Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1928
$2 The Year
CHEERING SIGNS
FEATURES JESSE FRENCH
IN INDIANAPOLIS
ENSEMBLE PRESENTATIONS
Jesse French
of the country
.
r ,
m an effective
Wilking Piano
& Sons representatives in every part
are stimulating interest in the pianos
i-
.• i •
, 1
T
way.
in T Indianapolis
this week the
J
l
Company has a Spanish Ensemble
the factory can turn them out, and it looks as if the
demand is on the increase.
The satisfactory condition at the Jesse French &
r-
-,-,.
^ , s factory
,
• a natural , result i 4 of . f r fore-
r
Sons
Piano
Co.
is
handed action in stimulating trade. The demand for
A WILKING PIANO COMPANY'S WINDOW.
window which attracts continuous crowds.
The
background and architecture are in perfect agree-
ment with the piano and other articles in the En-
semble window. The window was designed by Mr.
Wilking.
As a result of the company's persistence in forceful
presentation of its line the Ensembles and, in fact,
all of the Period Grands, are going over in a notable
way. This applies to both Lagondas and Jesse
French & Sons models.
It is a most encouraging fact that these artistic
pianos and the Ensembles are selling much faster than
Jesse French & Sons pianos is a response to progres-
sive methods in the production of attractive instru-
ments and characteristically lively methods of bring-
ing them to the notice of the alert dealers.
The Jesse French & Sons Piano Company, New
Castle, Ind.,- is running overtime three nights per
week and the Saturday half holiday has been sus-
pended. An unusually brisk fall business and a large
demand for some of the new styles produced during
the summer is responsible. The factory announces
that orders received during the first two weeks of
September exceed the entire business of July and
August.
TO SELECT HOTEL
FOR 1929CONVENTION
from the Board of Control of the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants.
The Board of Directors will meet in Chicago y».
10:30 a. m., Tuesday, October 23, which is the day
following the meeting of the Board of Control of
the Merchants' Association.
Vote on Agricultural Problem.
It was voted to cast the vote of the Chamber
affirmatively on all questions in Referendum No. 52
of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States
with respect to the agricultural problem. It was
also voted to continue membership in the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States, and to continue sup-
port of the American Arbitration Association.
Robert T. Stanton, newly elected president of the
National Association of Sheet Music Dealers, was
elected as a director of the Chamber to succeed J.
Elmer Harvey, the former president, and Nels C.
Boe, newly elected president of the National Associa-
tion of Piano Tuners, was elected a director to suc-
ceed Charles Deutschmann, the former president.
M. Hohner, Tnc, was elected to individual member-
ship.
Executive Committee of Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce at Meeting in New
York Considers Bids From Various Chi-
cago Hotels—Other Chamber Business.
The Executive Committee of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce held its first meeting since
the convention in the offices of the Chamber, Tuesday
afternoon, September 25.
Consideration was given to the bids of various
Chicago hotels for the 1929 convention, and arrange-
ments were made to get the concensus of opinion of
exhibitors concerning the relative attractiveness of the
various hotels. Final decision will be made at the
next meeting of the Board of Directors, at which
there will also be a recommendation on the subject
Improvement in Sales Makes Dealers Optimis-
tic in Outlook for Fall—Personal Views
of Dealers Accentuates the General
Feeling in the Local Field.
Business in Indianapolis continues to show signs
of improvement and dealers are very well pleased
with the general outlook.
Charles Howe, traveling representative of the Wur-
litzer Grand Piano Company, expects to spend the
week in the city, on his way from the east. In dis-
cussing business conditions Mr. Howe said: "Busi-
ness is good all over the territory I have just cov-
ered, if dealers will urge their salesmen to go out
after it. Most of the dealers are working along the
line of the least resistance, and will devote more time
to detail work than is necessary, instead of leaving
that part of the business to some employe."
The New Store.
The new music concern opened by Forest and Gene
Wilking will sell the complete Schumann line of in-
struments, it was announced by Forest Wilking to-
day. Mr. Wilking just returned from the Schumann
factories at Rockford, 111., and is very well pleased
with the line of pianos he is going to sell. In addi-
tion to the Schumann line of pianos, Majestic radios
will be featured.
September has been a good month with the Chris-
tena-Teague Piano Company, according "to William
Christena, president of the company. The inquiries
for the Mason & Flamlin piano are very encouraging,
and from all present appearances many of the make
will be placed in Indianapolis homes in the near
future.
Favor for Steinway.
High grade instruments constitute the bulk of the
sales at the Pearson Piano Company, it was reported,
with the Steinw r ay & Sons particularly favored. Busi-
ness is improving and indications for a good fall busi-
ness is encouraging.
October has started out exceptionally well, was the
report from II. G. Hook, manager of the Starr Piano
Company, and there is an increased demand for high
grade grand pianos. Grands, in fact, have been sell-
ing exceptionally well, said Mr. Hook.
Mr. Frank Davis of the House of Baldwin says
that business has taken a step forward, and he seemed
to smile when he said it. ''Things are taking on more
pep and there is more life to business since the
autumn days have set in."
The Indianapolis Music Merchants held their semi-
monthly meeting on Monday, October 1, at the Board
of Trade dining room. After the luncheon, H. G.
Hook, president of the organization, requested the
discussion of better business methods. Some interest-
ing discussions followed. The next meeting will be
held on the 15th at the same place.
Visitors calling on the Indianapolis dealers during
the past week were: Harry T. Sipe of the Adam
Schaaf Company, Chicago, 111.; Charles Howe of the
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company, De Kalb, 111.; Mr.
Fink of the Aeolian Company, New York City; Clyde
Holcombe of Kohler Industries, Chicago branch, and
Jesse French, Jr., of New Castle, Ind. Mr. French
was on his way to New Castle from his summer home
at Georgian Bay, Canada.
TO REPRESENT MATHUSHEK.
J. Francis Glynn, who has been connected with
James & Holmstrom Piano Co., Inc., New York, of
which his father, John J. Glynn, is manager and sec-
retary, will hereafter represent Mathushek Piano Mfg.
Co. on the road. He has just returned from his
maiden trip, and reports an optimistic spirit among
Mathushek dealers. Mr. Glynn is a pianist of con-
siderable ability and a former student of Wesleyan
University.
The Rialto Music House, Chicago, which has three
loop stores and one in Gary, has rented for ten years
the store at 409 East 47th street, at a reported term
rental of $68,700.
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