Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
Established ISM. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
10 Cents; $2.00 a Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1924
JAMES LACEY HEADS
ILLINOIS DEALERS
Other Officers Chosen at Closing Session of
Third Annual Convention of State Organ-
ization of Music Merchants at Leland
Hotel, Springfield, This Week.
ROCKFORD NEXT YEAR
Increase of Seventy-five Per Cent in Membership
During Last Year Reported by the Active
Membership Committee.
The third annual convention of the Illinois Music
Merchants' Association was opened at 9:00 a. m. on
Monday of this week at the Leland Hotel, Spring-
field. Following the registration of members, the
convention was called to order at 10:45 a. m. by
President Fred P. Watson, who confessed his pride
in the wonderful growth in numbers and influence
on trade methods of the association in the three
years of its existence. He congratulated the mem-
bers on their earnestness in association affairs, a
quality, he said, that should continue to make their
organization a greater power in music affairs and in
retail trade matters generally.
The President's Part.
The president was modest about his own part in
making the Illinois Music Trade Association one of
the most important of the state music trade associa-
tions. But much is due to his gift for organization
and his genius for good fellowship. His wide ac-
quaintance among the dealers of the state was in itself
a guarantee of increased membership when he was
elected last year. His appreciation of the full pur-
poses of a trade convention was shown in the suc-
cessful effort of the officials to induce manufacturers
to make exhibits during convention days.
The reports of the secretary and treasurer followed
the address of President Watson and the first busi-
ness session was brought to a close by an address
of a highly educational kind on "Advertising" by
James P. Lacey of Lacey's, Peoria.
Endorses Music Contest.
Endorsement of the proposed state-wide music con-
test for school children was given by the Illinois
Music Merchants' Association at the opening session
of its convention. The contest is being fostered by
the Illinois Music Teachers' Association.
The plan was presented by Osborne McConathy,
director of the department of pubiic school and com-
munity music at Northwestern University.
Mr. McConathy announced to the convention that
Francis G. Blair, state superintendent of public in-
struction, has endorsed the contest and that prizes
to the winners in the state contest will be presented
by the state board of education. District, county and
local contests will be staged throughout the state.
The music merchants appointed a committee to
co-operate with the teachers in extending the contest
over the state.
The Luncheon Hour.
But not only were the business meetings of the
convention of an educational character, but the noon-
day luncheon at the Elks' Club were occasions of
trade enlightenment as well as of joyousness. The
luncheon on Monday, presided over by Chas. W.
Weiler of Quincy, was provided with two interesting
topics for discussion: "Should Dealers Handle Two
or More Lines of Pianos, Players and Phonographs?"
was a theme which enabled G. C. Hawkins, of the
Wm. Gushard D. G. Co., Decatur, to give the results
of his thought and the lessons of his experiences.
His clever manner of presenting a subject involving
many considerations made the subsequent discussion
highly interesting.
Not less inviting to earnest discussion by members
was the talk on "Commissions" by C. C. Adams of
Charles C. Adams & Company, Peoria. But the
commission taker described by Mr. Adams was
strangely unlike "commission fiend," the swag grab-
bing, devilish personage whose very mention used to
kill appetites of convention luncheoners and ban-
queters about fifteen or twenty years ago. But the
discussion evoked by Mr. Adams disclosed a variety
of feelings about commissions, commission givers,
humble recipients of piano lagniappe and hold-up
artists who trim the profits of piano sales.
MONDAY AFTERNOON SESSION.
Matt J. Kennedy, secretary of the National Asso-
ciation of Music Merchants, was billed for a talk on
"Echoes" of the convention of the national music
trade organization, but as Mr. Kennedy is poor on
the echo stuff and rather pepful on the original and
anticipatory dope, the convention got an earful of
glad tidings. First swearing everybody to secrecy
he frankly said the next meeting of the national asso-
ciation to be held in Chicago would be "the extreme
limit in joyousness that would be radioed round the
world."
Round Table Talks.
In the Round Table Talks that followed Mr. Ken-
nedy's talk, J. W. Waddell of the Waddell Music
Co., Pana, treated "Collections" and gave some
helpful and hopeful suggestions to members. "Over-
head" may be a pleasant thought or a nightmare just
as you govern the expenses, according to Walter L.
Rhein of the Walter L. Rhein Co. of Belleville, and
"Selling Terms" are stepping stones to success or the
gang plank to destruction in the opinion of S. M.
Blades of McLean Store. It was a trio of topics
which filled two hours of a profitable afternoon.
Ladies Entertained.
At noon on Monday, while the merchants enjoyed
luncheon at the Elk's Club, the ladies enjoyed a tour
of the city in cars furnished by the Chamber of Com-
merce. In the evening one hundred ladies attending
the convention with their husbands were guests at
the Majestic Theater, while the men gathered at the
Elks' Club for their annual Cheese Hounds' dinner.
