Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1927
WHAT'S IN THE TRADE MIND THIS WEEK
Things Talked About in the Offices and Stores
Just Now, Because of Their Bearing
on the Progress and the Profits
in the Business.
even still more, of the music dealers who may make
the music roll one of the large items in the world of
music. What are YOU doing about it?
What About Player-Rolls? How Is Your Radio
Trade? How Slow Does Your Claim Come
Through? And Some Other Affairs Concerning
What You Are Doing.
In days of old when a man or a concern went into
bankruptcy it did not take very long for the receiver
to settle affairs for the creditors. Then, as time
passed, the delays of settlements became longer.
Finally eternity seemed insufficient for the action of
the bankruptcy courts. And then—
After the various industries had formed associa-
tions, designed to help in problems pertaining to the
special lines of trade, a great light seemed to dawn.
It was said that one of the blessings to come was the
expedition in settling bankrupt cases. The creditors
who must suffer monetary loss, at best, at least might
expect to realize a portion of their claims while they
still remained on earth.
That looked good. It seemed so even in the piano
line. Special creditors' committees would attend to
it all. The poor creditor who himself needed the
money might go right on doing business for, within
a very short period his claims against the unfortu-
nate bankrupt would be settled, the check would be
in his hand, and his own creditors would be made
happy, also.
But what about it? Has the speed been developed?
Or has the claim, small or large, been filed away and
forgotten? Or has the bankrupt been duly sworn
and his assets appraised while the creditor waits
hopefully for returns that seemingly will never come?
This is not a kick, or anything like that. It is
merely a gesture of surprise, if not despair. Will
there ever come a time when what may remain of a
bankrupt estate may be distributed within the century
in which the failure occurred? Or must a creditor
conclude, in advance, that the "liabilities and assets"
statement doesn't mean a thing to him? Some legis-
lative act should come to the relief.
Concentration, Contraction, Conservation and Cau-
tion—all beginning with the letter "C," which is a
very busy letter in industry and trade activities gen-
erally. The spirit of concentration and elimination of
waste, in both money and energy, is the dominant
note in all business.
Nor is this true in any particular line of business.
It is prevalent everywhere. In business, as else-
where, the crisp, snappy spirit is operative. Too
many motions are an expense. Too much duplication
is costly. Too many workers, where a fewer might
create more, is opposed to the idea of good man-
agement. Where, in any specialty one concern may
produce all that its buyers can take to sell again,
superfluous factories must go. Where there are sloth-
ful or sluggish forces the live ones must "eat up" the
slow-boys.
That is the spirit of progress. It doesn't apply par-
ticularly to pianos, nor to any other branch of the
music industry. It is a governing principle by which
all lines of manufacture are affected today, as never
before.
It is a condition that has been gradually gaining
power for years. It is at its full just now. And it
means better business, better results, and better
goods for the survivors. In the piano industry there
will be survivors enough. The well posted worker in
the piano business can call them off with scarcely a
moment's thought. And the live manufacturer knows
to which class he belongs and is already prepared for
a progress surpassing that of the best years that have
gone.
* * *
THE PLAYER ROLL INDUSTRY
Here is a prime example of the change that has
come. It is the music roll that has been forced to
the conclusion that waste of motion is fatal to indus-
try, and that too much duplication is destructive.
With a dozen industries trying to fill a field depend-
ent upon 'the energies of another and basic branch
of the same industry—a parent industry—the activi-
ties of which must decide the degree of success of its
associated industries, over-production, or duplication,
is wasteful.
Several music roll industries which started with
much ambition, have found this out. The sale of
music rolls must depend upon the demand of the
playerpiano itself. If three or four roll makers pro-
duce the identical music, the sale of such rolls must
be divided as many times among a comparatively
limited number of buyers.
That is a simple problem. And if, of the several
industries, one or two display special activity and
managerial judgment—enterprise, in other words—
the other industries have competition against which
all are obstructed in their progress. And if there
happen to be two that display special enterprise it
must become a duel between them to the death of
some of the others.
Has this been demonstrated? Easy to answer.
But it is a great mistake to say, as one of the
music roll makers is reported to have said—that
"the music roll business is a dead one." For, on
the contrary, the music roll is very much alive. It
will stay alive as long as there remain even two
ambitious music roll industries, and there are more
than that number—several more. It will continue
to be a live industry as long as the playerpiano is
alive.
And there are few so foolish as to conclude that
the playerpiano is ever to become a "dead thing."
That cannot happen until the people cease to like
music, or decide to shut their ears to it. It is a
question altogether with the roll manufacturers and,
MIGHTY SLOW ADJUSTMENTS
THE RADIO RIOT
Ever since the small boys began to rig up their
own radio sets, and stick unsightly poles on papa's
roof, there has been a perfect riot in radio circles.
