Presto

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
E.tablUhed 1884. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
10 Cents; $2.00 a Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1924
CHICAGO TO LOSE ONE
OLD PIANO PLANT
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Division of the Con-
tinental Piano Co. Will Merge with North
Milwaukee Factory.
The Chicago factory of the Smith, Barnes & Stroh-
ber division of the Continental Piano Co., at 1872
Clyboiirn avenue, will be abandoned this fall and
the activities of the company will be centered at the
extensive plant in North Milwaukee, Wis,
The factory at North Milwaukee affords greater
producing facilities being much larger and better
equipped for modern piano manufacture. The pro-
duction of the Milwaukee plant last year was 3,667
instruments as compared to 3,611 at the Chicago fac-
tory, and it is expected that next year the number of
instruments produced at Milwaukee will be three
times the combined output of this year.
The company expects to produce at least 9,000
instruments at the North Milwaukee factory during
1925, and plans have been made to that end.
The present force of employes will be retained at
the North Milwaukee plant, and a large majority of
the Chicago force will also be employed there as the
work of the two factories will be concentrated in one
and the better facilities will render the change a very
acceptable one to the expert piano makers from the
old Chicago plant. As is well understood the head-
quarters of the Continental Piano Co. are in Boston.
BIG DAY FOR EMPLOYEES
OF THE CABLE=NELSON CO.
Workers in Big Factory at Holland, Mich., Will
Make Merry this Saturday.
The Cable-Nelson Piano Company's employees'
third annual picnic, this week Saturday, to be held
at Scott's Lake, promises to be an event of unusual
interest. Automobiles leave the factory at Holland,
Mich., for the grounds at Scott's Lake at half-past
eight Saturday morning.
There will be several athletic and sporting events,
among them a 50 yards dash for girls, a 50 yards
dash for boys, a 100 yards dash for fat men, a 50
yards dash for fat women, and a 100 yards free-for-
all race. Also a sack race and a neck-tie race, a
three-iegged race, a wheelbarrow race, a centipede
race, a baseball game, a backyard golf game, and a
great tug-of-war.
Prizes are offered for all events. There is good
bathing at the beach and Keek's crack band will fur-
nish the music. The employees have been on the
qui vive for this event, and all are sure of the "best
ever," barring a big downpour of rain. The program
of events, as sketched here, is a good one for other
piano factory employees to pattern after.
NEW NORDLUND GRAND
WINS QUICK SUCCESS
An Instrument in Which Dealers and Their Sales-
men Must Find Points of Interest.
The new Nordlund small grand is ready and prom-
ises to win an instantaneous success. This little
grand has been quietly developed and brought to the
point of a quantity production. It is now being
shown on the floors of some of the leading piano
houses of the country, and it is pronounced a suc-
cess—a good seller and a reliable instrument.
An output of five grands a day has been reached
by Mr. Nordlund's industry, with the prospect that
the output will be doubled within a short time. It
seems that the problems of the buying demand have
been successfully worked out in this grand piano, by
which assistance is given dealers for the increase of
their business. Alex. Nordlund has been persistent
in producing a grand that he could sell under a posi-
tive "satisfaction guarantee," and to this end he se-
cured one of the most expert grand piano builders
to supervise the making of his instruments.
Attention is called to a page display advertisement
in this issue of Presto, in which mention is made of
some of the points in the construction of the Nord-
lund Grand which must interest dealers and salesmen
and, through them, the piano buying public generally.
BUSH & LANE INDUSTRY
SHOWS GREAT ACTIVITY
Secretary C. L. Beach, of the Factory at Hol-
land, Mich., Sees Active Fall and
Winter Ahead.
"There is no doubt about the upward trend of the
piano trade," said Secretary C. L. Beach, of the
Bush & Lane Piano Co., to a Presto representative
at the factory of the piano industry at Holland,
Mich., one day this week. "Everything goes to show
that the days of doubt are about over, and that the
piano business will experience a season of activity
for members of the trade who go after it. 1 '
The Bush & Lane Piano Co. itself shows evidence
that Mr. Beach has reason for this cheerful outlook.
He says that things have been too quiet for comfort,
notwithstanding that the model plant at Holland
presents every appearance of a well-ordered and pro-
ductive establishment. The Bush & Lane instru-
ments enjoy the kind of confidence, in the trade and
with the piano buying public, that insures business
when there is any business to be had. The line is as
complete as any, and the playerpiano possesses spe-
cial attractions to dealers.
"We are looking forward to a fall and winter of
steady activity," said Mr. Beach in parting, "and if
there is no mistake in present appearances the piano
industries will have a good season. We are prepared
for an increase in our output, and we are adding to
our list of customers and representatives right along."
