Music Trade Review

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APRIL 20, 1918
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
PIANO RETAILERS SEE NO DANGER IN CURTAILMENT ORDER
St. Louis Merchants Believe Some Advantages Will Accrue From Temporary Checking of Piano
Output—Will Serve to Put Business on a Higher Plane—Credits Should Be Strengthened
ST. LOUIS, MO., April IS.—The recent published
agreement of piano manufacturers and other
instrument makers to cut their output 30 per
cent, and to aid the Government by handling
war work in various factories, did not come as
a surprise to local piano merchants. They
had expected some such move, owing to the in-
creasing difficulty in getting supplies, and de-
voted themselves to thinking out ways and
means for making the coming months profitable.
Most merchants appear to believe that the reduc-
tion will adjust itself for the benefit of the re-
tail trade. And let it be said that The Review
reporter did not find any man who will complain,
even if he does not get any pianos.
Yal A. Reis, of the Smith-Reis Piano Co.,
said: "Personally I welcome just this an-
nouncement. I have been under the impression
that a reduction in factory output was coming
for various reasons and this is a better reason
than any other.
"We also do a talking machine business here.
During last year the average price of the Vic-
trolas sold in this store was slightly above $93,
and the average price of the Brunswick ma-
chines was above $108. I mention this merely
to show what is selling. In 1916, when we were
short of talking machines most of the time, our
average cash sales were 50 per cent. In 1917,
when we had more machines, the average was
much lower.
"I believe the same thing will happen to the
piano trade when the supply at the factory gets
short and we must beg for instruments. If a
salesman must hold off his prospect for a few
weeks before he can get an instrument, he is go-
ing to be sure that the prospect makes a pay-
ment worth while and that the piano goes to
some one who has some money. For several
years there has been an overproduction. The
factories have been forcing pianos on the retail
trade and the retailers have forced them on the
public by making terms that were in some cases
ridiculous.
"Used players and pianos are now better prop-
erty than they have been in years. The trade
is healthy and collections are good. All we
want now is a chance to stiffen up the sales to
the talking machine standpoint. A few days ago
I announced that the Smith-Reis Piano Co. had
added $2.50 to the minimum payment for talking
machines. Salesmen and dealers said we could
not get it. That afternoon two sales were made
in our store at the new terms. I have reason
to believe that every important dealer in town
is now getting as large a payment as I am get-
ting. The piano trade can do the same thing
when there is not a surplus of instruments."
A like opinion was expressed by Herman
Bollman, salesman, for the Conroy Piano Co.
Mr. Bollman has had a long and successful ex-
perience as a salesman in St. Louis and made
it clear that he was talking from his experience
and observation, not from the standpoint of the
Conroy. Piano Co. Much of the data, he said,
was gathered from sales in which he was beaten.
He said: "A reduction in output of pianos would
be little burden to the trade now while trade is
healthy and there is a demand. I fully believe,
taking the piano trade by and large, that 25
per cent, of the bills receivable in the retail
stores should not have been put on the books.
Dealers have been in a race to give low terms.
Once the piano was out no one wanted it back
for exchanged stock has not been in very good
demand. Pianos are in good demand now and
many dealers would be in much better financial
shape if they would recall 25 per cent, of the
instruments outstanding, sell them again and
get the money instead of nursing.along a debtor
who is not trying to pay."
As to cutting down overhead, most dealers
say that question will take care of itself. It is
known that several merchants here who re-
cently have lost men to the army are making no
effort to replace them. Last year there was
more or less bidding for good piano salesmen,
but this year there has been very little changing
about, although no man need be unemployed.
A few of the dealers talked vaguely of a pros-
pect of increasing the prices, but these were not
many. The sentiment appeared to be rather to
go after the good business.
A rather strange phase of the situation is that
the young salesmen who have not yet "got the
war idea" all appear to believe that "it will not
hit our company. That's just for the little ones."
Sam Henley, of the Henley-Waite Music Co.,
Kansas City, was here last week and visited with
Val A. Reis.
Stanley C. Smith, who recently has worked
for several firms in this city, was arrested last
NO RIGHT TO USE REVIEW NAME
week in Edwardsville, 111., charged with forfeit-
ing his bond on a charge of "practicing a confi-
dence game." The deal on which he was ar-
rested was made in 1913 when he was in the
employ of a Chicago house, making his head-
quarters in Alton, 111. Mrs. Flora Sontag charged
at that time that Smith sold to her a piano
for $850 and she did not get the kind of a piano
she had bought. Smith was arrested then and
released on bond but was not tried. He was
released on bond so'on after his second arrest.