TUESDAY MORNING SESSION.
Unfinished business and the reports of committees
occupied the opening period of the forenoon ses-
sion on the second day of the convention.
Three Round Table talks were on topics that are
of vital interest to music dealers everywhere. T. M.
Morgan, head of the Morgan Music Company, Mur-
physboro, supplied the lead for the discussion on
"Interest and Credits." The discussion disclosed the
attitude of some leading music houses on the relation
of interest to the credit system that most generally
goes with the installment plan of selling music goods.
Trade-Ins Discussed.
The subject of "Trade-ins" was plainly the one of
greatest interest in the sessioh and the masterly re-
view of the trade-in problem by W. B. Myers of
the Myers Music House, Mt. Vernon, was an eluci-
dation that helped to divide the subject into various
points of view that made the subsequent discussion
of more value in the solving of the problem for the
individual houses. The topic of "Nationally Priced
Goods," which E. J. Joosten, of Jansen & Joosten,
Minonk, introduced, was admitted to be a question
to be talked about rather than acted upon at the
present time. The discussion was interesting in
evoking the views of prominent dealers of Illinois
on a national subject.
The Member's Duty.
Rexford C. Hyre, the energetic secretary of the
Ohio Music Merchants' Association, outlined the
plain duty of every member of an association to ex-
tend the advantages of membership to the largest
possible figure. "Do I Keep My Brother?" was the
scheduled title of the topic assigned to Mr. Hyre and
the topic was well placed. "When a trade association
comes into existence, the disheartening fact that
confronts the organizers is the indifference of the
mass of dealers, the condition of whose business it
is the purpose to improve," said Mr. Hyre. "The
truism, 'Virtue is its own reward,' proves correct in
the case of the group in the new association which
labors to improve the methods in the trade at large.
When striving for the many the individual dealer in
the association helps his own condition. In short,
everybody is his brother's keeper."
The noonday luncheon at the Elks Club on Tues-
day was mainly in honor of the manufacturers, their
travelers or other representatives who responded to
(Continued on page 6.)
FRANK L. WING DIES OF
HEART DISEASE ON TRAIN
Head of New York Piano Industry Was on
His Way to Factory When End
Came.
Frank Luman Wing, for fifty years head of the
piano manufacturing firm of Wing & Son, New York,
which he and his father founded, died last Monday,
October 6, of heart disease on the train while on the
way to the city from his home in Upper Montclair,
N. J. He was 74 years old, and left a widow and
seven children. Services were held at his house, 412
Park street, Upper Montclair, at 4 o'clock on Wednes-
day afternoon.
Mr. Wing had devoted his life to the making of
pianos and had contributed many inventions of his
own to their improvement, notably a metal key-bed
support, a metal-covered hammer rail and a treble
reflector, in addition to various devices for resisting
the effect of temperature changes.
The industry of Wing & Son was founded in 1868
as Doan, Wing & dishing. It was changed to its
present firm style in 1873. Frank L. Wing was a
practical piano maker and by his energy the business
was brought to a substantial success, though the fac-
tory output has never been large.
PIANO TRAVELER'S FRIENDS
SAYS HE LOOKS LIKE DAVIS
Road Representative and Popular Salesman Said to
Represent the Democratic Candidate.
A piano dealer down
in Kansas writes to say
that there is a marked
facial resemblance be-
tween a popular piano
traveler and the Demo-
cratic candidate for Pres-
ident of the United
States. Aside from any
question of which posi-
tion in life is preferable,
the suggestion is inter-
esting to the piano trade.
Accompanying this ar-
ticle is a portrait. It is
that of a prominent piano
traveler who has been
representing the Adam
Schaaf line of pianos for
a good many years. He
is known in the trade in
nearly every city and
town where a music
store exists.
WHO IS HE?
The daily newspapers are printing the pictures of
Hon. John W. Davis, and he is a good-looking candi-
date. The portrait with this article is not that of Mr.
Davis. But you probably know whose it is. You
certainly do know it if you are representing the
Adam Schaaf line. Who is it?
ILLINOIS FIRM EXPANDS.
The Williams Music Co., Edwardsville, 111., is now
located at 229 North Main street, which is being re-
modeled for its use. V. V. Williams is proprietor of
the business, which was recently extended to the city
named. The main store is in Alton, 111. Earl Bopp
i>s in charge of the Edwardsville store. Mr. Wil-
liams at one time resided in Cleveland, where he had
more than twenty years' exprience in the retail music
line.
;
CHANGE IN TOPEKA, KANS.
W. T. Chappell, of Salina, was recently appointed
manager of the Topeka Music Co., Topeka, Kans.,
which is located at 633 Kansas avenue. Mr. Chap-
pell has for several years been associated with his
brother in the furniture business. The store special-
izes in radio equipment.
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