MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1884
Established
1881
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1928
TRADE EVENTS IN
NEW YORK FIELD
Retail Piano Departments Generally Give
Cheering Reports of Steady Sales of Pianos
of the Finer Kinds and of Reproducing
Pianos—Period Models Favored.
IN THE FACTORIES
Cheerful Evidences of Awakened Trade in Pianos Are
Plainly Visible in All Departments in Plants—
Travelers' Orders Numerous.
The increasing sales in line pianos in the New
York wareroom is considered a continuation rather
than a revival. For the tact is, that any periodic
slumps which have affected sales in the cheaper and
the medium-priced instruments, have not caused sim-
ilar effects in the sales of the finer pianos and the
reproducing pianos. The sales of the fine instruments
have tended to preserve the averages. These line
sales, too, have for the most part heen spontaneous
and not accomplished through the help of special
publicity efforts by the dealers.
Every week brings more cheerful reports from the
piano factories of the Metropolitan district, in most
of which the regular schedule in operation is the rule.
In a few the overtime one or more days is the
report. And in every case the reports and orders
from the roadmen are heartening incidents.
Al Behning Chairman.
President C. J. Roberts of the National As oc'ation
of Music Merchants has appointed Albert Behning
chairman of the banquet committee for the annual
dinner of the National Associat'on of Music Mer-
chants to be held Thursday, June 7, at the Hotel
Commodore, New York, during convention week.
Mr. Behning announces that he has appointed the
following to serve with h'm as the Banquet Commit-
tee: Berthold Neuer of Win, Knabe & Co., C. T.
Purdy of Hardman, Peck & Co., George Pelling of
the Baldwin Piano Co., Charles A. Laurino of the
Aeolian Co. and Delbert L. Looniis, executive secre-
tary of the National Association of Music Merchants.
Boosting Music Week.
Kenneth S. Clark, assistant secretary of the Na-
tional Music Week Comm'ttee. 45 West 45th street,
New York city, said this week: "We feel that none
of our pamphlets in connection with National Music
Week will be more influential in creating a greater
amount of music making by the people than the
'Nome Night in National Music Week,' which has a
sub-title: 'Music Night in the Home Every Week.'
It would be well to state that Presto-Times readers
may obtain a copy of the pamphlet without charge
from the National Music Week Committee. 45 West
45th street, Xew York city."
William F. Larkin a Visitor.
Will am F. Larkin, buyer and manager of the piano
and music departments of the nationally-known de-
partment store, Forbes & Wallace, Inc., of Spring-
field, Mass., was a visitor in New York during the
entire last week. To a representative of Presto-
Times who interviewed him between his many ap-
pointments, he stated that 1928 proved one of the
most successful, from a viewpoint of volume, that
was ever enjoyed in the music departments of the
great Forbes & Wallace store, and that he was
spending the entire week completing the arrange-
ments for his lines in antic'pation of an even more
productive year for 1928. Among the many factories
visited by Mr. Larkin during the week were, the
American Piano Company, Kohler & Campbell. Inc.,
Hardman-Peck Company, Hazeltou Brothers, Inc.,
and the Brambach Piano Company.
Ampico Hour Feature.
E. Robert Schmitz, noted pianist and modernist,
made his initial appearance before the microphone on
Thursday evening, February 23, as the guest artist
of the Ampico Hour of Music. Few of the pianists
coming from Europe have achieved such a brilliant
record or become more notable than this young
Frenchman.
Mr. Schmitz devotes his playing particularly to the
present-day composers. This does not mean that he
is oblivious to the charms of the older music. On
the contrary, it takes a modernist to understand the
ancients.
He is particularly noted for his interpre-
tations of the works of Debussy and played two num-
bers written by that composer. The Ampico will re-
produce one of Mr. Schmitz' recordings.
["rank Munn, tenor soloist, sang two selections, one
with orchestra accompaniment and one with Ampico
accompaniment. The orchestra, under the direction
of Frank Black, played among other pieces, ''The
Dance of the Vases," by Chaminade.
Robert Cable Dies.
Robert Cable, son of the founder and for many
years head of Cable & Sons, New York, died Febru-
ary 17 at his home, 30 West Eighty-ninth street.
The company was established in Albany, N. Y., in
1852, and later located in New York City, to which
city they moved in 1869. Mr. Cable was seventy-
nine years of age, and is survived by a son, Robert
Cable, Jr. Funeral services were held on Monday.
Several representatives of the trade were present, in-
cluding Louis S. Roemer, president of Cable & Sons.
Organ Pumptrs' Guild.
The first meeting and dinner of the Guild of Pipe
Organ Pumpers was held last week at Suesskind's
Restaurant, 85th street and Lexington avenue. The
organization, international in its scope, had as master
of ceremonies J. M. Gibbons, general attorney of the
New Haven Railroad. A "rare treat," as it was de-
scribed, was promised in the presentation of Archer
Gibson, private organist of Charles M. Schwab.
The event was originally booked to take place on the
Cunard liner Caronia, but owing to its uncertain ar-
rival, the switch was made to Suesskind's
Chet
Shafer, No. 112 East 19th street, is "grand diapason"
of the guild.
A proposal of the railroads to increase shipping
rates from New York to Southeastern points was
disapproved by the Shippers' Conference of Greater
New York at its regular monthly meeting last week
in the Merchants' Association assembly room in the
Woolworth Building.
