Chicago the instrument was displayed at the
Auditorium Hotel, where a number of experts ex-
amined it and pronounced it possessed of promising
qualities. It was lighter in construction than is cus-
tomary, and the claim was made that it could be
manufactured at a considerable saving in labor.
The item of incorporation affords little information
as to probable strength of the new concern. The
J. & C. Fischer piano has long since become one of
the subsidiary industries of the American Piano Com-
pany.
PIANO TUNERS' NEW POLICY.
At the last of the year the Chicago division of the
National Piano Tuners' Association adopted a new
policy. Instead of the former gabfest, the division
decided to take up technical instruction. At the
meeting on Feb. 8, an action was furnished by the
Thayer Action Company, of Rockford, 111., and at
the meeting on Tuesday night of this week about 25
tuners assembled at the Thompson-U'Nette plant in
Chicago, and listened to Mr. Simpson's talk. Mr.
Thompson furnished coffee, sandwiches and cigars,
and the men declared that they had a very interes't-
ing evening.
The Hillsboro Music Shop, Hillsboro, O., Frank
H. Head, proprietor, was recently sold to J. E. Zim-
merman.
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The J. O. Adams Co., of Wichita, Kansas, has a
large and successful force of "live" salesmen who are
selling their share of pianos to that part of the world.
At their annual get-together meeting Earl Billings
and F. G. Wells of The Cable Co. demonstrated
Cable-made instruments before them.
The motto of this organization, "A Green Salesman
Is Better Than a Blue One," is no doubt a good one,
but we question whether there are any "green" sales-
men in this organization and we know there are no
"blue" ones.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO
U. S. MUSIC COMPANY'S
AID FOR DEALERS
Extensive Advertising Campaign Now Pre-
pared for Merchants Who Are Particularly
Urged to Use Their Local Newspapers.
ATTRACTIVE CUTS A PART
Dealers' Part in Scheme Is to Submit Synopsis of
What He Wants to Advertise.
A nation-wide advertising campaign for the purpose
of stimulating playerpiano and roll sales is being pro-
moted by the United States Music Co., 2934-2938 W.
Lake street, Chicago. The company plans to launch
the publicity scheme within the next two weeks, and
it is hoped that every live dealer will take advantage
of this unusual opportunity which is offered for his
special benefit.
The liberal policy of the United States Music Com-
pany is exemplified by the aid it has given dealers
from time to time. It is not advertising its products
in a direct way, but indirectly. Its principal thought
is to create a desire for playerpianos.
It is a well-known fact throughout the trade that
playerpiano sales precede player roll sales. People
must own a player before they would consider pur-
chasing or even becoming interested in rolls. A win-
dow display of rolls would mean little to the passers-
by who did not own a playerpiano other than the
attractiveness of the display itself.
On the other
hand, the player owner would naturally become inter-
ested, not merely in the arrangement of the music
rolls, but in the numbers exhibited, thinking perhaps
of a new song he had heard recently and which he
would like to have in his collection of rolls. The de-
mand for the music roll depends upon the prevailing
interest in the playerpiano.
In realizing the importance of playerpiano sales the
United States Music Co. offers to furnish every dealer
who sells its products the material necessary for the
running of advertisements in local papers in the way
of cuts and matrices. It is a proposition that will re-
duce the dealer's advertising expenses down to a
minimum.
In order to make it clear to dealers and to give
them the details of the excellent service it proposes
to render, the company sends out the following letter:
Webster's-dictionary defines the word "service" as
follows: "Performance of labor for the benefit of
another."
Our advertising department is at your disposal,
equipped and prepared to perform any part of the
labor of getting your playerpiano advertisements to-
gether for you without cost.
Our advertising department will assist and co-oper-
ate with you in writing copy or supplying cuts or
matrices for advertisements you may wish to run in
your local newspapers.
When making your requests for cuts, order by
number, so that we may know whether you want one
or two column cuts, also state whether or not your
paper can use matrices.
The appeal of a cut picturizing some attractive
scene that might happen in any home with a player-
piano is certainly more likely to create a new player
THE
,
W. P. HAINES & COMPANY
J
PIANOS
THE PIANOS OF QUALITY
Three Generations of Piano Makers
All Styles—Ready Sellers
Attractive Prices
sale than an advertisement with just a cold piano cut
and a mere price quotation.
We will send you specimens of layouts for differ-
ent size advertisements, if you will give us a synopsis
of what it is you want to advertise.
We will do all this, without expense to you, know-
ing that it will surely increase your playerpiano busi-
ness, which in turn, we feel sure, will make a market
for more player music rolls.
MILWAUKEE MUSIC TRADE
ACTIVE IN MUSIC WEEK PLANS
Edmund Gram and Other Music Merchants Stimulate
Committees Planning for Popular Event.
DEPENDABLE MUSIC STORES,
INC., PLANS CHAIN IN INDIANA
South Bend Firm, of Which Frank H. Brown I s
President, Announces Plans.
