Presto

10
PRESTO
WHERE DOUBTS ARE DISPELLED
Under This Head Presto Will Answer Any Question Pertaining to Pianos, or
Other Subjects of Direct Interest to the Trade and Musical Public
Inquiries must bear the signature and address of
writer in order to receive attention. Answers thought
to be of general trade interest will be published. If an
answer is not of general interest it will be mailed pro-
vided stamp is inclosed.
AMERICAN CONCERT PIANOS.
Boston, Oct. 19, 1920.
Editor Presto: I appreciate the answers you
gave to my questions on pianos. I remembered at
least three of those pianos used in concerts when
you mentioned them—A. B. Chase, Conover and
Chase Bros. The Bush Temple, having such dis-
tinguished heads as Fanny Bloomfield Zeisler, and
Rive-King, certainly would find place for concert
work for the Bush & Gerts piano. The Bush
Temple must tax the durability of any piano. The
Starck and its wonderful tone certainly found
praise from artists.
Did Paderewski ever play any other makes in
America than Weber and Steinway—1891, '93, '95,
'96 and 1900? If any other kindly advise what for-
eign makes were used in concert work in America
up to 1850. Has America not used her own makes
since Rubinstein's 1850 time?
Last week 1 went through the Chickering factory.
x*\t present they have 10 or 12 concert Grands build-
ing; turning out almost double the Grands as Up-
rights. On entering one sees first Grand and
first Upright pianos made by this oldest piano in-
dustry of America. Jenny Lind's piano was in New
York, so did not get to see it. Was very glad to
get the . information through columns of Presto
about this piano and the Swedish Nightingale.
Countess Magri's, or Mrs. Tom Thumb's little piano,
of foreign make—English, I believe—sold last week
for $100 to a Boston man, Elmer Drew. What
make is this piano, and isn't it the smallest Grand
made? Middleboro, Mass., was home of Countess
Lavinia Magri. The little piano was built especially
for these midgets, so it is safe to say it must be
smallest Grand to date.
How and where can I find out if De Pachmann,
interpreter of Chopin, is living, or has passed out
of this life?
I have been doing some independent piano tun-
ing and find more pianos need action regulating
than tuning. Don't see how a piano can be proper-
ly tuned without first having the action attended to
—regulating, spacing, voicing, in fact a general go-
ing over of all parts.
Am glad to know I am correct in some of my
inquiries and to get help on other questions of
piano history that I am not positive of. You are
a wonderful help to people who care to trouble you
with doubts and to find out real facts.
Very Truly Yours,
O. W. MORAN.
The Steinway was Paderewski's favorite piano in
all of his American tours. We do not know that he
played upon any other in public. Rubinstein's ap-
pearance in this country does not date back to 1850.
He made his deepest impression as a pianist in 1878,
or thereabouts. For the last half century there has
been no foreign instrument used in the concerts of
the great artists, whether foreign or American.
* * *
HAINES BROS. PIANO.
Hadar, Nebr., Oct. 22, 1920.
Editor Presto: Kindly let me know if the Haines
Bros, piano comes in the same class with the Pack-
ard, Kurtzman, Kroeger, etc? 1 am not writing
because I doubt their integrity, but I wish to have
your opinion. How many different makes does the
American Piano Co. produce?
Kindly let me know which actions now used you
consider the best we sell Nickel & Gross, Standard,
Auto, or Amphion?
Yours truly,
G. HOFINS.
The Haines Bros, piano is not only one of the
old and distinguished American pianos, but it has
sustained its place as a representative and, in every
way, an artistic instrument. The Haines has been
used by some of the great artists and there should
be no hesitation at all about commending it without
limit or reservations.
As to the number of instruments manufactured
by the American Piano Co., that great industry is
divided into divisions and these divisions manufac-
ture and control the various instruments. The
American Piano Co. has, as you perhaps know,
large and perfectly equipped factories in several of
the eastern cities.
The artistic old Chickering factory is in Boston;
that of the artistic Knabe is in Baltimore, and at
East Rochester there is a series of large factories,
one of which is devoted to the Haines Bros, instru-
ment. Other instruments manufactured by the di-
visions of the American Piano Co. are as follows:
Marshall & Wendell, Franklin, Brewster, Foster &
Co., Armstrong.
The American Piano Co. also manufactures the
artistic Ampico Reproducing Piano which has cre-
ated a sensation in the piano world.
About actions, you do not say whether your re-
quest refers to piano actions or playerpiano actions.
In either event it is safe to say that the four prod-
ucts named by you are all high grade and, this being
the case, it would be inconsistent to make any dis-
criminating comparisons. Nobody in the industry
for a moment questions the character of any of the
actions to which you refer.
* * *
THE WESLEY PIANO.
Albia, Iowa, Oct. 23, 1920.
Editor Presto: Do you still publish Presto Buy-
ers' Guide? If so send me a late one. Would like
to know who makes the "Wesley" piano?
Respectfully,
L. B. FULLER.
Presto Buyers' Guide is revised and published an-
nually. The edition for 1921 will soon be ready.
"Wesley" pianos are listed on page 126 of Presto
Buyers' Guide. It is there stated that the instrument
is a popular grade piano and is sold by Raudenbush
& Sons Piano Co., of St. Paul. Whether or not the
instrument about which you ask is the product of the
St. Paul house we have no way of knowing.
WHY PIANO PRICES
CAN NOT COME DOWN
Figures Show that No Drop Is Possible for
Some Time to Come.
