Music Trade Review
Issue: 1918 Vol. 66 N. 10 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MARCH 9, 1918
MUSIC
TRADE
9
REVIEW
ST. LOUIS RETAIL MUSIC TRADE UNAFFECTED BY STRIKE
Department Store Clerks Strike for New Scale of Wages, But Piano Departments Are Not In
volved—John F. Ditzell Tells of Success of No Commission Plan—News of the Week
ST. LULIS, Alo., March 5.—The general mer-
chandising situation here has been complicated
for a week by a strike of 1,000 or more employes
of live department stores, four of which sell
talking machines and three sell pianos. The
strike is to enforce demands for the recognition
of a clerks' union and the first day that it was
called the stores opened late and appeared to
be short considerable help. After the first day
the stores presented a much better appearance,
but the customers apparently did not like to go
to stores where pickets were stationed outside,
declaring the establishment to be unfair. One
effect has been that the department store adver-
tising sunk to a very low ebb and in the Sun-
day papers the stores carried very small ad-
vertisements.
The clerks presented a scale for most sales-
people, but the musical instruments were not
included. The managers of the departments
say that this was because none of the musical
instrument salespeople was with the strikers
and no request was made for a scale to them.
It appears that the musical instrument depart-
ments did not suffer except as they were af-
fected by the general demoralization of the
stores' business. Manager Ditzell, for instance,
said that the Famous & Barr piano department
did better for the week than any previous week
since its reorganization.
It appears that the sales of pianos and talking
machines did not suffer in proportion to the
records and music rolls. Persons intent upon
large purchases took any risk there might be,
but those wishing to make smaller purchases
probably went elsewhere.
The strikers are still out and, while it would
appear that they have little chance of winning,
their leaders are hopeful. The store managers
call it a "cash girls' strike." But daily parades
of strikers do not entirely support this theory.
This is the third hard blow for the depart-
ment stores within four weeks. The first was
the street car strike, then their boycott of the
most popular newspaper and finally the clerks'
strike.
John F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr piano
department, says that his widely and promi-
nently announced plan of paying no commis-
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—(Standard Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and -
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wis.
Chicago, HI.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, 111.
sions to teachers or others for helping with
the sale of pianos is bringing many customers
to that store. He says that he had no idea
how widespread the custom was in St. Louis
until he took the open stand against it. One
teacher, he says, came into the department to
await the coming of her pupil and announced
that she had come early to get posted on the
piano she was to recommend. She was ready
to indorse any of them and could not under-
stand the no-commission policy. Mr. Ditzell
also says that the opening sales have been not-
able for the large number of high-priced, straight
pianos that have been sold. He expected the
run to be on players.
Ben Phillips, for two years manager of the
Columbia Graphophone Co. retail store here, has
been transferred to the wholesale department,
and L. Tuppin, who came from Pittsburgh,
where lie had sold the Columbia line, is the new
manager. Mr. Phillips will travel in Missouri.
L. 11. Lyons has been named manager of the
VVurlitzer branch here, succeeding I'. K. Sum-
mers, who has been in charge for two years.
Mr. Summers will devote his time entirely to
the automatic department.
Mr. Lyons came
here from San Francisco, where he was man-
ager of the Photo Player Co.
Assistant General Manager Brown, of the
Victor Co., was a caller here last week. He
was accompanied by Mrs. Brown, and they were
on their way home from Texas, where they had
visited a son who is in the aviation camp.
Sales Manager Hopkins, of the Columbia Co.,
was here last week visiting Manager Irby W.
Reid, of the local branch. He was informed
that the record sales displays issued monthly
by his department had been a distinct hit with
the dealers, who find them very profitable.
TO CONSIDER VITAL WAR PROBLEMS
Sixth Annual Meeting of the U. S. Chamber of
Commerce, to Be Held in Chicago in April,
Will Discuss Many Important Questions
WASHINGTON, I). C, March 4.—Business read-
justment to war will be the dominant note of
the sixth annual meeting of the United States
Chamber of Commerce, it was announced to-day
at the conclusion of the meeting of the board
of directors of that body.
The four critical questions of the day—financ-
ing the war, railroads, centralized control of
industry and shipping—will be considered from
the twofold point of view of filling the Govern-
ment's requirements, but with the minimum dis-
turbance to private industry.
More than 500,000 business men will be repre-
sented at the meeting in Chicago April 10, 11
and 12. Delegations will be there from every
State in the Union, from large cities and from
small. There are more than one thousand local
chambers of commerce and commercial organi-
zations comprising the membership of the Na-
tional Chamber of Commerce, which includes
even such distant bodies as the American Cham-
bers of Commerce at Shanghai, the Philippines,
Alaska, Hawaii, Buenos Ayres, Rio de Janeiro,
London, Paris and some half dozen other cities
abroad, and each of the one thousand local mem-
bers will be represented at Chicago by duly au-
thorized delegates.
The resolutions of the
meeting may truly be said to be an accurate and
authoritative expression from American busi-
ness, and the fullest possible measure of co-
operation between business and the Government
may be expected to result. As in the past, the
speakers will be men of national position.
C. L. Stone, formerly connected with the
Auracher Piano Co., Syracuse, N. Y., has opened
vvarerooms of his own at 530 South Salina street,
that city, under the name of the Kimball Piano
Co.
Our
New Home
Will Grow
Brighter
at Your
Presence
a m n
You are invited to
visit us in our fine
new factory and see
just how Coinolas
and Reproducos are
made.
H H H
We are less than a
mile from the Loop.
Take t h e Madison
street car to Peoria
street and walk south
on west side of street.
H H H
OPERATORS
PIANO CO.
