PR ESTO-TI M ES
March-April, 1936
iTOTXME
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADES JOURNAL
ISSUED THE
FIFTEENTH OF
PUBLICATION MONTH
'•RANK D. ABBOTT
Editor
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Chicago, 111.
The magazine "Today," Vincent Astor's
noted publication, says that when ten-cent
greeting cards replace five-cent ones and
pianos show big upturns business recovery is
upon us.
The phonograph, which is very popular in
India, is the production, in that country, of a
monopoly enterprise known as the British
Gramaphone Co., Ltd. This concern maintains
a large and well equipped plant at Duni Dum, a
suburb of Calcutta, where it is said as many as
1,500 persons are employed in the production
of these instruments and the gramaphone
records.
Another case of what radio has done to a
piece of music or, rather, for a composition,
is exemplified in the record of that radio hit.
"The Music Goes Round and Round." As the
story goes three young fellows helped Red
Rodgson, who had "thought out" the melody,
got it published, which two helpers have
already received about $10,000 each and Hodg-
son himself expects an equal amount, which
division is according to their agreement of
"halfing" the profits, if any. As the story goes,
Hodgson gets one cent per copy from sheet
music sales, two-thirds of a cent from orches-
trations, and two cents from each phonograph
record made. Hodgson's backers are supposed
to receive a like amount.
The "men wanted" advertisements of the
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company, for men for
the Wurlitzer factories at De Kalb, Til., which
have been appearing in newspapers in locali-
ties from which cabinet makers and other
wood workers might be secured is a certain-
sure indication of the returning of piano-
building prosperity, generally, now at hand,
but it is peculiarly significant of the tremen-
dous Wurlitzer piano activity which was mani-
fest all through 1935.
The Rotary Club of Binghamton. N. Y., has
issued a memorial in behalf of its beloved
member, Edwin R. Weeks, to be made a direc-
tor of Rotary International at the Atlantic
City. N. J., meeting. June 22-26, this year.
Presto-Times and certainly the music trade in
general will be interested in the Binghamton
Rotary Club in presenting its esteemed mem-
ber, Ed. Weeks, as candidate for the office of
director on the Board of Rotary International
believing that Rotarian Weeks is well qualified
to sit on the International Board along with
The Japanese Piano Importation
Fizzle
Little need be added to what has already appeared in the trade papers and a
few other publications about the "invasion of Japanese pianos" to America. To all
appearances there is no reason to believe that any perceptible importation of Jap-
anese pianos or what is called a piano, the little instrument of Japanese production,
will come to this country beyond the regular downright toy for the larger kids.
The flare which came up with the importation of these Japanese instruments,
probably not more than 200 all told, subsided when it was learned that the instru-
ments are little things of little key-board capacity, one string to the key and of lit-
tle or no use for the performance of even ordinary pianoforte music and therefore
of little or no consideration as a musical instrument of the piano class. So far as
being a factor of competition with the standard American upright piano in tone,
quality or volume of tone similar to that of a small harp and instruments of the
dulcimer group.
Information from New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and other cities
where these instruments have been on exhibition and for sale give out word that
they are a failure in sales attraction. A considerable number of dealers bought
samples to show and to place in comparison with American pianos, and now can-
not sell these after the curiosity has abated.
* * * *
With new developments in American piano making today and with one im-
portant firm bringing out a piano that will very readily compare at the price and
is far more attractive to the eye, it is not believed that there will be any chance of
Japanese pianos invading this market with any sort of an instrument that can take
the place of the American piano. Winter & Company, it seems, are trying out this
experiment but there is not much incentive to any manufacturer no matter how
low in price or mediocre in construction of the instrument to try to place on the
market an instrument with the main objective being price. Any American pianos
are low enough in price and it is not a constructive principle in piano production
to encourage lower prices even if some foreign country can be beaten in their at-
tempt to win some trade here.
To make a small toylike piano is commendable enough so far as we can see, but
there are toy shops that could do this work. These miniature instruments prob-
ably do have some tendency toward creating an incentive in children for the study
of music which in due time might call for a standard piano. But as for trying to
make a cheaper piano; a piano to sell at a ridiculously low price just because some
poorly paid artisans of other countries like Jap;
a tendency to encourage cheapness to the impairment of quality. Let them over in
Japan or anywhere else give their time to cheap, unmusical and unpiano produc-
tion but as for our own country and our own product we should keep to the legiti-
mate. However, it can be said that if something of the Japanese piano order must
be turned out in this country to meet the requirements of the Japanese importa-
tions, there are factories here with capabilities for mass production able to master
the situation and thus minimize importations of even toy pianos.
* * * *
Carload Days Are Here Again
Carload and truckload shipments of pianos and large orders of other products oi
the music industry offer substantial evidence of music trade revival. Vet, while
these activities indicate returning prosperity and more sales, present day compe-
tition requires close attention to detail in quality, attractiveness and points of sala-
bility of the product. The one who fails in these will fall behind in the competition
race.
Carload and truckload orders are not plentiful these days compared with the
golden era a few years ago when "Carload Charley" and "Trainload Billy" earned
Their titles by actual achievements in big selling and big orders; but stimulation to
musical instrument buying and establishing the piano as a fixture and its necessity
in home life is manifest everywhere, a condition which is aiding the music mer-
chant in every department of his business for in a home where the piano enters
other instruments of music, musical publications and accessories follow.
* * * #
THE LAWREJSCE H. SELZ I'lAXO PUBLICITY WORK
VRATIEYIM
TO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Piano Manufacturers
Association, held in New York recently, the work of the publicity committee in its
operations with Lawrence H. Selz toward giving publicity to the piano in piano
music and musical events in which the piano is prominent and made conspicuous,
was gone over thoroughly. Mr. Selz' operations for the months of January and
February were entirely" satisfactory. The extent of publicity in newspapers
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