Presto

PRESTO
ILLINOIS DEALERS
MEET IN OCTOBER
Next Annual Convention of State Association
Will Be Held at Springfield October 6th
and 7th, and Plans Promise an
Enthusiastic Event.
PRESIDENT WATSON'S LETTER
List of Topics from Which Dealers May Select
Such as They Would Like to
Have Discussed.
The annual convention of the Illinois Music Mer-
chants' Association will be held Oct. 6th and 7th at
Springfield. The aim will be to make it a business
like, constructive convention, and the plans already
prepared point to that end. A list of topics suitable
for discussion has been arranged and sent to mem-
bers of the association, with the request that dealers
mark off at least six of the suggested subjects, num-
bering them as to their importance, that is, No. 1,
the most important, No. 2 the second in interest,
and so on down the list. Should any members have
other subjects they would like to have discussed, or
suggestions to offer, they are requested to add them
to the list and return to Fred P. Watson, president
of the Illinois Music Merchants' Association, Mt.
Vernon, 111.
List of Topics.
It must be seen that the plan proposed is a good
one. It is somewhat out of the customary lines, and
it will afford dealers an opportunity to express
themselves in a way to get the best ideas possible,
both local and general. The list of topics as already
prepared for the guidance of the trade members who
have the proper interest in the approaching state
convention is as follows:
Ethics, Trade-Ins, Nationally Priced Goods, Local
Associations, Mark Up Percentage of Profit, Over-
head in Retail Store, Credits, Collections, Selling
Terms, Legislation, Turn Over, Advertising, Inter-
est on Time Sales, Talking Machine Records, Player
Rolls, Should We Handle Coin Operated Instru-
ments, Advantage of Handling Two or More Lines
of Talking Machines, Advantage of Handling Two
or More Lines of Pianos and Player-Pianos, Co-
operative Insurance.
Interest Competitors.
All readers of Presto are invited to respond to the
suggestion that six of the best subjects enumerated
be checked, and it is certain that Mr. Watson—or
whoever made out the model list—has done a good
piece of work. The list shows a comprehensive
grasp of the uppermost needs of the trade, and
presents opportunities of interesting as well as in-
structive discussion.
Of course the only way for an association of the
trade to accomplish anything worth while is for the
members to get together with requisite enthusiasm,
and to share the responsibilities of the organization,
not only in sustaining the organization but in con-
tributing also to its intellectual and practical
resources.
That is what a trade convention is for. And, as a
rule, the music merchants accomplish as much at
their annual meetings as the men in any other lines
of business. In concluding his letter of invitation
to the trade, President Watson adds the further
suggestions:
"Plan to come to the convention and help make
it a very beneficial one not only to the members of
our association, but to the music dealers throughout
Illinois.
"Bring along your competitor. We will all get
better acquainted.
"Please use the enclosed stamped addressed en-
velope for the return of the questionnaire and get it
back to us by immediate mail."
As Now Organized.
It is hoped, and expected, that readers of Presto,
throughout the state of Illinois, will respond to Mr.
Watson's suggestion and that the convention next
October will be the largest meeting, and most pro-
ductive of good, that has ever been held. As at
present organized, the officers and committees of the
Illinois Music Merchants' Association are as follows:
President Fred P. Watson, Mt. Vernon (Fred P.
Watson Company); Vice-President, O. F. Anderson,
Springfield (Anderson Piano Company); Secretary,
R. J. Von Fossen, Beardstown (Von Fossen Music
Company); Treasurer, Lloyd L. Parker, Harrisburg.
Legislative Committee: O. F. Anderson, Spring-
field (Anderson Piano Company, Chairman); E. E.
Hanger, Lincoln (Hanger Brothers); Alex. S. Nel-
son, Sr., Moline (Tri-City Piano Company); R. L.
Berry, Springfield (R. L. Berry Music Company).
Better Business Bureau: James P. Lacey, Peoria,
Chairman; E. J. Joosten, Minonk (Jansen & Joos-
ten); J. C. Mulvaney, Peoria; M. G. Ogle, Gales-
burg (The Ogle Company).
Bureau for Advancement of Music: Oscar Kauf-
man, Danville (Seibert & Kaufman), Chairman; C.
A. Moorehouse, Champaign (Lloyde's); C. H. Von
Fossen, Jacksonville (Von Fossen Music Company).
Press Committee: F. M. Leslie, Urbana (Leslie's
Music Store), Chairman; T. M. Morgan, Murphys-
boro (Morgan Music Company); H. E. Rose, Fair-
view (J. F. Belue Company); C. E. Heuter, Green-
ville (Greenville Music Store).
Membership Committee: J. E. Rice, Mt. Olive
(The Music Shop), Chairman; Walter L. Rhein,
Belleville (Walter L. Rhein Piano Company); Fred
S. Lovell, Danville (Benjamin Temple of Music);
J. H. Rhodes, Hillsboro (Rhodes Music House).
Executive Committee: J. Barth Johnson, Jackson-
ville (J. Barth Johnson Company), Chairman; J. F.