And at last the "receivers" began to take on the
outward appearance of something real. They even
took shape as something belonging to the realm of
merchandising. Radio shops began to fill the busi-
ness streets, to make up for the vacancies due to Mr.
Volstead's well-known activities.
And gradually the perplexities of radio manufac-
turers are being straightened out. The settlement of
the Zenith misunderstandings with the Radio Cor-
poration of America is the best evidence of this.
After costs, running into fortunes, the Zenith Cor-
poration recognized the rights of patents owned by
the R. C. A. and last week settlement was made and
the Zenith now has free field in which to develop and
do business.
Others in radio manufacture have winked out in
view of litigation which might be disastrous. Still
others have been hobbling along under the weight of
inferior production and uncertain methods.
The future of radio now seems more substantial
and it remains with the public and the trade to realize
that they are engaged in a line of great possibilities,
which may be more easily spoiled by too much
promising and too great assurance of the infallible.
* * *
PIANO TRADE PALACES
Never has any line of business been able to show
such an array of splendid homes as the piano industry
of this day. In New York, Chicago, and some of the
lesser cities, the buildings occupied, and often owned,
by piano houses are landmarks to which the eye is
instantly attracted. Notably is this true of the new
Aeolian Hall, the Chickering Hall and Steinway Hall
in New York City. There is nowhere a finer speci-
men of modern architecture than that in any of the
piano palaces named. And there are others, in many
cities, which are only less beautiful and impressive.
The gradual growth in the splendor of New York's
piano houses has kept pace with the expanding fame
$2 The Year
of the pianos themselves, and of the pride with which
the retail piano merchants represent them every-
where.
When the first Chickering factory gave way to the
splendid building in Tremont street, Boston, America
saw the beginning of greatness in the creation of the
American instrument. And when the first Steinway
Hall was dedicated in Fourteenth street. New York,
the beginning was made of the special and artistic
homes of the piano. The recent opening of the new
Steinway Hall, in Fifty-seventh street, and the dedi-
cation of the new Chickering Hall, in {he same New
York street, marked the best steps in the career of
the two distinguished instruments. So, too, the new
Aeolian Hall, on Fifth avenue, emphasized this for-
ward movement of the American piano, a movement
which will continue, and steadily add to the glory of
the industry which is at once an inspiration and an
echo of the footsteps of a higher progress.
These are the signs of real permanency of the
piano and the piano business. With all the changes
in form and methods, the piano will continue one of
the progressive lines of activity. It will remain an
industry and business of special and universal inter-
est as long as the world remains. And the well estab-
lished pianos, and the well founded piano houses are
as permanent and as secure as the banks, or other
institutions sustained by the combined capital and
confidence of thousands in all walks of life. And, of
all time, the present is a time of the piano, and of
music in general.
MRS. CARL DROOP BARELY
ESCAPED DEATH IN FIRE
Wife of Prominent Piano Merchant Trapped
in Blazing Home in Wash-
ington, D. C.
Early last Sunday morning firemen saved the life
of Mrs. Carl A. Droop, wife of the head of the
Droop's music house, after fire in her home, 1840
Wyoming avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C., had
driven her to a cornice outside the second-story bed-
room, where she was hanging by her fingertips,
almost unconscious from smoke.
The fire started about 5:30 o'clock in the basement
from a defective furnace. It quickly spread to the
first and second floors before being discovered by
Mr. Droop. He shouted to the maid and to Mrs.
Droop that the house was afire, and ran out to turn
in an alarm.
Firemen responded and were busy coupling- hose
lines when Mrs. Droop was seen to climb out onto
the ledge near her window. A few seconds before
the firemen reat'hed her, she had slipped down and
was holding by her fingertips, almost overcome by
smoke. When rescuers reached her Mrs. Droop re-
lapsed into unconsciousness. After being revived she
said that she was not awakened when her husband
called, and only knew the house was afire when
smoke billowed into her room, and she tried to
escape.
A dog owned by the Droops was asphyxiated and
found on the second floor after the fire was extin-
guished. Damage was estimated at $3,000.
R. O. FOSTER'S VACATION.
Robert O. Foster, of the Minneapolis house of
Foster & Waldo, is at Pass Christian on a short vaca-
tion. And this fact is more remarkable than it may
at first seem. For it is Mr. Foster's first vacation
in eighteen years. For a man who has won a for-
tune in the music business, and who works so hard,
the lapse of time between rests must seem too long.
But Mr. Foster enjoys whatever he does, whether at
work or play, and it is certain he is enjoying his rest
—unless he happens to be writing poetry. For he
does that well, also.
SCHUMANN IN CONCERT.
The Schumann E Grand was again chosen by the
well known Mendelssohn Club for their seven hun-
dred and tenth concert at Rockford, 111. This is the
same organization that featured the massed piano
concert not long ago in which they used sixteen
Schumann grands.
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