Presto

PRESTO
March 1, 1924.
WHAT OF FUTURE?
PIANO MAN ASKS
IT IS A FACT
That SEEBURG ELECTRIC
PIANOS can always be
relied upon.
Comparison of Music Industry Statistics for
Two Periods and Changed Habits of
Possible Piano Buyers Suggest
the Question.
SOMEWHAT PESSIMISTIC
IT IS A FACT
that SEEBURG ELECTRIC
PIANOS are dependable.
IT IS A FACT
that SEEBURG ELECTRIC
PIANOS are durable.
Of Course There Were Not 350,000 Pianos Made
Last Year, But There Were Enough, and
This Year Won't Be So Bad.
BANQUET FOR PACKARD
SALESMEN AND OTHERS
By E. F. LAPHAM.
A trade magazine the past week says: "Any report
of conditions in Chicago and the Middle West during
the last week that calls business good misconstrues
the situation. Business has not been good with either
wholesale or retail." Melville Traylor, president of
the First National Bank said before the Credit Men's
President A. S. Bond Makes Principal Address at An-
thony Hotel and Employes Provide Features.
IT IS A FACT
that SEEBURG ELECTRIC
PIANOS when sold on in-
stallments bring back the
money quicker than any
other piano sale.
A banquet at the Anthony Hotel, Fort Wayne, Tnd.,
closed the conference of the sales force of the Packard
Piano Co., held for three days last week in the fac-
tory offices. Sixty guests made up of salesmen, office
help, officials and several dealers from other cities
participated in the enjoyable event.
The periodic meetings of the Packard forces are
evidences of the energy and enterprise as well as of
the harmonious feeling that distinguishes the big
Fort Wayne piano industry. These functions sym-
bolize the Packard Piano Co.'s system of co-operation
which has attracted widespread attention and which
is based on the formula: "If there is no harmony in
the factory, there will be none in the piano." All
such meetings like that of last week are evidence of
the cohesion and unity of interests which results in
the production of the winning line of Packard instru-
ments.
A. S. Bond, president of the company, delivered the
principal address of the evening, after which the
toastmaster, Glenn W. Mills, called on salesmen and
dealers for short talks. Musical entertainment during
the evening was given by employes of the company in
attendance.
CABLE=NELSON PIANO CO'S.
NEW STYLE D PLAYERPIANO
IT IS A FACT
that SEEBURG ELECTRIC
PIANOS are real pianos,
built to stand the hard
usage a c o i n - o p e r a t e d
piano gets.
IT IS A FACT
that your stock is incom-
plete without SEEBURG
ELECTRICS.
IT IS A FACT
that you ought ,to write
to-day for catalogue and
particulars.
Doit!
J. P. SEEBURG
PIANO CO.
CHICAGO
the piano industry, slow but sure, is the concentra-
tion or absorption of small piano manufacturers by
the larger corporations. This movement is also tak-
ing place in the automobile industry and is the
tendency of the times. It is stated that 90 per cent
of the automobiles sold are produced by 10 per cent
of their manufacturers. The public are also getting
fed up on music. You go to dinner at a restaurant
or club and music is played while you dine, you go
to the movie, theater or dancing hall and more music,
if you remain home the radio is supplying more mu-
sic. Last Sunday eight high-class concerts were given
in Chicago. I am not pessimistic but these are con-
ditions that must be given serious thought. What is
the answer?
ILLINOIS
E. P. LAPHAM.
Association this week: "The mind of the American
people was never more unsettled," which causes us to
ask: "What of the future?"
Ten years ago I gathered some statistics of the
musical industry. I recall one of the best years in
piano production was said to be 325,000 pianos. Last
year, so it is stated, 350,000 pianos were manufactured.
This in a prosperous country of 110,000,000 people
is a small number of pianos to be marketed and you
can see we are not showing a proportionate increase
in production in keeping up with the increased popu-
lation.
Autos and Home Life.
Do not let us fool ourselves but look conditions in
the face as th«y exist and see what conclusions may
be drawn. The first factor to be considered is the
effect of the sale of automobiles on the piano business.
I have seen statements where in cities of 30,000 95 per
cent of the automobiles sold had a mortgage on the
machine purchased. This means people buy auto-
mobiles who cannot afford them and this large class
will be kept financially embarrassed by the upkeep of
their machines. But of greater importance is the
tendency toward breaking up of home life by those
autoists who think they must get the benefit of their
investment by continually being on the go most of
the time.
Then we come to another factor we must now
contend with. It is that the people with real money
are taking extended vacations, both in the winter and
summer, going to Florida or California during the
winter months and in the summer to their homes in
the north woods, etc., perhaps living for the short
period they are in the city in some family hotel. Not
much chance of selling them even if successful in
finding them at home.
It Has New Features That Will Make It One of the
Most Attractive Players.
The Cable-Nelson Piano Company, Chicago, now
has a new Style D playerpiano, a sample of which
was shown to a Presto representative on Tuesday of
this week.
In these new style instruments the manufacturers
are using either Standard or Simplex player actions,
and all instruments are made with care, up to the
usual Cable-Nelson standard of quality.
Style D playerpiano has a height of 4 feet 6 inches,
and the cases are mahogany, oak or "Cable-Nelson"
walnut.
HANDSOME TERRE HAUTE STORE.
The remodeling and redecorating of the Bruns-
wick shop, Terre Haute, Ind., has been completed.
The store has been beautifully repainted in a finish
of white enamel and mahogany, artistic panel effects
on the walls; the Grand Room has also been refin-
ished to harmonize with the rest of the store. New
lighting effects and fixtures have been added. John
Jensen, the manager, said this week: "We are cer-
tainly proud of our newly finished store; it is the
result of several ideas I have seen carried out in other
cities and I believe we can place ourselves amongst
the most beautiful stores in the state; in fact, we have
already taken the name, 'The Store Beautiful,' and I
believe we will measure up to it."
BUYS OHIO BUSINESS.
W. E. Jones, Mansfield, O., has purchased the
stock, fixtures and good will of the Seamann Music
Company, Galion, O., and will continue the business
under the management of W. D. Casto and his son
William. The new proprietor will augment the piano
and player piano lines by small goods, records and
sheet music
A Condition for Thought.
JONES REPRESENTS APOLLO LINE.
Now we come to the people who are fairly well-
to-do, who have a home and stay there. They are
mostly buying radios, which will hold their interest
for an indefinite period. Another painful fact is that
many buyers of small grands while pretending to be
interested in the musical quality of the instruments
inspected, are really buying them as a part of their
furnishings. Another important change going on in
E. R. Jones is now general eastern representative
for the Apollo line of pianos. Mr. Jones was located
in New York for ten years, but, with his new con-
nection, Boston will be his headquarters, his place of
business being at 120 Boylston street.
Gerhard Borlaug, an expert tuner and repairman,
has opened a music house at Calmar, Iowa.
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