LOUIS M. SEVERSON, Pre:
16 South Peoria Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
THE
MARCH 9, 1918
MUSIC
TRADE
9
REVIEW
ST. LOUIS RETAIL MUSIC TRADE UNAFFECTED BY STRIKE
Department Store Clerks Strike for New Scale of Wages, But Piano Departments Are Not In
volved—John F. Ditzell Tells of Success of No Commission Plan—News of the Week
ST. LULIS, Alo., March 5.—The general mer-
chandising situation here has been complicated
for a week by a strike of 1,000 or more employes
of live department stores, four of which sell
talking machines and three sell pianos. The
strike is to enforce demands for the recognition
of a clerks' union and the first day that it was
called the stores opened late and appeared to
be short considerable help. After the first day
the stores presented a much better appearance,
but the customers apparently did not like to go
to stores where pickets were stationed outside,
declaring the establishment to be unfair. One
effect has been that the department store adver-
tising sunk to a very low ebb and in the Sun-
day papers the stores carried very small ad-
vertisements.
The clerks presented a scale for most sales-
people, but the musical instruments were not
included. The managers of the departments
say that this was because none of the musical
instrument salespeople was with the strikers
and no request was made for a scale to them.
It appears that the musical instrument depart-
ments did not suffer except as they were af-
fected by the general demoralization of the
stores' business. Manager Ditzell, for instance,
said that the Famous & Barr piano department
did better for the week than any previous week
since its reorganization.
It appears that the sales of pianos and talking
machines did not suffer in proportion to the
records and music rolls. Persons intent upon
large purchases took any risk there might be,
but those wishing to make smaller purchases
probably went elsewhere.
The strikers are still out and, while it would
appear that they have little chance of winning,
their leaders are hopeful. The store managers
call it a "cash girls' strike." But daily parades
of strikers do not entirely support this theory.
This is the third hard blow for the depart-
ment stores within four weeks. The first was
the street car strike, then their boycott of the
most popular newspaper and finally the clerks'
strike.
John F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr piano
department, says that his widely and promi-
nently announced plan of paying no commis-
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—(Standard Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and -
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wis.
Chicago, HI.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, 111.
sions to teachers or others for helping with
the sale of pianos is bringing many customers
to that store. He says that he had no idea
how widespread the custom was in St. Louis
until he took the open stand against it. One
teacher, he says, came into the department to
await the coming of her pupil and announced
that she had come early to get posted on the
piano she was to recommend. She was ready
to indorse any of them and could not under-
stand the no-commission policy. Mr. Ditzell
also says that the opening sales have been not-
able for the large number of high-priced, straight
pianos that have been sold. He expected the
run to be on players.
Ben Phillips, for two years manager of the
Columbia Graphophone Co. retail store here, has
been transferred to the wholesale department,
and L. Tuppin, who came from Pittsburgh,
where lie had sold the Columbia line, is the new
manager. Mr. Phillips will travel in Missouri.
L. 11. Lyons has been named manager of the
VVurlitzer branch here, succeeding I'. K. Sum-
mers, who has been in charge for two years.
Mr. Summers will devote his time entirely to
the automatic department.
Mr. Lyons came
here from San Francisco, where he was man-
ager of the Photo Player Co.
Assistant General Manager Brown, of the
Victor Co., was a caller here last week. He
was accompanied by Mrs. Brown, and they were
on their way home from Texas, where they had
visited a son who is in the aviation camp.
Sales Manager Hopkins, of the Columbia Co.,
was here last week visiting Manager Irby W.
Reid, of the local branch. He was informed
that the record sales displays issued monthly
by his department had been a distinct hit with
the dealers, who find them very profitable.
TO CONSIDER VITAL WAR PROBLEMS
Sixth Annual Meeting of the U. S. Chamber of
Commerce, to Be Held in Chicago in April,
Will Discuss Many Important Questions
WASHINGTON, I). C, March 4.—Business read-
justment to war will be the dominant note of
the sixth annual meeting of the United States
Chamber of Commerce, it was announced to-day
at the conclusion of the meeting of the board
of directors of that body.
The four critical questions of the day—financ-
ing the war, railroads, centralized control of
industry and shipping—will be considered from
the twofold point of view of filling the Govern-
ment's requirements, but with the minimum dis-
turbance to private industry.
More than 500,000 business men will be repre-
sented at the meeting in Chicago April 10, 11
and 12. Delegations will be there from every
State in the Union, from large cities and from
small. There are more than one thousand local
chambers of commerce and commercial organi-
zations comprising the membership of the Na-
tional Chamber of Commerce, which includes
even such distant bodies as the American Cham-
bers of Commerce at Shanghai, the Philippines,
Alaska, Hawaii, Buenos Ayres, Rio de Janeiro,
London, Paris and some half dozen other cities
abroad, and each of the one thousand local mem-
bers will be represented at Chicago by duly au-
thorized delegates.
The resolutions of the
meeting may truly be said to be an accurate and
authoritative expression from American busi-
ness, and the fullest possible measure of co-
operation between business and the Government
may be expected to result. As in the past, the
speakers will be men of national position.
C. L. Stone, formerly connected with the
Auracher Piano Co., Syracuse, N. Y., has opened
vvarerooms of his own at 530 South Salina street,
that city, under the name of the Kimball Piano
Co.
Our
New Home
Will Grow
Brighter
at Your
Presence
a m n
You are invited to
visit us in our fine
new factory and see
just how Coinolas
and Reproducos are
made.
H H H
We are less than a
mile from the Loop.
Take t h e Madison
street car to Peoria
street and walk south
on west side of street.
H H H
OPERATORS
PIANO CO.
LOUIS M. SEVERSON, Pre:
16 South Peoria Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
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