PRESTO
MUSICAL
TIMES
Established
1884
Established
1881
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1928
LATEST NEWS IN
NEW YORK TRADE
Important Incidents and Comparatively Minor
Ones Make Up a Budget That Provides
Interest for Men in All Phases
of the Business.
PIANO SALES GOOD
Retail Managers Assert That Business in the Instru-
ments Grows in Volume and Good Aggregate
for February Is Assured.
By HENRY MAC MULLAN.
There are always facts to be gathered by the news
gatherer in New York city; items of great importance
and those of lesser value, but all are significant of
some condition more or less commanding the atten-
tion of the music trade. The fact may be the im-
pressive one of the sale in two months of a million
dollars worth of fine pianos by the warerooms of
Wm. Knabe & Co. or the tentative plans for a July
outing by a group of piano factory workers, but each
has its own degree of interest for people.
The Knabe Sale.
In the sale preparatory to moving to the new
Knabe building, Berthold Neuer, vice-president of
Wm. Knabe & Co., and sales manager of the retail
department certainly has achieved a sales triumph
that deserves to be a big item of talk in the trade.
The Knabe sales success proves that there is a piano
demand and that piano prospects may be interested
by live methods of publicity. Mr. Neuer has shown,
too, that a sale may be operated successfully while
at the same time the old trade folly of impossible
trade-in prices may be discontinued.
New York State Association.
Although plans are now being made for the next
convention of the New York State Music Merchants'
Association, which will be held toward the end of
April, no location has yet been decided upon. That
a city in the central part of the state will be chosen
is the only assurance. A program of the meeting,
together with dates and location, will be announced
in the near future, states the Association.
The association's secretary, Glenn L. Chesbro of
Syracuse, has had printed and distributed to its mem-
bership a special booklet containing the Uniform Con-
ditional Sales Law of the State of New York as
revised in 1927. The presentation of the law in
booklet form is considered of great convenience to
dealers, who of necessity must be acquainted with
its various provisions for their own protection.
Hermann Irion's Views.
"Our retail trade in 1927 was the largest in the
entire 74 years of Steinway history," said Hermann
Irion, of Steinway & Sons at the general offices of
the company in West Fifty-seventh street, on Mon-
day of this week, in answer to an inquiry from Presto-
Times correspondent.
"Judging from reports from all sections we believe
that 1928 sales will exceed those of 1927. Our retail
trade has always been large, but 1927 was the ban-
ner year of all.
"Radio has not hurt the piano business, and I be-
lieve that radio is going to be a great aid to the
increase in piano selling in the end. The piano is
the basic instrument of music and must so continue.
Radio has already helped the piano business by
spreading the knowledge of good music. And fur-
thermore it is teaching the people to stay at home
for their musical enjoyment.
W. C. Heaton's Resignation
The news, this week, of the resignation of W. C.
Heaton, president of the Standard Pneumatic Action
Co., New York, came as a surprise to many in the
industry. It takes effect this month. Mr. Heaton
said to our New York correspondent that no definite
arrangements for the future had been made by him.
He denied a report that he had engaged his services
to a Western house, notwithstanding his inclination
to again become a westerner, even if not a citizen
of Chicago.
Talk with F. H. B. Byrne.
A call was made by a Presto-Times correspondent
upon F. H. B. Byrne, just appointed to be director
of publicity of the American Piano Company, who
was found on the ninth floor of Chickering Hall Build-
ing, West 57th street, New York. Mr. Byrne said
he was simply back in his former harness as publicity
man, a place he had not served in for a time. It
means work, of course, but no one is more familiar
with that line of activity than Mr. Byrne.
Story & Clark Sales.
John G. Stenger, general manager of the Story &
Clark Piano Company's store at 33 West Fifty-sev-
enth street, said this week: "Piano selling is getting
livelier, and we are convinced that 192 J is going to
be a much better piano year than was 1927. It is
largely a matter of going out and getting business.
There is always business if men have the spunk to
go after it." And Mr. Stenger says sales are increas-
ing right along.
John J. Glynn's Views.
John J. Glynn, secretary of the James & Holmstrom
Piano Company, 37 West 37th street, New York,
when seen by a Presto-Times representative on Sat-
urday of last week said: "We are hoping for ever so
much better times in general very soon. In a good
many lines there is some trade complaint, and it has
to a degree affected the piano business.
Mr. Glynn is naturally interested in whatever makes
for the general prosperity, as he is aware that what-
ever produces more circulation of money, such as
factory activity, farm output, shipping, exporting, or
what not, contributes to better trade in pianos.