Forty years of music salesmanship is the record of
Frank H. Brown, president of the Dependable Music
Stores, Inc., South Bend, Ind., which recently pur-
chased the stock and lease of the Hobart M. Cable
Company at 118 North Main street, in the same city.
From peddling organs, which he carried through
New York state sections on a wagon, to retailing
grand pianos in an up-to-date establishment, Mr.
Brown has learned all phases of the piano business.
In addition to experiences as a wholesale piano
traveler, Mr. Brown has given much time to retailing
the goods. With J. Arthur Jamison he established
a retail music store in Logansport, Ind., several years
ago. The partnership was incorporated when the
store next to the Oliver Hotel in South Bend was
taken over.
Mr. Jamison will remain in charge of the Logans-
port store, according to Mr. Brown, who states it is
the. eventual plaji of the company to establish a chain
of retail music houses in northern Indiana.
Mayor Daniel W. Hoan of Milwaukee has set aside
the week of May 4 to 10 as Milwaukee Music Week,
and his Honor is one of the most active members of
the general committee of the Milwaukee Music Week
Commission, of which Edmund Gram, the piano mer-
chant, is chairman. The Milwaukee music merchants
are co-operating in a helpful way and are well repre-
sented on the various committees.
The events of Music Week will begin on Sunday
morning, May 4, by special sermons on music in the
churches and special music by choirs and in Sunday
schools. Organ recitals are scheduled for the after-
noon, and at 3 o'clock the bells and chimes of churches
C. E. Lanstrup, dealer, Council Bluffs, la., has
will be rung. At the Auditorium in the evening a added a recital hall to his other attractions.
massed choir of 800 from Protestant and Catholic
churches will give a sacred concert, accompanied by
the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra of 100 pieces and
the McDowell Orchestra.
It will provide a good start for a musical week
which will include everything in instrumental and
vocal music.
In every program, no matter how
classical, one or two community songs will be in-
Pianos and Players
cluded so that everybody may feel he or she is tak-
ing an active part in the celebrations.
WESER
STARR PIANO COMPANY'S
LINE IN SAN FRANCISCO
Sell readily—Stay sold
Great profit possibilities
Style E (shown below) our latest 4'6"
Warerooms and Offices Now Admirably Situated in
the New Nine-Story Furniture Exchange.
The Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., has admirably
situated offices and showrooms on the third floor of
the Furniture Exchange Building, San Francisco.
The company had occupied space in the old Furniture
Building and moved to the 'new and up-to-the-minute
Furniture Exchange at its completion. The magnifi-
cent nine-story structure is the headquarters of the
furniture industry in San Francisco and the character
of the activities of the occupants is suggestive of busi-
ness for the Starr Piano Co.
All the furniture dealers from a dozen western
states, as well as Canada and Mexico, who come on a
furniture buying quest to San Francisco are certain
to visit the San Francisco Furniture Exchange. The
advantage of this to the Starr Piano Co. is apparent.
It was proved recently during the Spring Market
Week of the furniture men.
Many furniture dealers handle pianos and phono-
graphs and the piano and talking machine lines of the
Starr Piano Co. are leaders with furniture houses in
many places. During the recent furniture week in
San Francisco many additional furniture houses were
added to the list served by the San Francisco head-
quarters of the Richmqnd, Ind., industry, according
to J. W. Steinkemp, the manager.
TO REMODEL ST. PAUL STORE.
Remodeling improvements to cost about $50,000
have been planned by W. J. Dyer & Bro., St. Paul,
Minn. These include an entire new front to the big
store and the subdivision of an entire floor into studios
for music teachers. There will be twenty-four, each
provided with a waiting room, an outside window and
a fresh air supply from a ventilating system of the
most modern kind. Walls, floors and doors will be
thoroughly sound-proof.
Order a sample to-day.
Liberal advertising and
cooperative arrangements
Write for catalogue
and price list
Weser Bros., Inc.
Manufacturer!
520 to 528 West 43rd St.
New York
J. T. BRISTOL HAS MALE HEIR.
GRANDS
REPRODUCING GRANDS
UPRIGHTS and PLAYERS
James T. Bristol, head of James T. Bristol, Inc.,
1408 Kimball Hall Building, Chicago, was the subject
of much congratulatory attention on Monday of this
week at the Piano Club luncheon on account of the
birth of his son on Sunday. Mr. Bristol served as
president of the club last year. James T. Bristol,
Inc., handles piano paper and has been in existence
about one vear.
AVAILABLE TERRITORY OPEN
BUYS MASSILLON STORE.
W. P. HAINES & CO., Inc.
ISStb St. and Walton Ave.
New York City
February 23, 1924.
The Massillon, O., store of the George C. Wille
Co., Canton, O., has been sold to L. D. Van Horn
and in future will be known as the Van Horn Music
Co. The store, which carries a complete music goods
line, has been under the management of Mr. Van
Horn for several years.
The Lyon & Healy
Reproducing Piano
A moderate priced reproducing piano,
beautiful in design and rich in tone.
Write for our new explanatory Chart,
the most complete and simple treat-
ment of the reproducing action.
Wabash at Jackson - - - Chicago
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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