January 22, 1927.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
IN CHICAGO THIS WEEK
Piano Promotion Plans and Important Affairs
of the June Conventions Subjects of
Discussion During the Week.
The head center of industrial piano interests was
transferred from New York to Chicago this week,
because of the meeting of the Committee on Piano
Promotion from the Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion on Tuesday afternoon at the Congress Hotel,
and the day following the Board of Control of the
Music Merchants' National Association. The com-
mittee, consisting of Max De Rochmont, W. H. Al-
fing, Frank Wade, E. S. Guylee, A. G. Gulbransen,
M. P. Campbell, met at the Hotel La Salle on Tues-
day afternoon and coincided with the plans of pro-
motion already formulated and in progress.
On Wednesday plans for the June convention and
other important subjects were canvassed and settled
both by and for the forthcoming convention. On the
same day the headquarters of the auxiliary board, at
the Hotel La Salle, contained about twenty prom-
inent members, E. H. Uhl of the Music Merchants'
National Association presiding.
A meeting of the Board of Control was held at
the same place on Wednesday, 3 p. m., which was
well attended, there being present all of the follow-
ing from New York:
Mark Campbell, H. B. Simpson, Max De Roch-
mont, Alex. MacDonald and W. H. Alfring.
Other prominent association members and workers
present were:
President Moore of the Pennsylvania Association
and the secretary of the same organization; Chas. H.
Yahrling, Youngstown, O.; W. C. Hamilton, Pitts-
burgh; E. Paul Hamilton, Newark, N. J.; Frank Bay-
ley, Roy Maypole and A. H. Howe, of Detroit; F.
B. S. Hollenberg, Little Rock, Ark., and R. O. Fos-
ter, Minneapolis, and many others.
On Friday morning the Chamber of Music Indus-
tries met for the purpose of settling plans of the
various associations, embracing the small goods, sup-
plies, band instruments and other organizations, in
connection with the national conventions in June.
The enthusiastic Detroit delegates in Chicago this
week all wore buttons bearing the words, "Detroit
Next," and they passed the pretty discs around freely
to all within reach. The Chicago Piano Club mem-
bers gave a luncheon to the visiting delegates at the
La Salle, on Wednesday noon, and on Thursday and
PRESTO-TIMES
Friday additional meetings had been arranged at
which final plans were to be perfected.
Thursday morning's discussion, which was a long
one, bore mainly upon the proposition to change the
present plan of holding the annual conventions alter-
nately at New York and Chicago. The Detroit dele-
gates to this week's meeting favored their city
strongly and that would necessarily mean the aban-
donment of the present custom and give other cities
a like opportunity to entertain the various associa-
tions. The matter had not been fully settled at noon
of Thursday.
ITEMS IN THE TRADE
OF 1NDIANPOLIS, IND.
Association Discusses the Carrying Charge;
Many Piano Travelers in Town; Deal-
ers Active; Other Notes.
On Monday, the 18th, the regular monthly busi-
ness meeting of the Indianapolis Music Dealers was
held at the Columbia Club, and the principal topic
was the discussion of the carrying charge. John
Pearson held the floor and during the course of dis-
cussion read a number of letters from very prominent
music merchants over the country who expressed
their opinion of the uses and abuses of the carrying'
charge.
After a long argument a motion was made 'to adopt
Master Institute of United Arts of New York
the plan, which was seconded, but later tabled until
Is Beneficiary of Donation by Head of
the next business meeting. William Christena, presi-
Famous Piano Industry.
dent of the association, appointed Mr. Hofer local
Announcement of a new scholarship, to be known manager of the House of Baldwin, to collect all in-
formation and data during that time, and prepare a
as the Frederick Steinway Scholarship and donated
by the head of the famous piano house, has been talk on the subject which will be discussed and dis-
made by the Master Institute of United Arts, 310 posed of. Most of the members of the association
seem to favor the plan, providing it can be put into
Riverside Drive, New York.
The Frederick Steinway Scholarship, which is to effect and permanently adopted, but 'there seems to
be given for the first time this February, will be an be a desire to use and resort to the old plan of
annual event, and will be given for the Music Depart- interest charge in case the customer objects to the
ment of the Institute. In establishing this scholar- carrying charge.
In the minds of some, the method seems unfair,
ship at the Master Institute of United Arts, Mr.
