Presto

10
PRESTO-TIMES
TRADE ETHICS
IN LOS^ ANGELES
May 28, 1927.
to confuse the public and lead to believe that instru-
ments of famous makes may be purchased at less
price than the manufacturers themselves could sell it.
E. Palmer Tucker's View.
The writer called at the office of the Wiley B.
Allen Company, 720 South Broadway, Los Angeles,
Window Display in the California City Chal- who are the Coast representatives of the famous
Mason & Hamlin piano, introduced himself to E.
lenges the Critical Eyes of Presto-Times
Palmer Tucker, manager, and after explaining the ob-
Correspondent, Who Marvels at
ject of his call and detailing to him the circumstances
Conditions.
of the Mason piano which was on exhibition in the
Barker Bros, show window, expressed surprise that
such was the case, and Mr. Tucker replied:
"Yes, I know it—that has been going on for some
Interviews with Several Prominent Local Houses time." When the writer further suggested that some
drastic remedy be taken to correct such lack of trade
Prove That Big Department Store's Methods
ethics, Mr. Tucker said: "Well, what can you do?
Do Not Meet with Approval.
If we make objection and report same to the piano
trade association they will only say, 'That is a piano
By GILBERT BRETON.
row,' and that would be the end of it."
It is many years since a more flagrant breach of
The only remedy that could be suggested would be
piano ethics has been enacted, and it occurred in Los to ventilate such practice in the trade papers and
thereby create moral pressure which would prevent
Angeles, Cal., during the past week.
A representative of Presto-Times passing the corner such unprofessional practice in the piano trade.
of Figueroa and Seventh streets had his attention
Other Opinions.
called to a very attractive display of grand pianos in
Wishing
still
further
to learn the sentiments of
the piano department window of Barker Bros., one
other dealers on the subject of Los Angeles piano
of the most up-to-date and progressive department
ethics, the Presto-Times man called upon several
stores on the Coast.
The window contained a beautiful Sohmer grand, prominent members of the trade with the following
a Brambach baby grand, and a baby grand in brown results.
E. A. Geisler, president and secretary of the
mahogany stencilled "Mason, New York," price $485.
Knowing that no grand piano of the famous Mason Barker Bros. Music Co., the Steinway & Sons agents,
said: "We never place any stencil pianos in our
& Hamlin Company, of Boston, could be retailed at
such a ridiculous price, the writer entered the store window, as in fact need not be said, and wish to go
and proceeded to the piano department to investigate. on record as distinctly condemning the practice."
J. Fitzgerald said: "You can quote me as saying
He learned that it was not the famous Mason &
Hamlin of Boston, but a "commercial" piano made in that the practice of exhibiting instruments bearing
the names of famous instruments on any other than
New York City.
those of the actual makers w r ould not be counte-
The "Mason" Piano.
nanced. I am surprised that a firm of such promi-
On inquiring as to the Mason piano which appeared
nence as Barker Bros, should be dealing in stenciled
in the window, the salesman said: "Yes, we sell a pianos, and still more that they should use mislead-
large number of those pianos," and when astonish- ing tactics in their sales.
ment was expressed at the extremely low price—
Other News.
$485—the salesman said: "Well, they are just as
Henry Lowell Mason, president of the Mason &
good as those that cost $1,600 to $1,800, the same as
Hamlin Company, of Boston, Mass., passed through
the other dealers charge elsewhere," and went on to
Los Angeles en route to the East from San Francisco
say that people nowadays were not paying fancy
prices for names on pianos; they judged more by the and paid Wiley B. Allen Company, their agents here,
a pleasant call recently. He was entertained by E.
cases and the style and the color of the wood!
The impression was given that a purchaser was Palmer Tucker and expressed himself highly pleased
getting a genuine Mason & Hamlin grand piano, with the outlook for the coming season, and for the
made by the Mason & Hamlin Piano Company, the very high position the Mason & Hamlin grand pianos
president of which is Henry Lowell Mason—an in- had achieved, being exclusively used by the artists of
strument of enviable reputation extending over a the Los Angeles Opera Company in their perform-
period of three generations—for less than one-third ances at the Philharmonic Auditorium.