FOR OFFICERS OF THE
CHICAGO PIANO CLUB
Nominating Committee Picks Out Candidates
to Serve Two Years in Accordance
with By-laws.
The Nominating Committee of the Piano Club of
Chicago appointed by Board of Governors August
4, 1924, has nominated the following candidates for
the respective offices:
President, Harry D. Schoenwald; vice-president,
Henry D. Hewitt; secretary, Gordon Laughead;
treasurer, Harry B. Bibb.
Board of Governors, for two years ending 1926:
Kenneth W. Curtis, Eugene Whelan, John McKenna,
R. E. Davis, J. G. Childs, R. M. Reilly.
Hold-over—terms ending 1925: M. J. Kennedy,
Jas. T. Bristol, Axel Christensen, E. V. Galloway,
F. R. Michaels.
The unanimous judgment of the Nominating Com-
mittee is represented above and members are re-
mittee is represented above and the secretary is re
quested, in accordance with the by-laws, to mail a
copy of the ticket to every member in good standing
at least thirty days before the annudl meeting. The
Nominating Committee consists of J. G. Peirson,
Ray M. Reilly, Wallace Kimball. Chas. H. Clute and
G. R. Brownell, chairman.
I. N. RICE STARTS WESTWARD.
After the summer's rest at his home—"farm," he
calls it—at Des Plaines, near Chicago, I. N. Rice,
veteran piano salesman, leaves for the far west early
next week. Mr. Rice wiil make a stop at Oskaloosa,
Iowa, to visit relatives, and then at Denver, on his
way to the Pacific Coast. His friends in the piano
business, from Frisco to Portland, and elsewhere, will
be glad to read this item. Mr. Rice will continue to
promote the interests and sa'es of the W. P. Haines
& Co., Inc., line, of New York.
THE ASSOCIATION
SPIRIT IN THE WEST
An Enlarged Scope for Oregon Music Trade
Association Made Probable from In-
fluences of Recent Convention
at San Francisco.
OTHER EFFECTS SEEN
Organization of Radio Retailers with Music Dealers
Participating Formed for Mutual Benefits
Last Week.
An early effect of the recent Western Music
Trades Convention in San Francisco is the new pur-
pose instilled in the trade of Portland, Ore., and
indeed of Oregon generally. Due to influences of
the convention a few weeks ago in the St. Francis
Hotel, a reorganization of the Oregon Music Trades
Association is possible. Elmer Hunt, wholesale man-
ager for the Victor in Portland, is assured that such
a thing is highly probable.
Mr. Hunt was one of the Portland trade to at-
tend the convention in San Francisco, and so greatly
was he impressed by the influence for the betterment
of the trade that he returned to Portland filled with
zeal for increasing the scope of the Oregon state
organization.
For Quick Action.
He induced E. B. Hyatt, president of the Oregon
Music Trade Association, to call a meeting of that
body so that he could voice his aspirations for a
bigger part in trade affairs by the association. And
so forcible were Mr. Hunt's pleas that an executive
committee was appointed along the lines he suggested
and plans will be perfected at a meeting to be called
possibly this week.
Another Association Formed.
The association spirit, rife on the Pacific Coast, has
extended to the radio folk, an association of retail
radio dealers is as good as accomplished, the music
houses being asked to take part in the purpose.
The music trade has responded and James J.
Black of the Wiley B. Allen Co., has been appointed
to represent it. When the organization of the new
association is accomplished, it is certain Mr. Black
will fill an important official position. Mr. Black-
sees the radio body, another association affiliated with
the Music Trades Association of Northern Califor-
nia, and of course with any organization that groups
with the trade associations of the Pacific Coast. The
precedent laid down in Los Angeles is easy to fol-
low. There the Radio Association has affiliated with
the Music Trades Association of Southern California.
Another San Francisco Show.
The interest in radio was well expressed in San
Francisco last week during the second annual Pa-
cific Radio Exposition held in the Civic Auditorium
under the auspices of the Pacific Radio Trade Asso-
ciation. The music trade was well represented at
the exposition and many of the booths were places
of particular attraction. Interesting exhibits were
made by the California Phonograph Co. and two de-
partment stores with phonograph and radio sections
—the City of Paris and the White House.
DUO-ARTS FOR LEVIATHAN.
Two Steinway Duo-Art reproducing pianos have
been purchased for the steamship Leviathan, the
biggest vessel of the VJnited States Lines. One will
be placed in the main dining-room and the other in
the assembly hall on the monster liner. Charles A.
Laurino, retail manager at Aeolian Hall, New York
City, made the sale.
TUNER OPENS STORE.
George F. Green, who recently opened a piano and
talking machine store at 1831 North Main avenue,
Scranton, Pa , has for a number of years been en-
gaged in piano tuning and repairing in that city. The
new store is attractively fitted out.
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