Presto

12
PRESTO
April 19, 1924.
recreation like golf. "The bigoted prohibitionist who
snififs suspiciously when he passes a near-beer brew-
ery has no sense of humor. He is unable to appre-
ciate a paradox. In the laws and statutes is the 'no
beer' tenet while there before him is the busy brewery
that makes the tenet seemingly absurd.
"The bigoted vegetarian who growls when he
Veteran Traveler, Resting on Sunday, Benefits passes a butcher's shop cannot estimate the paradox.
Meat is good for you and bad for you. He has no
By Discourse of an Inveterate Theorist
sense of humor. His beliefs are right but not to the
Who Practices Otherwise in Selling
extent he holds them. A lot of people eat too much
meat. But the majority eat meat in proper quanti-
Many Pianos.
ties and they feel fit and efficient. Yet the rabid
vegetar-ian scorns them as unclean and unholy.
The Set Piano Salesman.
"Well, the piano salesman without the sense of
Indianapolis Sales Expert, Encountered in Lafayette humor is somewhat like the rabid vegetarian. He is
set in his own ideas and is pleased to talk nothing
Hotel, Impresses Importance of Sense of Humor
but his own notions. Utterly lacking in sympathy
in Selling Scheme.
he fails to get the point of view of the piano pros-
pect. In that way his arguments are not understand-
While placidly resting in the rotunda of the Fowler able and do not convince.
"But pardon me for interrupting my flow of wis-
Hotel, Lafayette, Ind., last Sunday, passing the inter-
val between church and chicken a la king my musings dom and don't be shocked that I'm about to desecrate
were interrupted by a chair-mate who addressed me the Sabbath by closing a deal for a reproducing
by name and excused himself for what he called his grand. Here comes my charming customer," he
"nerve," I demurred and said it was a pleasure to smilingly concluded as he went to meet an elderly
meet genial people \vho did not stand upon the order lady who looked like ready cash.—M. D. S.
of their introductions.
"Well, I know you, although I never spoke to you,
and you don't know me from a crow. Like yourself,
Mr.
, I belong to the piano selling fraternity,
and I know it takes no grips or passwords to intro-
duce oneself to a brother," he explained.
Federal Judge in Philadelphia Rejects Phonograph
Of Course I Knew Him. #
Evidence, But Refuses to Quash Indictments.
But he was mistaken when he said I didn't know
The government's case against Philo E. Reming-
him. I had never formally met him, but I knew his ton and Jas. H. Holmes, formerly a well-known
name, his appearance and his reputation for being the piano man, and other promoters of the Remington
most practical theorist in the field of piano selling Phonograph Company, in New York, on charges of
in or out of Indianapolis, which claims him. It is using the mails to defraud, was brought to a sudden
generally known, however, that he never lets a theory close on Monday in the Philadelphia Federal Court
interfere with his processes. These are original and when Federal Judge McKeehau ruled out a mass of
prompted by the expediency of the occasion. He evidence on the ground that the indictment against
ignores the precedents of sales history and ^ o r n s all the men was faulty.
theories, even those of his own creation.
The excluded evidence was that which the govern-
I considered it a privilege to sit by his side and ment counsel had intended to use in an effort to show
also a boon that he accepted the role of before dinner that Remington's name had been used as a "lure" to
speaker. " 'Tis a far step from North Pennsylvania investors. Prior testimony in the case had been to
avenue," I reminded him, merely as a lead for his the effect that Remington had no connection with the
discourse.
firearms and typewriter concerns of that name.
He Was Launched.
"The exploitation of the name Remington, and the
"Oh, as to that, you can sell pianos anywhere if expression of fond expectations for the future are not
you have the proper attitude of mind. That's all fraud within the meaning of the statute," Judge
there's to it," he answered. I didn't ask him to define MeKeehan declared. But he later refused to quash
the phrase, but I knew what he meant. He was one the indictment, charging them with using the mails
of the valuable chaps who make people buy pianos. to defraud investors in connection with the sale of the
But he added tersely, like an epigram: "The proper company's stock.
attitude of mind required in the piano salesman in-
Judge MeKeehan also allowed the stock certificate
volves a sense of humor."
books of the company to be admitted as evidence.
