Presto

June 11, 1927.
BANQUET CLOSES
CONVENTION OF 1927
Presentation of Gold-Headed Cane to James A.
Bates, the Oldest Member of the Trade,
Was Final Feature.
The twenty-sixth annual banquet of the National
Association of Music Merchants at the Stevens Hotel,
Chicago, on Thursday night, was an enthusiastic
ending of the convention of 1927. Edward H. Uhl
was the toastmaster and the speaker was Capt. Nor-
man Allan Imrie, instructor of history in the Culver
Military Academy, whose topic was "A Reversed
Judgment."
The entertainment features were provided by
Henshel's String Orchestra, the Notre Dame Glee
Club and Melville A. Clark, American harp virtuoso.
Dancing was continued until 2:30 a. m. with music
by the Herbeveaux Orchestra and Henshel's Or-
pheum Syncopators.
But a pleasant feature of the evening not scheduled
was the presentation of a cane to the oldest member
of the music trades, James A. Bates, of Middletown,
N. Y. The token of the regard and esteem of the
trade was formally handed to Mr. Bates by Edward
H. Uhl.
Mr. Bates* Reply.
Acknowledging the testimonial, Mr. Bates, proudly
waving the prized cane, said:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen and My
Friends:
Way back in 1862, when as a brash young man of
no particular mention. I was rushing around here in
old Chicago clerking at $10 per week, and trying to
sing. Little I dreamed that 65 years later I would
be an honored guest of this great convention, and
further given the privilege of speaking at this royal
banquet.
It's quite enough to turn the head of one of my
tender years, but all the same I'm still level-headed
enough to understand that these honors are extended
just because I happen to be the oldest living active
piano dealer in the United States, and therefore am
something of an object of interest. Old relics, you
know, are always interesting, and on that score per-
haps I can qualify.
But even there I am somewhat handicapped, for,
while it's true that there are 85 somewhat strenuous
years and 59 years of active business chalked up
against me, and also that in my own home town
where I have roosted for 25 years past they do say
that I am quite some young, old bird, yet there are
extenuating circumstances. I couldn't help being
born so soon, and anyhow I'm neither so awfully
old nor so awfully tough as some others. Chauncey
Depew, for instance, with his 93 years, has it all over
me, but why should that worry me when the good
old scout has phoned me that he will lay off having
birthdays so as to give me a chance to catch up—
and match his wonderful record. And so one of
these tine days Chauncey and I will be twins (on
the father's side).
A Spry Relative.
And then, too, there's my Uncle Jonas at Whap-
persville, Indiana, who at 107 years of age has just
joined the Boy Scouts—and is so full of pep and so
rambunctious that they talk of shooting him, as he
hasn't sense enough to die a natural death.
Some little credit, though, may perhaps be due me
from the fact that the business I founded at
Savannah, Georgia, in 1869 was instrumental in mak-
ing over 100,000 southern homes happy with pianos
and organs. And also that through my effort in
promoting musical enterprises I was able to some-
what advance the standard of musical culture in the
South and thus do my little bit towards making
America musical.
Still on the Trail.
My 85 years' trail has not been altogether an easy
jaunt. I've had my full share of trials, griefs and
hard knocks, but there have been compensations,
and, after all,
"This world we're livin' in
Is mighty hard to beat;
You get a thorn in every rose,
But ain't the roses sweet?"
Ah, yes, thorns and roses strewn all along the trail
and even if towards its end the thorns prick the
sharper and the roses lose their fragrance, what mat-
ters to one who ever has bright remembrances of the
past, loving friends to cheer, and a heart still young
and responsive to youthful emotions.
As I turn the past's mirror backwards it reflects
but an ordinary, uneventful life with no great things
accomplished, and, while I cannot expect to be re-
membered by what I have done, yet may I not hope
that when
"Some time at even when the tide is low
I shall slip my moorings and sail away.
A few will miss my craft from the busy shore,
PRESTO-TIMES
MUSIC MERCHANTS MEET
FOR ANNUAL CONVENTION
Great Gathering at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago, June 6 to 9,
Remarkable for the Practical Character of Its Activities
York State, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Mary-
land, in addition to the three that were issued prior
to this time."
A motion was regularly made, seconded and car-
ried that the report be received and placed on file.
Service Charges.
Shirley Walker, president of the Music Trades As-
sociation of Northern California, said: "We went
into an exhaustive study of the service charges which
an average music house in a big city is confronted
with, moving jobs, tuning, repair jobs of all kinds.
We drew up a set of suggested service charges. No
dealer has to follow this, but we all know that there
are many dealers in this country who do not under-
stand their costs of doing business. They think be-
cause they charge $3.50 for tuning that that is plenty
and they are making a profit. They don't know that
they are not making one cent.
The Carrying Charge.
"The carrying charge situation I should like to re-
port more favorably about," continued Mr. Walker.
"Your president, Mr. Uhl, has done a noble work in
this country by trying to get this carrying charge idea
over. I feel that we can't do everything in a day:
we have done a lot along this line over a long period.
Everything is on a carrying charge basis except
pianos. Some of the houses have tried it in our sec-
tion and have given it up, not because they didn't
think it was a good thing, but because all the houses
did not get into the game. I feel pretty sure that we
will take another whack at it and the time will come
when we will take it up."
President Uhl's Comment.
»
"The by-laws call for a report from the president.
You have had your report through the several state
commissioners and it is not necessary for me to cover
that," said Mr. Uhl, who added that after the conven-
tion last year was over he visited the office of the
national headquarters and investigated the feasibility
of carrying out certain activities. He found, he said,
that a number of necessary things for promoting and
expanding the national association and promoting
state bodies were wanting—principally revenue.
