September 8, 1928
ILLINOIS CONVENTION TO
BE A ONE-DAY MEETING
Herman H. Fleer, of Lyon & Healy, Has
Worked Out an Idea That He Thinks
Beneficial to the Trade Generally.
The plan of having a state convention hold only one
day's sessions is to be tried out at the Illinois State
Convention at the Palmer House, Chicago, Wednes-
day, September 19.
H. H. Fleer, president of the Illinois Music Mer-
chants' Association, has fathered the plan, wh : ch he
feels assured is to be the best ever put into practice.
"Conventions are not picnics or outings," he said to
a Presto-Times representative on Wednesday of this
week.
"There will be two speakers," said Mr. Fleer, "who
will have messages of great value to not only the
members of the Illinois Music Merchants' Association,
but the entire trade.
"The first one will be given by Flint Grinnell, Chi-
cago manager of the Better Business Bureau. He
will talk on the subject, 'The Public's Impression of
Piano and Music Merchandise Advertising.'
"I am very happy to announce that this address
will be given by Mr. Grinnell, as he is one of the
best-fitted men in the country to tell us, as an
industry, what the public thinks of our advertising,
especially since those with whom his office has come
in contact bring to the attention of the Better Busi-
ness Bureau the great amount of misleading adver-
tising that has been going on in our industry. Mr.
Grinnell's talk will not only be enlightening to the
members of the Illinois Music Merchants' Associa-
tion, who will hear him in person, but to the entire
trade to whom the message will be carried by the
trade papers.
''The second speaker will be Corley Gibson, presi-
dent of the Autopiano Company, who will bring us
a message of 'The Promotion of the Playerpiano.'
Mr. Gibson, who has made a special study of this
problem, will no doubt bring to us a message that
will give us an idea on how to increase our player-
piano sales.
"The balance of the day will be required in taking
up association meetings of great importance.
"There isn't any doubt in my mind but that the
dealers in attendance will get real benefit and more
real 'food for thought' out of the 'day's' convention
of the Illinois Music Merchants' Association than
they have ever gotten out of any convention session,
as the entire day will be taken up with matters of
vital interest to the industrv."
F. E. HUMMEL ELECTED
BAY CREDITORS' TRUSTEE
Quiet Efforts Are Being Made to Get a Buyer
to Take Over the Business and
Reorganize It.
There is a movement on hand by persons of expert
experience in organizing and reconstructing com-
panies that have met with difficulties to get the H. C.
Bay Company back into line as a going concern.
Not as large as the old company, perhaps, but to get
it going as a plant of moderate capacity, and to swing
P R E S T O-T I M E S
some of the old trade into line. This, it is assumed,
can be done, and the re-organizers are negotiating
quietly with capitalists, piano manufacturers and oth-
ers who have shown some interest.
Fred E. Hummel was elected trustee of the H. C.
Bay Company's affairs on Tuesday morning of this
week by the creditors, and his bond was fixed at
$25,000."
Some 240 or 250 pianos at the factory have been
completed and shipped and some more may be fin-
ished soon and got ready for market. The selling
price is known, but it has been hard for those fig-
uring for the creditors to get at the cost of pro-
duction.
M. L. Gibbard, of the law offices of Follansbee,
Shorey & Schupp, 137 South La Salle street, Chicago,
who is working out the tangle, admits that letters
have been sent out to five prospects and that only
one had answered up to Tuesday in regard to contin-
uing the business indefinitely. They could pay off
the creditors now at 10 per cent of their claims, but
whether this would be advisable in view T of the seem-
ingly good-sized assets is a question that is receiving
a good deal of thought by those most interested on
both sides.
GOOD BUSINESS
IN INDIANAPOLIS
Cheerful Reports on Sales by Practically Every
Music Merchant—Exhibits at State Fair
Froduce Results—Local Trade Asso-
ciation to Meet September 10.
Business in general has been exceptional in Indian-
apolis during the past week, and practically every
piano merchant in the city has had his share of the
sales. The unusual activity has been brought about
by the cool nights that prevented driving and kept
most people at home.
