Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
The American Music Trade Weekly
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
Editor
F R A N K D. A B B O T T
- - - - - - - -
(C. A. DANI ELL—1904-1927.)
Managing Editor
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
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Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
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Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
to blame for this condition of stagnation, this
cessation of wonted activity all along the line,
are the piano dealers who are holding back
their orders," was his opinion.
These dealers he considered are the very
ones who will be sending in rush orders at the
last moment, only to find themselves in the
fix of the man who ran for the boat after
it had departed from the wharf, jumped,
missed, and found himself floundering in the
water.
The manufacturing and selling businesses
are so closely interdependent that the blame
for slow business must be laid at the source
of the trouble, which in this matter is in the
slowness of the dealers in making their wants
known to those upon whom they must depend
for their goods. The attitude of the negligent
dealers is not a new one. In previous years
delays in ordering on time have resulted in
the loss of sales and embarrassed manufac-
turers.
THE SLOGAN CONTEST
The Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
offers a prize of $1,000 for a slogan to voice
the advantages of playing music. Apart from
the generous reward offered for a suitable
phrase, the opportunity should inspire thou-
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1928.
sands who have benefited by the exercise of
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press the gift of music. The appeal is to a wide
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring circle and the responses should accordingly be
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur- numerous.
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
The dealers throughout the country, of
is not strictly news of importance can have
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they course, should do an active part in making
concern the interests of manufacturers or the slogan contest a popular one. The contest
dealers such items will appear the week follow- should be advertised by the dealer in the best
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the possible manner—in his advertising in the
current issue must reach the office not later
newspapers and in his show windows.
fhan Wednesday noon of each week.
Anyway, the purposes of the slogan contest
are to stimulate interest in music, music goods
THE OHIO CONVENTION
and music stores, so making the fact about it
The expectations for success of the nine- known in his community, the music dealer
teenth annual convention of the Music Mer- does something conducive to the desired
chants' Association of Ohio, at the Commodore result.
Perry Hotel, Toledo, this week, were realized
in all phases of the event. Attendance more
Sales of radio receiving sets on the install-
than exceeded the figures anticipated. The ment plan are gaining rapidly, according to a
warmth of enthusiasm was evoked by the review by the Commerce Department. More
successful fulfillment of well-arranged plans than 50 per cent of the entire estimated pur-
and the organization gained added strength in chases of $200,000,000 during 1927 were made
the trade.
on this basis. The ready market for cash sales
It was a business meeting in the true sense that existed in the early days of radio is dis-
of the word, but the social and sociable fea- appearing with the increasing number of
tures sensibly tempered the gravity of the manufacturers and purchasers, denoting sta-
events. From the opening address by Mr. Cor- bilization of the radio manufacturing industry.
ley Gibson to the closing words of the new Of the 4,050 dealers who reported installment
president, the trade problems were presented sales, 3,000 stated such sales amounted to be-
in a clear and frank manner, tinctured with tween 50 and 100 per cent of their total busi-
the optimism that stimulates.
ness for the year. The remaining dealers
As every member of the trade attending the transacted between 5 and 45 per cent, while
convention benefited thereby, the business as 218 reported that all of their business was on
a whole is better off for the experiences of in- installments.
dividuals.
* * *
The new phrase, "whispering campaign,"
which is being used in political badinage these
"It is true that some of the piano manufac- days, might as well be applied to those re-
turers are going to be caught short of goods vengefully pestilential fellows who try to
this fall if big orders come rushing in," said knock the whole piano trade by making re-
a well-known piano traveler to a Presto-Times marks where more is meant than meets the
representative this week. The roadman added ear; such as "the piano business is passe,"
that "they should not be controlled by the in- "radio has killed it," or "get out of it while
hibitions of fear as they are. Their orders for the getting is good." Staunch men, standby
supplies in many cases have not been placed, a men, declare that the piano business was never
fact that holds back the manufacturers of sup- on a sounder basis than it is today, with trade
plies, for fear again holds them back from just swinging back gradually into line for a
manufacturing in advance. But the men most good fall business.
