PRESTO
September 27, 1924.
CHRISTMAN
"The First Touch Tells"
The
CHRISTMAN
Reproducing Grand
has attained to a place preeminent be-
cause of its absolute dependability,
precise reproduction of the playing of
the world's artists and beauty of con-
struction.
PIANO AND ORGAN
MATERIALS PRODUCTION
Department of Commerce Furnishes Census of
Manufactures in 1923, Which Shows
Considerable Increase Over 1921.
The Department of Commerce announces that, ac-
cording to data collected at the biennial census of
manufactures, 1923, the establishments engaged pri-
marily in the manufacture of piano and organ mate-
rials reported products valued, at $37,583,672, of
which amount $37,128,500 was contributed by piano
materials and $455,172 by organ materials. The rate
of increase in the total value of products as com-
pared with 1921, the last preceding census year, was
102.1 per cent.
Of the 98 establishments reporting for 1923, 29
were located in New York, 18 in Massachusetts, 12
in Illinois, 7 each in Connecticut and New Jersey, 6
in Ohio, 5 in Pennsylvania, and the remaining 14 in
California, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
The statistics for 1923 and 1921 are summarized in
the statement below. The figures for 1923 are pre-
liminary and subject to such correction as may be
found necessary upon further examination of the re-
turns. The figures for 1921 follow those of 1923
in parentheses:
Number of establishments, 93 (89).
Wage earners (average number: 1923—9,380;
maximum month, Sept. 9,603; minimum month, July
9,121; per cent of maximum, 95. 1921—5,569; maxi-
mum month, Dec. 7,088; minimum month, Feb. 4,359;
per cent of maximum, 61.|5.
Wages, $10,907,670 ($5,969,804); per cent of increase,
82.7.
Cost of materials (including fuel and containers),
$16,578,891 ($8,221,840); per cent increase, 101.6.
Products, total value, $37,583,672 ($18,597,436); per
cent of increase, 102.1.
Piano materials, $37,128,500 ($17,745,839); per cent
of increase, 109.2.
Organ materials, $455,772 ($851,597); per cent of de-
crease, 46.6.
Value added by manufacture, $21,004,781 ($1.0,375,-
596); per cent of increase, 102.4.
Horsepower, 14,648. Coal consumed (tons of
2,000 lbs), 39,341.
The pianos represented by the Girard Piano Company
include the Packard, Starr, Hallet & Davis and Rem-
ington, and the slogan of the house is "If it's from
the Girard Piano Company it's a good piano."
STANDARD PNEUMATIC
ACTION CO.'S NEW MANAGER
W. A. Mennie, Vice-President and Treasurer, Suc-
ceeds A. W. Johnston, Who Recently Retired.
W. A. Mennie has assumed the management of the
Standard Pneumatic Action Co., New York, to fill
the place made vacant by the recent resignation of
A. W. Johnston. According to the announcement of
the company there will be no election of president
immediately nor special meeting of the directors for
that purpose. Herbert Simpson, general manager of
the Kohler Industries, states that the officials have
full confidence in Mr. Mennie's ability to manage the
business of the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., and
develop it along the well understood lines of progress.
Mr. Mennie, who began in the accounting depart-
ment, was elected vice-president and treasurer in
1921, which included the management of the financial
affairs of the company. For the past two years he
has performed considerable work in developing sales
in which notable successes have been achieved.
COLUMBUS, 0., PHONOGRAPH
DEALER ADDS PIANOS
Harry M. Merz, 453 South High Street, Will Also
Handle Musical Merchandise.
Harry M. Merz, the Columbus, O., talking machine
dealer, has added a line of pianos and musical mer-
chandise as part of an ambitious scheme of expan-
sion. Mr. Merz opened his store at 453 South High
street three years ago and by progressive methods
has built up a big clientele in talking machine records,
and in phonograph repairing. He successfully oper-
ates a branch in Marysville, O.
Mr. Merz will handle the line of pianos and play-
ers of the Schaff Bros. Co., Huntington, Ind., and will
feature the two-tone styles of the Schaff Bros, line in
a specially strong way. He has completed remodel-
ing plans in his store and will also put in a stock of
band instruments and general musical merchandise.
