Music Trade Review
Issue: 1908 Vol. 46 N. 2 - Page 8
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THE MUSIC TRADE
INDIANAPOLISJRADE NOTES.
Dealers Preparing for Active Campaign—
Strenuous
Competition
Reported—Much
Business Expected from Outside the City—
Carlin & Lennox Have Big Stock—What
Other Houses Are Doing.
(Special to The Review.)
Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 6, 1908.
Indianapolis piano dealers are busy—that is,
some Indianapolis piano men are busy. The
salesmen are not rushed with business; it is
the proprietors and the heads of departments
that have all they can do. Indications now are
that there will be strenuous competition in In-
dianapolis for the next few months, brought
about by the dull trade of the last few months.
Piano men believe that this year will be a good
one for the business, but they believe it will
take work to make it so, and it is this work
which they have taken up now.
The slogan of battle, it is said, will be sounded
about the first or the middle of February. The
stores do not expect to do much business in
January, but after that they expect to get in the
game and they expect to keep in it until the
end of the year. There are several things to
show this already. In the first place, one or
two houses that have always been noted for
their first-class, straight methods, and which
have been praised by their competitors without
exception, are coming to be known as knockers.
Other dealers are complaining of what they call
the dirty methods of those houses. Another
thing which indicates that war is on is the
advertisement of low payment rates. One of the
best houses in town is advertising new instru-
ments extensively at $10 down and $5 a month.
Heretofore $8 a month has been the limit. Then
aside from all this it is known that the prin-
cipal dealers of the city are setting their brains
to work to evolve new methods for getting busi-
ness. Just what these methods will be is not
known, but something entirely new is expected.
"We are studying out some plans now which
REVIEW
we expect to get business for us," said John S.
Pearson, of the George C. Pearson Co. Asked
further, Mr. Pearson saith not. Others saith
not, but they are studying out their plans just
the same.
There are indications also that much of the
business of the coming year will be done in the
State outside Indianapolis. For several weeks
trade out in the State has gone ahead of the
i ity sales. This is significant to the piano men.
They believe there are opportunities in the rural
districts and in the smaller, cities of the State,
and they will take advantage of them.
Conservative estimates place the trade of piano
houses during 1907 a t about 15 per cent, less
than that of 1906, all the decrease having come
in November and December.
"Our business was a few thousand dollars less
than it was in 1906," said the proprietor of one
of the big houses. "Up until November it seemed
that the trade of the year would reach or exceed
that of 1906. But the slump came. I might say
that 1906 was the best year in the history of
our store."
H. C. Jackson, of the King store, said that
he would put two new salesmen on the road
next week. They will work in the western and
southern part of the State. They will stay out
in the State all of the time.
G. P. Benjamin, of St. Louis, formerly man-
ager of the Aeolian branch here, is visiting W. H.
Alfring, the present manager. He is accom-
panied by Mrs. Benjamin. Mr. Benjamin is well
pleased with the business outlook in St. Louis,
where he is the manager of the new Aeolian
store, but he is not prepared to renounce his
allegiance to Indianapolis as a place of resi-
dence. He is living in St. Louis, but he still
has a high opinion of Indianapolis as a place
for a home.
Although they now have a big stock on hand,
Carlin & Lennox are contracting ahead for in-
struments. The factories are offering some in-
ducements just now and the members of this
firm believe that business in 1907 is not going
to be half bad. The business in their small
goods department is excellent. For several
weeks they have been having a good sale on
the higher-priced class of small goods.
Frank Carlin, of the firm of Carlin & Lennox,
has been confined to his home during the greater
part of the week with a severe attack of "grip."
Mr. Bolze, of the H. P. Nelson Co., was a caller
at the store of Carlin & Lennox.
Lester McCormick, of the retail department
of the Starr Piano store, says that business has
been especially good for the last few days. This
statement holds good, he says, both as to the
retail and the wholesale department.
FIGHT TAX ASSESSMENT.
Mississippi
State
Revenue
Agent
Enjoined.
Following upon the attempt of the revenue
agent for Mississippi to collect back taxes to a
large amount claimed against the various piano
houses doing business in the State, E. Witzmann
& Co., piano dealers of Memphis, have obtained
an injunction restraining the prosecution of the
assessment cases in all the various counties of the
State on the ground that all the suits ibeing of
the same nature one case would determine all
the rest. Witzmann & Co., in their bill claim
that the assessment was of an arbitrary nature
for the reason that in many of the counties where
they are being assessed on notes on sales of from
five to ten pianos for each year, the fact is that
in some of these counties they have sold no
pianos whatever. Their further claim is that all
of this business is protected by the Interstate
Commerce clause of the constitution; that all
pianos sold by them in Mississippi were sold
upon orders received by them in Memphis; that
on those which were paid for in Mississippi
notes were taken which matured in Memphis,
and that the pianos never acquired any situs in
the State of Mississippi.
v
Frank Williams will hereafter conduct the
piano business at Fond du Lac, Wis., exclusively,
his partner having dissolved recently.
Do you know this is going to be a great year for
player pianos?
1$ Do you know the one which is destined to move
ahead by leaps and bounds is the BEHNING?
complicated produced and with it it is possible to
obtain the finest musical results. Wherever a dealer
has ordered a sample instrument he has invariably
ordered more. So will you and you will find that the
Behning will help you out materially in your business
for the New Year.
T5e Behning Piano Company,
MANUFACTURERS OF PIANOS AND PLAYER PIANOS,
Park Ave. and 131st St. to 132nd St.
