Presto

P R E S T O-T I M E S
The American Music Trade Weekly
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
F R A N K D. A B B O T T - - - - - - - - - -
Editor
(C. A. DAN I ELL—1904-1927.)
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
- - - - -
Managing Editor
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1.25; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge In United Stat«s>
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
their assistance is invited.
Payment Is not accepted for matter printed in the edi-
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc-
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
cated.
Forms close at noon on Thursday. Late news matter
should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day. Ad-
vertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, 5 p. m.,
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy
fhould be in hand by Tuesday noon preceding publication
day. Want advertisements for current week, to insure
classification, should be in by Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street. Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1928.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur-
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
is not strictly news of importance can have
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they
concern the interests of manufacturers or
dealers such items will appear the week follow-
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the
current issue must reach the office not later
than Wednesday noon of each week.
RADIO=MUSIC CO=OPERATION
The position of radio in the music store is
no longer a matter for doubt. Instead, the as-
sociation of music and radio in a store is one
of admitted mutual advantage. "PVom the
radio manufacturers' standpoint, the music
merchant is a logical distributor of radio and
music merchants will develop the radio busi-
ness intelligently." That is an estimate of the
situation and its possibilities recently voiced
by Hermann Irion, president of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Irion holds that the music merchant's
understanding of musical tone, his experience
in selling high grade home furnishings and
his skill in conducting an installment business
should qualify him as a successful merchan-
diser of radio. He recalls music trade history
to point to the adoption of the phonograph by
the music merchant and the successful out-
come of the association. Besides the reduction
of overhead in adding radio to his music goods
lines, the music merchant he says, should en-
joy other benefits affecting down payments,
size of installment payments and terms.
In this issue C. J. Roberts, president of the
National Association of Music Merchants also
comments on the reciprocal character of the
relations between the radio manufacturers and
the music dealers. The proportion of music
merchants handling radio has grown so great
it makes plain the fact that the music dealer
who does not yet include radio in his lines is a
good prospect for the radio manufacturer.
It was in view of the fact that music mer-
chants handling radio are vitally interested in
keeping pace with the progress of the trade,
that the date of the convention of the Na-
tional Association Music Merchants in Chi-
cago in June was made to coincide with that
of the Radio Manufacturers. Mr. Roberts be-
lieves that the possibilities of the conventions
occurring simultaneously in the same city are
great for the piano manufacturer, musical in-
strument manufacturer, phonograph manufac-
turer and radio manufacturer and the retail
merchants handling Jieir various manufac-
tured products. The development of the joint
business in music and radio so far has been
mutually beneficial to the music and radio in-
terests and the continuation of the condition is
pleasant to contemplate.
NEW TEACHERS' ATTITUDE
That the hostile attitude of music teachers
to the piano class instruction in schools and
retail music stores is being removed is satisfac-
tory news sent out by C. M. Tremaine, director
of the National Bureau for the Advancement
of Music. Indifference to and even marked an-
tagonism for the group piano lessons have
marked the stand of the teachers from the be-
ginning of the movement to revitalize interest
in the piano as a means to the making of mu-
sic.
It was an unreasonable position from the
fact that parents generally had become indif-
ferent to the value of piano lessons as a means
towards a cultural education for their children.
A prominent music school head in Chicago re-
cently stated that were it not for the children
given a start at piano playing in the parochial
schools, the pupils enrolled in the more ad-
vanced classes of private teachers and music
schools would be smaller in number than they
are.
Mr. Tremaine states that the indifference of
the music teachers is being changed to sym-
pathy and support and the change is due to the
persistent action of the Bureau in impressing
the music teaching body that the group classes
are really helpful agencies for the furtherance
of piano study. Teaching group classes as an
active phase of teachers' work is suggested by
the propaganda of the Bureau. A booklet
"Guide for Conducting Piano Classes in the
Schools," distributed by the Bureau is declared
particularly potent in evoking the new attitude
of the teachers. This booklet was prepared by
the piano committee of the Music Supervisors'
National Conference.
November 17, 1928
house may be productive of good results, but
no dealer minimizes the importance of the out-
side salesman, both for finding prospects and
converting them into customers.
