June 4, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
new officers will continue to have the support and
wise counsel of the men who have brought the
American Piano Co. to its high position in the music
industry. The old policies of the company, Mr. Wag-
ner said, will be maintained towards making every
product the best in its class, keeping a superior serv-
ice for the 'trade and the public, including sales
As Announced Last Week Change of Capital promotion,
financing and the other necessary factors
Construction Allows Five Shares of New
in modern merchandising.
Common Stock to Take Place of One
The New Officers.
The following are the officers elected at the recent
of Old Issue.
meeting of the American Piano Co.:
George G. Foster, chairman of the board of
directors.
C. Alfred Wagner, president.
New Head Affirms Old Policies of Superior Service
Frank E. Wade, vice-president.
Gardner C. Kavanagh, vice-president in charge of
and the Maintenance of Every Product
sales.
as Best in Its Class.
Boyd Dudley, vice-president in charge of manufac-
The announcement already made of the change in turing.
financing of the American Piano Co., New York,
Floyd R. Gilfoil, vice-president and treasurer.
accompanied by the publication of the new organiza-
Richard K. Paynter, secretary.
tion of officers, executive committee and board of
The Directors.
directors, now permits of additional particulars. The
The board of directors comprises: George C. Fos-
offering of 170,000 shares of new common stock,
being presented through the most substantial banking ter, chairman; Louis S. Brady, Boyd Dudley, George
concerns throughout the country does not represent L. Eaton, Floyd R. Gilfoil, Walter E. Hope, Gardner
any new financing on the part of the American Piano C. Kavanagh, Elton Parks, Richard K. Paynter, B. A.
Co., but is a change in the capital structure whereby Tompkins, Frank E. Wade and C. Alfred Wagner.
five shares of new no par value common stock take
The executive committee is composed of B. A.
the place of one of the present common issue.
Tompkins, chairman; Boyd Dudley, Floyd R. Gil-
The new arrangement is in response to the wishes foil, Walter E. Hope, Gardner C. Kavanagh, Richard
of the officials who have long served the company to H. Paynter and C. Alfred Wagner.
place the responsibility of management on the earnest
Elton Parks, on the board of directors, is of the
firm of Dominick & Dominick, bankers; Mr. Hope
is associated with Masten & Nichols, the company's
general counsel, and Mr. Tompkins is a vice-presi-
dent of the Bankers Trust Company.
AMERICAN PIANO CO.
ELECTSOFFICERS
C.ALFRED WAGNER, PRESIDENT
OLDEST MEMBER OF
TRADE TO ATTEND
J. A. Bates, of Middletown, N. Y., Will Be at
the Convention by Special Invitation and
Possibly May Be One of the Speakers.
All at the convention will be interested to know that
J. A. Bates, of Middletown, N. Y., is expected to be
present as the guest of the merchants' association,
and, if he is able to be here he will certainly be given
a place at the speakers' table at the merchants' din-
ner Thursday night, notwithstanding that he may not
be given an opportunity of making a speech, as every
minute of the dinner hour is taken up in the many
talks that have already been arranged for.
Mr. Bates, who is probably the oldest man now
engaged in the music business in this country, has
been especially invited to come to the Chicago con-
STRONG PROMOTION
BY MELODY WAY PLAN
J. A. BATES.
Kohler Industries, New York, Through All Its
Activities, Acknowledges Efficiency of
vention, and it is hoped he will be heard at least in
a short talk Thursday evening. Mr. Bates has been
Plan Devised by W. Otto Miessner.
The-Kohler Industries has lent its entire sales staff
to the promotion of the "Miessner Melody Way"
method of piano instruction, and, in order that it may
be even easier for youngsters to understand the
method, has released through the De Luxe Repro-
ducing Roll Corporation, one of its affiliated com-
panies, Welte-Mignon (Licensee) Reproducing Rec-
ords, as well as records for regular players of the
entire course.
These records are four in number, each having
three lessons. First, the simple melody is played
throughout, then the treble alone is played, then the
bass, and finally a duet arrangement in which the
pupil plays the little selection together with the re-
producing piano. This, of course, is followed out
through all of the lessons.
C. ALFRED WAGNER.
Included with each record is the sheet music which
younger men and to acknowledge their efficiency and
conscientious efforts by giving them control in the corresponds with the lessons on it. The result is
that for children whose homes contain the Welte-
affairs of the company.
At the meeting last week the directors declared the Mignon (Licensee) Reproducing piano, or a player-
usual quarterly dividend on the preferred stock and piano of any kind, there is given an exact demonstra-
a quarterly dividend on the new no par common stock tion of how the little melody they are studying should
of seventy-five cents a share, placing the stock on a be played.