Stamp Revenue Disappointing.
"You will be surprised to know that the new mer-
chant stamps have only brought in a revenue of little
over $6,200," he said. "I thought we would raise at
least $25,000 to $30,000. So in order to do this work
I had personally to go out and do it. That is all
wrong. I want to find ways and means at this con-
vention so that the man who succeeds me will not
have to do this work, but we can raise enough money
to hire a good field man to go out and sell state
organization work and merchants' promotion work
throughout the United States.
"If you are really interested in your work and in
your business, you will at this convention find ways
and means to put this association on a strong finan-
cial basis. If you are not interested, you will go on
in the future as you have in the past—that is, keep-
ing your dues down to such a small amount, five
dollars for active members, where there is a state
organization, and ten dollars where there is no state
organization.
His Recommendation.
"I am going to recommend to your Board of Con-
trol this afternoon that wherever we do not have a
state organization the dues of an individual member
be at least twenty-four dollars per year, or two dollars
per month. That will increase our revenue some.
"At the meeting in New York it was stated that
if the manufacturers would raise $200,000 per year,
the merchants would do likewise. We thought the
stamp would bring in good revenue. It doesn't do
as well as we thought it would. I suggest that we
stand an assessment for one or two years until we
get this national organization properly on its feet and
properly financed."
On Contest Day.
Peter Meyer, the piano contest director, addressed
the convention on Wednesday, known as Contest
Day. Mr. Meyer said:
"If I remember correctly, we have been having
piano playing tournaments for the last six years, and
unless my memory fails, our good friend, Mr. M. V.
de Foreest of Sharon, Pa., put on the first so-called
And some loving souls whom my heart holds dear" local dealer tournaments in June of 1921. For some
will in memory think of me as one who saw the reason or other they were never widely exploited. It
silvery lining in every cloud, and who trod the long was not until Mr. Frank J. Bayley and Mr. Roy
trail, forgetting the thorns, but ever remembering Maypole inaugurated the tremendously successful
(Continued on page 10.)
"How Sweet the Roses Were."
T H E OFFICERS.
President, C. J. Roberts, Baltimore.
First vice-president, Charles Yahrling, Youngstown,
O.
Second vice-president, Henry P. Mayer, Paris, Tex.
Fourth vice-president, A. Z. Moore, Lancaster, Pa.
Secretary, Herman Fleer, Chicago.
Treasurer, Carl A. Droop, Washington, D. C.
Directors are: C. J. Roberts, Charles H. Yahr-
liug, Parham Werlein, Henry P. Mayer, A. Z. Moore.
Herman Fleer, Carl A. Droop, Shirley Walker, Jay
Grinnell, Otto Heaton, Howard Beasley, Robert
Watkins, Arthur Howe, R. E. Conroy, Oscar Field,
W. W. Smith and S. H. Morecroft.
The National Association of Music Merchants
opened the first session of its annual convention for
1927 at 9:30 a. m., Tuesday, June 7, at the Hotel
Stevens, Chicago. President Uhl, who presided,
voiced a rebuke for the membership on the poor
showing at the opening session.
"It is very difficult for me, the presiding officer, to
start with so few in attendance, but perhaps the qual-
ity is here if not the quantity," he said. "I am sorry
that the music merchants attending this convention
have not enough interest to be present at this meet-
ing on time. As far as we know today, there are
240 music merchants registered here today, a very,
very poor showing."
Membership is 721.
At the request of the president, Secretary Dennis
gave the membership as of June 1, 1926, as 745 active,
208 associate, 956 total, including five honorary mem-
bers; deaths seven, resignations fourteen, cancella-
tions on account of mail returned, eight, and cancel-
lations due to a resolution passed at the last con-
vention cancelled as of July 1 for unpaid dues, 273;
new members, fifty-five. Transferred from associate
to active, one; transferred reversely, one. Members
reinstated, eight, and the members following that re-
adjustment, 721 grand total.
Through the chartered association memberships,
Mr. Dennis said there has been a change, a gain of
seventeen in the Music Trades Association of North-
ern California, a gain of thirty-five in the Music
Trades Association of Southern California; Illinois,
ten; Indiana, 26; New York State, fourteen; North
Carolina, twelve; Pennsylvania, forty-four; Wiscon-
sin, fourteen—making a net individual membership
today in the National Association, of 893, against 721
net, discounting the cancelled memberships.
The Treasurer's Report.
The dues received during the year have been $4,740;
the stamp receipts have been $6,327.50, as regards the
new Merchants' Promotion stamp. The other stamp
for the advancement of music has run about $29,000,
which is simply a clearing for the service rendered
through the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce.
The estimated amount in the treasury, without hay-
ing the exact figures from the treasurer, would be
$4,240.
President Uhl asked for the report of the chairman
of the Auxiliary Board, A. Z. Moore, of the Pennsyl-
vania State Association, which association, he said,
was the first association to receive a state charter.
"Since the convention last year there have been a
number of charters recommended to be passed," said
Mr. Moore. "Two actually have been passed and
ordered issued, Southern California and Indiana.
Pennsylvania, as you know, was first. That was
granted last year. Southern California is second:
Indiana third; Wisconsin fourth; Northern California
fifth; Illinois sixth; New York seventh; North Caro-
lina eighth, and Maryland ninth.
"Texas has a very good prospect of completing all
charter requirements during this convention, but if
not during this convention practically immediately
following it. The other states in which there is pros-
pect of completing requirements soon are Colorado.
Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah.
Washington and West Virginia. West Virginia is
just really getting started, but there is every chance
of going through.
"Charters have been ordered issued to the first
ones mentioned, Northern California, Illinois, New
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