Presto

PRESTO
Presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT -
Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1925.
STATE ASSOCIATIONS
There could be no better promise of a stead-
ily increasing music trade and industry than
the rapidly growing succession of state music
trade associations. Thus far this year, in ad-
dition to the national convention in June, we
have had the enthusiastic meetings of the
Ohio dealers at Cincinnati, the equally fine
gathering of the Illinois and Indiana dealers
at Rockford and Fort Wayne, respectively,
and the large meeting of piano tuners at
Cleveland. And now the first convention of
the Michigan music dealers at Detroit next
month promises to be equally as interesting
as any of the others.
There is little doubt but that eventually
every state in the Union will have its music
trade association. There is no business better
suited for the gatherings which are half busi-
ness and half social in their character. The
men of music always have a good deal to
discuss, for the methods of their every day
pursuits are constantly changing, and the so-
cial side of the average music man is usually
well developed. Music itself suggests that
and, while there have been state associations
before, they have never taken hold as they
should, largely because the interests of mem-
bers, over a large territory, have been fixed
upon the annual gatherings in New York or
Chicago.
When the state associations get fully going
it may simplify matters for the national asso-
ciation. Instead of the retailers making long
trips every year, it will be easy to so adjust
matters as to have delegates represent the
associations as Congress represents the pub-
lic. Delegates may be chosen to attend the
national conventions, and so representation be
insured, every member of which will have
responsibilities of a kind to insure the kind
of participation that counts for the good of
many as well as the entertainment of one.
But that will all work itself out. At present
it is good enough that the state associations
are multiplying in a way to promise the kind
of results that must mean bigger business and
better.
GETTING BACK HOME
The piano trade is getting back home. And the
large piano manufacturers are leading it there. In
other words, the forces by which the industry and
trade must be directed are giving renewed consid-
eration to the need of a more personal under-
standing of the art of producing music by music
loving people. It is the piano, the instrument
played by hands, and not by any mechanical
means, however fine and expressive, that is re-
ceiving special attention, as was illustrated in a
recent remarkably effective announcement of The
Cable Company.
"The backbone of most successful piano busi-
nesses is the Upright," is the opening sentence of
The Cable Company's printed display, and, fur-
ther, that "more Uprights are being sold today
than any other type of piano, even in the face of
the general rising popularity of Grands, Players
and Reproducing Pianos." That kind of publicity
must be of practical helpfulness to all of the trade,
whatever pianos the dealers may sell.
The Cable advertisement is one of the most
useful to the retail trade that has appeared. It is
brightened by a family scene, in which daughter
is playing upon an upright, in the good old-
fashioned way. "The family which is buying a
musical instrument usually chooses the Upright,"
continues the statement in the Cable display. And
the sound conclusion is made that "the more Up-
right pianos a dealer sells the greater will be his
Grand and Player business."
Xo one who knows anything about the veering
fancies of the people and the keen readiness of the
piano dealers to-seize upon the salient points in
trade will doubt that The Cable Company adver-
tisement will do good work. It will attract all
classes of piano merchants—big, little and pros-
pective. And it will sell pianos for the dealers,
because many of them need nothing more than the
suggestion to instill them with increased energy.
And the Cable conclusion is this: "Concentrate
some of your effort on the Upright and the idea
of music in every home."
Considering the overmastering influence of
music, how does it happen that, instead of all
the fussing about a league of nations, and
other peace pacts, no one has proposed the
plan of great international band or choral con-
tests to settle world disputes? A jury of the
nations might be chosen and when any cause
of dispute arises let the ruffled countries in-
volved send their best performers to the har-
monious contest, the aggregation that gets
the most votes to be declared the winner and
so settle it. Well, why not? Better real
music than so much of the chin variety.
* * *
Walnut cases are as popular, in many sec-
tions, and as easy to sell as any other if the
salesman only thinks so and likes them him-
self. The finish has not so much to do with
the selling as some salesmen seem to think.
And all of the beautiful cases are so good
that they must have admirers every and any-
where.
* * *
The mystery of who is "Mike the Mover"
grows deeper. Presto has received two re-
quests that the verses of the anonymous poet
be republished. If the author will reveal him-
self and doesn't prove to be the "lariat" of
October 17, 1925.
the trade, we'll acquiesce and give a whole
page to Mike's verses. The hunt is on.
This is a good time for the small piano in-
dustry from which comes really fine instru-
ments—better than those of the larger ones,
if possible. The small factory, conducted upon
ideals, has a chance to win quickly such as
has never been known before.
* * *
The Cunningham Piano Co., of Philadelphia,
seems to have adopted the not very original
slogan, "It Pays to Think." How does it ap-
ply? Or is the Philadelphia piano industry
springing some new thought cult upon the
unsuspecting Quaker City?
If the piano tuners must have a new name
to indicate their calling, it seems to us that
Mr. H. F. Peltier has suggested about the
best one so far. It is "Harmonizer." And
that's what the piano tuners are supposed to
be.
* * *
The bright "Story Book" of Story & Clark
cries for "no free tuning; no free service."
From sounds and appearances that seems to
be about what a majority of the pianos are
getting.
* * *
It is said by those who claim to have ways
of finding out, that prohibition has neither
helped nor hurt the piano trade. What do you
think about it—and why?
30 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
From the Files of Presto
(October 17, 1895.)
On Oct. 22 the Empress' birthday, the Royal Opera
House, Berlin, will he reopened with Beethoven's
"Fidelio."
After years of deserted idleness, the old white factory
liuilt for the Boardman & Gray piano in Albany, and
later the scene of the original McCammon, is now occu-
pied as a shirt manufactory.
Mr. E. S. Payson.'who has been appreciably dubbed
"general overseer of the Emerson plantation," arrived in
the city on Sunday evening last, on a business trip and
leaves to-night for Boston.
Negotiations have been made by Mr. E. F. Droop, the
Washington dealer, with Paderewski's New York man-
agers, and the pianist is to give two recitals Dec. 10 and
13, respectively, at Lafayette Square Opera House, in
that city.
The Foster piano factory in Rochester, N. Y., is close
to that of the Martin Co., which enables Mr. George
Foster to superintend both enterprises. Mr. Foster is one
of the "characters" among the young men of the piano
industry. As a hustler he excels, and the skill with
which he catches trade and holds it, would make a
readable hand-book for the instruction of the rising gen-
eration of piano men.
20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(From Presto, October 19, 1905.)
The "ad" that does the most good is the one that
doesn't touch the sore spots in the other fellow's piano.
Henry Dreher of the B. Dreher's Sons Piano Co., said
at Cleveland that people who are wise will place their
orders for holiday pianos early, as he felt certain there
would be a shortage of pianos later in the season.
Before worrying about your bills payable look over
your book accounts and installment paper and see how
many of your own customers need worrying. Keep up
collections and you will be doing service also for your
creditors.
Marshall Field, the Chicago merchant prince, who is
a close observer of financial conditions, on his arrival
at New York Tuesday spoke of the commercial situation
abroad as follows: "England, France and Germany are
prosperous and commercially Europe is at the height of
its prosperity."
Charles Lester Reimer, a young music dealer of As-
bury Park, N. J., who obtained a verdict for $800 dam-
ages against Charles R. Zacharias, at Freehold, for
assault, found attached to his store door Tuesday morn-
ing a white card, which contained a skull and crossbones
in red ink and dagger, and this warning in big black
letters: "Leave here for good and all within one month
or a coffin you fill."
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