McDermott, Decatur (Emerson Piano House); Chas.
C. Oldendorf, Mt. Carmel (Oldendorf's Music
House); George P. Cheatle, Springfield (The Music
Shop).
Advisory Council: Past President, Charles C.
Adams, Peoria (Charles C. Adams & Co.).
SCHULZ CONVENTION SALES.
One of the successful exhibits at the San Francisco
Convention was that of the M. Schulz Co., of Chi-
cago. R. K. Maynard was in charge and he entered
a good many orders for the famous instruments—
many more even than that ordinarily sanguine sales-
man had expected.
AEOLIAN COMPANY SELLS
(Continued from page 3.)
tion of the "Pianola," which trade-mark gained
world-wide fame and the player-piano which it bore
proved a great money-maker. Of late years the com-
pany has gone largely into radio exploitation and
the management of artists for the purpose of pro-
moting the Duo Art reproducing action which has
great claims to merit.
The roof of the Aeolian Building supports one of
the most extensive radio broadcasting stations in the
world, and the concert hall in the building has been
for years the scene of almost countless musical
events and first appearances.
Great Piano Names.
The wonder to the piano world has been that since
the Pianola, and radio, and the Vocalion phonograph
have engrossed the Aeolian company's activities, the
fine old pianos to which it fell heir have seemingly
been permitted to pass to comparative obscurity or
neglect.
Among the almost priceless possessions of the
Aeolian company, besides tne splendid building
which has been sold, are the Weber and the Steck
pianos. There was a time when the former of those
instruments filled a place in the trade scarcely less
than second in the list, and the fine old Steck fol-
lowed not far behind.
Today neither instrument plays a particularly con-
spicuous place among the artistic "leaders" in the
trade and piano world. The names of those two
pianos alone would at one time have been considered
as almost priceless assets. When the late Albert
Weber was alive his ambitions were boundless, and
his piano was one of the greatest, as far back as the
Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876.
There are still men engaged in the piano business
who can remember the time when the late Frank
King was the chief "booster" of the Weber and,
under his management the young pianist Miss Julie
Rive, who later became Mrs. King, gave concerts
by which the Weber had its start on the concert
stage. Mrs. Julie Rive-King is now prominent in
the faculty of the Bush School of Music, where she
plays the Bush & Gerts piano.
The Aeolian Line.
And years ago, when the late George Steck was
alive, the piano of his creation was almost equally
great among the artistic instruments. Of late the
Steck seems to have become submerged and almost
lost sight of in the trade.
But the Aeolian company line is still a powerful
one, and, with the increment from the sale of the
great structure on 42nd street, New York, it is con-
jectured that new and still more forceful energies
will be put into the productive departments of the
old and distinguished industry which for so many
years has been under the seasoned and skillful direc-
tion of the Tremaine family of several generations.
August 9, 1924.
LESTER GRAND CHOSEN FOR
FINE NEW TOPEKA HOTEL
J. W. Jenkins Sons Music Co. Takes Pride in An-
nouncing Instruments Furnished the "Kansan."
One of the finest hotels in the Middle West was
recently opened in Topeka, Kans. It is appro-
priately named the "Kansan," and it is the pride of
the capital city. The pianos were supplied by the
J. W. Jenkins Sons Music Co., and that firm has a
well displayed advertisement in the Topeka Daily,
State Journal, reading as follows:
"We are proud, indeed, that the finest hotel in
this most wonderful State selects at this store two
of the pianos that have helped so materially in
making the house of Jenkins known as Kansas'
Greatest Music Store.
"The Lester Grand and the Miessner are the in-
struments selected to entertain you, your family
and your friends at the beautiful new 'Kansan.' "
The Lester Grand is a most fitting instrument for
the parlors of the new hotel. It occupies a conspic-
uous place and adds to the splendid furnishing of
the house. It is a stately instrument. And little
Miessner is also perfectly adapted to the setting off
of the reception room of the palatial establishment.
A DEPRESSING PERIOD.
Recently at a Scottish Sheriff Court a member of
the music trade was examined in bankruptcy. He
explained that he had been carrying on business as
a pianoforte dealer, but that he had no stock at the
moment. He complained of bad times, and stated
that he had never experienced such a depressing
period. First time on record when pianos were classi-
fied as things of the "moment."
STRICH & ZEIDLER, Inc.
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740-742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
Special Announcement
On Piano Loaders
Here is a SPECIAL OFFER;
A RARE CHANCE to get
your piano mover at a
bargain price. Money
back offer.
While our surplus stock
of loaders lasts your
check for
$60-SIXTY DOLLARS-$60
GETS ONE
The "BILGER" Loader
Satisfaction, or Money Back
Address
Piano Movers Supply Co.
Manufacturers
Lancaster, Penna.
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