Presto

October 18, 1924.
PRESTO
PIANO TUNERS IN
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
National Association Appeals to Entire Indus-
try to Help Towards Adding More
Members to National Organization.
The National Association of Piano Tuners, Inc.,
has made arrangements for a thirty-day drive for new
members and manufacturers, dealers, traveling men
and members of the tuners' national association are
asked to work for the desirable end.
The request of the National Association of Piano
Tuners is one that all branches of the trade who
understand the purposes of the association should
respond to with alacrity.
The tuners' drive is a laudable effort to increase
the beneficent influences in the piano trade and the
music world. The musical public should have a
more vital interest in piano tuning. The piano own-
ers would show a greater concern about the tuneful-
ness of their pianos if the dealers would arouse a
greater interest in the relation of proper periodic tun-
ing to harmony.
A more extended •employment of competent tuners
to keep the pianos right would help materially
towards the encouragement of music.
In asking the help of the manufacturers towards
obtaining more members, the National Association of
Piano Tuners is really asking the manufacturers to
help themselves. A proper tuning service depart-
ment in a retail store is conducive to a better appre-
ciation of pianos and consequently more sales.
The following is a copy of a letter being mailed to
piano manufacturers by the National Association of
Piano Tuners, Inc.:
Gentlemen: The efforts of the National Associa-
tion of Piano Tuners are directed entirely in chan-
nels that will benefit the Music Industry. You are
therefore a beneficiary.
If you believe in our work will you please do us a
favor? We want the support of the entire industry
during a 30-day membership drive to take place in
November. We want you to write one letter to the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce giving your
hearty endorsement to anything they may do to help
us put this drive over in a big way. We have asked
them to write to all music dealers urging them to
have their tuners join the Association. If you see
fit to do this for us please send us a copy of the
letter which you write.
If you can lend assistance in some other way such
as writing to your dealers that will also be appre-
ciated and we can assure you that you will profit by
that or anything you may do to further the tuners'
cause.
LIVE DEALER DOESN'T
VALUE CONVENTIONS
Believes Social Phase Is All that Justifies
Meetings and Commends Mr. Gulbran-
sen's Article on Tuning.
Galesburg, Illinois, October 13, 1924.
Editor Presto: I wish it were possible to drop in
on you and tell you how very much better I think
is an article such as you publish by Mr. A. G. Gul-
bransen on the "Importance of Piano Tuning" in
your October 11th issue than are all the papers and
essays one has to listen to at a convention.
The writer has been bombarded by the officers of
the Illinois Merchants' Association to kick in ten
bucks for the privilege of "listening in," and the es-
teemed George W. Allen, of the Milton Piano Co., in
doing some missionary work for the association,
picked on the writer to "get me in." They all have
had my reply—which any of them can publish if they
see fit.
Matters of vital importance to every dealer, every-
where, are sidestepped, especially that of the manu-
facturer quoting wholesale prices to a retail cus-
tomer, in a city where he has no representation. I
can give you the facts.
Another vital matter, never touched on by any
convention, is the practice of certain manufacturers
allowing dealers they have consigned goods with
advice to sell small grands on as low terms as $10
a month, nothing down. I'll get you two different
affidavits that this has been done, two or three times,
in this city. But this is not what conventions are
for. We are trying to build up a business on up-to-
date methods, and are happy to say that ' it is
going over big.
Both our tuners are making the house money every
week, and we are building a reputation for service
and dependability that will last long after Yours
Truly has rung his last door-bell.
We are ordering, today, a one-man Loader from
one of your advertisers, and will put on more if it
proves to be all they claim.
It is our present intention to come into Chicago
next June, to the convention, via airplane. Hope
to renew all old acquaintances at that time. Person-
ally, I think that is about all the excuse a convention
has for existence.
E. A. FRANCIS.
E.H. STORY RETURNS FROM
VISIT TO NEW YORK BRANCH
Expresses Admiration of Metropolitan Store
and Sees Successful Business for Story &
Clark Line in East.
E. H. Story, president of the Story & Clark Piano
Co., returned to his Chicago office on Wednesday of
this week, from a tour of the East, where he visited
the Story & Clark branches.
.Mr. Story spent the greater part of his time at the
New York .headquarters and expressed his enthu-
siasm of the progressive spirit which prevailed there.
It was his first visit since the company has been lo-
lated at the present establishment on 57th street, and
it was hard for him to conceive of a finer establish-
ment.
Mr. Story, when interviewed this week, described
his trip as being one that brought gratification to
him. "It was my first visit to the New York branch
and I was well pleased with the wonderful progress
it is making. We are getting a lot of clean trade
and the season promises to be one of continued
activity," said Mr. Story, who also included Phila-
delphia on his itinerary.
The fall recitals, which met with a great success
last year and in the spring of this year, have been
started again this season. The opening recital proved
the popularity of the concerts in the large number
that attended.
A good musical program is considered a fine adver-
tising measure by the New York store, as it keeps
the name before the buying public and presents occa-
sion for the demonstration of the Story & Clark line,
which has attained a high mark in the eastern trade.
