Presto

June 11, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
GORDON LAUGHEAD
HEADS TRAVELERS
Other Officers and Executive Board Elected
by National Association at the Annual
Convention Held June 6 at Drake
Hotel, Chicago.
MEMBERSHIP GROWS
Treasury Reported in Excellent Shape and Enthu-
siasm of 342 Members Apparently Hitting
on All Eight Cylinders.
The National Piano Travelers' Association held its
annual meeting at the Drake Hotel on Monday eve-
ning, June 6, and the promise of the officials to pro-
vide an opportunity for doing convention business
under the pleasantest circumstances was fulfilled to
the letter.
The annual election, which came last in the pro-
ceedings, resulted as follows:
Gordon Laughead, president.
A. B. Furlong, first vice-president.
Ray Briggs, second vice-president.
George H. Bliss, treasurer.
Al Behning, secretary.
As an executive board the convention appointed
W. B. Williams and Charles Bouslog.
The Entertainers.
Two members of the cast of "Gay Paree" playing
at the Garrick and two from "The Madcap" at the
Olympic provided several numbers, which necessarily
had to be served simultaneously with the dinner
courses. The entertainers had to go on promptly at
an unalterable time at the theaters, so they had to
do their stuff between bites and then beat it between
the dessert and the demi tasse. But Axel Christensen
stayed on and entertained the boys.
At the Speakers' Table.
Seated to the right and left of Matt Kennedy, the
outgoing president, at the speakers' table were Ed-
ward H. Uhl, Pat Conroy, Oscar Field, Henry
Dreher and George H. Bliss, the three first bearing
the title of ex-president of the piano merchants' na-
tional association, and Mr. Bliss that of ex-chief of
of the travelers. Others at the speakers' table were
Axel Christensen and Al Behning.
Short-Order Talks.
When Mr. Kennedy said he purposed calling on
several members to address the meeting he politely
intimated that piano travelers always had business
elsewhere. It was his Chesterfieldian way of saying
"make it snappy."
Mr. Uhl, who can say a lot in a few words, told
of the increased interest in the trade association idea
among dealers everywhere. Henry Dreher, whose
first association with the piano business was forty
years ago in selling pianos on the road for Decker
Bros., said he noticed no change in things in the trade
except that the travelers who used to wear their hair
bobbed now wear it dyed. And when someone said
"Get out, you darn pessimist," he threatened to prove
it.
Other Speakers.
Max de Rochemont gave a brief review of what the
Piano Sales Promotion Plan Committee had accom-
plished. Paul B. Klugh told about the happy rela-
tionship that might exist between the radio and piano
businesses if the piano men were so minded. Pat Con-
roy had the grace to apologize when he brushed the
whiskers off a couple of antedeluvian yarns, and
Oscar Field, with blushes, told his regrets for leaving
the piano business.
The purpose of the association and its activities
since last convention were set forth in the annual
message of the outgoing president, M. J. Kennedy:
past year it certainly was not on account of the
factory having too many orders.
I hone&tly believe that there has been, during the
past year, the greatest awakening this industry has
ever known. Some of the best minds in the trade
are occupied in formulating plans for the promotion
of the piano, and I do not know of an organization
in the industry better qualified to assist in this worth-
while program than the Travelers' Association. As
has so often been stated, the wholesale traveler is the
connecting link between the manufacturer and re-
tailer and we can be of great value to the manufac-
turers in their promotional plans as we are in daily
contact with the dealer, and I would like to see this
organization take an active part in helping the manu-
facturers put their program across. Anything we
can do to help the dealer in stimulating retail sales
will be of benefit, not only to the dealer and manu-
facturer, but to ourselves as well.
An Adrrrrable Suggestion.
I would like to see this organization go on record
in formulating some plan for the creation of a per-
petual fund to asist members. Whenever it becomes
necessary for a certain distribution of this fund the
matter of such expenditure should be in the hands
of the Executive Board. My attention was called to
the predicament of James Freeman of St. Louis some
few months ago, and I took the responsibility of
sending an appeal to the members of this organiza-
tion and asked each member to send in a dollar, as
I figured that we could be successful in getting a
sufficient amount of money to buy this man a pair
of artificial limbs. Mr. Freeman's letter of apprecia-
tion you have heard read, and through the kindness
of the Travelers' Association this man will be enabled
to secure a position and help support his family.
If we had a permanent fund it would save the em-
barrassment of an appeal such as we recently made,
and which I personally do not favor, but I thought
the needs justified the action I took and I do not
believe there should be any criticism. You cannot
imagine the wonderful letters received from the boys
out on the road in answer to the circular letter we
sent out February 1st, and after all, there is a world
of satisfaction in doing good for others and I believe
this should be one of the functions of this associa-
tion.
There has not been quite as much activity in this
organization as I would like to have seen during the
past year, and perhaps I owe the members an
apology for not being more alert, but if your experi-
ence has been similar to mine, then you know that
my time has been quite well occupied in trying to sell
enough merchandise to get by.
I want to repeat what I stated in New York the
night I was elected, that I appreciate the honor be-
stowed upon me in having an opportunity to head
the Travelers' organization this last year, and I take
occasion to ask each and every one of you to give
your support to your incoming officers the same as
you have to me during my administration.
JAMES A. BATES PRESENHED
WITH CANE AT BANQUET
Veteran Dealer from Middletown, N. Y., Is One of
the Honored Guests at Social Event.
Jas. A. Bates, of Middletown, N. Y., who accepted
(he invitation to be a guest of the music merchants'
association at the dinner Thursday night, reached
Chicago Tuesday. It was arranged that he was
to be given opportunity to make a speech, if only
a very short one. More than this was a surprise in
store for the veteran music dealer in the presenta-
tion by his many friends and admirers in the asso-
ciation of an elegant gold-headed cane. Mr. Bates
was overcome by the warm demonstration and the
mark of esteem paid him.
The presentation of the cane to Col. Bates was
made at the merchants' banquet Thursday night by
President Uhl, of the National Music Merchants' As-
sociation. On a silver band running around the
"stick" is inscribed the following words of tribute:
T H E PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
Presented to
One of the principal duties of a presiding officer is
J. A. BATES,
to make an annual report, regardless of the accom-
plishments of his administration and, therefore, I
The Oldest Active
will atempt to, in as few words as possible, review
Piano
Merchant in U. S. A.
the past twelve months.
By
Old-Time Friends
There has never been a period in the history of the
piano industry where the services of our members
at the
have been more in demand than during the past year,
A r ational Music Merchants'
and this situation is considerably different than it
Convention
was when Jack Bliss was delivering his farewell
message in 1923, as you will recall he stated that
Chicago
several manufacturers had cancelled the regular trips
1927
of their traveling representatives as some of the fac-
tories had booked sufficient orders to keep the wheels
running during the summer months. If any member
Upon presentation of this remembrance Col. Bates
of this organization was called off the road during the
gave an interesting talk.
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Warning to Infringers
Thla Trade Mark U caat
In the plat* and also ap-
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New Catalogue on Request.
Schumann Piano Co.
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