Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ACTIVITY GROWS WITH PIANO HOUSES IN LOS ANGELES
Demand Running Strong Toward Higher Priced Instruments with Larger Cash Deposits—New
Building for Kohler & Chase—Object to Reshipment Charges—News of the Week.
Warren C. Whitney, vice-president of the A. B.
Chase Co., Norwalk, O., has just returned to this
city from a trip through New Mexico, Arizona
and Nevada. He will leave in a few days for
Northern cities.
Wm. F. Marsh, of the Mason & Hamlin Co.,
Boston, was a Los Angeles visitor last week. He
departed for San Francisco, where he joins George
J. Dowling, president of the Cable Company, Chi-
cago, and from that city the two will make their
return to the East together.
Tom Pletcher, vice-president and sales manager
of the Melville Clark Piano Co., Chicago, is call-
ing on the Los Angeles dealers this week.
(Special to The Review.)
will enable them to compete with the steamship
Los ANGELES, CAL., March G.—All in all, Feb-
lines by way of the Panama Canal, but instead of
ruary proved a very encouraging month. In a few
making it apply to Los Angeles proper the rail-
instances the music houses failed to reach the roads have fixed the rate so as to apply on ship-
mark established for February a year ago, but in ments which go direct through to the port. This
most cases it was exceeded. The talking machine means that freight bound for this city passes
business continues to hold up remarkably well and through the port and must then be reshipped back
the demand for pianos has unquestionably im- to the city proper, entailing an extra charge of
proved. A- few of the piano dealers, in fact, re- about twelve cents per hundred pounds. The
port February as having been the best month they
United Jobbers' Association makes the claim that
have experienced for nearly a year. The sales this reshipping charge is entirely unnecessary.
have also been running strongly toward the higher
Salesmen Entertained with Banquet.
STILL WANT STENCIL PIANOS BARRED
priced instruments, and the cash receipts have
The sales force of the Southern California Society of American Musicians to Bring Up
been especially encouraging. A larger percentage -Music Co., numbering about fifty persons, was en-
Question Again at Convention of National
of all-cash sales is reported than for some time, tertained with a banquet on Monday evening of
Piano Manufacturers' Association.
and when all cash did not accompany the order this week at the Los Acigdes Athletic Club, Tom
the first payments have been invariably larger than
Plctcher, vice-president and sales manager of the
According to C. Gordon Wedertz, chairman of
usual. The dealers interpret this condition as Melville Clark Piano Co., Chicago, acting as host.
indicating that the man of means has finally de- Mr. Pletrher delivered an enthusiastic talk on the Committee of the Society of American
Musicians, which has as its object the elimination
termined to loosen up some of his money, which,
"Salesmanship," with particular emphasis ,on its
besides pointing to evident improvement in finan- application to the Apollo line, and a most enjoy- of the cheap stencil piano, the resolution regarding
that matter which was presented but not acted upon
cial conditions, should mean that the man further able and profitable evening was had.
ac the recent meeting of the executive committee
down the line must soon be placed in less stringent
Visitors and Personals.
of the National Piano Manufacturers' Association
circumstances. S. A. Brown, local manager for
Otto L. Wright, traveling salesman for the in New York in January, will again be presented
Kohler & Chase, says his company's traveling men
Engelhardt-Seybold Co., Chicago, is calling on the before the piano manufacturers at their convention
in southern California are finding conditions great-
trade here this week.
in Chicago in May, when it is hoped that the piano
ly improved, and that the small dealers in the
John
R.
Massie,
traveling
representative
on
the
men will have time to give the matter further con-
country are evidently stocking up in anticipation
Pacific Coast for the Baldwin Co., Cincinnati, has sideration. Mr. Wedertz claimed that several man-
of a very good year. The consensus of opinion
is that March will show a real turning point for transferred his headquarters from San Francisco ufacturers have expressed themselves as being in
to this city.
favor of the association taking action in the matter.
constant improvement.
J. L. Waldo, of Foster & Waldo, retail music
Kohler & Chase Planning to Build.
dealers of Minneapolis, Minn., accompanied by
DEATH OF PAUL VETTER.
It seems probable that Kohler & Chase, whole- Mrs. Waldo, is spending the winter at the Hotel
Paul
Vetter, a well-known piano dealer of
sale piano dealers, will permanently establish their Maryland in Pasadena, Cal. Mrs. Waldo is suf-
Southern branch in this city by building a ware- fering from a broken arm as the result of a fall Altoona, Pa., died in that city recently in his forty-
seventh year. Mr. Vetter went to AUoona in 1888
house and office building of their own. The lease last week.
to open a branch for Wm. Knabe & Co. and later
on their present quarters expires April 1,
His many friends will regret to learn of the
and Mr. Chase will be down from San Francisco very serious illness in this city of Theodore Pfaf- embarked in the piano business in that city on his
in a few days to look over possible locations with flin, an old-time and well-known traveling piano own account, meeting with considerable success.
the view of erecting a new building for the branch salesman, who has been making Los Angeles his
John S. Baker, a furniture dealer of Pendleton,
house. It is expected that the matter will be set- home for some time.
Ore., is now handling pianos.
tled one way or the other during his visit.
Mexican Governor Buys Shoninger.
The Los Angeles house of Kohler & Chase has
just received notice that the company representa-
tive, W. E. King, in El Centro, Cal., has had the
••**"" distinction of disposing of a Shoninger player-
piano to Col. Cantu, Governor of Lower Cali-
fornia.
Change in Managers for Pasadena.
C. H. Rundel, who has been with the company
for several years in various capacities, has become
the new manager of the Pasadena branch of the
Southern California Music Co. This branch will
remove some time during the month to its new
building, which ir, nearing completion.
Large Shipment of Knabes Received.
The Fitzgerald Music Co. received last week, by
way of the Panama Canal, a large shipment of
Knabe grand players.
Holmes Co. Makes Important Sales.
The Holmes Music Co. reports February business
as having been much better than for any month for
more than a year. Two important sales for the
month consisted of a Baldwin concert grand to
Mrs. K. Caldwell-Riggs' School of Singing, of
Fresno, Cal., and a Baldwin parlor grand to Prof.
Sandford C. Rich, pianist, also of Fresno.
Opens Talking Machine Department.
George T. Hively, who a month ago started a
new piano house at 928 South Main street, has
just .'i hied a talking machine department. The
Sonora line is handled. Mr. Flively reports his
firsi month's business as having been particularly
salisfactoiy.
- GUARANTEED «-c
MVSIC ROLLS
T
HE perforations in Connorized
Music Rolls are much larger than
usual and the paper is trimmed on
both sides. These two individual
characteristics in the manufacture of
these rolls strengthen our guarantee
of perfect tracking and assure ease in
operating the player-piano.
Object to Reshipment.
The loci'l music dealers, throiigh the United Job-
bers' Association, have begun a fight to prevent
an extra charge for return shipment on railroad
freight received from the East. The official port
of Los Angeles is at San Pedro, which, although
incorporated as a part of this city, is located on
the coast about twenty miles distant. The recent
ruling of the Interstate Commerce Commission
has enabled the transcontinental railroads to name
a rate on through shipments from the East which
NEW YORK,
i44thSt.and Austin Place
ST.L0UIS, 1234 Olive Street!
-
CHICAGO, '
2 O9 South State Street.
PITTSBURGH,
803 Liberty Ave x\ vie.