Presto

July 25, 1925.
PRESTO
Presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT -
• Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at th«
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
the "monkey case" which has been drawing
attention to the little town of Dayton, Ten-
nessee, where not religion and science, but
bigotry and legal bunk have been cavorting
to the amusement of the world.
The piano is one of the livest things in the
world. It is the result of evolution from the
pipe of Pan, and the mythical shell-string of
Apollo, to the perfect instrument of today."
And the piano will never be "deader" than
the men who make and sell it permit it to be.
WHO SAID THIS?
The Chicago Tribune recently made an edi-
torial statement which is of curiously interest-
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ing significance. It was that "someone said at
possessions, Cuba and Mexico, Rates for advertising on
application.
a music convention that the bootleggers were
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if supporting the grand piano industry." That
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for is a very novel disclosure, and it may help to
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the" smaller cities are the best occasional corre- prove that, from the strictly moralistic view-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
point, music may not be so absolutely pure as
we
like to proclaim it.
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
On the other hand, there are a few news-
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
papers
that seem to persist in the attitude that
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon the purposes or pursuits of the bootleggers are
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than more nearly altruistic than immoral. Many
Wednesday noon.
who enjoyed the "music convention'' to which
Address all communications for the editorial or business
the Tribune alludes may possibly also agree
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
with the latter proposition.
Certainly no one would charge the men of
SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1925.
the music trade with either immorality or
evasion of law, so long as their normal inter-
A LIVE "DEAD" ONE
pretation of their natural rights and wellbeing
• The same thing that Attorney Darrow says
is not violated. If there are any vocations in
ails Tennessee is what's the matter with the
life that suggest clean living and the love of
piano trade just now. It is clogged with an
peace and order, the business of making and
undefined opposition to evolution—the kind
selling the things of music must be one of
of evolution that means progress. In some
them. And, still more, it may seem that, even
sections the retailers are dead and don't know
in the eye of the most rigid apostle of Vol-
it. In a few cases there are piano manufac-
steadism, the Tribune statement proves again
turers who are dead and do not hesitate to
the influence of music. For if the "bootleg-
say they do know it. In both cases it is noth-
gers" are really supporting the grand piano, it
ing more serious than a bad habit which they
is easy to rest upon the belief that they are on
will get over. And then things will move
the right road to the kind of righteousness
faster.
that will straighten their way and eventually
One day last week, in a small but very ac-
bring them to a realization of their evil-doing
tive town in Indiana a traveling salesman was
and consequent need of reform.
heard to say that things are "dead in the piano
It is even probable that the convention
business." And he represented a leading piano
speaker
had this phase of the purifying power
supply industry. Think of that! A man whose
of
music
in mind. And he may have been
business, even life work, depends upon the de-
giving
emphasis
to the place of the grand
gree of stimulation he can put into his work,
piano
as
an
instrument
of reform, as well as
declaring to a customer that things "are
an
interpreter
of
music.
dead."'
In any event we do not believe that the chief
Of course, the piano manufacturer didn't
result
of the eighteenth amendment has been
feel any the worse for what the traveling man
the
means
of so large an increase in the de-
said. He knew better. He knew that he was
mand
for
grand
pianos as the Tribune editorial
producing more pianos right now than ever
implies,
notwithstanding
the old saw about
before in the summer months, and that his
"some
good
coming
out
of
evil." But, any-
order books proved that there was no prob-
way,
who
said
it
at
the
convention?
ability of any let-up in the activities of his
factory. But how did he size up the salesman?
The only trouble with the piano trade is
If you happen to tell a prospect that your
with the manufacturers and salesmen them- competitor's piano is "no good," or words to
selves. The piano has not come within three that effect, stop and think. And if the pros-
thousand miles of the saturation point. The pect seems to grow cold on the subject of
market exists today just as wide and receptive your piano, think again. Then try to right
as it ever was. The people want pianos just the wrong you may have done your competi-
as much as they ever did. And it's not half as tor's piano, or don't be surprised when you
hard to make the people of today realize their see your rival's instrument going into the
need of pianos as it w T as in earlier days. And prospect's front door.
* * *
any traveling man—any salesman, who looks
sour and tells a prospective customer that the
Courtesy is one of the cheapest, yet most
piano business is "dead," announces himself forceful, secrets of success in business. In
as more opposed to progress, to intelligent piano selling it is especially so. And yet there
argument, or to the needs of a forward mov- are some large piano concerns, even piano
ing day, than some of the luminaries of the industries, that seem to consider it of no con-
sequence. A discourteous employe can turn
away as much good business as a large adver-
tising appropriation can bring to the office
door.
* * *
If there is one weakness in the retail piano
business more conspicuous than all others, it
is in the lack of effective follow-up methods.
Piano selling is largely a soliciting business,
which makes the employment of forceful and
persistent follow-up systems absolutely indis-
pensable. How do you do it?
* * *
Many people who give the matter any
thought, have wondered how the radio broad-
casters get their money back. The listeners
in get a great deal for nothing, but is it alto-
gether fair?
30 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
From the Files of Presto
(July 25, 1895.)
It is a great mistake to suppose that the organ
trade is doomed. There will always be a demand for
the reed instruments, but in future to be successful
the organ must not be merely a showy case but in
every way worthy of its name.
Elaboration of case will be the characteristic of
piano manufacture in its next immediate develop-
ment. The older manufacturers may retain the
severe plainness of some of their styles, but the gen-
eral tendency will be toward ornamentation.
There is one important difference between the
music trade papers generally and Presto. It is that
this paper pays particular attention to the retailers
no less than to the manufacturers and jobbers. We
are not satisfied only to further the interests of the
manufacturers. We want also to be useful, practi-
cally so, to the dealers and to the trade at large in all
of its branches. And, after all, is it not true that the
best way to serve the manufacturers is to subserve
the interests of their customers, the retailers?
Some Trade Personals,
Mr. W. W. Kimball left for Europe today, on a
pleasure trip.
Mr. William Knabe, of Baltimore, is confined to
his house with inflammatory rheumatism.
Mr. P. J. Healy left Saturday last on a business
trip to New York, Boston and Baltimore. He is ex-
pected back on the 29th inst.
The new residence of Mr. Alfred Dolge, at Dolge-
ville, is about completed, and was occupied for the
first time on Tuesday of last week.
Mr. Charles Ditson, of New York, is building a
villa on the hill near the Towers at Jackson, N. H ,
which will be one of the finest private residences in
the mountains.
20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(From Presto, July 27, 1905.)
The piano catalogues are filled with the evidences
of good fishing. The well-baited hook is the match-
less tone and the incomparable style.
A man in Indianapolis went crazy trying to solve
one of the fly-speck piano puzzles. One more horror
to the credit of the stencil.
What has become of all the devices for tuning
pianos without work that made a bid for business two
years or so ago? Wbat has happened to the Tunella,
the Temperella and the other schemes for easy
money?
.
There are still one or two piano concerns foolish
enough to think that circular advertising and mani-
fold letters to the trade will do the business. It is
easily possible to worry the piano dealers with too
many appeals by mail, but you can't wear them out
that way.
Steinway & Sons introduced their Verte-Grand to
England in July, 1904. The output of their uprights
in that country has been much increased. In fact,
the sales of these instruments during the first five
months of this year were double those of the corre-
sponding period of 1904.
The Foster-Armstrong Co., of Rochester, N. Y.,
have almost completed the equipment of the three
buildings on the east end of their big plant at
Despatch. This week they have been very busy on
the case factory which will be occupied immediately
on completion.
From East St. Louis, 111., comes the latest story of
the inappropriate. A worthy minister of that Sunday
resort of St. Louisians makes use of a graphophone in
his church services. The machine is church property,
but the records are loaned by a charitable music
dealer of the place and his choice of sacred pieces
has much edified the congregation.
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