J. W. Falkner, who has been sales manager for
outside business for the Kieselhorst Piano Co.
for some time, has quit to go into the automo-
bile business. Miss Hattie Ogden, who has
been with the Kieselhorst company for three
years and for a number of years has been the
only floor saleswoman on the Row, has quit
to look after her father's business.
C. R. Salmon, wholesale manager for the Co-
lumbia Co., is back in Class A-l of the National
Army prospects. He was put in Class 5 on his
first physical examination, then recalled, re-
examined and put into Class 1.
The Tri-State Victor Dealers' Association met
with the associate members (salesfolk) last
week and Val A. Reis, J. F. Ditzell and J. F.
Hurileth spoke on features of Victor selling.
Twenty-eight persons were present.
WAR WORK COMMITTEE MEETS
Trade Is Warned Against Photographers Who Lays Tentative Plans for Investigating Facilities
Are Canvassing the Trade and Using the
for Handling Government Contracts
Name of This Publication to Get Pictures
The committee appointed by the New York
It has come to the attention of The Review Piano Manufacturers' Association last week for
that on several occasions recently various mem- the purpose of investigating the facilities of va-
bers of the trade have received letters from a rious local piano factories for the handling of
firm of photographers, located in New York, war work and ways and means for distributing
asking them to sit for photographs which were such work in order to preserve a balance in the
supposedly to be reproduced in The Review. industry held a meeting at the offices of the
The trade is hereby advised that no photographic Music Industries Chamber of Commerce on
concern has any authority to secure portraits Friday afternoon of last week for the purpose
of trade members for this publication. All re- of laying out plans for the work. The com-
quests for photographs to be used in The Re- mittee is under the chairmanship of Julian T.
view are made direct from The Review offices, Mayer, and will hold another meeting shortly
or by one of the members of its staff, and this after which some announcement will be made
publication disclaims any responsibility for pho- regarding progress.
tographs given to any one other than a duly ac-
credited representative of The Review.
'MUSIC IN HOME" PAGE IN MAGAZINE
NEW QUARTERS IN SPOKANE
Van Ausdle-Hoffman Piano Co. Leases New
Store at W908 Sprague Avenue—Company
Wins Quick Success in Local Trade
Miss Alice Borchard Editing New Department
in the Parents' Magazine
The National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music has now gotten into the magazines. A
new publication known as the Parents' Maga-
SPOKANE, WASH., April 13.—The Van Ausdle-
Hoffman Piano Co. has leased the storeroom at zine is now featuring a "Music in the Home"
W908 Sprague avenue, adjoining its present page, edited by Miss Alice C. Borchard, secre-
store, thus gaining 2,750 feet of needed floor tary of the National Bureau for the Advance-
space, exclusive of the basement. The firm ment of Music. Various articles on music, par-
consists of W. B. Hoffman and I. R. Van ticularly regarding the training of the child in
music, are featured in the magazine, and a spe-
Ausdle.
"The business outlook for the piano business cial query service is extended to those who
is very bright," said Mr. Van Ausdle. "We desire particular information along those lines.
have been established in this location less than
E. L. BILL SAILS FOR FRANCE
seven months and our business has increased
to such proportions that we were compelled
to look around for increased space. The last Returns to Western Front After Recuperating
From Effects of Gas Attack
order George Heidinger took before his death
was for several carloads of Steger pianos. We
Edward Lyman Bill, son of Mrs. C. L. Bill,
have added an up-to-date repair department in
the back end of our new store and intend in the president of Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., recently
near future to put in demonstration parlors for sailed for France, where he hopes to help halt
the Hun. Mr. Bill went over to France a year
our talking machines."
ago and served as an ambulance driver, return-
ing to this country some three months ago in
PIANO MAN PLANNING TO RETIRE
order to recuperate from a severe gassing he
John McCune, who for over thirty years has underwent at Verdun. During his "period of
conducted piano and music stores in Racine discharge" he qualified as a member of the
and Kenosha, Wis., is reported to contemplate French Aviation Corps, and will henceforth do
his "bit" in the sky.
retiring from business.
WINTER & CO.
RUDOLF
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
22O SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK