Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1929 2240

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1884
Established
1881
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL
10 Cents a
1 Year
Copy
$1.25
10 Months... $1.00
6 Months. .75 cents
Issued Semi-.Montlily
J'irHt mill Fifteenth of Kaih Mouth
CHICAGO, ILL., DECEMBER 1, 1929
WHAT WM. R. STEINWAY HAS TO TELL US
Foreign Representative of Steinway & Sons Compares Trade Conditions
Here and Abroad for Presto=Times
BY PRESTO-TIMES STAF F CORRESPONDENT.
solicitor before making an allowance on a used piano
William R. Steinway, head of the European divi-
to be traded in. Thus if one found the allowance value
sion of the house of Steinway, "gets a kick out of"
had already been set, he would stick to it. If he was
visiting America every two years. He learns some-
the first one the customer had seen, he would send
thing new on every visit. Two years ago he was
his man to appraise it and ;eport the amount to the
impressed by such characteristically American devices
solicitor for the guidance of his competitors, in case
as the motored baggage trucks in our railroad termi-
she should call on them also. So the profits that were
nals, and the electrically-driven orange and lemon -
formerly thrown away on competitive bidding for
squeezing devices of our soda fountains. This year
second-hand instrume'Ms when traded in, are being
he has discovered the splendid cypress highways
saved.
which extend out of New Y
nto Westchester
Ninety per cent ot bargaining is "trj-on." in the
County and Long Island, having iio". ( ,ross-streets and
no limit on the speed. He says that he always finds opinion of Mr. Steinway. who spent several years
reorganizing- the London retail business of the house.
so much pep and initiative in the United States that
He cited the manner in which the bargain-bound cus-
he returns to Europe with a great impetus to try to
tomer is now met, by the co-operating dealers of Lon-
do things faster.
don. For instance a prospect will walk into the Stein-
We of the United States have something to learn
ernment is controlled by the Social-Democrats, the
new friendliness between the manufacturers has been
of much value in meeting unreasonable demands of
the workmen, etc. He told of the fine friendship
that has sprung up between the House of Steinway
'ind another leading German factory when the repre-
sentatives of each spent a day conducting the execu-
ive- of the other through their plant.
Touching on advertising and selling conditions here
!)•'• >ome of the facts the reporter gathered:
Advertising in Europe is not nearly as effective in
persuading public judgment quickly as it is in this
country.
Some of the methods most successful here, such as
canvassing or doorbell ringing, are futile and fatal
over there.
The London store of Steinway & Sons does an
enormous amount of cash business. They have found
that, in England, with a high-grade instrument at
least, the "hire-purchase" or installment plan does not
take hold. It is also interesting to note that in Lon-
don the buying of second-hand goods is not socially
dc irop, due perhaps to the fact that at the time the
World War began London was overstocked in every
line and many merchants marked their goods second
hand and cut the price in an effort to dispose of the
enormous -urphis; also due f" the passing down of
family antiques
When askci what effect raw-.. Vl r- having on Euro-
pean conditions, \ | r . Steinway -'ati-l that in England
there is oiiL one central radio -iition, owned and
controlled In the government, \\>th several hook-ups.
Kadio is not so far advanced as to the diversity,
quality and ir<< rexl of programs, as not a word of
commercial r-'h,, ;.'!\ ettising >s allowed.
Eve*-.' Laborer Has His Own Radio.
I V a c ' )•.•./
i r, .iborer has his own radio and is
i o r i'',v in
• . perhaps, hearing good music. The
r ' M i o mil «
l!y has :•. fleeted the sale of player-
pianos in I
< ,i it (iocs have tone color that the
player did
:.
< M'ei'alIv with such instruments
as the s-:\ ;
Howev .
into ih< •
sire for
stressed ; •
manue
W1LL.TAM R. STEIWVAY EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK ON THE STEAMSHIP BREMEN.
from Mr. Steinway. For European manufacturers
and dealers, facing much the same problems as exist
here, are meeting them by an increasing co-operation
which has favorable results on the profit side of the
ledger. One can see that this is an issue near Mr.
Steinway's heart.
Younger Generation's Habits.
In Europe as in America, the piano business i>> not
in the best of health. Mr. Steinway laid the condition
in Europe primarily to the great post-war desire to
be out of doors and the fact that there are too many
tilings for the younger generation to do. He summed
it up by taking a typical London family where sop imi
daughter go forth to "shake a leg at the Savo\.
mother goes to the bridge club, lather to tlu dog
races, and the piano stays at home.
It is Mr. Steinway's opinion that if the leading
ho.tses in a city will co-operate with each other the\
may save the profits which they throw away because
'^ f lack of co-operation.