SCHILLER DEALERS ACTIVE
LATE FACTS GATHERED
AS BUSINESS IMPROVES
IN THE MUSIC TRAD
Large Orders Received This Week Indicate Unusual
Activity Among Schiller Representatives.
PIANO DEALERS
who are posted in their business know that
The Famous
Studio Grand
(only 5 ft. long)
has won its fame by its unique chal-
lenge of all larger Grands in tone vol-
ume, richness of quality and beauty
of case outline.
If you have sold these instruments
you prefer to sell them to all others.
And you know, too, that no ambitious
Piano Merchant can be sure that he
has the best, most profitable and sat-
isfactory Line until he has examined
the Christman and compared it with
whatever competitor may be winning
local trade.
(€
The First Touch Tells"
Reg. U S. ?»t. Off.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
This week, like the past six weeks, has been a good
one for the Schiller Piano Co., of Oregon, 111., and
Chicago. The report is made that if trade continues
along the same line until the end of the month it
will be by far the best experienced this year.
Letters and telegrams come almost daily to the
Chicago office requesting immediate shipments. The
factory at Oregon has not found it necessary to
curtail production at any time during the year. The
vision of Edgar B. Jones, president of the company,
in advocating a steady production, has brought fruit,
and plans which will make this a big Schiller year
have matured.
RESIGNS FROM THE
PHOTO PLAYER CO.
B. R. Van Valkenburg Is Now President of
the Old Girard Piano Company, of
Oakland, California.
B. R. Van Valkenburg, who was the founder of
the American Photo Player Co., patentee of the Foto-
player, has severed his connection with the Photo-
player Co., which company a year ago took over the
defunct American Photoplayer Company, to give
Mr. Van Valkenburg sold his stock in the Ameri-
can Photoplayer Company eight years ago and at that
time ceased to act in an official capacity, but was re-
tained as manager of the factories, both at Berkeley
and Van Nuys, California. He is well known in the
industry and his friends both in and out of the trade
are glad to know his time will continue to be given
to the music industry.
Mr. Van Valkenburg is president of the Girard
Piano Company, Oakland's oldest piano house, with
warerooms at 517-19 Fourteenth street, in that city.
Brief Items of Activities in the Business Collected
in Many States.
Kohler & Chase, San Francisco, has opened a store
in the Empire Theater Building, Napa, Cal.
Ray Mullin has opened a musical instrument busi-
ness in the City Theater Building, Brockton, Mass.
Harry Spiller recently opened a furniture and
music store in LeRoy, N. Y.
W. M. Phillips is proprietor of Phillips Music
Store, located in the Ford Hotel Building, Salisbury,
N. C, which recently succeeded to the Phillips-
Rogers Music Co.
The August Gross Piano Co. will open a branch
store at 3933-35 Irving Park boulevard, Chicago. The
main store of the house is located at 5081 Broadway,
Chicago.
Goodings, Inc., Providence, R. I., has completely
renovated its store.
John M. Kibler, music merchant of Buffalo, N. Y.,
is erecting a new building opposite his present quar-
ters in Genesee street to cost about $10,000.
Kohler & Chase has introduced a "Rent-Sale Plan"
at its store in San Jose, Cal.
The C. H. Henderson Music Co., of Corry, Pa.,
was damaged recently when an adjoining building
was destroyed by fire. Loss to stock is estimated at
$2,000.
The Wiley B. Allen Co., San Jose, Cal., is featur-
ing Ludwig pianos in an effective way.
NEW BRANCH MANAGER.
E. J. Conn is the new manager for the Sherman,
Clay & Co.'s branch at Mission and Seventeenth
streets, San Francisco. He is well known in that
district, having been manager for the Kohler &
Chase branch there for three years.
NEW NIAGARA FALLS HOUSE.
The Falls Music Co., Niagara Falls, New York,
has been incorporated, to deal in pianos and radio,
with capital of $10,000. G. A. Newbury, J. B. Hil-
dred, J. S. O'Donnell are the incorporators are Locke,
Babcock, Adams & Hollister, of Buffalo.
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