MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1927
START YEAR WELL
IN INDIANAPOLIS
All the Music Goods Dealers in Progressive
Indiana City Believe that 1927 Will
Be One of the Best in
Their History.
MUSIC HOUSES EXPAND
Baldwin Piano Co. Adds Its Own Broadcasting Studio
—Starr Co. Increases Size of Show Window—
Other Developments.
By HOWARD M. RUDEAUX.
Indianapolis music dealers are well pleased with
the old year's results, and especially pleased to know
that the state organization, which was one of the out-
standing features during the past year, has been
a success. It is also gratifying to note the increasing
demand for the better grade instruments, which is
very noticeable in every one of local houses. While
the sales in numbers are not showing a great increase,
the increase in dollars and cents is considerable ahead
of 1925.
During the past year Rapp & Lennox have placed
their line of high grade instruments in several of
the pablic schools, and one of the sales, a Knabe
grand to Butler College, is not to be overlooked.
Their unique window displays of the Knabe and the
Fischer instruments have led, in several instances, to
some very good sales.
Adds More Space.
Christena-Teague Piano Company, during the past
year, increased their floor space, by adding the third
and fourth floors of the building they occupy. The
top floor is given over to the Panatrope, and the addi-
tional third floor is given over to reconditioned instru-
ments. The second floor has been remodeled into
very attractive rooms where the Ampico in the Chick-
ering and the Haines Bros, are displayed. Consider-
able floor space has been reserved for the new repro-
ducing Gulbransen line of instruments which are ex-
pected to arrive most any time in period models.
During the past year the House of Baldwin has
added its own broadcasting studio and every Monday
night, from the Welte Mignon studio, a very fine
program is broadcasted, giving the Baldwin piano
very extensive publicity. During the year the Bald-
win piano has been placed in some very popular
health resorts, and among the sales was the Baldwin
piano in gold sold the Michigan theater, in Detroit,
Mich., one of the finest theaters in the state.
Starr Changes.
The Starr Piano Company has made some very
attractive changes during the past year. The entire
front of the store has been changed, giving more
valuable window space, and a very attractive en-
trance, which has improved the looks of the store
considerable. Some interior changes have been made
by moving the office to the main floor, and convert-
ing the space formerly occupied by that unit to a
very attractive display room for the Starr grand.
Many Starr pianos have found their way into public
institutions, churches and public schools during the
past year, and among them was a Starr grand to
DePaw University at Green Castle, Ind.
Progress of Wilking House.
The Wilking Music Company has made some rapid
strides during the year, having added very exten-
sively to their floor space. The Jesse French & Sons
pianos are becoming more and more popular, perhaps
due to the fact that the instrument is being used in
broadcasting from the Firestone Studio of the Carr
Tire Company. Some very excellent sales were
made to large and influential institutions.
The Apollo instrument, also sold by this com-
pany, has enjoyed a large percentage of sales. One
of the recent and excellent sales of the Apollo was
three of the instruments to one of the finest hotels
of its kind in the country, and to several of the lead-
ing picture houses of the north side.
The Carlin Music Company, representing the Cable
line of instruments and the Premier grand piano, have
recently commenced to broadcast a program one night
a week. During the past year the Cable Midget has
won a place in several of the public schools of the
city, and the Conover instrument has been placed
in some of the city's finest homes.
The Pearson Piano Company has enjoyed a very
good trade in the Steinway & Sons pianos and Harr>
Wert looks to one of the best coming years for all
high grade instruments. During the past year the
company has added the.Everett piano to their line.
The several branch houses opened during the year
by the company are enjoying unusual success.
It is predicted in general, by the dealers of the
city, that 1927 will be one of the best years in the
history of the piano industry. Grand pianos are very
popular and are gaining popularity every day, many
uprights in very good condition are being taken as
part payment on grand pianos, only a short time and
the upright piano will be obsolete.
TEN PARENT=TEACHER
ASSOCIATION CONCERT
Gulbransen Troupe Will Be Heard at Grand Rapids
in Furtherance of Music in Home.
The Winegar Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.,
has arranged for a series of ten concerts to be given
in co-operation with Parent-Teacher Association. The
first will be given January 21 at the new million-dollar
Burton High School. Announcement of the concerts
has already appeared in the local press.
The Gulbransen Concert Troupe will be heard in
the musicales to be presented to the people of Grand
Rapids. The purpose will be to show the importance
of having a piano in the home for its social, cultural
and pleasure-giving influence, for its effect on chil-
dren now and in future years, and to emphasize the
place of the Registering piano, which all can play, in
home life.
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADb
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
Places.
The Steele Music Co., 145 West Forty-fifth street,
New York, $10,000; to publish music. Fred Steele
and others.
The Southern Pipe Organ Co. of Louisiana,, New
Orleans, La.; $15,000; G. A. Doering.
Chart Music Publishing House, 13' OWest Lake
street, Chicago. To do general music printing; $10,-
000; F. Eugene Warner, Eugene A. Warner and
O . J . Chambers.
