Presto

PRESTO
August 16, 1924.
CHRISTMAN
"The First Touch Tells"
The
CHRISTMAN
Reproducing Grand
is admittedly the most responsive and
satisfactory instrument in the repro-
duction of the performances of the
great pianists. In the words of a
prominent critic,
"IT IS PERFECT"
The Famous
Studio Grand
(only 5 ft. long)
has won its fame by its unique chal-
lenge of all larger Grands in tone vol-
ume, richness of quality and beauty
of case outline.
No Other Small Grand
has attained to equal distinction or
won better demand by dealers who
value permanency above temporary
profit.
No ambitious Piano Merchant can
be sure that he has the best, most
profitable and satisfactory Line until
he has examined the Christman and
compared it with whatever competitor
may be winning local trade.
"The First Touch
Tells"
Reg. U S. Pat. Off.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
OLD CUSTOMS AND
MODERN SLUMPS
How an Ancient Fetish May Put a Brake
Upon Progress in Industry and Trade and
Perpetuate a "Dull" Season Which
Should Be Bright.
lines of business. It is a system which some houses
have been employing for many years. But most
business houses still stick to the ancient calendar
year system, which makes the close of the calendar
year the only time for casting up accounts, no mat-
ter how much the interference affects the business.
The advantages of the fiscal year plan are, as Mr.
Friedstedt has said, almost beyond computation and
its adoption would have a "most salutatory effect
upon the traditional January slump."
THE WASTED WINTER TIME
E. H. STORY RETURNS TO
CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS
Magazine Writer Discusses Business Bugaboos and
Presents an Indorsement of Arthur Friestedt's
Fiscal Year Plan.
President of the Story & Clark Piano Co., on
Brief Visit, Expresses Satisfaction with
Progress of the Business.
E. H. Story, president of the Story & Clark Piano
A favorite topic with writers on business and the
economics of trade, is that of fetishes and stock Co., arrived in Chicago Tuesday and hopes to be able
scares designed to describe slumps in manufacture to remain several weeks.
"I'm always glad to get back to the Chicago office,"
and selling, but which really are so nearly senseless
that they should be relegated to the dumps. In said Mr. Story to a Presto representative on Thurs-
Printers' Ink Monthly, for July, there is a clever ar- day morning. And he looked it, as fresh from the
ticle on the subject by C. B. Larrabee, who sticks a
pin in the little watery tumors of trade depression,
and tells why they should not exist at all.
And, while Mr. Larrabee touches upon a good.
many of the mistakes of the misanthropes of trade,
there is one in particular which seems to have espe-
cial interest to Presto readers because it has had its
cure suggested by a member of the music industry.
It alludes to the plan suggested by Arthur A. Frie-
stedt for doing away with the nuisance of stock-
taking at the busiest season of the year—the plan of
changing from the antiquated calendar year to a
fiscal year, and thus making use of the only season
that need be dull in the business.
The Fiscal Year Plan.
Mr. Friestedt's plan has been fully explained in
Presto, and it has been commented upon and com-
mended by a large number of prominent , men of
affairs in industry, journalism and trade. In the
Printer's Ink Monthly article, after enumerating a
lot of the bugaboos of business, such as the "summer
slump," the "presidential year," "saturation," and
others, Mr. Larrabee gets down to "the old idol of
January inventories" as follows:
Right in the middle of the busiest season the re-
tailer just about closed up shop in order to take
inventory. Not only that, but he intentionally kept
his stock low, when he should have had them full, in
order not to show too much at inventory time. As
someone has said, "What's the use of special effort
to increase summer sales if you are going to drive
away business in winter by a foolish policy of inven-
tories?"
Tt is hard to realize just how serious this inven-
tory fetish has been to business unless you have gone
into the matter deeply. One manufacturer went on
the road right after Christmas and found that dealers
were letting their stocks drop to almost nothing on
E. H. STORY.
account of inventories.
outdoor
life
of
California
he greeted friends who
The Solution.
The solution, of course, is to shift inventory time came in to say that they were no less glad to see
to a dull season, whether that season is in May, him there.
Mr. Story is not one of the "idle rich" in the Golden
July or October. The only reason for not doing so
may be the impression that the Government insists State. He is as busy in Pasadena as when he is in
on January 1 inventories. Such is far from the truth. Chicago. He is interested in a bank in his western
The Government is only too glad to encourage off- home and he gives much attention to his father's
season inventories because such a policy means a affairs. Of late he has also been acting for a son-in-
spreading of the rush times in the Department of law, who was incapacitated for business, in practically
Internal Revenue.
This is a problem that affects manufacturers in a supervising business for him. These, with other mat-
great many lines. They will do well to go into it ters, have kept Mr. Story very active, and he says
deeply and show their retailers how dull season in- that it seems the past year has been above the busi-
est of his always active life.
ventories build rush season profits.
Mr. Story finds the Chicago business of his house
Fiscal Year Indorsed.
In that extract, from a thinking writer's discussion going "good," and he was free in his expression of
of the folly of rock-ribbed habits in business, is one appreciation of his method of carrying on the rapidly
of the best indorsements of Mr. Friedstedt's plan of expanding affairs of the old house of Story & Clark.
a new period for the annual settlements and the He is especially interested in the manner in which the
tying together of the ragged ends which follow the influence of the house has spread eastward, with the
twelve month's energies. And in the piano industry New York store as its Atlantic Coast center, and the
and trade there may seem to be special purposes and remarkably rapid recognition of the "Repro-Phraso"
advantages in the June time closing of the year's player gives satisfaction to the company's president.
accounts. The selling of pianos requires more than
ordinary activity, and the employment of more time
A. B. CHASE CO. OUTING.
during the winter season, than most other lines of
Employes of the A. B. Chase division of the United
trade.
Piano Corporation held their annual frolic at Ruggles
The holiday season, which should be the harvest Grove, Norwalk, Ohio, last week Wednesday. Fea-
time for the music merchant, has never been that. tures were baseball, athletic contests, a big basket
It has been, often, the quietest season of the year. dinner and other diversions. More than 350 were in
But it should not be. The notion that pianos, and attendance and reports indicate that the affair was a
the other things of music, are not exactly "holiday big success.
gifts" is another of the fetishes, to which Mr. Larra-
bee did not revert because he is not a music trade
REMOVAL NOTICE.
expert. And anything that interferes with the special
After August 15, 1924, our sales and display rooms
effort of the piano salesman, in the season just pre- will
be located in the heart of Chicago's piano indus-
ceding the holidays, must tend to kill sales.
try, Suite 1623, Kimball Building, 306 South Wabash
Breaks Traditional Slump.
avenue, Chicago.—Cable-Nelson Piano Company,
Mr. Friestedt's plan of a fiscal year closing with factory and general offices, South Haven, Mich.;
June is a good one, and it is being adopted by many eastern headquarters, 426 Walker Building, Boston.
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