MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1927
NEWS OF THfi TRADE
UN LOSANGELES
Plans of Sherman, Clay
California to Change Methods of Distrib-
uting the Products of the Victor
Talking Machine Company.
OTHER TRADE INCIDENTS
Starr Piano Co. Sales Expand Under Management of
A. J. Robinson—Notable Baldwin Sale—Installa-
tion of Wurlitzer Organ and Other News.
By GILBERT BRETON'.
The principal news along the Piano Row in Los
Angeles this week is that Sherman, Clay & Co.
has relinquished its Southern California Victor ter-
ritory and that the Victor Talking Machine Company
will take it over and establish an agency supplying
the entire Southern California territory from Los
Angeles, while San Francisco and Oregon and Wash-
ington territory will be supplied from San Francisco
and Portland. The transaction was completed by
Geo. Menton, the general agent for the Victor people,
who announced that the Victor Company would
make an aggressive fall campaign, during which many
new features would be offered. A Canras Amry, the
local representative of the Victor company, said that
good service would be assured.
Starr Piano Company Expands.
A. J. Robinson, sales manager of the Starr Piano
Company at 630 S. Hill street, Los Angeles, repre-
sents an excellent business in the Starr Grand and
Upright, at both the main store and the numerous
branches throughout Southern California. Mr. Rob-
inson was for many years sales manager with Thebes-
Stierlin. St. Louis, and he extends a cordial invitation
to all his eastern friends to call when they visit Cali-
fornia.
Baldwin Activities.
The wholesale activities of this prominent line are
becoming quite successful. Owing to the experience
and wide acquaintance of J. J. Griffith, during the
past week they have closed a contract to furnish a
superb reproducing grand to Warner Bros, for use
in their new residence in Hollywood. The sale is
noticeable from the fact that the contract was secured
in competition with all the different prominent makes.
It is to be of special construction to correspond with
the architecture and furniture of the residence. The
Baldwin Piano Co. has several prominent proposi-
tions for supplying grands to new theaters in process
of erection.
Wurlitzer Won the Sale.
Owing to the addition of a superb Wurlitzer organ
and reproducing grand in the salon of the new mil-
lion dollar Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, the Roose-
velt has provided excellent musical programs. The
Wurlitzer Co. feels justly proud of its success in cap-
turing this sale owing to the prominent competition
which is experienced.
The Barnes Music Co., 332 South Broadway, has
lately compiled a beautiful musical souvenir in the
shape of a magazine in broche form which will en-
able parents to economically instruct their children in
music. The object of the souvenir is, of course, to
stimulate a demand for the well-known lines in-
cluding the Ilallett & Davis, Schiller, Henry F.
Miller, Braumuller and others.
Some Personal Notes.
Frank Grannis, vice-president of the Southern Cali-
fornia Music Company, has returned from his vaca-
tion and is now guiding the piano sales department at
the main store.
George Heinie, who has lately recovered from a
major operation, is visiting Manager Jourdan at his
Los Angeles branch.
1. N. Rice, the veteran piano man, is expected in
Los Angeles the coming week to spend a pleasant
vacation.
Geo. P. Bent and R. K. Maynard, both were visit-
ors at the Wilev B. Allen warerooms this week and
both looked hale and hearty. Mr. Maynard was suf-
fering from a slight lameness of the right arm, and
which your correspondent attributed to writing so
many orders for M. Schultz pianos, the result of his
attractive exhibit at the San Francisco exhibition.
John J. Foster is conducting a summer sale of
used uprights of various makes. Mrs. Eda Campbell,
his former bookkeeper and stenographer, has re-
turned to her former position in the store.
Mrs. Rahn, the accomplished stenographer and
private secretary to Manager Tucker at the Wiley
B. Allen Company, is enjoying her vacation sojourn-
ing at Santa Monica and the Beaches. J. H. An-
drews, manager of the radio department of the Wiley
B. Allen Company, has returned from his vacation
along the northwest coast.
E. Palmer Tucker's Work.
E. Palmer Tucker, secretary of the Music Trade
Association of Southern California, was responsible
for the resolution passed at the recent convention of
the Western Music Trade Association requesting the
State Board of Education to favor instruction in
music.
Air. Tucker told a Presto-Times representative in
an interview that he had been revolving this subject
in his mind for some time, but never had an oppor-
tunity to bring it forcibly before the proper officials.
He said that now while he was entering upon his
duties as secretary of the association he felt it his
duty to aid in every way the advancement of music,
both instrumental and vocal, and to bring the entire
power and support of the State Board of Education to
accomplish this end. When our representative said
it will no doubt stimulate the cause of music and
enhance the sale of musical instruments and thereby
become a powerful adjunct and stimulate the music
trade throughout the entire state, Mr. Tucker said
"That is the main object which is uppermost in my
mind and I shall lend all my assistance and all of
my influence to bring about the desired result and
which cannot help be a benefit to the entire music
trade of the state."
