February 12, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
PAULIST CHORISTERS AND THE KNABE
SLOGANS AS SIGNS
OF BETTER BUSINESS
Say It with Whatever You May the Effect
Upon Selling Will Depend Almost
Altogether Upon Something Else
Than Slogans.
POSIES AND PIANOS
Why Florists "Get By" Without Working Their
Trade-Mark in Printer's Ink and How Music
Merchants May Do Better.
By J. B. DILLON.
Father Finn's Choristers long ago set a standard
in male choir singing that has been brilliantly main-
tained by this famous organization. Their recent
reappearance, after a lapse of several years, at Car-
negie Hall, New York, met with a crowded house
of enthusiastic lovers of choral music and admirers
of the rare achievement in voice production as exem-
plified in boys' voices trained under Father Finn's
direction.
The Knabe concert grand on the stage augmented
the accompanying orchestra gathered from members
of the New York Philharmonic. The Knabe is used
exclusively by the Paulist Fathers, both in the con-
certs of their choir and in the broadcasting studios of
their famous station W L W L ; in fact the musical
activities of the Paulists are closely wrapped around
the Knabe. Father Finn's letter of appreciation fol-
lows:
Wm. Knabe & Co.,
439 Fifth Avenue,
New York City.
Gentlemen: I am delighted with the Knabe pianos
which we use, both in rehearsals and at the formal
concerts of the Paulist Choristers. The Choristers
have aimed in their long career at a definite "bel
canto" tone, and in the employment of boy-sopranos,
it is difficult to secure, unless one has the right piano.
We are happy in the knowledge that we have the
right piano. The tone is smooth, sustaining and ex-
traordinarily sonorous.
Cordially,
(Signed) WILLIAM S. FINN,
Conductor.
BALTIMORE NOW HAS
HARMONICA INDUSTRY
goods and supplies; $25,000; E. L. Jordan, Harry
Smallwood and W. R. Thomas.
Shackleton Piano Company, Louisville, Ky.; $50,-
000; Carl Shackleton, Robert J. Shackleton and Her-
bert F. Boehl.
The Lawrence Music Co., Lewiston, Me.; to deal
in music goods; Wm. Worth, L. Warren, Henry H.
Gambier and Alice P. Warren.
Charles M. Stieff, Inc., to Open Fine General
Music House Independently of the Old
Manufacturing Plant.
By JOHN F. IGNACE.
A branch store will be opened by the Charles M.
Stieff Company, at 2321 East Monument street, Balti-
more. The store property at the above location has
been leased by the piano concern for that purpose
according to an announcement. It is understood
that a complete line of musical instruments will be
carried and 'the new store will be opened following
the necessary improvements and remodeling.
The main store of the Charles M. Stieff, Inc., is at
315 North Howard street, where the firm has one of
the best appointed musical instrument establishments
in Baltimore, It is also one of the largest. The
Stieff piano, manufactured at their own factory in
this city, is their main feature.
The Roll Monica Music Company, 1810 Frederick
avenue, has been established for the manufacture of
harmonicas and allied musical instruments. The
firm is a recent addition to the local musical instru-
ment manufacturing field.
The musical instrument stock of the Columbia
Wholesalers Company, 263 West Camden street, was
damaged by a fire which originated in an adjoining
building. Records and radios as well as other instru-
ments were damaged to the extent of several hun-
dred dollars, it was estimated.
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADE
AMERICAN PIANOS IN
THE AUSTRALIAN TRADE
With German Instruments They Enjoy Bulk of Busi-
ness, According to British Gov't Report.
The latest figures furnished by the Department of
Overseas Trade in regard to the piano imports into
Australia are for the financial year ending June 30,
1926, says the "Music Trades Review" of London.
They still show that a preponderance of the export
trade in pianos into that country is done by America
and Germany. They are as follows: Grand pianos,
123—of which Germany sent 79, Great Britain 20 and
United States 19; uprights, 6,525—Germany 3,824,
America 1,409, Great Britain 1,118; players (grand)
89—of which America contributed 63, Germany 23,
and Great Britain 3; players (upright) 8,735—of which
7,042 were American and 1,387 were German, our own
contribution being 214.
These figures show that as compared with the pre-
vious year fewer pianos were purchased by Australia
—6,649 as against 10,225—and more players were pur-
chased—8,844 as against 7,321.
MOVES IN INDIANAPOLIS.
