Presto Buyers' Guide
Presto Year Book
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Fheir Makers.
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
E.t«bu.hed uu.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
to cent,.- $2.00
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1924
AMERICAN EXPERT
GOES TO FRANCE
istic circles. He has also made a name by his facility
as a writer on the technicalities of factory manage-
ment and production.
In the September issue of "The Story Book," the
story & Clark Piano Co.'s house organ, he has a
very instructive article which has the following in-
troduction by the editor:
Charles Stanley Will Take Temporary Charge
A Graceful Tribute.
of the Piano Factory of the Famous
"A short time ago, thinking that readers of the
Story Book would be interested in learning something
House of Gaveau, of Paris
of the really' wonderful skill, experience and care
and Bruxelles.
which go into the making of Story & Clark grand
pianos, and which placed them very early in a class
by themselves, we asked Mr. Charles Stanley, the
eminent expert, who supervises construction at our
Grand Haven factories, to prepare a statement setting
Secures Release from Story & Clark Piano Co. for forth his methods.
"This he has done, and his descriptions have been
the Period Named, After Which He
illustrated
by photographs which were taken at the
Will Return.
factory during working hours and show some of the
most interesting details of just a few processes se-
After negotiations extending over at least three lected but of many.
years, Charles Stanley, one of the recognized experts
"The Story & Clark grand piano is a wonderful
in American piano manufacture, has accepted a tem- and admirable creation, and those who sell it will re-
porary engagement with the great French piano in- spect it the more, as they the more learn how won-
derfully it is designed and built."
Advantages May Be Mutual.
The French house of Gaveau has won distinction
by its ambitious management. It has produced many
of the finest specimens of the dainty cases for which
some French instruments have been noted. With
Mr. Stanley's skill at command, it may be believed
that the Paris industry will take another step forward
among the really great instruments of the world.
While Mr. Stanley is one of the practical men of
the industry whose going away would be a loss to
the piano, it is a satisfaction to know that his going
is but temporary. Meantime the Paris house of the
Gaveau is to be congratulated and, no doubt, the
American piano industry, and especially the Story
& Clark Piano Co., may be benefited by the oppor-
tunities for observation which six months' experience
in the factory of Gaveau & Co. will afford to Mr.
Stanley.
TO REMAIN SIX MONTHS
WANTS MANHATTAN TO
KEEP FACTORIES OUT
Zoning Committee Chairman Anticipates Traffic
Needs of City When Population Is 20,000,000.
A proposal to force intensive manufacturing from
Manhattan to the outlying districts, in anticipation of
the needs of the future, was one of the traffic solu-
tions proposed last week at a luncheon of the Broad-
way Association at the Hotel Astor, New York City.
Explaining that the plan was in anticipation of a
CHARLES STANLEY.
population of 20,000,000 in New York City within
fifty years, J. B. Vandever, chairman of the Zoning
dustry of Gaveau, of Paris and Bruxelles. The dis- Committee of the association, said:
tinguished French industry has been trying to induce
"I would rather be ridiculed in 1924 for proposing
Mr. Stanley to take charge of its factory, with n something that may at first look impossible than be
view to reorganizing the working systems, and, in . blamed in 1974 for having failed to look ahead in
way, of Americanizing the processes of production. anticipation of the requirements of the growing
But Mr. Stanley has naturally been reluctant about metropolis."
leaving his Uncle Sam, to say nothing of his loya'ty
He suggested that each organization interested in
to the Story & Clark Piano Co., with which he is now
connected, and so has remained here. For several the city's development be represented on a commit-
years past he has been in charge of the grand piano tee to study the problem.
production of the Story & Clark Piano Co., at the
CELEBRATES IN HARTFORD, CONN.
factory of that industry at Grand Haven, Michigan.
Watkins Bros., Hartford, Conn., is celebrating the
Six Months in France.
fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the business
It is understood that Mr. Stanley has secured a six and much interest is being displayed in the event.
months' release from the Grand Haven factory for Watkins Bros, originally started in Manchester and
the purposes of his French engagement, and, while he later expanded and bought the general store of Wil-
has accepted the engagement with Gaveau & Co., he liam H. Cheney, Hartford. Following the opening
has no intention of making a prolonged residence in of a piano department, the company took over the
Paris. It is his present plan to return to the United talking machine section of Ludlow, Barker & Co.,
States and the Story & Clark Piano Co. after he con- and later the piano busin'ess of William Wander &
cludes the reorganization of working forces and sys- Sons, which brought with it the agency for the Stein-
tems of the progressive factory of Gaveau.
way piano.