Mr. Steinway cited the case of the six leading Ber-
lin houses agreeing to limit the music teacher's
commission to 5 per cent instead of the usual 10 per
cent. Thus, if the teacher's prospect was one who
insisted on a high grade instrument, some one of the
houses was sure to get the sale, with an added 5 per
cent profit.
He also told of the co-operation practiced by three
dealers in an English city who agreed to consult a
way showrooms exhibiting a catalog of a competitor
and sa\mg that the compeiitot h.is offered him such
and such a discount ami hi t\;>. '- the same from
Steinway & Sons.
In yeai> £• :•• ^
!u ' t a i l s a l e s -
m a n has a l w a y s r e g a r d e d i h e c o m p e l : ' 1 ••• •- ! h" ••in
to shoot at r a t l u r than the c u s t o m e r . .\ow o, i •• •,••,
a c u s t o m e r calls the h o u s e will " h . . n e t h e c o m p
'
ask if t h e p r o s p e c t h a s been : ' h e r e , a n d give ';<-
n a n i e or a descriptiv>ii of h i m . M> that t h e y m a y I-,.
r e a d y for h i m w h e n be d o e s call.
So t h e c i ^ t o i i i e v
is met w i t h a u n i f o r m refusal of a n y d i s c o u n t a n d the
r e s u l t is t h a t at t h e e n d of t h e y e a r the sales w h i c h
the c o m p e t i t o r h a s g o t t e n t h r o u g h h a v i n g t h e n a m e s
! t h r o u g h his c o - o p e r a t i o n .
A n d e v e r y d e a l e r is in
p o c k e t to i h e a m o u n t of the d i s c o u n t s w h i c h smile
formerly threw .iv.>v in c u t - p r i c e c o m p e t i t i o n
S a l e s m e n ' s Dinners.
A v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g storv w a s told b y Mr S i e i n u a y
of t h e b r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r at a d i n n e r g i v e n by him
of t h e retail sales staffs of t h e t w o leading IVrlin
p i a n o h o u s e s w h e r e b y a fine d e g r e e of friendship
:; c o - o p e r a t i o n h a s b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d w h i c h li,i> beer. o.
beueiit to b o t h h o u s e s .
I t is i n t e r e s t i n g i<> iio*r ''.;it
t h e s e s a l e s m e n ' s d i n n e r s h a v e n o w b e c o m e a -eim
aunuai event.
Mr. Steinway also spoke of the fine and increasing
co-operation among the manufacturers both in Eng-
land and in Germany. In Germany where the gov-
'
i: •:: and melody are being ingrained
..Mil and it is inevitable that the de-
liuisii. will lol'uw. Mr. Steinway
'- ^rluUin: like is the swing of social
• iv s ii'ways a post-war period similar
to thi
in
< "'i
• of the world have just gone
thron
-i . ; . m >K'\ swing back to a more Victo-
rian i < ••• \ ~ t e i i '
Due to the wide spread of the
ra niusi .II.I
ii.i they do the two instruments which
will \•'!•' •
l«i most used because they are the "true
torn ' ' • M c n t s are the piano and the violin. Si
who •
ii'lulum swings, as Mr. Steinway feels it
will i.
or five year--, tin pian > men will owe a
debt -
i tide to radii- i<»r i;url:i:iiing in people the
desire • > > • '>. e niu^ie.
W'he:
.' coned as to the use oi Group I'iano Tn-
striutio!, Mi Steinway stated th i* it is making slow
but stead 1 . ; rogress in Engia > started in < iermany, as yet.
Ship to Fifty On: tries.
- - >n>
'us headquarters
'"••jf, Germany, and
ing. They ship to
i each one has a
•lerstood and met.
ililieii :
• of c o n d i t i o n s to
r.u\ and methods,
T h e r e ..u- n i t t i i e n ' l a n g u a i • •
in of the Hamburg
T h r e e t r a v e l e r s w o r k <-<>n>• ;M : I
the factory at
factory.
H e i n s t a n c e d ;>, '...;irii< . u n
.mi Bucharest,
w h i c h w e r e p r e s e n t S t e i n w a v dealer
Finland and Australia.
Like every place where two or three men are gath-
ered together, the conversation turned to the Stock
Market. It ua- suggested that perhaps the Wall
Street crash would help the piano situation in Amer-
ica as people might be obliged to sell their cars and
get used to -taving home again!
Mr. Steinwav recalled the hectic post-war days in
Germany when the mark was fluctuating wildly and a
customer would bring a bushel basket of money when
he wished to buy a piano! At th:t time all the agents
wen instructed to phone the main office whenever
iluy had a sale so that they might be told the present
price oi the instrument in marks. Thus though the
Steinwav piano always sold at the same value as
M r . W illiam R. S t r i m v v .
. .;
..• i-i S l e i n w a y f a c i o r \ at l<
: n
n i t r i e s from H a m b u n
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO-TIMES
compared to American dollars, it had a new price
each day in marks.