I realized he was launched on his celebrated theory The government maintains the defendants sold pro-
broadcasting. He went to great lengths to explain motion stock to investigators as treasury stock, lead-
that the sense of humor he had in mind was not the ing them to believe the proceeds from the stock sale
kind that made a noise like a sense of humor, to use would go toward development of the company.
the slang of the day. The sense he had in mind was
The defense sprang a surprise when John M. Cole-
not the kind suggesting mirth or the echoing laugh. man, of New York, chief defense counsel, announced
The desirable sense of humor in the piano salesman, he would offer no evidence, but would rest of the
he explained, was a sort of aura of pleasant antici- government's case and contend that insufficient evi-
pation and content at the piano spiel, by which the dence had been offered by the prosecution.
prospect is enveloped by the man with the piano
proposition.
A noticeable increase in roll sales since the begin-
"Humor is the sense that gives its possessor the ning of April is reported by J. J. Healy, manager of
ability to properly estimate paradoxes," he said in the music department of the Boston Store, Milwau-
his delightful theorizing which he enjoyed as a kee. The store specializes in Q R S music rolls.
FANCY THEORY AND
PLAIN PRACTICE
IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT
ERRORS IN INDICTMENT
HALT REMINGTON CASE
SWAN PIANOS
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
S. N. SWAN & SONS,
SWAN ORGANS
SVV.4
The tremendous superi-
ority of the $WAM Reed
Organs over all others lies
in the absolute mechanism
and scientific perfection iis
the bellows action and stoo
action, making it the best
value in modern o r g a n
building.
FREEPORT, ILL
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OFA CENTURY
AMERICAN PIANOS FOR
THE AUSTRALIAN TRADE
London Music Journal Takes the British
Manufacturer to Task for Missing So
Large a Share of the Market.
A London music journal called "Music," in its
April issue, published a very illuminating article on
the piano trade of Australia, especially with reference
to the part the American industries are playing in it.
While the figures presented by the London paper
have already appeared in Presto, the comments are
interesting. Still more, it is probable that a good
share of the American piano trade is not aware that
the same instruments they sell are so largely repre-
sented by the dealers in Australia. Following is
"Music's" article in full. It bears the caption "Brit-
ish Pianos for the British Dominions":
"The official figures of America's foreign trade in
musical instruments for the year 1923 have just been
published, and there is much food for thought on
the part of British exporters, and British musical in-
strument manufacturers generally, in these returns.
The most notable feature was the sale of pianos to
Australia, which more than doubled the 1922 figures.
In 1923 the piano sales to this British Dominion were
$2,341,904, and in the preceding year $1,133,399.
Likewise, U. S. A. talking machine sales to Australia
last year about doubled those for 1922—$276,830 in
1923 and $140,504 in 1922. America's total exports for
the year were subdivided as follows: Pianos, $5,165,-
198; talking machines, $2,543,134; band instruments,
$243,210; string instruments, $155,372; talking machine
records, $1,371,398; other musical instruments, parts
and accessories, $2,295,744. During the year the
United States imported from other countries pianos
and organs valued at $127,334; talking machines and
accessories, $718,587; band instruments and violins,
$670,420; other musical instruments, parts and ac-
cessories, $2,586,124. The year's exports are over
$3,000,000 up, the total for 1923 being $11,774,056,
compared with $8,714,644 in 1922.
"Analyzing these figures, we find that of the five
million dollars' worth of pianos exported by America
in 1923 Australia took roughly 45 per cent, and of the
$3,000,000 increase in the total exports over 1922
about 50 per cent is accounted for by the additional
exports of pianos and talking machines to Australia.
The question immediately arises: Why is this large
volume of trade from our largest Dominion not
coming to British factories? There appears to us
necessity for urgent consideration of this question by
British manufacturers. We are not overlooking what
has recently been done in this direction, and we hope
that the action taken during the last few months by
the British Music Industries Federation relative to
British musical instrument imports into Australia will
greatly improve matters in this respect, but we do feel
that, in view of the figures we have quoted, a really
aggressive propaganda campaign should be promoted
with the object of transferring the greater part, if
not all, of the two and a half million dollars' worth
of imports from American to British factories."
NEW CHICAGO STORE.
The latest music store opened in fhe Bridgeport
district in Chicago is the Supreme Music Shop at
31st and Halsted streets. The store will carry the
De Luxe line of playerpianos, Q R S music rolls and
a variety of sheet music.
GOLDSMITH
Players and Pianos
Have Every Advantage in Quality and Results
to the Dealers
An Investigation Will Prove It
GOLDSMITH
PIANO
COMPANY
1233-1227 Miller Street, CHICAGO
Place That Want Ad in The Presto
POOLE
GRAND AND UPRIGHT PIANOS
AND
PLAYER PIANOS
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