Tonk's Good February Trade.
"Our business so far in February." said Edwin G.
Tonk, of William Tonk & Bro., Inc., Tenth avenue
between 35th and 36th streets, New York, last week,
has already exceeded that of the whole month of
February, 1927. Business with us is picking up right
along, so that we have nothing to complain about at
the present time."
Weser Bros., Inc., Look Ahead.
At Weser Bros., Inc.. 520-528 West 43rd street.
Xew York, last week, W. 11. Keating, treasurer, said
the company was prepared for a livelier trade to
set in. "In fact," he said, "I might quote the words
of the late Mr. Weser—'We haven't really begun yet.'
"Territory locally had been worked up to January
1 with sixteen men. Now the company is checking
up for a new start. I am optimistic, for there will
a'ways be piano business. This line of industry suf-
fered a depression common to almost every other
line of manufacturing during the last year, so we are
not saying that pianos were selected for a special
target in 1927."
Radio Working with Piano.
The Eusco Studio, 25 Church street, Xew York,
tells how to make a marvelous loud speaker out of
one's piano. In its ad it says: "Do you realize the
wonderful tone quality that lies in your piano sound-
board? Wood is the most perfect reproducing me-
dium known. It is used in the most important musi-
cal instruments, violin, cello and piano. Do you
know why? The Ensco Piano Unit allows you to
take advantage of this most perfect reproducing
medium. You attach it in two minutes—no fuss, no
extra equipment, any radio set, any piano. Does
not show and does not mar or interfere with piano."
Replacement Is Nil.
If piano rep'acement could be made to reach 7K>
per cent there'd be no further complaint about ample
piano business," said Fernando A. Wessell in conver-
sation with a Presto-Times caller this week. "Now
in the automobile business the replacement is 33 1 /)
per cent, which is one of the powerful reasons why
$2 The Year
OAKLAND BRANCH WINS
ERNEST URCHS CUP
Store Under Leon M. Lang Gets Trophy
Awarded by Manager of Artist Depart-
ment of Steinway & Sons.
The Oakland, Cal., store of Sherman, Clay & Co.,
has been declared winner for the second time in suc-
cession of the silver cup awarded by Ernest Ur'chs,
manager of the wholesale and artists' departments of
Steinway & Sons, New York. The award is for the
largest percentage of net profit in proportion to the
amount invested. Leon M. Lang, manager of the
Oakland store, joined the sales force of the company
in Oakland twenty-six years ago. He is now in
charge of three Bay stores of the firm in addition to
the Oakland one, namely, the branches in Berkeley
and in Fruitvale and the Wiley B. Allen Co.'s Oak-
land branch, which was recently taken over by Sher-
man, Clay & Co.
Mr. Lang is a firm believer in advertising as a
means towards sales and is insistent for the use of
publicity of the kind that impresses the public with-
out hurting the dignity of the store or the piano
advertised. He says that unanimity in following
the proven policies of Sherman, Clay & Co., is a
marked feature of all the branches. The sale is not
closed when the customer buys the piano; the re-
sponsibility of the store is a continuous one and in-
volves keeping in touch with the customer to see
that the piano bought fulfills the representations of
the seller. He impressed the fact that the founders
of Sherman, Clay & Co. realized that the music busi-
ness is something more than merely selling merchan-
dise; that the importance of service was vital.
C. A. EYLES TO TRAVEL
IN WESTERN STATES
Experienced Salesman Has California, Oregon, Wash-
ington, Utah, Idaho and Montana as Territory.
Chas. A. Eyles, well known piano traveler, has
been appointed general Western sales manager for
Jacob Doll & Sons, the Premier Grand Piano Corp.,
Hallet & Davis Piano Co., Ernest Gabler & Bro., and
their various associated lines, and has taken tempo-
rary headquarters at the Hotel St. Francis, San Fran-
cisco, from which point he will cover all California
north of Fresno, and Oregon, Washington, Montana,
Idaho, Ctah and Nevada. Chas. B, Boothe will con-
t'nue to function as general sales representative and
will cover southern California, together with Arizona
and New Mexico. His headquarters are at 2517
Eleventh avenue, Los Angeles.
Mr. Boothe has been connected with the lines of
pianos of the companies named for a number of
years, and the purpose of the new arrangement is
to give him the opportunity of concentrating upon
the trade in his particu'ar territory.
Mr. Eyles is also well acquainted with the retail
trade in the west and east and has the advantage of
experience on the road through long experience. He
most recently represented the wholesale department
of the Aeolian Co., and before that was wholesale
representative of Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., Baltimore.
it is so successful." Mr. Wessell says young people
today have changed the habits of the preceding gen-
eration. Now they go tearing around until late in
the evening in an automobile and then rush into the
house and turn on the radio. But he says a new style
is already beginning wherein the girls are taking the
lead toward the dignity and grace of their mothers
and grandmothers, and that differentiation of pro-
cedure will help bring the piano into more favor
than ever.
Arthur Wessell is contemplating a trip to Chicago
and other points in the great lakes region soon
Pianos for June Brides.
Some of the piano men of New l'ork are planning
to have exhibits at the National June Bride Fair and
Home Expositon, which is to be held in Madison
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