In England at present taxation is extremely heavy
with a two-thirds estate tax, so that a man cannot
afford to die!
Hold Jobs for Life.
Commenting on salesmen, Mr. Steinway spoke of
the stability with which a man stays in one job in
Kngland as compared to the United States, where the
average individual changes his position every few
years and each step is "up," whereas in England a
man expects to be what he is for the balance of his
life.
Mr. .Steinway has been laud up since his arrival in
this country and does !!ot expect to do much trav-
eling, as he wishes to spend as much time as possible
with his family. He stated that he might possibly
visit Chicago.
He is returning to Europe on the Steamship Bremen
on December 15.
As a man who expressed himself as "in love with
his business," the men of che music trade should keep
before them Mr. Steinwav's excellent advice,
"Climb up on the back of something the public
wants"—and co-operate.
HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA TOUR.
The National high school and band camp at lnter-
lochen, Mich., is sponsored by the Music Supervisors'
National Conference, the National Federation of Music
Clubs and the National Bureau for the Advancement
of Music. The National High School Orchestra, now
in process of formation, will be built up into A and B
sections of about 300 each. The first will play at
Atlantic City in connection with the meeting of the
department of superintendence of the National Educa-
tion Association there February 23-27 and conductors
will be Walter Damrosch, of New York, and Joseph
E. Maddy, of the University of Michigan School of
Music. Section B will play in Chicago during the
Music Supervisors National Conference, March 21-26.
The Conductors, will be Frederick Stock and Mr.
Maddy. Selection of players will be made on Decem-
ber 15.
DEATH OF J. J. BYRNES.
Hero c fortitude, not uncommon among pieno men,
enabled J. J. Byrnes, with Lyon & Healy for 28
years, to remain at his desk all through the dozen
years that a serious ailment was causing him much
suffering. Three weeks ago, his illness became acute
and he was unable to return to his desk. On Thurs-
day, November 20, he died. The funeral was from
St. Mel's Church, Chicago, Saturday, November 22.
Mr. Byrnes was a member of the wholesale sheet
music department.
On November 22 John F. Wisniewski became man-
ager of the wholesale sheet music department of
Lyon & Healy, Chicago.
MAJOR CLELAND'S SON DIES.
George A. Cleland, son of a former president of
The Cable Company, the late Maj. Jonas M. Cleland,
and Mrs. Louise I). Cleland, died on November 26.
He was a brother of James F. Cleland and Mrs. Rob-
ert A. Black. The funeral was held on November 29
at Sioux City, Iowa.
TURNER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.
George D. Turner, of the Paragon piano plate fac-
tories, Oregon, 111., whose beautiful home is at Elgin,
111 , gave a birthday dinner to some of his friends
some eight or ten days ago, on the occasion of his
teenty-teentli Irrthday. Joyful and jubilant as such
occasions usually are, when good friends get together
this one was surpassingly gay.
THANKFUL FOR THIS AND THAT
Radiograms of the Thoughts of Leaders That Reached Presto=Times on
Thanksgiving Day
George P. Bent—Mr. Bent was thankful because
"The chain of friendship, reaching far,
Links days that were with days that are."
Tom Fletcher, president of the Q R S—DeVry Cor-
poration— Because there were so many fine golfing
days this fall.
Charles Jacob, New York—That the Jungfrau was
not twenty feet higher.
Theodore Steinway—That Steinway & Sons had a
very successful piano year.
J. H. Shale, New York—That the motor boat busi-
ness goes well as supplemental to the piano business.
R. E. Durham, president of Lyon & Healy, Chi-
cago—For the good judgment his company showed
when it decided to re-enliven the Washbnrn name
through the new 7 Washburn piano.
Lucien Wulsin, president of the Baldwin Piano
Company, Cincinnati—For the good results from the
"At The Baldwin" radio broadcasting hour.
A. S. Bond, president of the Packard Piano Com-
pany, Fort Wayne, Ind.—For the courage that comes
from the "bond" of sentiment in their slogan, "If
there's no harmony in the factory, there will be none
in the piano."
Mark P. Campbell, president of the Brambach Piano
Company and the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce—That both organizations of which he is the
head are functioning well.
William Lincoln Bush—That he is still able to tell
a good story.
H. Edgar French, president of Jesse French &
Sons Piano Company, New Castle, Ind.—That radio
and ensemble sets of furniture are splendid partners in
the piaiK) trade.
A. G. Gulbransen, president of the Gulbransen
COmpany, Chicago—That pianos and radio sets are
both going well and that group playing in schools is
on the gain.
Jay Grinnell—president of Griunell Bros., Detroit—
That the automobile business has not felt the jar of
the Wall street stock slump.
B. K. Settergren, president of the Estey Piano
Company, Bluffton, Ind.—Because Estey and Setter-
gren pianos are popular in the market.
H. C. Dickinson, Chicago, vice-president of the
Baldwin Piano Company—That the total volume of
sales will foot up bigger than many pessimists pre-
dicted.
E. R. Jacobson, president of the Straube Piano
Company, Hammond, Ind.—Because the Straube fac-
tory still hums with work.
Florence Heppe, president and treasurer of the
Heppe Piano Company, Philadelphia—Because Phil-
adelphia has awakened from old-fashioned ideas and
is booming by building vast skyscrapers and exten 1
sive subways.
Clarence H. Pond, president of Ivers & Pond Piano
Company, Boston—That the advertising of the com-
pany has brought a considerable increase in trade.
C. D. Greenleaf, president of C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elk-
hart, Ind.—That the merger of interests with Leedy,
I.udwig & Ludwig, et al., is bringing in larger busi-
ness.
Louis M. Severson, president of the Operators'
Piano Company, Chicago—That the latest coin-
operated machines of his invention are the most suc-
cessful of all.
ADAM SCHAAF, Inc.
Established 1839—Boston
FACTORIES
- - NEW YORK CITY
Executive Offices and Wholesale Warerooms
6 East 39th St. (at 5th Ave.)
New York City
GRANDS AND UPRIGHTS PLAYER
PIANOS
Established Reputation and Quality Since 1873
OFFICES
FACTORY
Corner of Kostner Avenue
THE
& SALESROOMS
319-321 So. Wabash Ave.,
New Adam Seliaaf Building
CHICAGO, ILL.
CO MSTOCK,
B. J. Grigsby, president of Grigsby-Grunow Com-
pany, manufacturers of Majestic radio, Chicago—That
his company is now rated as one of "The Big Three"
in radio.
George Miller of Lester Piano Company, Phila-
delphia—Because the men who manage the retail
stores in the company's control handle their districts
thoroughly.
For ourselves—Presto-Times repeats what it said
35 years ago at Thanksgiving time: "For the friends
we have and for others we hope to win."
M. E. Lea, president of the Self-Lifting Piano
Truck Company, Findlay, Ohio—For the good demand
for the One-Man Radio Truck.
Joseph Reed, president of the Paragon Plate
Works, Oregon, 111.—That the plateless piano has not
yet been invented.
Ernest G. Clark, president of Clark Orchestra Roll
Company, DeKalb, 111.—Because his "Hits" are hit-
ting it up all along the line.
Herbert Simpson, president of Kohler & Campbell,
New York—-For the many signs of life in the piano
trade throughout the nation.
Ed. Johnson, president of the Schaff Piano String
Works, Chicago—For the great growth in his piano
tuning pin business.
Fernando Wessell, of Wessell, Nickel & Gross,
New York—For old customers and new ones who
want nothing but the best in piano actions.
Arthur Rice, president of the C. Kurtzmann & Co.,
Buffalo, N. L.—For the work done at established
agencies all this year throughout the land.
Adam Schiv ider, Chicago—For several perpetual
treasurershipy.
Crawford Cheney of Comstock Cheney & Co.,
Ivoryton, Conn.—That his friends are and always have
been galore.
Emil W. Wolff, ]j"e'sident of the M. Schulz Com-
pany, Chicago—For the experience that has qualified
him for the presidency of that corporation.
George J. Dowiing, president of The Cable Com-
pany, Chicago—That another Pacific Coast trip is
near at hand.
George I 1 quhart, president of the American Piano
Company, New York—That the company's local ad-
vertising has brought so much cash to the tills of its
man\ r reta : l stores.
C. A. Ericsson, president of Ludwig & Co., New
York—That the great Ludwig building in the Bronx
is so well occupied that it has little vacant s,pace.
John H. Parnham, president of the Cable-Nelson
Piano Company, South Haven, Mich.-—That the radio
industry has helped to fully occupy the space in his
factory.
Fred P. Bassctt, secretary and treasurer of the
M Schulz Company. Chicago—That he has graduated
into the perpetual pres'dency class among the music
industry associations.
Harry Genuett, president of the Starr Piano Co..
Richmond, Ind.—That the season is on for his Cali-
fornia trip.
E. H. Story, president of Story & Clark Piano Co.,
Chicago—For the delightful home ties he has in
sunny Califorrr'a.
Conrad Kreiter, Milwaukee, Wis.—That it is the
Kreiter pianos, rather than something else, that is
now making Milwaukee famous.
HALLET & DAVIS PIANO CO
REPRODUCING
PIANOS
4343 Fifth Avenue
December 1. 1929
C H E ME" Y
[ V O R Y T O N , COIMPW
& CO.
IVORY CUTTERS SINCE 1834
MANUFACTURERS OF
Grand Keys. Actions
and
Hammers, Upright Keys
Actions and Hammer , Pipe Organ Keys
Piano Forte Ivory for .he Trade
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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