* * *
It is heartening to the piano trade to know
that active houses after results are getting
them. The methods of bright sales managers
in other industries should suggest new sales
processes to those of the piano trade.
* * *
An obvious opportunity for piano dealers is
that all Period styles in furniture and nearly
every piano manufacturer can, if desired, fin-
ish his instruments to suit any color scheme in
a room.
* * *
The pianos that are thrown at the public
seldom make a hit.
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
(From Presto, Nov. 17, 1893.)
Mr.
Irving
L. Holt, who represented the W. W.
K : mball Co. so ably at the World's Fair, has gone on
a trip to Oregon, Washington, and the Pacific Coast.
Mr. John Boyd Thacher and the Awards Commit-
tee have recently been the recipients of instructions
from the Executive Committee of the National Com-
mission which practically mean a revision of the sys-
tem of awards.
Mr. E. W. Furbush, representative of the Vose &
Sons Piano Co., left Chicago on Sunday last for a
trip East.
Mr. E. E. Todd, secretary of the National Associa-
tion of Piano Tuners, of Illinois, left Chicago on
Tuesday cf this week for an indefinite sojourn in Ari-
zona.
If you wish to see a man who is at peace with the
world go over and see J. V. Steger. He is manufac-
turing pianos that sell and he is selling them.
Weser Bros, have just introduced in their piano a
patent "counter balancing music duet desk" which
will without doubt meet the approbation of the trade.
Mr. A. M. Sweetland, representing the Newman
Bros. Co., startc out this week on a trip through Ohio
in the interests of his house.
Among the recent contributors of stock to the new
Columbian Museum were Lyon & Healy, who on
Thursday last gave five hundred shares.
The Story & Clark Organ Co. have issued a cir-
cular with the text of their great World's Fair award
and the comments cf the leading music trade papers
upon that award.
As will be seen elsewhere in this issue Lyon &
Healy, ever alert, are mak : ng use of a new advertise-
ment calling attention to the unprecedented honors
that fell to that house at the World's Fair.
A walk down Chestnut St., Philadelphia, shows that
there is a great deal of enterprise among the p ; ano
houses in advertising (he honors secured by their
respective panos at the World's Fair. Heie on
Chestnut St. are represented all the great pianos and
organs made in the United States and two-fifths of
S. ERNEST PHILPITT & SON
the entire list of pianos manufactured in this country.
Here in the more northern sections of the
The Lester Piano Co. did rot close their factory
country we have become used to depressing entirely at any time during the summer. They
three days in the week until October when
news stories from Florida. Harrowing ac- worked
they began running four days and are continuing that
counts of tempest and flood followed one an- now. They think their prospects are beg'mvng to
other for more than a year until we have look very brght and hope soon to be going along at
come to associate the state with discouraging their eld rate.
is scarcely necessary to dwell at any length upon
events. It is particularly pleasant this week to the It conditions
of the music trade generally this sea-
print the story of the grand opening of the son. Business has averaged up about 45 per cent of
new store of S. Ernest Philpitt & Son in St. last year's business. Some houses have passed that
somewhat, of course. These figures are based
Petersburg, a happening at which the entire mark
upon the bookings of orders cf a year ago, and to-
city rejoiced and congratulations from all over day ty four large manufacturing concerns, in New
York.
the country came pouring in.
Mr. A. C. Cox, one of the Steinway bright young
The opening of a larger store than that pre-
men, has received a deserved promotion. He will be
viously occupied in the famous resort city ex- the
assistant to Mr. Nafrum Stetson in both wholesale
presses the faith of the company in the future and retail departments.
Wanted—A
good position
in piano factory or with
of the state and it particularly shows the spirit
:
:
and energy of S. Ernest Philpitt in creating a some rel able firm as p ano tuner. Can furnish good
reference. Address, E. M. Babb, Herbst, Ind.
long chain of retail stores, each one a means
Why not form a Section I club? Some day, maybe
of music culture diffusion in its community.
twenty years hence, or longer, a gathering of those
who were in attendance at the Piano section of the
Columbian exposition, day in and day out, during
Prospect finding systems depending on the this Summer of 1893, will want to get together again
advertising and follow-up methods of a piano for a reunion.
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