Music Trade Review

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MARCH 30, 1929
The Music Trade Review
Brunswick Musical Director v ^ o m p l e t e JYLerger o t v> Bob Haring, recently appointed musical di-
rector, of the Brunswick Recording Labs, in
New York, is particularly well qualified for the
Stores Is in Progress Now
Messrs. Philip T. Clay and Ben Platt in New York Completing
Final Negotiations to Affiliate Two Well-Known
Pacific Coast Concerns
O development in the retail branch of the music industry has aroused quite so much in-
terest throughout the trade than did the announcement in The Review last week of the
buying merger formed by Sherman, Clay & Co., of San Francisco, and the Platt Music
Co., of Los Angeles, for in the announcement there was seen a closer affiliation of the two com-
panies right along the line.
The Review has it, on excellent authority, that a complete merger of the interests of these
two great Pacific Coast concerns is now in process and that preliminary steps have been taken
to bring it about. In view of the fact that there is an invested capital of approximately $14,000,-
000 involved, and some fifty retail stores controlled by the two companies to be considered, it is
probable that sixty days or more must elapse before any definite announcement of the completion
of the full merger of interests can be made.
Philip T. Clay, president of Sherman, Clay & Co., and Ben Platt, head of the Platt Music
Co., have been in New York for the past week or so conferring with financial interests and the
various manufacturers whose lines are handled by the two companies on the Coast. It is unJer-
stood that the merger, if and when effected, will result in a general realignment of agencies* in
order to eliminate conflicting lines.
Neither Mr. Clay nor Mr. Platt would make any definite statement regarding their plans be-
yond that already published and would neither affirm nor deny the report of a complete merger ot
interests. Pacific Coast newspapers, however, have published interviews with company officials
stating that the merger was in progress and that the heads of the companies were in the East ar-
ranging necessary details.
N
Bob Haring
post because of his close contact with Broad-
way and its melodies and also because of his
excellent training in music, harmony, theory
and orchestration.
During the course of his career Mr. Haring
has had much experience in exploiting popular
songs for various publishers and in arranging
popular numbers. He has an excellent idea of
what the public wants in popular songs and
in his connection with Brunswick plans to give
the public just that.
Pittsburgh Music Merchants
Plan for Annual Meeting
PITTSBURGH, PA., March 27.—The annual meet-
ing of the Piano Merchants' Association will
be held in room D, Chamber of Commerce on
Tuesday, April 2.
It is planned to take up the matter of par-
ticipating in the Stephen Collins Foster Me-
morial that is to grace the University of Pitts-
burgh campus and which is now being given
considerable publicity by the committee in
charge, composed of representative citizens.
The matter of a player-piano week will also
be discussed, it being the opinion of some of
the local merchants that the time is now ripe
for giving to the public first-hand facts con-
cerning the player-piano and its benefits to the
family.
Any out-of-town music merchant or traveler
who is in the city on April 2 will be welcomed
at the meeting, which will be preceded by
luncheon.
L. G. Wagner Made Head
of Ampico Hall Chain
Louis C. Wagner has been placed in charge
of the retail merchandising activities of the Am-
pico Hall chain of stores, the appointment tak-
ing effect April 1. Mr. Wagner assumes his
new responsibilities with a wealth of retail ex-
perience, much of which has been gained in
the organization of the American Piano Co.
For the past two years he has been manager
of Ampico Hall in Boston and he was formerly
a traveling representative for William Knabe
& Co. and the Foster-Armstrong Co. Mr. Wag-
ner is highly esteemed not only by the execu-
tive personnel of the company but also by the
individual store managers, because of his genial
manner and co-operative spirit, which should
assure his success.
U. S. Prosperity for 1928
G. A. Sundberg Passes
Shows Much Buying Power
Away After Operation
Income Tax Report on Recent Collections as
Issued by Federal Bureau Indicates Potential
Wealth of People of This Nation
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 23.—Prosperity of
the United States in 1928 was at an unprecedent-
ed level, it is indicated by the income tax re-
turns filed with the Treasury Department early
in March which show that collections in that
month, which include the first deposits of taxes
paid on the instalment plan, will exceed those
of the same month last year by from $75,000,000
to $80,000,000.
It is estimated that the March collections will
be close to $600,000,000 and the increase appli-
cable to the current fiscal year will be substan-
tially $150,000,000. . Barring unusual appropria-
tions by the special session of Congress expend-
able before June 30, the surplus will be close
to $200,000,000, where but $28,000,000 was esti-
mated by the Treasury Department a few
months ago.
The remarkable feature of the increase is
that before last year's total equaled this
the Government had to offset the $135,000,000
loss in revenue due to the reduction of 1.5 per
cent in the corporation tax and the increased
tax exemption to the smaller corporations.
Thus the actual gain in revenue would be $385,-
000,000, providing the present ratios are main-
tained throughout the year.
It has not yet been ascertained whether the
increases are due to higher corporation or indi-
vidual tax payments, but it apparently has been
a combination of both factors, possibly with
the greater increase in the individual payments.
The Consolidated Music Co., Salt Lake City,
Utah, has taken over the lea,se of the store
occupying the north half of its building in order
to provide additional space to handle a growing
business and is remodeling the store at a cost
of $7,000.
B. S. Swingle has purchased the Newark, O.,
store of the Spence Music Co., which that com-
pany took over recently from the Munson
Music Co.
CHICAGO, III., March 25.—The trade was
grieved to learn of the sudden death of George
A. Sundberg, vice-president of H. C. Schultz,
Inc., of Detroit and brother of Carl Sundberg,
secretary of the QRS Company, who passed
away Friday, March 22, following an operation
for appendicitis. He was thirty-three years old.
Prior to joining H. C. Schultz, Inc., last year,
Mr. Sundberg was connected with the QRS
Company for over fifteen years as representa-
tive of the company in the Michigan territory.
Funeral services were held in the Hreisa
Chapel, 5130 West Twenty-fifth street, Cicero,
111., on Monday of this week. Interment at
Forest Home, Illinois. In respect to the memo-
ry of Mr. Sundberg the Detroit and Cleveland
offices of H. C. Schultz, Inc., were closed on
Monday.
Death of Wm. F. Tatroe
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., March 22.—William F.
Tatroe, well-known piano man, died this morn-
ing in the Franklin Hospital, San Francisco,
after an illness of several weeks. He was forty-
three years of age. The deceased was a native
of Michigan but had identified himself largely
with the Pacific Coast. He was for some years
piano sales manager for Sherman, Clay & Co.
in this city and was one of the well-known
clubmen of San Francisco. For a time Mr.
Tatroe traveled on the Coast for Kurtzmann
& Co. and in other ways he was thoroughly
identified with piano salesmanship.
Werlein Sponsors Broadcast
NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 23.—A radio pro-
gram was broadcast from the Ampico studio
of Philip Werlein, Ltd., by members of the
University of Virginia Glee Club, who are visit-
ing in the city. Parham Werlein, president of
the Werlein Co., is president of the alumni here
and it was by his request that the program was
broadcast. Miss Rita Vinton, of the sheet
music department of the Werlein house, also
played on the program.