The selection of Mr. Stanley by the great French
piano industry is as great a compliment as could have
BUYS MICHIGAN STORE.
been extended to American skill in piano manufac-
The McKnight music store on South Main street,
ture, and it reflects credit also upon the Story & Mt. Pleasant, Mich., has been sold to F. L. Klun-
Clark products. As a scientific scale draughtsman zinger. Mr. Klunzinger took possession last week.
and acoustician Mr. Stanley has stood high for so He will continue the sale of music and musical in-
many years that his name is a familiar one in oian- struments, in connection with his jewelry business.
SOME WEALTHY MEN
OF THE MUSIC TRADE
Income Tax Report, as Made Public with Lit-
tle Seeming Reason, Disclosed Large
Sums Paid by Piano Men.
The throwing open to the public of the income tax
lists for 1924 revealed the wealth of some of the capi-
talists and the great business interests of the coun-
try. In some cases, no doubt, the returns of promi-
nent men in the music business proved of general
interest. Among the largest of the contributors to
Uncle Sam's payroll who are prominent in the music
industries were the. following in the nation's two
greatest cities—New York and Chicago—with the
amounts paid into the treasury by them:
New York: Charles C. Conway, $23,082.48; C. H.
Ditson, $87,743.53; Fred T. Steinway, $17,221; Walter
Damrosch, the musical director, paid $6,155.09, and
Irvin Berlin, the song writer, $4,132.96.
Chicago: C. N. Kimball, $13,002; The Cable Com-
pany, $97,918; W. W. Kimball Co., $68,587; M. Schulz
Co., $22,656; Story & Clark Piano Co., $53,384; Apollo
Piano Co., $29,642; Q R S Music Co., $52,249; A. G.
Gulbransen (personal) $18,608.
When the lists began to appear in the newspapers
there was a good deal of adverse comment. Plainly
there were motives not creditable to the compilers for
publication and the public was not reminded that the
income tax is not really a correct guide, inasmuch as
many forms of both private and company income
producing assets are not subject to the tax.
In Los Angeles, Cal., the ''movie" world was mys-
tified. Everybody began asking everybody else,
"Who is this G. Allan Hancock who paid out the
record sum of $449,292?" Musicians who play in the
symphony orchestra of the Hollywood bowl an-
swered the query.
G. Allan Hancock is one of the musicians in that
orchestra. He plays the cello. In his other roles Mr.
Hancock is president of the California Trust Com-
pany, vice-president of other banks, head of various
oil concerns, and rich in lands. The millionaire
plays in the orchestra because he takes pride in
matching his musical ability against imported artists.
Prior to publication of the income totals Mr. Han-
cock was not known as a man of great wealth.
PIPE ORGAN EXPERT'S
FIRST VISIT IN YEARS
Leo Heerwagen in the West After Many Years'
Absence in the East.
Leo Heerwagen, a few years ago very prominent
in the piano and pipe organ industry, and now with
the Marr & Colton Organ Co. of Warsaw, N. Y.,
was in Chicago early this w T eek. Mr. Heerwagen has
offices in New York City and this week's trip was
the first to the midwest in several years.
The Marr & Colton Company makes a specialty of
the manufacture of first, class movie and theater
organs. Their instruments are in use in many cities
and Mr. Heerwagen has been very successful in
placing them. He has been with the Warsaw indus-
try for a year, and is back in the industry perman-
ently.
It will be recalled that he was associated with the
old Farand Organ Company, at Detroit, and that
he was instrumental in putting up the great self-
playing instrument which, for many years, proved a
great attraction for visitors and guests of the Great
Northern Hotel, Chicago. Later Mr. Heerwagen
was New York representative of the W. W. Kimball
Co. pipe organ department.
R. K. MAYNARD IN CHICAGO.
R. K. Maynard, Pacific Coast representative of the
M. Schulz Company, reached Chicago a day or two
ago for a brief visit and conference at the company's
headquarters. Mr. Maynard has recently visited the
northwest territory and now has in mind to return to
the Pacific Coast by way of Texas and the Great
Southwest.
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