BISSELL-WEISERT CO.'S
RECORDING AMPICO SALES
Among Numerous Recent Purchases, Armour Fam-
ily of Chicago Buys Its Ninth Ampico.
Mrs. J. Ogden Armour has just placed an order
with Bissell-Weisert Piano Company of Chicago for
a Chickering Ampico in the Spanish manner. This
makes the ninth Ampico owned by the Armour
family and its branches, a record which surpasses
that of the famous Cheek family of Nashville, in
which are owned eight Chickering Ampicos.
Other important recent sales made by Bissell-
Weisert are . those of a Chickering Ampico to
Walter J. Riley, president of the Calumet Trust &
Savings Bank; a Louis XVI Chickering Ampico to
George B. Harrington, one of the largest coal op-
erators in the Windy City, and that of a Louis XVI
Ampico to Mrs. Robert R. McCormick, wife of the
editor of the Chicago Tribune.
C. J. HEPPE & SON GIVES
PHILADELPHIA A SHOW
Interesting Method of Advertising the Melody Way
Classes Attracts Big Crowds on Chestnut Street.
Effective publicity for the Melody Way method of
piano teaching was recently put in operation by C. J.
Heppe & Son, Philadelphia, with excellent results
in increasing the number of pupils in the Melody
Way classes.
The general plan was to have three children from
one of the regular classes appear in the window at
intervals during the day. In a miniature studio they
went through the simple exercises each time giving
a demonstration covering about five minutes.
The company has found this method of advertis-
ing the classes a most effective one, which has con
siderably aided in the enrollment of the 1,400 pupils
which now constitute the Melody Way class. The
demonstration was an interesting incident on Chest-
nut street at intervals during the day and provide*
another evidence of the progressive character of tin
company.
$2 The Year
OUR PIANO AND
PLAYER EXPORTS
The Whole World Is American Manufacturer's
Market, But Australia Leads as Customer
for Both Pianos and Players and
Trade Continues to Grow.
MEXICO SECOND
Republic to South Holds Good Lead Over Canada, in
Third Place—Greatest Competition Abroad is
from German Instruments.
The American trade in pianos extends to prac-
tically every important foreign country. The popu-
larity of American-made instruments is not limited
to any particular country and American producers
are not dependent on any one continent or world
area for the sale of their pianos, says Commerce
reports.
United States exports of pianos to Xorth America
and Oceania together accounted for more than 7$
per cent of the total United States exports to all
foreign countries in 1926. A greatly increased activ-
ity in piano exportation during the past decade has
resulted in a change in the relative importance of
several of the most valued foreign markets. Many
of the pianos exported by the United States in 1913
were sold in the near-by markets of Xorth America—
approximately one-half by value of the total exports
being shipped to that region.
Regardless of the fact that exports to the North
American area have increased from year to year it
has been displaced as the chief market by Oceania,
to which area more than $3,000,000 worth of Amer-
ican pianos were exported in 1926, whereas North
America received only $1,679,923 worth. This re-
versal of relative position is not of recent date, how-
ever; it took place first in 1916 and resulted pri-
marily from the sudden and pronounced increase in
the sale of American pianos in Australia, a country
which has developed into the best market of the
world for pianos of American manufacture.
Market Requirements Vary.
An analysis shows that Australia not only leads
as a market for all kinds of pianos shipped from the
United States but also leads in the consumption of
both players and other pianos. Markets for Amer-
ican pianos are not restricted and Latin American
countries appear quite prominently among the first
10 foreign markets. In fact, when the combined
exports of both players and other pianos are con-
sidered, 6 Latin American countries appear among
the first 10 markets.
Although Australia's leadership in this respect is
in no way challenged by Mexico, the second most
important market from the standpoint of United
States exports of pianos, that country in turn holds
a very substantial lead over Canada, the third world
market. The next three countries, Argentina, Cuba,
and Venezuela, are rather closely grouped, with the
total value amounting to around $250,000. When
relative position is considered according to exports
of player pianos only, the order is somewhat
changed, although Australia still leads and is followed
by Mexico. Canada, however, drops to fifth place,
being preceded by Argentina and Venezuela in order,
Cuba taking sixth place and the other countries
remaining in their previous order. When foreign
markets are considered from the viewpoint of ordi-
nary pianos Australia leads again, but not to the
same extent as it did in player pianos. Mexico
drops to fourth place under this classification, Can-
ada moves up to second place and Cuba follows in
third place. Argentina still remains within the first
live markets, but Japan. Brazil, Uruguay, the Phil-
ippines, and Italy, enter the ranks of the 10 leading
markets.
Trade Decreasing.
The exportation of pianos from the United States
during the first fwc months of 1927 nearly equaled
that of last year during the corresponding period.
The total number of all kinds of pianos amounted to
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