E. J. Radle Does Double Duty.
E. J. Radle, president of F. Radle, Inc., 609-611
West 36th street, New York, is keeping very busy
these days. He recently opened a retail piano store
in Hicksville, L. I., and in looking after that, as well
as his factory, there are no busier men in the trade
than he.
Frederick Grebe on Western Trip
Frederick Grebe of Kranich & Bach, 235 East
Twenty-third street, New York, left on Tuesday of
last week for an extensive trip in the interests of
the pianos of that make. Mr. Grebe's itinerary this
trip will take him as far as Minneapolis, and of course
he will call upon Roger O'Connor, Chicago manager,
when he strikes the mid-west metropolis.
John J. Kuhn is the oldest employe in point of
service at the Kranich & Bach headquarters, 235 East
Twenty-third street, New York. Mr. Kuhn has been
selling the Kranich & Bach pianos since 1881, and
was there during the time that Roger O'Connor, now
Chicago manager, was in New York selling Kranich
& Bachs. Mr. Kuhn is hopefully looking forward to
closing two, or three good deals within the next seven
or eight days.
A Veteran Mathushek Salesman.
Joseph C. Wekerle of the Mathushek and James &
Holmstrom organizations, 37 West 37th street, has
been selling those lines for the last 27 years. He is
familiar w T ith the territory throughout New Jersey,
the Bronx, Long Island and Staten Island and his
prospects are always his friends, even long after sales
are closed. He never worries, but keeps plugging
away, believing that whatever happens, tomorrow is
a new day with more opportunities than yesterday.
Tonk Activities.
"Trade is good considering all conditions," said
William Tonk, president of Wm. Tonk & Bro., Inc.,
New York, last week to a Presto-Times representa-
tive.
Mr. Tonk's words arc particularly cheering when
his conservative manner of expressing himself is
considered. His house well realizes that results de-
pend on persistent efforts today and the activities
of the sale department are evidences of that belief.
William Tonk?& Bro. has that great essential in
achieving satisfactory results in selling efforts— in-
struments of fine tone quality and reliability of con-
struction.
Plans Summer Outing.
When winter comes, summer is not far away, may
be only the refrain of a popular song to the Asso-
c'ation of Music Men, a New York retail trade body
wnich holds' regular monthly meetings at the Central
$2 The Year
F. H. B. BYRNE RESUMES
PUBLICITY DUTIES
Directing the Advertising for Fine Group of
Instruments of American Piano Co. Is a
Resumption of Former Task,
The American Piano Company, 657 Fifth avenue,
New York City, announces the appointment of F.
H. B. Byrne as director of publicity. Mr. Byrne
replaces Lionel Tompkins, who has been transferred
to the retail stores division.
Mr. Byrne has been with the company for many
years. He formerly was director of publicity, but
more recently has been art director, lie will direct
''. II. B. BYRNE.
the advertising campaigns for the Mason & Hamlin,
Knabe and Chickering pianos and the Ampico, and
also for the J. & C. Fischer, Ilaines Bros, and Mar-
shall & Wendell pianos.
Mr. Byrne's success in directing publicity for the
American Piano Co., previous to his appointment as
art director, assures a renewal of effective presentation
for the fine line of instruments named. In many of
its phases the advertising of fine pianos partakes of
an art featuring character, so that in many respects
his new duties will be a continuance of his activities
as art director.
A peculiar quality of fitness is demanded in the
man who undertakes the publicity tor pianos of high
character. He must be appreciative of the admirable
qualities that differentiate them from pianos of lesser
artistic value and his advertising treatment in text
and pictures must convey the dignity associated with
them. Mr. Byrne fulfills the requirements for pub-
licity man for the fine group of pianos of the Amer-
ican Company.
Opera House. But the association considers it wise
in winter to plan a picnic in summer. Plans for the
annual outing were discussed at the January meeting
recently and the outing committee promised to re-
port details at the next meeting. Officers for the
coming year were elected as follow r s:
William
Froese, president; Julius Weiss, vice-president; Her-
man Trink, treasurer, and Henry Scholz, secretary.
August Gemunder Back.
August Gemunder, president of August Gemunder
& Sons, violin men, 125-127 West 42nd street, New
York, is back at work in his office after a spell of
sickness.
"We are specializing now on the Amplitone, a vio-
lin improvement so wonderful that people are won-
dering why it was not invented long ago. It evens
up all tones in all positions on each string, strength-
ening the weak spots and giving sonority and singing
quality that is soothing and satisf3'ing to the highest
degree."
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