WILL OF ERNEST KNABE
LEFT SHARE TO BROTHER
Former Distinguished Piano Manufacturer's
Death by Carbon-Monoxide Gas Was De-
clared Accident by Baltimore Coroner.
After an investigation by the Coroner of the death
of Ernest J. Knabe, former president of the Knabe
Piano Company, in Baltimore, a verdict of "acci-
dental death caused by carbon-monoxide gas poison,"
was rendered. An account of the former piano man's
tragic death appeared in Presto of Oct. 4..
Nearly the entire estate of Mr. Knabe was left in
trust for his daughter, Mrs. Nellie M. Knabe Brown.
Mrs. Brown is to have the income for life, and at
her death the principal is to go to her children.
Mr. Knabe's son-in-law, S. Kennedy Brown, was
bequeathed all Mr. Knabe's personal jewelry and his
"workbench, with all tools, on which all the Knabe's
since 1810 have learned their trade."
William Knabe, brother of the testator, was left
$1,000 and all his indebtedness to the testator was
canceled.
GOOD KANSAS REPORT.
An excellent fall business is reported by Manager
W. T. Chappell, of the Topeka Music Co., Topeka,
Kansas. Mr. Chappell, who was recently appointed
to his present position, is very enthusiastic about the
possibilities for the season, being formerly associated
with his brother in a furniture and music business in
Salina.
MUSIC CONCERNS DENIED MAILS.
Fraud orders denying the use of the mails to the
New Era Music Co., Robert A. Bell, general man-
ager, and the Music Sales Co., D. A. Healy, a young
woman, secretary and manager, both of St. Louis,
have been issued by Postmaster-General New. The
reason given is that they operated schemes to obtain
money through the mails by means of false and
fraudulent pretenses.
KURTZMANN IN MILWAUKEE.
Numerous sales of C. Kurtzmann & Co.'s grands
are reported by the Flanner-Hafsoos Co., Milwaukee,
and the expressions of appreciation for the instru-
ments come from very discriminative buyers. A re-
cent sale of a Kurtzmann concert grand was to the
Congregational Church at Wauwatosa, Wis. A
Kurtzmann parlor grand was sold recently to the St.
Robert's convent in Shorewood.
GEORGE B. GROSVENOR
RETIRED TEMPORARILY
Popular Chicago Piano Man Will Probably
Re-enter Retail Trade After Brief Rest
He Has Well Earned.
George B. Grosvenor has resigned from the Fenton
Music Co., of Chicago, and will take a rest after a
record-making career in the retail piano business.
Very few can lay claim to the steady work and suc-
cessful salesmanship which must be credited to Mr.
Grosvenor. After many years with the house of
Lyon & Healy, Mr. Grosvenor joined the staff of
the Lyon, Potter & Company. When that house
discontinued Mr. Grosvenor and his fellow salesman
in the two earlier associations established the
GEO.
B. GROSVENOR.
Grosvenor & Lapham Company, with warerooms in
the Fine Arts Building, on Michigan avenue. There
a high-class retail trade was conducted until a year
ago, when other interests induced a dissolution of the
old partnership and Mr. Lapham entered the bond
business.
Mr. Grosvenor is not yet decided as to what his
next association may be. He has several propositions
to consider, but naturally his long experience in the
piano business causes him to prefer to continue in the
line he so thoroughly understands, and in which he
has an almost unlimited following among musical
people. It will be a fortunate piano house that se-
cures Mr. Grosvenor's services, should be decide to
join the retail forces of any established concern.
PIANO CLUB OF CHICAGO
WILL LISTEN TO EX=MAY0R
William Hale Thompson to Talk on "Lakes to Gulf
Waterway" October 20.
The speaker and honored guest for the meeting
and luncheon of the Piano Club of Chicago at the
Illinois Athletic Club, Monday, October 20, will be
William Hale Thompson, formerly mayor of Chi-
cago, whose subject will be "The Lakes to Gulf
Waterway." This is considered an interesting and
important subject for those who live in Illinois and
a large attendance is urged by Harry D. Schoenwald,
president.
President Schoenwald promised that each meeting
would open promptly at 12:15 and close at 1:45.
Harry D. Schoenwald, the new president of the
Piano Club of Chicago, presided at the noon luncheon
at the Illinois Athletic Club on Monday of this week
and introduced the club's old friends, Gus Van and
Joe Schenck, as "the greatest singing team on the
stage." An overflow crowd is always expected at
the club luncheons when Van and Schenck are there.
As usual the expectations were realized last Monday.
SELLS THE BUSH & LANE.
H. L. Baird, of Lapeer, Mich., in local newspaper
advertising, announces that he has "taken the agency
for the famous Bush & Lane pianos, and will have
them in stock at once. The Bush & Lane is a
quality line of instruments which I have sold before,
and can recommend unconditionally."
The Poppler Piano Co. recently held the formal
opening of its new store in Grand Forks, N. D.
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