HOLDING BACK ON ORDERS
September 15, 1928
THIRTY YEARS AGO
(From Presto, Sept. 15, 1898.)
This special export edition of The Presto is de-
signed more particularly to cover the Pan-American
trades and no attempt whatever has been made to
embrace in this review England, Europe, or any of
the countries of the far east.
Just now, as never before, the interest of Ameri-
can manufacturers is drawn to the prosperous and
often progressive republics of the south. The spread-
ing intelligence, the awakening enterprise and the
growing wealth in those countries, due largely to
example cf the powerful republic to which they look
for protection and stimulus, give promise of a future
development almost unequalled in the world's his-
tory. With the infusion not only of ideas but of
individual energies and capital from the United
States the vast resources of the southern republics
must speedily yield almost fabulous results.
There are few things more detrimental to the
spread of the American export trade than the un-
bending self-satisfacticn which will not permit a
manufacturer to see things as others see them. This
characteristic is not so pronounced among American
piano manufacturers as in those of some other coun-
tries, and still there is too much of it even here. It
should be taken into consideration that the bias of
custom—of habit and local prejudice—is hard to
eradicate. It does not matter that we feel sure
that our own ideas and tastes in piano construction
are the best.
But for the present, at least, the only sure way to
success in the export trade in musical instruments
is for the American manufacturers to "study to
please." This is what the Germans have done and
are doing. And in that way Germany has become
the great market of the world in this as in some
other departments of industry. The German piano
manufacturers stand ready with an ear turned to the
customer, whose wishes are quickly complied with.
William Tonk & Bro., wholesale dealers in musi-
cal merchandise was founded in the spring of 1881,
at 47 Maiden Lane, New York, by Wm. Tonk, who
had removed from Chicago to New York the pre-
vious year. Mr. Tonk was virtually "raised up" in
the musical instrument trade, having had twenty-one
years of experience with a leading Chicago house
before going to New York.
Mr. Geo. W. Tewkesbury, treasurer of the Chicago
Cottage Organ Co., is one of the happy individuals
who, having the means of enjoying life in its broad-
est sense, gives full play to opportunity and gratifies
his love of travel and investigation. Mr. Tewkes-
bury has explored the historic scenes in all lands
and is as well posted in matters of world observation
as any man in the trade. His recent trip to Mexico
is commented upon in this issue. In addition to his
other accomplishments, Mr. Tewkesbury is a lin-
guist and a close student of foreign customs. He
is equally as much at home in Berlin or gay Paris as
in New York or Chicago. And with it all he keeps
a steady grasp upon his large business interests and
ably assists in guiding the destinies of the great
house in which he is largely interested.
Now that the United States has annexed the
Hawaiian Islands, intense interest is being manifested
in the commerce of these islands. We shall, of
course, now reap trade advantages as a result of their
union with the United States; but it is a satisfaction
to know that last year the people of Hawaii bought
nearly $8,000,000 worth of goods from all parts of
the world and over 75 per cent of these goods came
from the United States.
One of America's strongest claims to supremacy in
piano production is found in the "Estey" piano,
manufactured by the Estey Piano Co., New York.
In all the history of the American musical industries
no house stands higher than that of Estey. For a
full half century the name of "Estey" has been
familiar to the musical world, and always as repre-
senting the highest order of merit and the best-
directed ambition. Today the Estey piano fully
sustains the record of the past, and has lifted still
higher the honor of the name.
L E T T E R FROM AFRICA.
Hirst's Pianoforte, Organ and Music Depot,
412 West Street, Durban, Africa.
Editor Presto:
In your note in The Presto in which reference is
made to our business in South Africa you state that
the pianos handled are "naturally of English manu-
facture." This is quite a mistake, as all pianos
imported by us are entirely of German manufacture.
Perhaps you might like to correct this in a future
issue of your journal. Yours faithfully,
IRA F. HIRST,
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