Presto

13
PRESTO-TIMES
March 17, 1928
NEWS OF TRADE IN
NEW YORK CITY
(Continued from page 3.)
liam Tonk & Bro., Inc. "I sent him a letter by air
mail and one by the regular train mail at the same
time, and he writes me that the two letters arrived
simultaneously, showing no advantage in time for the
letter that had made such good time through the
air; simply bottled up by slow local delivery."
Employment on Upward Trend.
At the Fortnightly Forum's dinner Sunday night
of this week in the Park Lane, Magnus W. Alexander,
president of the National Industrial Conference
Board, reported that employment conditions are im-
proving throughout the country and the advent of
spring will continue the upward trend. Other speak-
ers cited radio and aviation as about to open many
places for workmen.
As Ben Lifton Sees Things.
A call was made on Friday, during the height of a
big snowstorm, on Ben Lifton, head of The Lifton
Manufacturing Company, 40-46 West Twentieth
street. Mr. Lifton said he wasn't complaining, al-
though he thought business could stand a lot of im-
provement just now. The Lifton concern makes fine
leather goods and musical instrument cases. They
handle brief cases, music folios, portfolios, school bags
and stand cases and are makers of patented Koverite
cases.
New Yorkers Celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Today, March 17, being St. Patrick's Day, the vari-
ous Irish organizations of New York and the south-
ern part of Westchester county held a parade of about
25.000 persons as a main feature of the holiday pro-
gramme. In the reviewing stand were Joseph V.
McKec, president of the board of aldermen; Governor
Smith, Mayor Walker, Justices Vincent J. Darling
and Jeremiah Mahoney, Major Gen. Wm. N. Haskell
and Brigadier Gen. John J. Phelan, while from the
steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral the parade was re-
viewed by Bishop John J. Dunn and other members
of the clergy. Several piano salesmen were observed
in the line of march; others had served on committees.
Making Modernistic Pianos.
Pianos built to suit the studied design of a certain
room are among the thrills enjoyed by persons of
definite tastes here in New York. Furniture to match
the piano and the piano to match the furniture is
the idea. Pierre Chareau was among the designers of
furniture for a man's room, which is now on exhibi-
tion at Lord & Taylor's store, and piano designers
follow up by creating a design to suit. Even in the
dining room show is a sideboard in polished ebony
geometrically inlaid with ivory, a chair upholstered
in wool, another armchair in polished ebony and a
small silver chest lined with rosewood.
Piano Business Is Fair—W. B. Armstrong.
William B. Armstrong, upon whose door at suite
902, Central Mercantile Bank building, 535 Fifth ave-
nue, New York, appears nothing but his name and
the word "investments," is in a position to know just
how the cat jumps in the piano business if anybody
in America is. And he says that there is very little
wrong with the business. In other words he leaves
the interviewer to infer that men and methods have
more to do with the business than men are willing to
admit. He flouts the estimate that there were only
175,000 pianos made in 1927; he says there were far
more than 200,000 made.
The radio, he says, is not the piano's rival, or likely
to be its downfall; he fears no downfall; believes there
is no such fate in store for the king and master of
musical instruments. The principal rival of the piano,
he says, is not musical—it is the automobile, and its
main rivalry in diverting money from the piano trade
has been played during the last five years. Families
who could hardly afford to buy one auto, even on the
installment plan, now have two, some of them three
machines. The upkeep is many times the upkeep on a
piano, and it wears out faster than the piano.
Alpha or Omega View.
Commenting on the outlook for better business for
the rest of this year in pianos, Corley Gibson, presi-
dent of The Autopiano Company, New York, and
also president of Stultz & Bauer, said this week:
"Of course I think business is better and will be
better for 1928 than it was in 1927," and then smiling
enigmatically as if he were taking in the whole sweep
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS
Manufacturers of
of last year and the rest of this year in a perspective
vision, he concluded, "but you know that's the way
they all talk—at the beginning of the year they're
always sure it's going to beat the year just closed.
The end of the year sometimes changes the advance
estimates." Enough was gleaned from Mr. Gibson's
manner and from this picture behind his words to
indicate that he is sure of his ground and confident of
his dealers' success.
E. H. Vogel on Year's Outlook.
E. H. Vogel, advertising manager for the Kohler
Industries, New York, has wonderful advantages to
size up the whole piano situation in America for any
year, for he is in daily touch with the heads of a
powerful combination of piano factories located in the
metropolis, and he has their ear and their confidence.
These are men who have had every kind of experience
that goes with the widest knowledge of piano manu-
facturing and marketing, not only in this country but
covering the field of finding markets for pianos
abroad. And the foreign trade here on the eastern
seaboard is well worth the most careful cltivating. To
get down to brass tacks, Mr. Vogel was asked by
Presto-Times' New York correspondent on Tuesday
of this week what he thought of the outlook for the
rest of the year. He replied, "I think it is going to
be a very fair year. Business seems to be coming
back more and more."
Wanamaker Business Carries On.
The Wanamaker stores in New York and Phila-
delphia were closed Monday of this week on account
of the funeral of Rodman Wanamaker, merchant
prince. His merchandising included pianos, as the
trade everywhere is aware. "The policies of the
founder will be continued," said Grover A. Whalen,
general manager of the Wanamaker store in New
York, and he called attention to the words of John
Wanamaker engraved on the capstone of the Wana-
maker building in New York: "Let those who follow
me continue to build with the plumb of honor, the
level of truth and the square of integrity, education,
courtesy and mutuality."
The J. W. Rowlands Co., Lima, Ohio, furniture and
music house, recently opened its enlarged and refin-
ished store, where the remodeling has given the firm
one mor floor of space.
MOVING TRUCKS
for
PIANO ACTIONS
HIGHEST GRADE
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The Wessell, Nickel & Gross action is a
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Write for catalog and prices for End Trucks, Sill
Trucks, Hoists, Covers and Special Straps.
JULIUS BRECKWOLDT & SON, INC.
DOLGEVILLE, N. Y.
Manufactured by
Self-Lifting PianoTruck Co,
Manufacturers of
FINDLAY, OHIO
Piano Backs, Boards, Bridges, Bars,
Traplevers and Mouldings
J BRECKWOI.DT, Pre».
W. A. BRECKWOLDT. Sec. & Treas.
THE O. S. KELLY CO.
Manufacturers
PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE
TELLS ALL ABOUT ALL PIANOS
of
High Grade
PIANO PLATES
SPRINGFIELD
XH E CO MSTOCK, C H E NET Y
IVORYTON, CONN •
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IVORY CUTTERS SINCE 1834
MANUFACTURERS OF
Grand Keys, Actions and Hammers, Upright Keys
Actions and Hammer , Pipe Organ Keys
Piano Forte Ivory for the Trade
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