Steinway continues a policy of encouraging musicians contending that all sales should either carry the reg-
and young artists—a policy which has made him the ular charge, and avoid the necessity of using both
sponsor for some of the greatest musicians of the forms of contracts.
William H. Alfring, vice-president and general
world.
manager
of the Aeolian Company, spent a day in
Applications for the Frederick Steinway Scholar-
Indianapolis en route to St. Louis.
ship, are to be made to the Master Institute of United
Geo. Schaffer, of the Lester Piano Company, and
Arts, 310 Riverside Drive, New York, by letter be-
fore February 1 and trials will be held on February Curtis Miller, of the Schaff Bros. Co., of Huntington,
Ind., were visitors during the past week at the Pear-
4 at 7:30 p. m.
son warerooms.
The Baldwin Piano Company recently placed one
C. A. WAGNER IN CHICAGO.
of the style "K" Baldwin grands in public school
C. Alfred Wagner, president and General manager
No. 76. The instrument was selected by the Parent
of Chickering & Sons, Boston and New York, has Teachers' Association.
been in Chicago this week, making his headquarters
Irvington School of Music purchased from Rapp &
at the Bissell-Weisert Company's warerooms on Lennox a style "B" Knabe grand in mahogany. An-
North Michigan avenue.
other of the same style and make was sold to the
director of music at the state normal school of Mun-
cie, Ind.
TRAVELER
TO
CELEBRATE.
r
George Kuhn, formerly with the Hobart M. Cable
O. A. Berger, w ho has been Northwest representa-
tive of the Baldwin Piano Co. since 1907, will cele- Company, has been appointed manager of the Terre
brate the twentieth anniversary of the connection in Haute, Ind , branch of the company.
February. Before coming west Mr. Berger traveled
in Wisconsin for two years for the company.
FREDERICK STEINWAY
DONATES SCHOLARSHIP
INDIANAPOLIS HOUSE OF BALDWIN HOLIDAY WINDOW
KILLING THE DEALERS'
LEGITIMATE PROFIT
Is It Fair for Manufacturer to Sell at Whole-
sale Prices to Employe's Distant Rela-
tions and Friends?
Chicago, January 17, 1927.
Editor Presto-Times: Your article with respect to
the competition of pawn shops in the musical instru-
ment line inspires me to drop you a few lines regard-
ing really unfair competition which a legitimate
dealer has to contend with.
While the price-cutting of pawn shops, and some
legitimate music dealers, is highly deplorable, it is
not half as depressing on the mind of the average
dealer as to learn from a prospective customer of
his that said customer can have all the goods needed
at wholesale prices, direct from the manufacturer,
because his sweetheart has a friend who is acquainted
with a boy whose father's brother has a daughter
and her beau works there; and can have all he may
ask for at wholesale prices. So, there you are!
While it is quite natural for a manufacturer to be
a good fellow to his employes, it is exceedingly unfair
to the retailer he does business with to have every
employe of his in unfair competition with said re-
tailer.
I his practice, as aforesaid, goes on in every line,
from the piano, radio and phonograph business to the
Ludwig Song-Whistle.
Competition would be keen enough without this
interference; and what do you think of a concern, of
wh:ch you have evidence of such dealings with their
employes, sending letters with offerings of coopera-
tion, territory-assurances, sales helps, etc.?
Yours very truly,
ALBERT E. K E T T N I C H .
The beautifully decorated windows are those of the
Baldwin Piano Company of Indianapolis, Ind. The
ideal location on the southeast segment of the Circle
around the Soldiers' and Sailors' monument, which
attracts 'thousands of sightseeing visitors to the city,
and this portion of the circle answers the short cut
from Washington to Pennsylvania streets, where
thousands of people pass each day. The windows
were especially dressed for the Christmas season and
attracted much attention. The entire store was dec-
orated in long garlands of smilax, with wreaths of
holly and cedar; many exquisite floor lamps were
used for the occasion, and the store in general wore
•the usual holiday atmosphere.
FIREMEN SAVE PIANOS.
In a fire in the Johns building, Main street, Lex-
ington, Ky., last week, foresight of firemen who
moved pianos and musical instruments in the E. C
Christian Music Co. store on the first floor out of
the way of dripping water prevented serious damage
to the stock.
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