Jack Productions, New York City, music, $50,000;
S. Thayer, A. McKaig, G. M. Urquhart. (Filed by
W. Gaston, 320 East Fifty-seventh street.
The Hadley Company. 1725 Second avenue Rock
Island. 111.; $60,000; H. W. Barsel, J. Alroy, Mose
Felder and M. H. Rosenthal.
Strauss Harmonica Co., musical novelties, $5,000;
F. Strauss, H. Katz, I. Springer, New York.
United Concerts, musical, 100 common, no par; D.
Scheinker, L. Basist, J. Gimsburg, New York.
William Waldman, pianos and radio, $10,000; W.
and S. Waldman, M. C. Kantrowitz, New York.
BUSY FOF FIFTY-FIVE YEARS.
Fifty-five years of successful music merchandising
is the record of Summers & Son of Jackson, Ohio,
which recently celebrated the fifty-fifth anniversary
of the founding of the house. The organization of
Summers & Son was started in 1870 by H. C. Sum-
mers, and today extends throughout southern Ohio
with stores located at Chillicothe, Jackson, Ports-
mouth and Wellston.
FARMERS HEED FAMILY APPEAL.
"Country music dealers find that to a very large
extent the 'creative' appeal of music and the 'qual-
ity' appeal, are the sales arguments that build up
steady, substantial businesses. Unsound inducements
and fly-by-night schemes have a very insignificant
place in country selling. This is a gratifying condi-
tion under which to sell, which dealers with farm
trade should appreciate," says ine Farm Journal.
$2 The Year
WASHINGTON SENDS
IMPORTANT ITEMS
What's Going on at the National Capital of
Interest to Every Branch of the Music In-
dustry and Trade and in All De-
partments.
CORRECT THE MAILING LIST
Rulings by Which Imparted Goods Are Taxed as
Musical Instruments When They Seem
Like Toys.
By FRED E. KUNKEL.
In a decision just handed down, in the case of the
Rice Stix Dry Goods Co. of St. Louis, the U. S.
Customs Court holds that certain accordions, having
ten keys and a range of more than two octaves,
should have been taxed with duty as musical instru-
ments under paragraph 1443, tariff act of 1922, at
forty per cent ad valorem, rather than at seventy
per cent under paragraph 1414 as toys. At the same
time an eight-key accordion was held not to be suffi-
cient to produce tunes and ruled as a toy.
On a protest of M. E. Schoening Co. of New
York, the court held that certain violin strings in
bundles, composed of silk, were correctly returned for
duty by the collector as manufactures of silk, at sixty
per cent ad valorem under paragraph 1211 of the
Tariff Act of 1922. as against the importers conten-
tion for duty under paragraph 1443 for "violins,
violas, violoncellos and double bases of all sizes,
wholly or partly, manufactured, etc." at only forty
per cent ad valorem.
Saxophones entered at Chicago by Carson, Pirie,
Scott & Company and returned for duty as toys
under paragraph 1414 at seventy per cent ad valorem,
are held by the court to be more properly classifiable
as musical instruments under paragraph 1443 at forty
per cent. Certain blow accordions not being a full
octave are held in the same case to be correctly taxed
as toys, at seventy per cent.
Annual Exports.
Millions of dollars worth of American manufac-
tured amusement devices and articles of entertain-
ment are exported annually to supply diversion to
many nations and races, says the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce in a recent statement, with
perforated rolls sent abroad to carry American melo-
dies to listeners in other countries valued at $282,555;
shipments of phonograph records amounting to
$1,720,623; of phonographs to $2,270,637, of organs
$275,943, of band instruments. $508,001, of string
instruments $319,145, and of other instrumental in-
struments and parts $1,562,040, the total value of all
musical instruments exported from this country dur-
ing the twelve months being $13,383,811.
Correcting Mailing Lists.
If you have any old mailing lists which you would
like to have corrected, let the local postmaster do it.
The action of a few postmasters who overcharge
business concerns for correcting mailing lists, or
who fail or refuse to correct such lists when requested
to do so, has caused John H. Bartlett, First Assis-
tant Postmaster General, to issue an order calling
attention of all erring postmasters to rules and regu-
lations on the subject. If you have any trouble in
this connection write Mr. Bartlett direct. The charge
for correcting mailing lists is not to exceed 65 cents
per hour, and Mr. Bartlett contends that the correc-
tion of mailing lists is in the interest of the depart-
ment as well as for the good of the postal service
and the interest of the mailer.
HALLET & DAVIS FOR COLLEGE.
The St. Bernard High Schood and College, St.
Bernard, Alabama, the well known educational insti-
tution devoted to the study of the arts, sciences, engi-
neering, agriculture and dairy farming, has just s c
lected a Hallet & Davis grand for its music division.
This instrument was ordered from the Hallet & Davis
dealer, A. G. Glasscock Music House, Cullman, Ala.
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