Presto

March, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
Washington's birthday as a special piano sales day
does not seem to be particularly in vogue with music
dealers. Only two newspaper display advertisements
with this caption have come to the attention of Presto-
Times^—one the Wissner store at 565 Broad street,
Newark, N. J., the other Griffith's at 605 Broad street,
Newark, N. J. Griffith's announcement reads: "An
event that will long be remembered! Griffith's Wash-
ington's Birthday Sale," and the Wissner heading is
"Special for Washington's Birthday."
-aw
/
In a newspaper column list of used and out of date
radios advertised in a Chicago paper in which prices
ranging from five to sixty dollars are given the Sil-
ver-Marshall set is listed at about the highest of any
of the seventy named and only one Silver-Marshall
appears in the long list given. Evidently the Silver-
Marshall radio receiving sets are not to be classed
with the ordinary bargain counter and special sale
offerings.
Mr. Otto Link of the important drum manufac-
turing house of Johs. Link, Markneukirchen, Ger-
many, who visited the United States a few months
ago, writes his friends and former patrons in the
United States that it is almost impossible to ship
any goods to merchants in this country because of
the enormous duty imposed. At the same time Amer-
ican competition is very keen.
And they continue to croon. Though the criti-
cisms and pleadings for mercy ring from the council
of Podunk to the Senate at Washington, they con-
tinue to croon. And while a discontented public is
beginning to wonder if music is ever coming back,
the air is rent with the jazzmaniaized themes of the
masters which crack-brained composers and their
aides distort almost beyond recognition, forced, as
they say, by public opinion of the majority of the
radio public—said majority consisting of a doubtful
five per cent.
Chicago Piano and Organ Association meetings are
always exceedingly interesting and should continue to
attract a large attendance. They are usually held at
the last of the month and anyone interested in the
music trades will do well to attend these meetings
for they will not only learn much that is of interest
to them but will be attracted by the feeling of fellow-
ship that pervades the social part of the meetings,
as well.
A man not connected with the music trade who ar-
rived in Chicago a few days ago from the East by
way of Cincinnati, where business took him to many
parts of that city, said that in passing the Baldwin
piano factories along Gilbert avenue, he noticed great
activity and observed, too, that the factories were con-
siderably more active than they were in December
when he formerly was in Cincinnati on a similar trip.
* * *
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
A friend of Presto-Times sends this brief and per-
haps timely item with the request that it be published
and which, certainly, Presto-Times is glad to do:
"The unmusical American public rejected the player
piano—surely the greatest gift ever offered to the
music lover. Why? Just plain ignorance and indif-
ference to the creative side of music—and the piano
trade folded up and took its licking without a
murmur."
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REST T R I P FOR GEORGE L. CHENEY
Word comes to Presto-Times that Mr. George L.
Cheney, who recently relinquished active duties with
the house of Pratt Read & Co., Deep River, Conn.,
is planning a pleasure or, as he puts it, a rest trip to
Europe this year, which Mr. Cheney certainly de-
serves, for he has been for many years past and
always is an indefatigable worker.
* * *
"E. & O."
Presto-Times is reminded that in the list of piano
manufacturers which appeared in this paper some
time ago under the heading, "Pianos and Manufac-
turers Today—Yesterday," the Sterling Company,
formerly manufacturing at Derby, Conn., was omitted
from the list bearing the caption, "Gone Out of Busi-
ness, Discontinued Manufacturing," and also the
Miessner Piano Company was left out of this list.
The Miessner Company should have been included
aS they were making pianos up to the summer of
1929. The Sterling Company discontinued piano mak-
ing at Derby some ten years ago and moved their
headquarters to Brooklyn, N. Y., from where the
Sterling Company's line of instruments was marketed.
Advertised Pianos Meet a Demand Which Has
Already Been Created—Sell Advertised Pianos Be-
cause They Are Prejudice Proof.
"Stock about all gone," and the composite reply of the other three was, "We need more stock
ourselves ; no rare bargains, and not many instruments to offer."
Apparently a shortage in pianos now exists or is anticipated, especially in up-to-date
models of both grands and uprights. We continued to investigate further and found that many
piano manufacturers are well nigh depleted of saleable models.
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The re-establishing of our exports of musical instruments to somewhere near the pro-
portion they had reached a few years ago would go a long way toward helping conditions in
the music trade industry. Even back in 1929 our exports were almost nineteen million dol-
lars ; in 1930 they fell to $9,189,302.00, and in 1931 to $7,905,598.00. Nineteen thirty-two does
not promise much improvement but it is estimated they will not fall below 1931.
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Similituding the Latin phrase "Veni, Vidi, Vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered"), the Wurlitzer Musics
House at Columbus, Ohio, introduced in a recent display advertisement the Farny grand piano with a
paraphrase on the ancient phrase of their own conception, which read: "They came, They saw, They
bought."
* * * *
The Federal Trade Commission at Washington publishes weekly lists and monthly statements of
business concerns which have come under its scrutiny on account of irregularities of conducting business.
The statement for February, comprising some eighteen pages, presents the names of business houses in
nearly all lines of commerce which have been investigated for irregularities, but in this list of concerns
embracing, as we say, many lines of trades not one music establishment is named as having carried on or
attempted to carry on misrepresentation in business.
In past years music houses have been listed as over-stepping the law in various ways—misrepresen-
tation of goods, misrepresentation in advertising and other forms of false pretense, but during the current
year Presto-Times has not noticed in the Federal Trade Commission's reports any statements of unfair
competition or misrepresentation as connected with the music trades or industries.
* * * *
No less than three chain letters, chain letters destined for a trip around the world, have reached mem-
bers of the Presto-Times within the past two weeks, but if any more arrive we will not promise to keep
the chain unbroken, notwithstanding the ill omen that is prophesied in one of these communications which
says: "Do not break the chain as it will bring misfortune," Another letter says: "The chain will bring
you luck which you will experience within nine days after mailing. Mrs. Archo won $20,000 within nine
days after mailing. Mrs. Frank Farili won $60,000 in in international lottery. A Mrs. Frank broke the chain
and lost a fine grand piano which had cost $2,000." If any readers of Presto-Times are interested they
can be put in touch with these music trade chain letter distributors by addressing Chain Letter, care of
Presto-Times.
* * * *
Not only in our own country, here at home, has a diminution in the music business been going during
the last year or two, but Canada, as well as America, Germany, England, has experienced a shrinkage of mil-
lions in dollars and cents. In 1931 the musical instrument industry of Canada produced about eight and
one-quarter millions worth of instruments, which was a decline of thirteen and one-half millions from the
previous year. There were thirty-two establishments manufacturing and producing musical instruments,
eight less than the previous year.
* * * *
A recent report of the Federal Trade Commission under the heading of Stipulation 843 mentions a
piano manufacturing concern which has agreed to stop the use of the word "walnut" in any way that would
imply that its products are derived from, the walnut tree family, when such is not the fact.
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Everyone likes to window shop. It is supposed to be a feminine characteristic, and surely it is true
that women find window displays intriguing. So do men if the exhibits are interesting enough. And the
window's value in trade advertising can not be disputed.
Just how much good is accrued to a music store by showing a piano in the window is a question that
probably the most skillful advertising manager would answer offhand. But when a piano is shown in
relation to human sentiment people stop to look at it. The sentiment or the piano? Both.
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Mr. Stevens, general representative of Pratt, Read & Co., Deep River, Conn., recently made an extensive
Western trip. It is a well-known fact that wherever pianos are made the Pratt, Read & Co. product is a
unit of their construction.
• * *
Information is given out that William Betz, who for many years has been superintendent of the Straube
piano factory at Hammond, Ind., is the inventor of a new grand action said to be not only less expensive
to construct but one which overcomes certain problems and is a general improvement in grand piano action
construction, and our informant says, "Bill knows his stuff."
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During a social chat at a recent Chicago music trade gathering, several members of the piano trade
were discussing the matter of piano sales prospects. The manager of a large Chicago music publishing house
remarked that he had that same morning obtained visual evidence that there were still many undiscovered
piano prospects. While looking over a six apartment building that he had thought of buying, he noticed
that there were no pianos in two of the apartments and one of the other four tenants remarked that they
wanted to turn in their upright on a grand. These three families are but one illustration of the many thou-
sands of piano prospects that can be drawn from the average American community anywhere.
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The late John Philip Sousa was greatly beloved by those who were recipients of his friendship. He
was not a mixer in the ordinary sense of the term, but he was jovial, kind and democratic toward acquaint-
ances who were able to get in fairly close contact with him.. He would do great things for those he re-
ceived and liked and was at all times appreciative of kindness and favors.
Once upon a time, years ago, the writer of these lines found himself stranded, in a way, having lost a
through ticket on a limited train from Erie, Pa., to New York. At that same time the Sousa Band, run-
ning a special car, was leaving Erie bound to Washington by way of New York. A slight acquaintance
with Sousa's manager enabled him to appeal to Mr. Sousa with the result that the "stranded writer" was
taken into the Sousa special car as a member of the party and transported safely to New York. It is
needless to say that the recipient of this favor has ever had a regard bordering on affection for the great
Sousa.
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