Presto

PRESTO
April 28, 1923
pianos you feel interested in, and when you get to the Drake, try to
follow your program. Of course, you will want to give some atten-
tion to the instruments you already represent. You will probably
find them at the Drake. And you will want to investigate the recent
innovations, as the little uprights, the very small grands, and other
novelties in the playerpiano line^—for there are some new ideas here,
also.
A complete list of the exhibits will appear in Presto of May 26,
which will be in the dealers' hands just before starting time. With
the names of exhibitors, the room numbers at the Drake, or else-
where, will be given. Such particulars will be added to the list as
will be helpful to visitors, and it need not be difficult to comply with
the suggestions -of Presidents Chickering and Butler without miss-
ing any of the shows in which dealers may be interested.
A little system applied to the convention may go a long ways
to make the first week in June, in Chicago, both interesting and in-
structive as well as profitable.
WHERE TROUBLE LIVES
Evidently, as never before, the people of Germany find comfort
in music. One of the most remarkable illustrations of persistency
under adverse circumstances, and of a determined cleaving to sources
of solace, may be seen in the almost dogged forward movement of
the German piano industry. Of course, the people of Beethoven, Mo-
zart and the rest, have always held the foremost place among the
makers of music.
Before the war, German pianos had pushed their way into all
lands and were defying competition from the standpoint of price.
When the war had begun, and the makers in the musical instrument
factories had thrown down their tools for the deadly implements of
destruction, the German trade papers continued to discuss acoustics
and methods of piano manufacture and sale. Mingled with the in-
dustrial notes, were poems of the trade, and death notices of the
fallen.
When the great day of defeat came, the German music trade
papers still came out, still discussing methods of production and
selling, and moved along as calmly as if the nation had not been rent
asunder and an entirely new order of things, political and industrial,
inaugurated. More surprising still, the day of comparative peace
had hardly dawned before the music trade papers of Germany began
to expand, the number of piano factories increased, and the advertis-
ing pages indicated more enterprise and more aggressive ambitions
than ever before.
Today, the leading German music trade paper carries a marvelous
array of piano announcements. The issue of Zeitschrift fiir Instru-
SOME VERY LATE OPENINGS
IN THE RETAIL MUSIC TRADE
A Few of the New Ventures in the Best Business in
the World.
Sullivan Bros., Binghamton, N. Y., moved last week
to larger quarters.
Herman Lemler, the Bourbon, Ind., music dealer,
has moved his business to a new building recently
purchased by him.
Bestor Bros., Madison, Wis., has moved its musi-
cal instrument business from 110-112 South Pinckney
street to 120 West Mifflin street.
Myers & Mooney is the name of a new business
in Columbus, O., composed of Glenn L. Myers and
P. F. Mooney. The firm will carry music goods and
radio sets and supplies.
Floyd T. Sherwin has opened a music store in
Canton, N. Y.
A branch of the Story & Clark Piano Co. will be
opened next week in Paterson, N. J., under the man-
agement of Thomas G. Stratham.
The Clarksburg Music Co., Clarksburg, W. Va.,
recently purchased the Bofifa Music Store in that city.
Preparations for a formal opening of the Sedalia,
Mo., branch of the Martin Piano Co., Springfield,
Mo., are now being made.
The Mount Pleasant Music Shop, Washington, D.
C. was recently opened at Fourteenth street and Park
Road.
H. E. Davies & Son is the name of a new music
business in Reno, Nev.
McVcil & Co., 630 E. Main street, Stockton, Cal.,
has remodeled and enlarged its store.
Richard Brase opened a music store in Grand
Island, Neb., this week.
Clarence Sisco has succeeded Munn & Sisco in
Sturges, Ky.
The Conrad Music House, Fremont, Neb., has pur-
mentenbau for March 15 had forty-eight solid pages of musical in-
strument advertising—a remarkable showing. And many of the
advertisements displayed a rare order of enterprise and intelligence
in the preparation of copy. There is nothing in the trade that is not
advertised, and the number of player music roll industries that make
themselves known is something of a revelation when compared with
the methods of the American music roll industries.
But the Leipsig music trade paper at last raises a cry of distress.
It announces that, owing to the continued rise of the dollar in Ger-
many it is absolutely necessary to advance the price of the "Zeit-
schrift fiir Instrumentenbau." And the increase in the cost of paper
and printing ran the price of the Leipsic trade paper up to 200 marks,
and for three months' delivery—April to June—600 marks. To cer-
tain countries the price is 2,000 marks monthly until further notice.