Formal opening of the new Hobart M. Cable
Piano Company show rooms, 150 North Delaware
street, Indianapolis, was held Friday and Saturday of
last week.
R. W. Coverdill, manager, said the
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
steadily increasing business of the organization had
Places.
made necessary the change so that additional space
The Fredjou Co., Wilmington, Del., to deal in would be available. A line of phonographs, records,
pianos and other musical instruments; $100,000; S. L. and a more complete line of pianos are on display in
the new quarters.
Mackay and others.
The Burns Piano Co., Daytona Beach, Fla.; amend-
ment to charter increasing capital stock to $25,000.
SUCCEEDS JOHN L. STEVENS.
William Waldman, Inc., New York City, pianos
John H. Gettell has been appointed to succeed the
and radio; M. C. Kantrowitz, and others.
Beck, Inc., Camden, N. J., to deal in phonographs. late John W. Stevens as secretary and general man-
ager of the Mathushek Piano Mfg. Co., New York.
Frank Voight and others.
The Bell Music Co., Inc.; to engage in a general Mr. Gettell has served as assistant to Mr. Stevens for
musical instrument business; $25,000; John J. Bell, many years and has made numerous trips visiting the
retail trade. He is experienced in both the retail and
Grace Rozal and Catherine Bell.
Jordan Piano Co., Laurel, Miss.; to deal in music wholesale phases of the business.
Since the first of this year there seems to have
come over all of us that the slogan, "Say It with
Flowers," has been the real reason for a better and
bigger business with the florists.
Now, the writer does not pretend to say that there
has, or has not, been a bigger and better business
because of the slogan. But I do say that my ob-
servations are 'that the florists do not advertise any
more—in fact, not as much—as many other kinds
of business. And I will say this:
If any of you believe that the slogan has been
the means to the end, then you are overlooking a
few things.
See Cause of It.
Plowers, after being cut, soon wilt and the lover
of flowers—and that means almost everybody—must
get more. There's your repeat order, which makes
big business. Then like a cook book, or a book on
etiquette, there have been laid down certain rules
wherein it is stated that milady must wear flowers;
certain palms, ferns, and flowers must be used to
decorate at various festivities. And, as most of the
beautiful flowers perform duty for just a few short
hours (no poetry intended), new ones must be secured
for the next occasion, and so on ad infinitum, ad
lib., etc.
Many of the flowers growing in the yards of pri-
vate residences are annuals, and to get more, unless
one knows how to collect seed, new plants must be
purchased. And thus it goes in the florist business,
and it is because of the universal love for flowers, the
moderate cost, except in a few cases, that folks con-
tinue to spend money with the florist.
Now Candidly.
Regardless of the many different kinds of plants
and flowers used at receptions, how many do you
find that are without music? N.ONE. And this even
applies at a church funeral. Therefore we may not
be as badly crippled as we think we are.
What to Do.
The slogans, as suggested by W. L. Bush, are
meaty, to the point, to the purpose, and should be
used promiscuously. Yet local conditions, and the
name of the music dealer, should suggest additions
and not get in a rut with any one slogan, because
its lure soon, wears out, will be parodied, like many
others, or get as monotonous as: "So's Your Old
Man."
Then, there are few music dealers who would fail
to collect a crowd by having F R E E musicals at
their auditoriums, and during these recitals a few
words to the crowd of the necessity of teaching the
children music could be interspersed, and repeating
these meetings quite often the crowd would advertise
you and your meritorious work and sales would in-
crease.
Via Comparison.
Some few years ago it was thought that most every-
body had an automobile, but the sales go merrily
on, both used and new cars. The lure for a car
with some folks is equal to a mania. Let's make
the lure for music to most of the folks equal to a
mania, and then our sales for new and used pianos
and other musical instruments will also go more
merrily on.
It is a cinch that if we stop the folks will stop,
and then the business will stop. Use the newspapers
to call the folks to the store, and to tell them in a
few words why children should be taught music at
school. And keep after the school board, to push
the teaching of music. Nobody will censure you for
that, and sales will come just as sure as the world
lasts, and of 'that we feel a certainty.
Get forty-eleven slogans, use them, advertise, hold
receptions and never quit, and watch the business
come. Of course it is hard at times, and often dis-
heartening, but then what a relief when we score!
Now hit the ball and run the bases and hear the
crowd applaud.
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