Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
as laid down by the Packard Piano Co. cannot fail
to make good.
"By a unanimous vote of every salesman in our
retail department it was thus summed up: 'The sales-
man who cannot sell pianos under this plan is in the
wrong business," said Mr. Moores, who continued,
"The successful application of a group piano instruc-
pects must wrench himself loose from them and make
himself adaptable to the exigencies of a new day."
The Packard Piano Co. pins its faith in the poten-
tialities of the group piano classes in schools and
dealers' stores to create piano prospects. The classes
have been installed by the company in a number of
schools in Fort Wayne and elsewhere in Indiana, with
March 1 1928
CHANGES IN THE
LOS ANGELES TRADE
Rumors of Several Weeks Have Been Verified
by Announcement Affecting Prominent
Music Houses Which Either Lose
or Gain Representative Lines.
GET NEW LOCATIONS
The News of Changes in Piano Representation Also
Coming from San Francisco Is of Equally
Surprising Character.
By GILBERT BRETON.
Just before going to press Thursday forenoon the
following telegram came to Presto-Times from its
Los Angeles correspondent, dated Los Angeles,
March 1, 1928:
''Platt Music Co. is to take over the Mason &
Hamlin, Chickering, Knabe and practically entire
American Piano Co. line for Los Angeles and South-
LEFT TO RIGHT: MISS MTLDRED L.. BALOW. GROUP PIANO TEACHING DEPARTMENT. PACKARD
PIANO CO.; H. L. McKENNEY, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS; A. S. BOND, PRESIDENT, PACKARD PIANO
ern California. George J. Dowling, of Cable Piano
CO.; W. H. WIEBKE, TREASURER, PACKARD PIANO CO.; RALPH SPERRY, FACTORY SUPERINTENDENT,
Co. here and may give Cable agencies this week.
PACKARD PIANO CO., AND SUPERINTENDENT MUSTARD OF THE AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS.
Baldwin goes to Southern California Music Co. It is
tion plan creates problems—the inability to supply the satisfactory results in piano sales. Mr. Moores cites said Wiley B. Allen Co. of Los Angeles are nego-
demand for group plan instructors and the scarcity
an illustration at the recital at Auburn, where at the tiating and may turn over their present lease. Fuller
of piano salesmen equipped to take advantage of the close of the concert three separate bids were made for particulars in a few days.
opportunities occasioned by the interest in piano in- the purchase of the grand shown in the accompanying
"At San Francisco Kohler & Chase take the Amer-
struction in any community. The scarcity of instruc-
ican Piano Co. line, including the Chickering and
picture.
Mr.
Moores
will
be
glad
to
furnish
dealers
tors may be quickly overcome but that of piano sales-
Mason & Hamlin. Other changes pending. The
men is a graver problem. The piano salesman who information about the operation of the group piano Wiley B. Allen Closing Out Sale is still going on
has practiced the old mehods of appealing to pros- classes and the results in piano inquiries and sales.
at San Francisco.
(Signed)
BRETON."
Successive rumors of changes and possibilities of
changes in the representation of pianos continue to
excite the trade of Los Angeles. And actual facts of
well-known pianos in new associations are as sur-
prising as the suppositions. New locations for the
Mason & Hamlin, Chickering, Knabe, Baldwin, the
Cabbie Company's line and others are said to be
High Quality in Product of the Schiller Piano
possibilities or even may be actual facts at this writ-
ing. In fact, some things are possible that will
Company, Accountable for Continuous
change the entire piano map of Los Angeles.
Loyalty of Representatives.
The anticipations are strengthened by the presence
The Schiller Piano Company, Oregon, 111., started
in the city of a number of wholesale representatives,
r
1928 with a sw ing that promises to bring it in the
many of whom, while loth to freely talk, seem to
largest year's business it has ever had. Its trade last
imply that they are aware of important things to hap-
year was its largest so far, and that was due, the
pen. The rumors include mergers, consolidations and
company dec'ares, to two things—the high quality
new alignments.
Grand
Models
and
Wurlitzer
Treasure
Chest
of
of instruments and energetic salesmanship. In a
Ben Platt Back.
Music
Sell
Amazingly
Well
in
Many
Cities.
recent talk with a Presto-Times man Edgar B. Jones,
Ben Platt, of the Platt Music Co., is expected back
president of the company, said:
Cyril Farny, vice-president and general manager
from the east this week and may verify the report
"We strive to make every number in our line a
of the Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company of DeKalb, that the agency for the Mason & Hamlin, Knabe and
strong one and certain of tilling some requirement of
111., reports an increased demand for Wurlitzer
Chickering will go to his house. The assertion is
dealers. That the requirements are fulfilled by the Grand Pianos and the Wurlitzer Treasure Chest of
that
Mr. Platt is extending his line in a notable way.
instruments is a fact freely acknowledged by many Music, the sensational selling electric reproducing
The
Baldwin Piano Co.'s line goes to the southern
representative piano houses."
grand which is priced retail at $595.