What would the American trade paper subscribers say were cir-
cumstances to force such a condition upon the press of their own in-
dustries ? But the Germans must have music at any price.
A musicians' union's "boss" is doing his level best to ruin the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The perforrners, in love with their
work and satisfied with their wages, are told that they can't per-
form unless they get an increase of pay which they say they don't
w r ant! A pretty situation, and the kind that is rapidly breaking down
the unions. It won't take long to cause the real workers—musicians
or bricklayers—to kick their unions off the earth if such things con-
tinue.
* * *
The Rev. Geo. Houghton, who died in New York recently, made
fame by throwing open his church to members of the stage and con-
cert room at a time when "play-actors" were under a ban. The
song, "Little Church Around the Corner," was inspired by the clergy-
man's liberality in religion, and it sang him into fame. The song,
written by D. C. Addison, first appeared in 1878 and is still often sung.
* * *
New York factory wages are highest in history—higher than
two years ago by considerable. And, according to an item in this
issue, the "improvement is especially noticeable in the piano fac-
tories." Is it to be expected that piano prices will go up or down?
* * *
There is again talk of a large trade paper syndicate in which
music journals may take prominent part. But the talk has become
too familiar to excite much interest.
* * *
It's now only five weeks to the day of the big Chicago conven-
tion. Are you all set and ready? Or are you going to let the oppor-
tunity of your life pass unprofited?
chased the stock and good will of the Fremont Music
Shop in that city.
The Austin Music Shop, Waxahachie, Tex., has
been purchased by the Walter Piano Co., Hillsboro,
Tex.
A general music store has been opened in Mon-
rovia, Cal., by C. P. Mack. •
H. B. Herr recently opened a music store at 10
West King street, Lancaster, Pa.
REMARKABLE RECOVERY
OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Last Three Months Have Shown a Phenomenal
Revival in Nearly All Lines of Business.
GIVE LONG TERMS ON PIANOS.
The piano trade has shared in the almost phenome-
nal revival which has come to nearly all lines of trade.
The demand for pianos has depleted the factory
reserves and the industries are in many instances
running overtime. On this subject a recent issue of
the New York Times said:
"Not often in this country's history has so remark-
able a recovery as that of the last three months
occurred at that season of the year. The usual experi-
ence is for a decrease in activity after the 'Christmas
trade' has been completed. Merchants and manufac-
turers rest on their oars, so to speak, and wait for
later months to determine the course of the year's
business. 'So far has this year to date departed from
the tradition that, as shown by recent statements,
not only have all branches of production, trade and
consumption increased as compared with any part
of 1922, but the month of March or the beginning of
April saw the country's output of iron and steel ex-
ceeding all precedent in our history, building con-
struction at a high monthly record, purchase of cot-
ton by our textile mills and volume of their produc-
tion similarly beyond all previous monthly figures,
and freight transported over the railways greater in
quantity than it had ever before been in the busy
Autumn months of a few recent years'."
It is estimated that about 75 per cent of the pianos
sold in Cuba at the present time are paid for on a
monthly instalment plan. In some cases the instal-
ment payments are made over a period as great as
thirty-six months. This necessarily involves a con-
siderable capital outlay on the part of the piano
merchants, as they are unable to obtain correspond-
ing credit terms from their foreign suppliers.
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Music Co., purchasers of
the Lehman Music Co., East St. Louis, 111., held a
formal opening on Saturday, April 14. The entire
stock of the Lehman Co. had been disposed of dur-
ing the clean-up sale which this company had been
conducting.
NEW YORK ASSN. ELECTS.
John V. Stephens, of the Mathushek Piano Mfg.
Co., was elected president of the New York Piano
Manufacturers' Association at meeting held last week.
Harry J. Sohmer was re-elected first vice-president;
Eugene Schmidt was elected second vice-president,
and Albert Behning elected secretary and treasurer.
The following were chosen as the new executive
committee: Walter Nepperla^ Louis S. Roemer, H. B.
Tremaine and Campbell Lorini.
AFTER MISLEADING ADS.
Rigid state censorship on the advertising of retail
and wholesale merchants and advertising generally is
aimed at in a bill introduced into the Wisconsin
Legislature by Assemblyman J. Timmerman. The
bill is very drastic and leaves no loophole for the
artist in misleading advertising. It is said that mem-
bers of the assembly have received it favorably and
the probabilities are that the bill will be passed.
HOLDS FORMAL OPENING.
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