William Christena of the Christena-Teague Piano
Company reports business very satisfactory with no
complaint to make of the volume of business done
during the month of August. The exhibit at the
Indiana State Fair has attracted many people and
brought about some very good business.
Ned Clay has returned from his vacation, and found
things at the Starr Sales Corporation in excellent
shape. The company has a large exhibit at the State
TO ENTERTAIN RADIO MEN.
Six acts by famous artists known from coast to Fair and Mr. Clay says that business has been more
coast will be among those to entertain guests at the than he expected, and the prospects look very prom-
Radio Industries' banquet in the Hotel Astor, New ising.
York, September 18, as well as a nation-wide audi-
Frank Carlin's Estimate.
ence of radio listeners. Mrs. Ernestine Schumann-
Frank Carlin of the Carlin Music Company believes
Heink, Paul Whiteman, John Charles Thomas, famous that business is now opening up for one of the
concert and opera barytone; Fannie Brice, stage star, best seasons for several years. The Carlin Music
famed for comedy and blues songs; Vincent Lopez and, Company has made some excellent sales during the
his orchestra, and Moran and Mack, the ''two black
past week of the Cable Company's line of instru-
crows," will all appear in person at the banquet to ments. The exhibit at the State Fair is getting its
entertain. Several more acts are yet to be announced share of the business, says Mr. Carlin. and before
when Paul B. Klugh, vice-president of Zenith Radio the end of the week we expect to sell quite a few-
Corporation of Chicago, general chairman of the ban- instruments.
quet, has made definite selections.
Frank Wilking, of the VVilking Music Company,
has just returned from his vacation spent at Lake
ORGAN COMPANY MOVES.
Tippecanoe, one of the chain of Barbee lakes in
Terre Haute, Ind., will be the possessor of a new northern Indiana. Mr. Wilking reports business for
industry this week, according to a statement Tuesday August good with no complaint to make.
Wilking Music Co.
of Ben Blumberg, of the Terre Haute Industrial Dis-
During the past week the company sold the first
trict Company, who said that the Louisville Pipe
Organ Company would probably move into its new Jesse French & Son's ensemble in hitiled walnut to
location on North Thirteenth street immediately. Mr. the Chi-Rho-Zcta fraternity house of Butler College.
Some activity in the Wurlitzer Studio piano is
Blumberg said that the buildings which are to be
occupied by Terre Haute's newest industry were all reported, and among the sales of the past week there
ready, the remodeling of the location having cost the were two reported.
local industrial district company approximately $4,000.
Trade Associations to Meet
Monday, September the 10th, the Indianapolis Mu-
VICTOR IN MINNESOTA.
sic Merchants will hold its first meeting, it was
Adaptation of the automatic phonograph to home announced by H. G. Hook, president of the organ-
use, especially in point of size, is at present one of
ization. The meeting will be held at the Board of
the chief objectives of the Victor Talking Machine Trade in a private luncheon room. One of the objects
Co., A. C. Tamburino, general technical manager of
Mr. Hook held in view at this time is to increase
the company at Camden, N. J., said at a meeting the membership, and improve some of the conditions
of one hundred and fifty district dealers at the Nicollet
that exist at the present time in the piano trade. A
hotel, Minneapolis, August 28. The dealers assem- full attendance has been pledged, and it is hoped that
bled to see and hear the latest models to be manu- many of the existing irregularities will be abolished.
factured by the Victor company. Dealers present
The Kimball Piano Store has an exhibit at the State
came from Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Fair and Roy Coverdill, manager of the store, reports
Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and the UJpper Michigan some very good results. The full line of Kimball
peninsula, these states forming the district of which merchandise is being displayed.
Minneapolis has headquarters' offices.
Gordon Laughead, of the Wurlitzer Grand Piano
Company, and Charles Howe were visitors in Indian-
T. S. Davies is back at Lyon & Healy s, Chicago, apolis during the past week.
after a two-weeks' outing and motor trip in Wiscon-
sin. While in Milwaukee he ran across David Allen,
A fifteen-piece school band is to be formed in
of Leo Feist's Chicago office.
Athens, Mich.
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