$3 basis.
Of course, these records may be played as fast or
Acquire Large Stock Holdings.
as slowly as desired; they may be stopped and re-
peated, and the child gets an excellent idea of pedal-
The new officers have acquired large holdings of
stock in the company, but large holdings have been ing, time, etc., with a minimum of effort. The new
retained by George G. Foster, William B. Arm- rolls give the child an actual demonstration of how
strong, George L. Eaton and Frank E. Wade. The its "piece" should sound when properly played.
future of the new officers was considered in a most
practical way by the connection with the strongest
REMINDER FOR TRAVELERS.
banking interests for their benefit.
The attention of members of the National Piano
A Bit of History.
The American Piano Company was incorporated in Travelers Association is called to" the annual meet-
1908 through the consolidation of the William Knabe ing and dinner at the Drake Hotel, Monday, June 6.
& Co., Chickering and Sons and the Foster-Arm- At the official registration desk at the Stevens Hotel,
strong Co., all the three old, well established com- presided over by the secretary, Al. Behning, tickets
panies in the piano industry. In recent years several for the dinner will be on sale all day on that date.
other companies have been acquired. Until recently The price includes a ride to the Drake Hotel. A rep-
the Knabe, Chickering and Foster-Armstrong consti- resentative of the Yellow Cab Co. will be on hand
tuted the three main groups operated separately, with from 5:30 to 6:00 to see that our members are taken
the Foster-Armstrong group absorbing from time to care of—"Five can ride as cheaply as one" (Yellow
time acquired Haines Bros. Co., Marshall & Wendell, Cab slogan), so if you will get together in groups,
the Brewster and the J. B. Cook & Co. In 1922 .the just think how much you will save the Committee in
Amphion Piano Player Co., of Syracuse, N. Y., was taxi fares!
acquired and its plants were devoted to the develop-
ment of the now so popular Ampico reproducing
INDIANA DEALER DIES.
piano. In 1924 Mason & Hamhn Co., with factories
John
M.
Mitchell, Kendallville, Ind , aged 69 years,
in Boston and showrooms in Boston and New York,
resident
of
that city the last eighteen years and a
was added to the list of the American Piano Com-
veteran piano dealer, died recently at his home on
pany's subsidiaries.
Mott street following a ten-day illness from paralysis.
Mr. Wagner's Statement.
He was stricken on Easter Sunday and a few days
later his condition became critical.
C. Alfred Wagner, the new president, said that the
achieving quite a reputation as an "on the air" speaker
in his locality of late. One of his broadcast talks
is referred to in a New York paper as follows:
"Many radio fans here and throughout the country
listened last night to an address by Commander J. A.
Bates, of G. A. R., broadcast from station WEAF,
of New York City.
"Middletown listeners rather resented the negligence
of the announcer in failing to tell the radio audience
that Mr. Bates, whose topic was the 'Last Grand
Army Man,' was a resident of Middletown. Mr.
Bates, 85, was introduced as one of the last of the
Civil War veterans. It was not a pleasant thing, he
said, to see one's old comrades dying off at such an
alarming rate. He dwelt for a time on what the
•thoughts would be of the sole survivor of the war
that saved the republic. It would not be a pleasant
burden, he surmised. Mr. Bates' voice came through
clear and resonant and there was no hint of static
or other disturbance which was well nigh perfect.
Mr. Bates is rapidly becoming widely known to 'the
ladies and gentlemen of the radio audience.' He has
received many congratulatory messages."
WORD FROM OTTO SCHULZ
EXPRESSED HOPE TO GET HERE
Leaves France on Saturday, But, of Course, Can Not
Arrive in Time.
A cable message early this week from Otto Schulz
said that he is leaving, probably from Cherbourg,
France, this week Saturday, on the steamer Ham-
burg.
Mr. Schulz had expressed the possibility of arriv-
ing in Chicago in time to attend the convention next
week, but evidently he could not get away in time.
It is certain that practically every man of the in-
dustry at the Stevens Hotel next week will miss Mr.
Schulz fully as much as the former president of the
Manufacturers' Association will regret his inability
to be there.
H. EDGAR FRENCH AT CONVENTION.
H. Edgar French, president of the Jesse French &
Sons Piano Co., of New Castle, Ind., will be a visitor
at the Chicago convention, remaining for a day or
two. There will be no Hotel Stevens exhibit of
Jesse French & Sons products, and., while we have no
authority for saying so, it is Presto-Times belief that
any dealers who may want to meet Mr. French should
"make a date" beforehand. But, then, New Castle is
only a few hours away from Chicago.
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