California Music Co., and new instruments are to
Schiller pianos are noted for their exclusive fea-
Dealer orders came with a rush the last week in
be secured by the Fitzgerald Music House, accord-
tures which represent the progressive spirit of the
February. Much activity on the Treasure Chest of
company. They have qualities possible only in a fac- Music is reported by dealers at Salt Lake City, Utah; ing to the rumors. The presence in Los Ange'es last
week of Geo. J. Dowling, president of The Cable
tory where the highest ability in the craftsman is a
Freeport, 111.; Hartford, Conn.; and Akron, Ohio.
necessity and where every worker is loyal and puts At Akron, O., the A. B. Smith Piano Company has Company, Chicago, may result in a new representa-
his best efforts into every task. Every Schiller piano averaged the sale of one electric grand per week since tive for the Cable line in Los Angeles. The Wiley
B. Allen Co. handled the Cable line in that city and
is most carefully and individually built.
January first. The cplendid results at Akron are due San Diego for many years.
Trained and experienced workmen have the most largely to the efforts of Alden B. Smith, Jr., and
Is Rumor Yet.
modern factory equipment to aid their efforts in pro- Hugh Ketteman, manager of the grand piano depart-
ducing the best. Every facility for making superior ment.
Rumor even has it that Sherman, Clay & Co. may
pianos is provided in the Schiller factory. The plant
add the old Wiley B. Allen line and that rumor is
is large and every department roomy. It owns per-
accompanied with another—consolidation of Geo. J.
petual water power, an asset that accounts for some
Birkel Co. interests and those of the Sherman, Clay
of the pecuniary advantages of buying Schiller instru-
& Co. The Geo. J. Birkel Co. has been the Stein-
ments. Factory management by men of experience
way representative in Los Angeles for a good many
are other reasons accountable for the economical oper-
years.
ation which results in desirable prices to the music
merchant and his customer. These are decided ad- President Roberts Appoints Strong Group
A telegram received on Wednesday from our cor-
vantages apart from the high character of tone and
respondent at Los Angeles is as follows:
Whose
Duty
It
Is
to
Prepare
Plans
construction of Schiller pianos. TKe present day re-
There are changes and rumors of more to follow
for Business Sessions.
quirements in small grands are provided in the Schil-
in piano agencies here affecting Mason & Hamlin,
ler line in a way that makes- the instruments of par-
Chickering and Knabe, which will change the piano
President Roberts of the National Association of
ticular interest to dealers. Grands-' of the company
map of Los Angeles mater-ally and apply to the
Music
Merchants
has
appointed
the
following
as
mem-
have maintained a high plaO8 in the music world as
houses of Wiley B. Allen Co. of Los Angeles, Fitz-
bers
of
the
Convention
Committee
of
the
National
high quality instruments. '••
gerald, Southern California and Platt Music Co. Evi-
Association of Music Merchants:
The Schiller Piano Company has a record in sales
Louis Schoenewald, chairman, president New York dently Platt Company will have the Knabe, Chick-
to be proud of, and for its future the plans are very Piano Merchants' Association; Alex McDonald; ering and Mason & Hamlin and the Southern Cali-
ambitious. It has a splendid line of instruments Frank J. Bayley, president Michigan Music Mer- fornia Music Co. the Baldwin line.
whose merits make the work, of salesmen easier.
chants' Association., Detroit, Mich.; C. B. Amorous;
A GOOD SLOGAN.
Shirley Walker, president Music Trades Association
HONOR FOR AL. L. SMITH.
of Northern California, San Francisco; E. Paul
What sounds like a really good slogan is "The
Alfred L. Smith, general manager of the Music In- Hamilton.
House of Quality," on letterheads of the Bach Music
dustries Chamber of Commerce, was recently ap-
The special function of this committee will be to House, Rochester, Minn. The house is one of the
pointed to a place on the board of managers of the discuss and prepare plans for the business sessions liveliest in that section and no doubt is constantly
National School for Commercial and Trade Organi- of the Merchants' Association to be held during con- increasing business as the result of stimulation by
zation Executives. This branch of study in the vention week beginning June 4, 1928, at the Hotel the phrase on its letterheads.
Northwestern University in Chicago has become in- Commodore, New York city, and to cooperate in
creasingly well known to the trade association execu- any way which may be possible with the general
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company has opened a
tive as well as to the Chamber of Commerce secre- convention committee taking in all branches of the branch store in Lawrenceville, 111. The store is in
tary, who thus have placed at their disposal a wealth industry.
charge of G. P. Sutcliffe.
SCHILLER PIANOS
INTEREST FINE TRADE
of experience and theory in these important profes-
sions. Each year during July or August many asso-
ciation executives and their assistants travel to th:s
quiet spot on Lake Michigan where for two weeks
they are drilled in organization, administration, legis-
lation, publicity, industrial research and other matters
of vital interest to the well-equipped secretary. The
school is directed and managed by the board of
managers.
BIG WURLITZER SALES
OF GRAND PIANOS
SPECIAL CONVENTION
COMMITTEES NAMED
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