Music Trade Review

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AUGUST 16,
THE
1924
MUSIC TRADE
15
REVIEW
BOSTON AND NEW ENGLAND
John H. Wilson, Representative, 324 Washington St., Boston, Mass.;
B
OSTON, MASS., August 12.—A rainy day,
this, and the kind of rain that is badly
needed; but not a pleasant one for the
G. A. R. veterans, who are holding their annual
encampment in Boston this week and for whom
this was the great parade day. The route lay
right through Piano Row, that is, along Boyl-
ston and Trcmont streets, and there was scarcely
a piano house that was not appropriately dec-
orated, some of them quite outdoing the others
in tasteful displays. This is the second time
this Summer that the piano warerooms have
been called upon to look their prettiest, the
previous occasion being the Elks' convention
early in July. As a business day to-day has
not meant much to trade anywhere; but outside
of this the month as it goes along is gathering
strength in so far as volume of business is
concerned.
Committee for "All New England Week"
Plans for the proper recognition by the music
industry of All New England Week, beginning
September IS, go on apace and the more enter-
prising ones in the trade are determined to
let New England know that the musical mer-
chandise made here has its rightful place and
should get its proper share of appreciation.
To-day Roger Brown, president of the New
England Music Trade Association, following up
his expressed purpose at the Engineers' Club
luncheon of the executive board last week named
his special committee to take immediate super-
vision. Its personnel is accordingly made up
of Jerome Murphy, of M. Steinert & Sons, Harry
Spencer, of Kraft, Bates & Spencer, and Wil-
liam F. Merrill, secretary of the Association,
all of whom are sure to do everything in their
power to put the thing over so far as their
own industry is concerned. In a few days these
three men will get together and map out a
program. The special committee of the Chamber
of Commerce has a quantity of literature ready
for distribution and in addition to making a
liberal display of these the piano warerooms
will feature window displays of New England-
made goods that will be sure to attract the
public.
Henry L. Mason Home From West
Henry L. Mason, president of the Mason &
Hamlin Co., arrived home yesterday from an
extended trip on which he started July 20 and
he is filled with enthusiasm as to the future
eller*
For1924-
of business. He visited the Middle West, get-
ting as far as Denver, Colo., and saw fourteen
Mason & Hamlin dealers. "I told them of the
plans for the future of the Mason & Hamlin
Co.," said Mr. Mason, in an interview he gave
The Review representative; "and to a man they
responded with great enthusiasm. They stated
that they felt that the Mason & Hamlin agency
was worth more to the dealer now than at any
previous time in the history of the company.
They all were keenly awake to the element of
practical merchandising in the handling of this
product over and above what heretofore has
been the case, this predicated, of course, on the
maintenance of the unchangeable standard of
tonal quality which has always been an out-
standing characteristic of the product. While
the object of my trip was primarily to talk
face to face with the dealer and tell him the
situation I returned highly gratified at being
able to bring back with me thousands of dollars'
worth of orders' and also some fine orders for
the Mason & Hamlin Ampico."
Mason & Hamlin With Ampico in November
Speaking of the Mason & Hamlin, President
Mason told The Review representative that
plans are being made for the building of a new
baby grand to measure five feet four inches
especially designed for small apartments. He
also stated that the first Mason & Hamlins
with Ampico installation will be ready for de-
livery in November.
Death of Mrs. Bessie R. Steinert
There is the greatest sympathy being extended
to Alexander Steinert, of M. Steinert & Sons,
as well as to Robert Steinert, for the loss of
the wife and mother, Mrs. Bessie S. Steinert,
which occurred at the family's Summer home,
"Stoneledge," Hospital Point, Beverly Cove,
early last Thursday. The funeral took place
Sunday and the officiating minister was Rev.
William H. Parker, of the Rogers Memorial
Church (Unitarian) at Fairhaven, Mass. A
quartet from the Old South Church, Boston,
sang several selections, and the body was taken
to Forest Hills Cemetery for burial in the
family plot.
Mrs. Steinert had been ill for some time; in
fact, she had not been well since the tragic death
of her son, Russell Lee Steinert, five years ago.
Mrs. Steinert was born in the Roxbury section
of Boston and was the daughter of Hon. A. Shu-
man, head of a large clothing house, and presi-
dent of the board of trustees of the Boston City
Hospital. She shared her husband's interest in
various philanthropies and in students of music
and the drama she was especially interested and
many a deserving young man or woman ambi-
tious to follow their professional bent received
substantial aid from her.
