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PRESTO
CRITICIZES DEALERS'
NATIONAL BODY
(Continued from page 7.)
His benefits will always be in direct ratio to what lie
himself does to promote its interests.
A Misunderstanding.
It seems to me that the Music. Industries Chamber
of Commerce is misunderstood by many merchants.
Among some the idea seems to prevail that the
Chamber is attempting- to destroy the merchants' as-
sociation. This is utterly absurd, as must be evident
to anyone who will give the subject a little thought.
The work of the Chamber is broader in scope than
that of any of the other organizations in the music
industry. It deals with problems affecting the indus-
try as a whole. The merchants' association deals
with problems affecting in a national, way the retail
business. The state and regional associations deal
with problems closer to home and in some of the
larger cities associations are formed to handle local
problems.
Each of these organizations has important work to
do for the good of our industry. The more localized
an organization is, the more it is qualified to deal
with details that will promote good and honorable
business. The national association can deal only
with problems which affect the retail business of the
country as a whole.
Association's Affairs.
Take, for example, the depreciation schedule re-
ferred to by Mr. Hyre. He says it is what the aver-
age dealer wants. In my opinion, the depreciation
is not a matter for the national association, for the
state associations, or for local associations, but rather
a thing for the individual merchants to work out.
Dealer's Own Business.
A depreciation schedule is, after all, only another
form of price fixing, and this editor, who is also an
attorney, seems to overlook this angle of it and
where it would lead us w T ith the federal government.
A depreciation schedule, to be worth anything, would
have to be tied up with price standardization. To
the customer who comes in to purchase a piano and
lias an old one to exchange, it matters little which
end of the price tag is whacked off, an excessive al-
lowance or a liberal discount, just so the main figure
suits his idea of driving a bargain. We cannot fix
retail prices, therefore, we cannot fix exchange values.
The dealer who conducts his business at a loss is
probably wrong on allowances. The dealer who con-
ducts a profitable business is probably right on al-
lowances.
Corrects the Lawyer.
The editor says that the small dealer does not care
about the wonderful work of the Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music, the Trade Service or the Better
business Bureaus. I do not believe that is generally
true, but where it is true, and if it is, perhaps that is
why he is a small dealer. If he awakened to the fact
that the best brains in our industry are at work seek-
ing to promote his welfare, and if he would come to
the national convention and get in contact with the
big men of the industry, he might be inspired to be-
come something other than a small dealer. Let me
cite, as an example, the Griffith boys, late of West
Union, Iowa.
The Bureau for the Advancement of Music has
done more to benefit the merchants of the smaller
cities than those of the larger ones, and whether
the small dealer advertises or not, his business is
affected by advertising and in this he is receiving
benefits from the Better Business Bureau.
A Logical Assumption.
If the National Association of Music Merchants,
after twenty-five years' of existence, doing business
in the same old way and finding itself in a state of
senility according to this editor—suddenly decides
on a drastic change, isn't it logical to assume that
ibis change was made in order to overcome the very
tilings which he deplores?
The Executive Committee chose to have the work
of the secretary done in the office of the Chamber be-
cause the machinery was already there and ready
for our use in an aggressive membership campaign,
and for work necessary to encourage the forming of
state and regional associations. The national asso-
ciation has not abolished its executive office—it has
simply adopted a new clerical force. The mapping
out of the work and all plans for the promotion of
the national association are in the hands, rather, the
brains of the executives of that organization.
Convention Purposes.
Our annual gatherings should be made so impor-
tant that the music merchant, no matter how small
he is, cannot afford to stay away. Here should be
gathered together, in the form of exhibits, the prod-
ucts of the manufacturers, especially those showing
new developments. So we should invite bankers,
advertising men, accountants and men who can dis-
course interestingly on the technical phases of our
business, and have them address those who are inter-
ested in any of these subjects in a room set aside
for the purpose.
The meetings of the national association should be
very brief and confined to the actual business of the
association, so that the merchants can attend these
meetings and still have time to view the exhibits and
mingle with their fellow merchants for the inter-
change of ideas. Our convention must be treated as
a serious thing and not as an annual joy ride, and to
this end I want to lend encouragement to any move-
ment which will simplify the entertainment and so-
cial features of the convention.
In commenting upon this article it would seem to
me that, in view of the fact that the criticism was
not presented by the proper persons at the proper
time and place, it is unofficial and that it presupposes
the failure of our new plan before it is in operation.
The article is not in the best of taste.
REBUILDS STORAGE WAREHOUSE.
The Ackerman Piano Co., Marion, O., is rebuild-
ing a storage structure recently damaged by fire at
an estimated loss of $6,000. When completed it will
be used for storage purposes for which it will be
equipped.
A. F. LARSON LEAVES FOR
OLD HOME IN NORWAY
President of Western Electric Piano Co. Goes
to Visit Relatives in Norway and to Tour
Other Countries.
It has been twenty-five years since A. F. Larson,
president of the Western Electric Piano Co., Chi-
cago, has been to his old home in Norway. So he
decided that a visit to renew acquaintances with his
relatives and to see his former friends was opportune.
He has made his plans and left last week, in company
with his wife and daughter, for Washington, D. C,
where he will spend a day, and then go to New York
City for another day, sailing on August 4 on the
Norwegian steamer "Bergenfjurd" for Norway,
where he anticipates a very delightful visit for sev-
eral months.
Mr. Larson came to America thirty-three years
ago, and has made but one trip to his old home since
that time. He is going back to enjoy a real vacation,
and is going to forget all about business. He will
visit parts of Norway and also make a tour of
Sweden, and perhaps visit Germany, too, before he
returns to the United States. He sails homeward on
September 26, from Stockholm, and will arrive in
Chicago on October 10.
HIGHLY VALUABLE SOUVENIR
During her work with the Aeolian Company, New
York, as secretary to Francis L. Young, now retail
sales manager of the Metropolitan District, Miss
Bertha Stulz has had the opportunity of coming in
contact with many famous pianists who record their
playing for the Duo-Art. In 1921 it occurred to her
that a collection of their signatures on a table cover
would be an interesting and valuable souvenir of her
very pleasant acquaintance with them.
Oliver Denton was the first to inscribe his signa-
made writing extremely difficult, all expressed much
interest in the undertaking and took great pains to
make their signatures legible with the aid of Miss
Stulz, w r hose care in holding the linen with a certain
firmness was largely responsible for the clearness of
the autographs.
In the photograph of the collection note that
Ignace Friedman uses a small "f" in writing his last
name. Rudolph Ganz was asked why he always fin-
ished his autograph with three small dots under the
AUTOGRAPHS OF MUSIC CELEBRITIES OX TABLE COVER
ture, and since then Paderewski, Hofmann, Bauer name, and explained with originality that they repre-
and many other of the Duo-Art's most celebrated sented the past, present and future.
pianists have added their name to her unique collec-
This unusual table cover can be seen at any time
tion.
by a telephone request to Miss Stulz in Mr. Young's
In spite of the fact that the linen in the table cover office.
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