In July and August the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce made a careful survey of the in-
creases in cost of piano production in connection
with the study of the factors which would affect
price changes. The report contained an analysis
showing the actual increase in cost of each opera-
tion and each material in the manufacture of a
well-known make of medium priced upright piano,,
mahogany case, 4 ft. 7 in., plain style, which may
be taken as typical.
This percentage statement is derived from the
actual figures, in dollars and cents, as taken from
the books of the manufacturer. The figures have
been reduced to percentages in order not to reveal
the actual cost of the instrument to the manufac-
turer. The figures have been checked up with the
figures of other manufacturers, and with manu-
facturers and dealers in supplies, in order to make
sure that they are typical.
The figures show conclusively that no drop in
the wholesale prices of pianos is now possible, and
that, in all probability, there will be no material re-
duction for some time to come. In fact, so far as
the piano industry is concerned, there are four vital
factors operating against a price reduction: 1. Cost
of parts remain the same. 2. Cost of labor shows
no signs of coming down. 3. Labor is not produc-
ing as in the pre-war period. 4. There are no in-
dications that profiteering has been going on, so
there is no water to be squeeezd out.
OPENS IN JAMESTOWN.
G. Fred Danielson, Jamestown, N. Y., for sev-
enteen years engaged in the piano and music busi-
ness there, has opened a new store at 15 East Third
street, in the new Clark Hardware Company build-
ing and has installed a large stock of pianos, talk-
ing machines, sheet music and musical supplies.
The store is well lighted and most conveniently ar-
ranged, with plenty of display space, eight dem-
onstration booths for the convenience of buyers of
records and metal racks for the storage of sheet
music. Mr. Danielson will continue to operate his
store at 17 North Main street.
A STORY & CLARK CHANGE,
J. C. Gossman, who has been superintendent of the
Story & Clark Piano Company factory at Grand
Haven, Mich., for four years, has resigned, to take
effect January 1. Mr. Gossman will continue to make
Grand Haven his home. Many expressions of regret
have been heard from employes of the plant because
of his departure. J. W. Eaton Jr., who has been
purchasing agent at the Story & Clark Piano Com-
pany's plant for several years, has been appointed
manager of the factory.
October 30, 1920.
OPPOSES MUSIC TAX
BY PROMPT ACTION
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Sends
Strong Message to National Industrial
Conference Board Against Proposal
to Double Excise Tax.
The Music Industries Chamber of Commerce has
taken prompt and energetic action to oppose the
proposal of the Tax Committee of the National In-
dustrial Conference Board to double the excise tax
on musical instruments.
The Chamber sent a strong letter of protest to
the National Industrial Conference Board when the
Board was holding its second tax conference, with
the result that the Chamber was invited to send a
representative to the conference to discuss the ex-
cise tax proposals from the standpoint of the music
industry.
The general manager of the Chamber, Alfred L,
Smith, appeared before the conference and pointed
out that the proposals to increase the tax burden of
a certain few industries violates the principles of
equality which the committee itself laid down in its
reports. He stated that there should be no form
of tax revision which makes possible relieving all
industry of the burden of the excess profits tax by
imposing additional tax burdens upon industries now
taxed higher than the average. The Chamber is
planning to file more extended arguments with the
National Industrial Conference Board, which repre-
sents thirty-nine national and state associations of
manufacturers, with a combined membership of over
50,000.
The most important recommendation, which all
business men will undoubtedly approve, is the re-
peal of the excess profits tax, which would lose
to the Government $900,000,000 of revenue; and
the minor recommendations bring the total net re-
duction in revenue to $1,033,000,000. In order to
offset this reduction in revenue, the report recom-
mends certain tax increases on certain commodities,
many of them musical instruments.
Chamber Promises Action.
From now until the time that new tax legislation
is passed, the Chamber will be constantly active at
Washington, and with all representative groups of
business interests working on tax matters, in order
to prevent discrimination against the music indus-
try.
Speaking at the conference in opposition to the
proposals of the committee relative to excise
taxes, Alfred L. Smith, general manager of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, said:
"The organization which I represent—the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce—consists of
eleven national trade associations covering the en-
tire music industry, and our products, the piano,
phonograph and certain small instruments with sil-
ver parts ; are subject now to a 5 per cent excise tax.
1 may say with confidence that while their use is
widespread and general, and their distribution well
established, their sale is substantially curtailed by
the imposition of excise taxes, and. the entire tax
cannot be normally passed to the consumer in its
exact amount. To double this tax will certainly cur-
tail the sale of these products seriously, and compel
those engaged in the industry to decrease their
reasonable margin of profit.
An Absurd Tax.
"It is certainly absurd to tax as a luxury the
piano necessary for the child to obtain its proper
musical education, or the band instrument on which
the musician depends for a living, while at the
same time the toy with which the child amuses
himself goes tax-free. The products of the music
industry, as has been stated, are essentials to proper
education, and constitute the method whereby thou-
sands of persons earn their living. The typical
piano or phonograph is not the expensive concert
grand or the phonograph de luxe. On the con-
trary, the great bulk of these products go into hum-
ble homes, where they become the most potent fac-
tor in keeping the home together, especially when
the children grow old enough to be allured by
outside attractions unless there is a pleasant home
life."
AN AUSTRALIAN VISITOR.
Among the trade visitors in Chicago this week
was Fred Allen, of Melbourne, Australia, who made
his headquarters at Lyon & Healy's. Mr. Allen re-
fused to be interviewed, saying that he was going
to New York, where he would remain for a week
or more. He felt that interviews were offensive
and would say nothing more than that trade had
been good in his country and that he was here to
buy many goods. He went to New Castle on Tues-
day night to inspect the big plant of the Jesse
French & Sons Piano Co.
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