New York, N. Y.
THE MUSIC TRADE
INDIANAPOLISJRADE NOTES.
Dealers Preparing for Active Campaign—
Strenuous
Competition
Reported—Much
Business Expected from Outside the City—
Carlin & Lennox Have Big Stock—What
Other Houses Are Doing.
(Special to The Review.)
Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 6, 1908.
Indianapolis piano dealers are busy—that is,
some Indianapolis piano men are busy. The
salesmen are not rushed with business; it is
the proprietors and the heads of departments
that have all they can do. Indications now are
that there will be strenuous competition in In-
dianapolis for the next few months, brought
about by the dull trade of the last few months.
Piano men believe that this year will be a good
one for the business, but they believe it will
take work to make it so, and it is this work
which they have taken up now.
The slogan of battle, it is said, will be sounded
about the first or the middle of February. The
stores do not expect to do much business in
January, but after that they expect to get in the
game and they expect to keep in it until the
end of the year. There are several things to
show this already. In the first place, one or
two houses that have always been noted for
their first-class, straight methods, and which
have been praised by their competitors without
exception, are coming to be known as knockers.
Other dealers are complaining of what they call
the dirty methods of those houses. Another
thing which indicates that war is on is the
advertisement of low payment rates. One of the
best houses in town is advertising new instru-
ments extensively at $10 down and $5 a month.
Heretofore $8 a month has been the limit. Then
aside from all this it is known that the prin-
cipal dealers of the city are setting their brains
to work to evolve new methods for getting busi-
ness. Just what these methods will be is not
known, but something entirely new is expected.
"We are studying out some plans now which
REVIEW
we expect to get business for us," said John S.
Pearson, of the George C. Pearson Co. Asked
further, Mr. Pearson saith not. Others saith
not, but they are studying out their plans just
the same.
There are indications also that much of the
business of the coming year will be done in the
State outside Indianapolis. For several weeks
trade out in the State has gone ahead of the
i ity sales. This is significant to the piano men.
They believe there are opportunities in the rural
districts and in the smaller, cities of the State,
and they will take advantage of them.
Conservative estimates place the trade of piano
houses during 1907 a t about 15 per cent, less
than that of 1906, all the decrease having come
in November and December.
"Our business was a few thousand dollars less
than it was in 1906," said the proprietor of one
of the big houses. "Up until November it seemed
that the trade of the year would reach or exceed
that of 1906. But the slump came. I might say
that 1906 was the best year in the history of
our store."
H. C. Jackson, of the King store, said that
he would put two new salesmen on the road
next week. They will work in the western and
southern part of the State. They will stay out
in the State all of the time.
G. P. Benjamin, of St. Louis, formerly man-
ager of the Aeolian branch here, is visiting W. H.
Alfring, the present manager. He is accom-
panied by Mrs. Benjamin. Mr. Benjamin is well
pleased with the business outlook in St. Louis,
where he is the manager of the new Aeolian
store, but he is not prepared to renounce his
allegiance to Indianapolis as a place of resi-
dence. He is living in St. Louis, but he still
has a high opinion of Indianapolis as a place
for a home.
Although they now have a big stock on hand,
Carlin & Lennox are contracting ahead for in-
struments. The factories are offering some in-
ducements just now and the members of this
firm believe that business in 1907 is not going
to be half bad. The business in their small
goods department is excellent. For several
weeks they have been having a good sale on
the higher-priced class of small goods.
Frank Carlin, of the firm of Carlin & Lennox,
has been confined to his home during the greater
part of the week with a severe attack of "grip."
Mr. Bolze, of the H. P. Nelson Co., was a caller
at the store of Carlin & Lennox.
Lester McCormick, of the retail department
of the Starr Piano store, says that business has
been especially good for the last few days. This
statement holds good, he says, both as to the
retail and the wholesale department.
FIGHT TAX ASSESSMENT.
Mississippi
State
Revenue
Agent
Enjoined.
Following upon the attempt of the revenue
agent for Mississippi to collect back taxes to a
large amount claimed against the various piano
houses doing business in the State, E. Witzmann
& Co., piano dealers of Memphis, have obtained
an injunction restraining the prosecution of the
assessment cases in all the various counties of the
State on the ground that all the suits ibeing of
the same nature one case would determine all
the rest. Witzmann & Co., in their bill claim
that the assessment was of an arbitrary nature
for the reason that in many of the counties where
they are being assessed on notes on sales of from
five to ten pianos for each year, the fact is that
in some of these counties they have sold no
pianos whatever. Their further claim is that all
of this business is protected by the Interstate
Commerce clause of the constitution; that all
pianos sold by them in Mississippi were sold
upon orders received by them in Memphis; that
on those which were paid for in Mississippi
notes were taken which matured in Memphis,
and that the pianos never acquired any situs in
the State of Mississippi.
v
Frank Williams will hereafter conduct the
piano business at Fond du Lac, Wis., exclusively,
his partner having dissolved recently.
Do you know this is going to be a great year for
player pianos?
1$ Do you know the one which is destined to move
ahead by leaps and bounds is the BEHNING?
complicated produced and with it it is possible to
obtain the finest musical results. Wherever a dealer
has ordered a sample instrument he has invariably
ordered more. So will you and you will find that the
Behning will help you out materially in your business
for the New Year.
T5e Behning Piano Company,
MANUFACTURERS OF PIANOS AND PLAYER PIANOS,
Park Ave. and 131st St. to 132nd St.
New York, N. Y.
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