Besides her husband, Alexander Steinert, and
her son, Robert S. Steinert, Mrs. Steinert is
survived by another son, Alexander Lang Stein-
ert, who has been studying music for two years
in Paris and who was a passenger on the steam-
ship "Berengaria," which docked in New York
on Friday. His brother, Robert, had gone over
to New York to meet him and it was hoped that
both sons would get back here before the
mother passed away, but she died early that
morning.
Annual Picnic of Chickering Employes
Thursday, August 7, was a gala day in the
lives of the employes of Chickering & Sons
factory, for it was the annual picnic which was
held at Mayflower Grove, Bryantville, not far
from Plymouth. The picnic was arranged by a
special committee of the Chickering Employes'
Social and Benefit Association, and was the
fifth one in the history of the organization. The
party departed from Boston in twenty-three
sight-seeing buses in addition to fifty automo-
biles belonging to the Chickering employes.
Among those who took part in the day's pro-
gram were Francis J. Mack, Stephen Durfee and
Ralph Cushman, all blind tuners. There was a
baseball game between the factory men and the
repair and retail men, the former winning twelve
to two. Other sports indulged in were one
hundred yard dash, fifty yard dash, seventy-five
yard dash for girls, three-legged race, fat men's
race and canoe tilting. William Dunlap was
general chairman of arrangements; Frank Cot-
ton was in charge of the transportation; J. Wahl,
of the grounds; R. S. Porter, games; Lawrence
Crowley, dancing; J. Chapman and E. Dexter,
prizes; Ed. Cole, publicity, and L. Brancho, life
saver. Among the Chickering officials who at-
tended the picnic were Vice-president B. C.
Edmands, Secretary H. T. Spain, Assistant Sec-
retary George J. Hartl and Superintendent John
Anderson.
City of Boston Seeks Twenty-one Pianos
The city of Boston is out for twenty upright
pianos and one grand piano and among the local
houses that have submitted bids for these are
Chickering & Sons, C. C. Harvey Co., A. M.
Hune Music Co., M. Steinert & Sons, Ivers &
Pond and the Henry F. Miller Co. It is ex-
pected that announcement of the fortunate house
will be made in a week or so.
Pianos for Chamber of Commerce
The Boston Chamber of Commerce, which
is about to take possession of a new building at
the corner of Federal and Franklin streets, is
in the market for two grand pianos and several
Boston houses are being considered to supply
them.
Hallet & Davis Men on Outing
H. C. Spain and Carl G. Erickson, both of the
Hallet & Davis Co., left town on Saturday for
a fortnight's vacation at Moosehead Lake,
Me., going over the road in Brother Spain's
fast car. They expect some fine fishing as well
as other sport. A recent caller at the whole-
sale offices and factory of the Hallet & Davis
Co. was George A. Barton, of the New York
office of the company. He returned home that
same night.
R. O. Ainslie and H. C. Spain, of the Hallet
& Davis Co., last week drove up to Nashua,
N. H., where they were joined by William L.
Nutting, the Nashua piano merchant, and R. G.
Kneupfer, of Kneupfer & Dimmock, the well-
known dealers of Lawrence. The day was spent
pleasantly on the golf links of the Nashua
Country Club. The guests were entertained
both at luncheon and dinner at the Rotary Club
there.
Two Visitors From St. Louis
Jack Burke, head floorman for the big St.
Louis, Mo., piano house of Scruggs-Vander-
voort-Barney, and A. W. Hosier, of the same
store, were Boston visitors yesterday, making
their headquarters at the Chickering warerooms,
where they were entertained by Retail Manager
R. C. Hodgkinson, who is proving a worthy
successor to George C. Mance, now located in
New York. Mr. Burke and Mr. Hosier left
town last night for New York, where they are
to remain several days before going back to
St. Louis.
Poole Business Improving
Factory Superintendent H. L. Davis, of the
Poole Piano Co., is leaving Saturday for Booth-
bay Harbor, Me., and will motor over the road
with his family. Miss Catherine Carruth, book-
keeper for the Poole house, has already started
on her trip and is spending a fortnight at Peter-
sham. Business with the Poole factory is daily
improving and the prospects are good for a
busy late Summer.