Presto

Issue: 1924 1967

11
PRESTO
April 5, 1924.
"The evidence that it is an effective playerpiano ad
is substantiated by the hundreds of orders for news-
paper cuts or mats of the illustration itself we have
received and which we furnish to you free in two or
three column sizes or both.
"Just ask for them—that's all—unless you have al-
Insistence in Quality in the Music Rolls Is ready ordered them. We want to take advantage of
this opportunity and thank our many good friends
Suggestive in Its Bearing Upon
both for their letters of appreciation and also won-
derful co-operation in coupling up their advertising
Selling Prices.
with our own.
That music rolls help sell pianos is as clearly con-
"Good hard work through this spring and summer
ceded as that traveling salesmen sell them. There- will start us into the fall business with a momentum
fore the combination of influences suggested by the that will insure the largest playerpiano sales year in
Q R S Music Company in that industry's call to piano the history of the business.
travelers, must have attention. The suggestion
"The Q R S Music Company will do their part in
appears on another page this week, and it will attract publicity—quality and service.
the attention of scores of active piano travelers who'
"Yours very truly,
read Presto every week, wherever they may happen
" T H E Q R S MUSIC COMPANY.
to be.
"T. M. Pletchcr, President."
The proposition of the Q R S company, while
unusual, is characteristic of that industry. It is that
NEW MANAGER APPOINTED.
any salesmen whose demonstration rolls may have
The United Music Co. has selected Roy T. Davis as
become worn by use, may have new ones merely by general manager of its chain of music stores in New
applying for them. And the announcement is fol- England. Mr. Davis has had a broad experience cov-
lowed by another suggestion, which must set many ering a period of twenty years in both retail and
retailers thinking. It is addressed to retail buyers— wholesale fields and has a wide knowledge of the
the dealers' customers—but it is just as important to music business. He will make his headquarters at
the dealers themselves. It is this:
the New London, Conn., branch. From that location
"When you buy your playcrpiano, you will find
he will not only be convenient to all of the six
that the dealer invariably suggests Q R S rolls in branches, but will be in close proximity to New York
spite of the fact that they cost him more than any City.
other roll. This because he is as anxious as you are
The United Music Co. now operates six complete
to place real music in your home."
and exclusive music stores located in Brockton,
The same thing applies to music rolls as to every-
Plymouth, Webster, Mass., Willimantic, Stafford
thing else in this world. You must pay for some- Springs, and New London, Conn.
thing more than the average thing. It is quality that
counts, and the cost of quality runs straight back to
ADD PIANOS.
the manufacturer, in the material used, the kind of
The Stark Dry Goods Co. has started construction
workmanship employed, and the character of the
on a modern two-story and basement building in East
product after it is completed and presented for sale.
Tuscarawas. street to house a modern department
That applies to music rolls, no less than to other
store, which will include a music department. This
things. And the high-grade promotion of the
Q R S Music Company sustains quality in the Q R S firm has been operating a moderate priced record
section, but in the new location will add a line of
rolls themselves.
In this connection the following communication by talking machines and possibly pianos. The store ex-
pects to occupy its new location about October 1.
President Thos. M. Pletcher, of the Q R S Music
Company, to the trade is timely and important:
STEGER & SONS MANAGER OUT.
"Chicago, U. S. A., March 21, 1924. -
"Gentlemen:
•'
W. S, Givler, who was made wholesale manager of
"Lest you forget.
the Steger & Sons Piano Co., Chicago, a few months
"Yes, you have seen this ad before, as it was part
back, is no longer acting in that important capacity.
of our March campaign on back covers in four colors.
Mr. Givler has again changed and is now engaged in
"We received so much favorable comment that we the radio business. He told a Presto representative
decided to run it in ten other mediums, including the
that he will have a prominent place with the Zenith
Review of Reviews, the Atlantic Monthly, Scribner's
Radio Company. A successor in the Steger house
Magazine, Harper's Magazine and the World's Work. has not been named.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE
Q R S IS COOPERATIVE
B. K. SETTERGREN CO,
Exclusive Manufacturers
ot
Internal Revenue Department Has Ruled That
Gold Mountings on Phonographs Does
Not Make the Instrument Taxable.
The attention of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce has been called recently to attempts of the
Collectors of Internal Revenue in Indiana and Illinois
to impose a tax under the "Jewelry Clause" of the
Internal Revenue Act on phonographs with gold or
silver plated tone arms.
In order to inform retail merchants in the states
mentioned as to the rights of the Internal Revenue
Collectors to impose this tax, the Chamber has writ-
ten as follows to the Indiana and Illinois members
of the National Association of Music Merchants:
"The Department has repeatedly ruled that the
Jewelry tax does not apply to phonographs even
when gold is used in tone arms and other similar
parts. This matter has been settled several times.
It was confirmed in the Wurlitzer case at Buffalo by
the department in its letter of November 9, 1923. It
was further confirmed in the matter of the Starr
Piano Company in March, 1922. It was confirmed by
the department on February 10, 1922, in the Linder-
man Piano Company case. This ruling was 'Pianos,
phonographs, not taxable under 1921 Act regardless
of materials of which made or ornamented.'
"If the collector insists, then you should file a
claim for abatement on a blank form procured from
the collector's office, and file it with the collector,
who will send it to the department at Washington,
which will make a decision and return it to the col-
lector.''
On Tuesday, March 25th, this matter was taken up
personally with officials of the Sales Tax Division of
the Internal Revenue Bureau at Washington, and the
previous opinion of the Bureau was confirmed.
GEO. SLAWSON IN WISCONSIN.
When Geo. M. Slawson, premier traveler for The
Cable Company, passed through Chicago recently he
told a Presto man that, notwithstanding the mud that
had concealed the Northwest where snow had dis-
appeared, he found the piano men feeling confident
of a good spring trade. "I can't understand any talk
about slowing up of business, for in my territory I
have founds the dealers cheerful and active. I think
it is more a matter of keeping after it that settles the
question of piano selling." Mr. Slawson was at Green
Bay, Wis., last week, where he has only friends.
For QUALITY, SATISFACTION and PROFIT
NEWMAN BROTHERS PIANOS
HIGH GRADE SMALL GRANDS
NEWMAN BROS. CO.
Established 1870
JJ Years' Experience in Piano Building
JEWELRY TAX DOES NOT
APPLY TO MUSIC TRADE
Factories, 816 DIX ST., Chicago, III.
BLUFFTON, IND.
Kinder & Collins
• Leins Piano Company,
Pianos
S20-524 W. 48lh S
NEW YORK
Makers of Pianos That Are Leaders
in Any Reliable Store
NEW FACTORY. 304 W. 42nd St.. NEW VORK
The True Test
Jesse French & Sons Style BB
KREITER
Compare the new Jesse French & Sons Piano
Pianos and Players
with any other strictly high grade piano in tone,
touch and general construction, and you will be
convinced at once that t h e y offer the most
exceptional v a l u e s to be found anywhere.
Write today for catalog and prices
Have No Competition Where
Beauty of Cases and Tone
Sustain Profit Making Prices.
Everything the Highest but
the Price.
"They are the one best buy on the market"
Inspect them Carefully and See.
JESSE FRENCH & SONS PIANO CO,
NEW CASTLF,
INDIANA
Kreiter Mfg. Co., Inc.
320-322 W. Water St., Milwaukee, Wis.
Factory: Marinette, Wis.
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/
12
PRESTO
NOVEL METHOD FOR
GETTING DEALERS' EYE
B. K. Settergren Believes that What Is Worth
Having Is Worth Going After in
the Right Way.
In these days when novelty is rare and the struggle
for something new is great, it is especially gratifying
to find a piano industry employing originality in its
methods. Recently President B. K. Settergren, of the
industry at Bluffton, Tnd., that bears his name, pre-
pared a forceful letter to the retail trade. He wanted
to be fairly sure that what he had written would reach
the hand and eye of the ones for whom he intended it.
In the letter Mr. Setterbren told what many people
who had bought Settergren grands thought of the in-
struments. And to better attain his object, he did
not merely put the letter into an envelope and mail
it in the ordinary way. He had a special delivery
stamp affixed to every enclosure and included a num-
ber of commendatory letters from prominent piano
dealers who are selling the Settergren grands. Nothing
could be more convincing than the dealers' letters.
And what Mr. Settergren said to the trade follows:
"Bluffton, Indiana, March 28, 1924.
("We have spent 10c for a special delivery stamp in
order to attract your attention, and hope you will
read this letter.)
"Dear Sir: You would most likely be interested in
our product if we were able to convince you of the
fact that our Grand is strictly high grade in every
particular, although priced so low that you could
compete with commercial instruments, and the quality
so high that you could sell in competition with the
highest-priced grands made.
"Our Grand possesses a better tone than any other
instrument of its size, regardless of price.
"If we were to receive an order from you for one
of our Grands, we would ship you same with the
understanding that if it did not measure up to what
we claim for it, after having inspected same, you
would have the privilege of returning it, and we
would stand the expense of freight and drayage.
"Fifty of our Grands were sold retail in the City of
Bluffton in five weeks, the population of Bluffton
being 5,500.
"We have sold our instruments to prominent mer-
chants who have given us as many as five repeat
orders in the last six weeks.
"Pearson Piano Company, of Indianapolis, sold
twenty of our Grands in the last two weeks. Why
can't you do as well, in proportion, in Chicago?
"We hope we have been^ able to arouse your in-
terest, and that we may hear from you soon.
"Yours very truly,
«•
"B. K. SETTERGREN COMPANY."
SWAN ORGANS
are of the highest grade
t h a t c a n be obtained
through over 50 years of
p r a c t i c a l experience in
piano and organ building.
Illustrations a n d c a t a -
logues of various styles
will be furnished p i a n o
merchants on application
The tremendous superi-
ority of the SWAN Reed
Organs over all others lies
in the absolute mechanism
and scientific perfection im
the bellows action and stop
action, making it the best
value in modern o r g a n
building.
S. N. SWAN & SONS,
FREEPOHT, ILL
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OFA CENTURY
PETITION CONGRESS TO
FREE BROADCASTING
Composers, Publishers and Authors Asked to
Help Lift Tax on Singing Detached and
Popular Songs for Radio.
The right to tax the singing of popular songs for
broadcasting purposes is in for a fight in earnest.
The National Broadcasters' Association has sent a
petition to composers and publishers, reading as
follows:
"The undersigned, believing that the best interests
of the public, the composers of music, the authors of
songs, the publishers of music and the performers
thereof, will be served, hereby petitions the Congress
The factory of the B. K. Settergren Co., at Bluff- of the United States to amend the Copyright Act of
ton, is now turning out more Grand pianos than the
1909, so that individual or detached songs and
average of the old and larger industries. And, as melodies, as distinguished from complete musical
Mr. Settergren says, "my belief is that it is the quality scores, designed to provide a whole performance, may
of the instruments, together with the right price, that be publicly performed without restriction by law or
keeps us busy."
otherwise, to the end that 6,500 independent com-
posers, authors and publishers may have an equal
chance with the 326 members of the American Society
LIVELY CHICAGO FIRM.
of Composers, Authors and Publishers."
One of the lively Chicago retail music houses is
The names of titles of thre of the best known com-
the Schultz Piano Co., 2255 W. Madison street, Chi- positions of each publisher or composer is to be at-
cago, which recently celebrated the anniversary of its tached to the reply, and it is explained that the hear-
founding and opening for business at the above ad- ing before the Senate Committee on the revision of
dress in 1894. The location of the Schultz Piano the Copyright Act removing the tax on public per-
Company is admirable. It occupies a modern build- formance of music, as presented by Senator Dill, is
ing which provides an abundance of floor space, large set for April 9th.
windows and other facilities. The warerooms are
The American Society of Composers, Authors and
spacious and a large number of instruments can be Publishers will appear at this meeting and endeavor to
exhibited. Wm. J. Schultz, president, has had long show that they represent the majority of authors,
and varied experience in the piano business. The composers and publishers. It is desired to present
Schultz Piano Co. features the line of the Poole evidence to show that they do not represent the
Piano Co., Boston, in an energetic way and Mr. majority, and to this end the ten petitions are being
Schultz is an enthusiastic admirer of the Poole circulated.
pianos and players. The house has a prosperous
talking machine department and is building up a
A branch store has been opened in Alliance, O., by
good business in radio sets and supplies.
the W. F. Frederick Piano Co.
SWAN PIANOS
\ afttt /"V ri
April 5, 1924.
GOLDSMITH
Players and Pianos
Have Every Advantage in Quality and Results
to the Dealers
An Investigation
GOLDSMITH
Will Prove It
PIANO
COMPANY
I2Z3-12Z7 Miller Street, CHICAGO
Place That Want Ad in The Presto
POOLE
-BOSTON-
GRAND AND UPRIGHT PIANOS
AND
PLAYER PIANOS
ENERGY, PLUS THE LOADER WILL PRODUCE RESULTS
The piano business will lag just as long as the retail salesman lags. A little pep, a little enthusiasm, a little old fashioned
hard work, with the aid of a BOWEN LOADER will produce results,—right now. Try it and see.
Shipped on approval to responsible dealers.
Price $110.00 for the Loader complete, including springs and cover.
BOWEN PIANO LOADER CO.,
Winston-Salem, N. C.
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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