John C. Monning, manager of the piano de-
the price of the genuine Mason & Hamlin piano.
partment of the Wiley B. Allen Company, has re-
Other Great Names.
ceived a very handsome brochure, containing an ad-
dress of Henry Lowell Mason, well-known litterateur
The writer again glanced in the window as he went
out and saw other grand pianos on exhibition, and and piano critic, on the occasion of the seventieth
said to himself: "What would happen if William birthday of the Mason & Hamlin piano. The meeting
was held in Jordan Hall, Boston, and the audience
Steinway, Hugo Sohmer, Ernest Knabe, Albert
Weber, Jonas Chickering, or even W. W. Kimball consisted of the most prominent of that cultured
saw pianos with simply the name "Steinway, Boston, musical city.
Mass.," "Chickering, New York," "Knabe, Boston,"
Radio Station KFXB, located in the Commercial
or "W. W. Kimball, Boston," each and every one Exchange Building in Greater Los Angeles, is broad-
not appearing with the location of its place of manu- casting a system of piano instruction. They claim
facture.
that anyone of ordinary musical intelligence can at-
The fact of exposing for sale and for public ex- tain a musical education free of charge.
Frank Anrys, general manager of the Wiley B.
hibition pianos bearing the name of a famous maker
without giving its factory location or the corporate Allen Company's interests, was in Los Angeles Mon-
name of the manufacturers can have only the object day on a business trip, conferring with E. Palmer
ABUSE OF FAMOUS NAMES
H.G.MELVIN IN CHARGE
OF PORTLAND OFFICE
New Sales Representative of Western Piano
Corporation's Branch Is Calling on Trade
in West and Northwest.
Beeman P. Sibley, president of the Western Piano
Corporation, recently announced from the head office
of that organization in San Francisco, the appoint-
ment of Harry G. Melvin to the Portland branch,
which will now be under his direction.
Mr. Melvin is well-known to piano dealers in the
West, particularly in the Northwest. Eight years ago
he left Illinois and formed connections with the Wiley
B. Allen Company. He had been in their service
until his recent change. , Thoroughly experienced
both in retail and wholesale piano sales the Western
Piano Corporation's new salesman is expected to be
a great asset to his employers. In a recent interview
Mr. Melvin said:
"I feel that I can help the dealers solve
their piano needs to good advantage, and will at all
times cooperate with them in every way possible. I
am personally acquainted with most of the boys in
the Northwest and am sure that they will be glad to
know I am connected with the Western Piano Cor-
poration as their Northwest Representative."
Dealers throughout the Northwest will receive
calls from Mr. Melvin as quickly as he can get around
to them. He says that he is going to see every one
of his dealer friends within a short time no matter
how remote a place their stores may be located in.
A TIMELY CORRECTION
ABOUT THE CABLE DISPLAY
Will Have No Exhibit at Hotel, but "Radiano," Will
Be Seen at Warerooms.
Chicago, May 21, 1927.
Editor Presto-Times: May I express the thanks
of The Cable Piano Company, and also the inventors
and owners of the "Radiano," for the article which
you printed in your current issue, describing the
"Radiano" and stating that it would have its first
public exhibition in our warerooms during the coming
convention.
May I, however, call your attention to the fact
that The Cable Company will have no exhibit at the
Hotel Stevens. Pursuing our long established cus-
tom, we will exhibit only at our own warerooms, at
Jackson & Wabash. Knowing your desire for com-
plete accuracy in all statements appearing in your
paper, I thought I would call your attention to the
above, while acknowledging our appreciation of your
article.
Very truly yours,
GEO. J. DOWLING,
President.
Tucker and J. C. Monning in relation to spring busi-
ness. Mr. Anrys expressed himself highly pleased
with business conditions and predicted a great out-
look for the Mason & Hamlin piano for the coming
BOWEN PIANO LOADER HELPS SALESMEN
Outside Salesmen must be equipped so as to "show the goods." The season for country piano selling is approaching. Help your sales-
men by furnishing them with the New Bowen Piano Loader, which serves as a wareroom far from the store. It is the only safe
delivery system for dealers, either in city or country. It costs little. Write for particulars.
BOWEN PIANO LOADER CO.
Winston-Salem, N. C
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