MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1927
CONVENTION OF WESTERN
MUSIC TRADES ASSOCIATION
Great Gathering This Week at the St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco,
Convincing Evidence of Virility of the Trade of a Great Section
Music business and social pleasures, enlightening
speeches and elevating music, impressive musical
instrument exhibits and convincing demonstrations
made a complete program for the annual convention
of the Western Music Trades Association at the St.
Francis Hotel, San Francisco, this week. From Tues-
day to Friday, inclusive, every hour of every day
had one or more events with varying degrees of
The Election
As the election for new officers took place Thurs-
day afternoon too late for a complete report for
Presto-Times, which goes to press on Thursday
noon, the anticipations must suffice. The unopposed
ticket, however, may be taken as a certainty. This
is as follows:
President—Edward H. Uhl, Los Angeles.
First Vice-President—G. F. Johnson, Portland,
Oregon.
Second Vice-President—Royal Daynes, Salt Lake
City.
Treasurer—Frank L. Grannis.
The Convention in 1928.
The anticipations for the choice of president in
the days before the election were many and, of course,
local feeling colored the discussions around the hotel
lobby and elsewhere. It was understood that the
choice of the man to head the association would
determine the location of the next convention. With
Mr. Uhl as the choice, Los Angeles will be privileged
to act as host to the Western Music Trades Associa-
tion in 1928. It is really the ambition of Mr. Uhl to
preside at a gathering of western dealers in his own
$2 The Year
Magnavoux, Pooley Mfg. Co., Radio Corp. of Amer-
ica, Sonora Phonographs.
Small Goods and Musical Instruments—Adler Co.,
Blue Bird Mfg. Co., G. Bruno & Sons, Cleo Violin
Strings Co., Continental Music Co., Fred Gretch Mfg.
Co., Walter M. Gotsch Co., E. Engold, Inc., Wm.
L. Lang Co., Lentaly Stand Co., Lyon & Healy,
National String Co., J. M. Sahlein Co., Schiereson
Bros., Schwartz Music Co., S. Simon (violin strings),
Simpson-Frey, Inc., Harry F. Slater Mfg. Co., Slin-
gerland Banjo Co., Tonk Bros. Co., Tonk Mfg. Co.,
N. II. White Co., H. Earl White Corp.
The M. Schulz Display
The exhibit of the M. Schulz Co., Chicago, at the
convention of the Western Music Trades Associa-
tion at the St. Frances Hotel, San Francisco, included
the following:
Walnut La Marquise reproducing grand.
Mahogany Venetian reproducing grand.
Mahogany Louis XV reproducing grand.
High light finish walnut Colony reproducing grand.
EDWARD H. THL.
interest for the members. From the moment of
its official opening by the president, Philip T. Clay,
the convention had no period without a particular
attraction.
Mr. Clay is always instructive and heartening and
he has the admirable ability for the impromptu talk
of the heart-to-heart kind that commands attention
and leaves a satisfactory impression. His opening
talk was at once a review of the aspirations and
achievements and the ambitions of the association
for the future. He provided a keynote that imbued
the subsequent proceedings with the glow of en-
thusiam.
The Business Sessions.
The business sessions were remarkable for the
inspirational character of the addresses and the warm
discussions they evoked. National matters were top-
ics on the schedule that excited a general feeling
of interest and, of course, the problems peculiarly
of a western character were prominent on the inter-
esting program. E. H. Uhl, G. F. Johnson, John
Martin, Edward P. Kelly and others contributed to
the talks on regional matters in the music trade.
Possibly the most attractive feature of the conven-
tion in San Francisco was the exhibition of pianos
and other musical instruments. The exhibits of pianos
were particularly alluring because of the number of
Period models in the most up-to-date finishes. Over
fifty separate exhibits were attractions in the head-
quarters hotel in addition to a number in stores else-
where in the city. The piano exhibits were con-
vincing evidences of the power for results in piano
promotion by the organized bodies and by individual
manufacturers. The displays were well calculated
to evoke the enthusiasm of the dealers in their part
in the movement to rehabilitate the piano as the
foremost instrument in the scheme of music.
PHILIP CLAY.
city, to which, for the occasion, he would use his
acknowledged powers of allurement in bringing a
host of eastern and middle western dealers and man-
ufacturers and their relatives and friends.
Great Piano Array.
The exhibits provide constant attraction for the
dealers and the displays, certainly, are worthy of
the occasion. The extent of the displays and the
efforts of the manufacturers are a tribute to the im-
portance of the western trade.
The following is a list of the exhibitors:
Piano Exhibits—American Piano Co., Baldwin
Piano Co., Hobart M. Cable Piano Co., Jesse French
& Sons, Gulbransen & Co., Haddorff Piano Co., Ivers
& Pont Piano Co., Lester Piano Co., Paul G. Mehlin
& Sons Piano Co.; M. Schulz Co., B. K. Settergren
Co., Sherman Clay & Co., Starr Piano Co., Werner
Piano Co. (with M. Schulz Co.), Western Piano
Corp.
Phonographs, Radios, Etc.—Andrea F. A. D.,
Argus, Radio, Atwater Kent, Brunswick-Balke-Col-
lender Phonograph Co., Columbia Phonegraph Co.,
ED. KELLY.
High light finish walnut M. Schulz style 15 player-
piano.
Mahogany 3 foot 8 inch M. Schulz style 30 piano.
Mahogany 3 foot 8 inch Werner style 24 player-
piano.
Walnut 4 foot 1 inch Werner style 16 piano.
Period benches were provided for each Period
model in the exhibit. The very latest Period mod-
els were finished in lacquer in an attractive way that
added to the impressive character of the exhibit.
The M. Schulz Co.'s showing of fine Period mod-
els finished in conformity with the prevailing demand
of tasteful piano buyers was a strong feature of the
exhibition. In a forceful way it impressed the west-
ern dealers with the progressive character of the
M. Schulz Co. in every phase of piano production.
Particularly the exhibit was convincing evidence of
the company's ability to turn out case work of true
artistic excellence with a true regard for truth in
design and fineness of finish.
MARSHALL BREEDEN'S VISIT.
Marshall Breeden, the wholesale representative of
the Jesse French & Sons Piano Co., New Castle,
Ind., for southern California, visited the factory for
a few days recently and was very much impressed
with the new Art styles in uprights and the Period
grands. He expressed himself as feeling confident
of their ready reception in California. Mr. Breeden
has also accepted the territory covering New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Colorado.
Harry W. Wert, sales manager of Pearson Piano
Company, Indianapolis, was elected president of the
Pennsylvania Street Business Association at the an-
nual dinner held at the Spink Arms Hotel last week.
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