Presto

Nov.-Dec, 1934
PRESTO-TIMES
PRESTO-TIME
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADES JOURNAL
ISSUED THE
FIFTEENTH OF
PUBLICATION MONTH
CRANK D. A B B O T T
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imimim
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Editor
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1932, at the
Tost Office at Chicago, 111., under act of March 3, 1879.
Greetings;
Presto-Times extends to the trade greetings for the Holiday Season and wishes one and
all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
To its advertising patrons, subscribers and other friends and every reader of these lines
we extend kindest regards and well wishes for their success and happiness all through the
coming year.
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Subscription, $1.00 a year; 6 months, 60 cents; foreign,
$2.00. Payable in advance. No extra charge in United
States possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for adver-
tising on application.
The report from the Bureau of Census, Washington, for 1933, recently issued, covering-
musical instrument manufacturing, investment, wages, output, for the year 1933, although it
shows improvement for the latter part of that year, indicates an astounding reduction
annually in piano factory units. Something like twenty fewer independent factories are
PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.
shown as compared with 1929 when eighty-on e factories made reports. This cutting for 1933
Publishers
means that concerns which had formerly been able to give an account of their factory oper-
417 So. Dearborn St.
Chicago, 111.
ations could not make such reports for 1933, by reason of most of them having either gone
out of business entirely or transferred the production of their instruments to other factories
which were able to report on wage earnings, wages paid to employes as well as quantity of
output.
Apparently the census report is short at least half a dozen independent factories; con-
cerns which were turning out at least a few instruments although they might not be able to
report on wage earnings, that is to say, earnings of factory workmen.
1934 will show up better although probably a few less individual factories will be show-
ing, inasmuch as no new factories have come into existence to nil up the exodus.
Out of various reports and correspondence that
* * * *
come to Presto-Times giving data on committee work
Notwithstanding its share of the vicissitudes which have overtaken the piano manufac-
and other official and semi-official activities, conven-
tion work and the like, this paper does not attempt to turing field involving pianos that have gained popularity and some of them considerable
publish more than brief references or comments on
renown, there still remains a field for many names the owners of which have either stopped
the information which these documents contain. One
manufacturing themselves or arranged otherwise for production, thus being able to carry on
reason in particular for this is because the doings
and the reports made about them which are sent by
more or less trade. The tenacity with which some of this drifting business is kept going is
the secretary or committee chairmen direct to the
commendable.
parties and interests they are intended to reach get
into the hands of the trade far in advance of trade
This subject of name value, already heretofore spoken of in Presto-Times, indicates that
papers. The only way to give immediate news on
though
a piano becomes, by change in production location, a unit in another household, the
this is through the daily press.
Matters of this kind, as well as extracts made from instrument may be able to maintain the strength, individuality and keep to the same ideals
printed matter dealing with problems and theories in
of its founder if the new location of production be a plant able to do its part. Thus various
manufacture and business management are probably
pianos that are holding their own and continue on the market, are in position to keep on with
better read and at a more leisure time through the
continued successes.
medium of their first publication.
* * *
* * * *
Anent the fire loss of the Bell Music Store at Law-
The
two
years
of
a
great
exposition
at
Chicago this year and last have caused the metrop-
rence, Kans, which inventoried $18,000, payment was
made in full for the amount of insurance carried, olis of the center of the nation to become rather expositionish and many of its prominent citi-
which was 80 per cent of the inventory. The Bell
zens are trying to bring about a third exposition year; one for 1935.
company was also given the salvage, which more than
Presto-Times' thought would be to work toward the establishment of a regular yearly
covered the cost of moving and the new fixtures in
the remodeled store which they have reoccupied. With exposition or, perhaps better, a permanent exposition. Chicago is a perfect location for a great
this remodeled and newly stocked shop the Bell Music annual exposition or fair modeled somewhat after the celebrated "Leipzig Messe." which takes
Company will have one of the finest establishments
place in a great open space every summer at Leipzig, Germany. A Chicago fair along these
in Kansas.
lines would not be as commercial as at Leipzig, but it might be more attractive and when an
* * *
One of the public schools of Fitchburg, Mass., had
attraction is successful other things fall in line.
an old upright piano which had been replaced by a
Great investments were made for the Century of Progress Exposition and much of
grand. Miss Bartley, the retiring principal of the
these remain in the form of permanent structures and other developments at the exposition
Nolan School, asked for the piano as a keepsake and
so that she might continue her musical studies. The grounds, which should remain there.
school board was prohibited by law to give away the
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piano but it was sold to her for one dollar.
The announcement of Steinway & Sons, which appears on the first outside cover page of
* * *
Import and export capitulations from Washington
Presto-Times this issue, is a lucid explanation of the new Steinway accelerated action put in
are decidedly favorable and with further increasing
exports ours should be a happy nat.on. Here, briefly a manner so brief and so plain that the significance of this important invention will be readily
appreciated by anyone whose eyes fall upon this announcement. A further interesting story
told, is the condition: Our purchases from foreign mar-
kets are at the lowest point they have been since 1932. with more details will be seen in the article in this issue bearing the caption, "Commentary
Our imports dropping off gradually and our exports
gaining gives us at this time a balance in our favor, on the New Steinway Accelerated Action."
the highest in four years. The regret is that musical
instruments figure so little in the table of exports.
would have profited to the extent of $10,000 by putting awfully in truck service that starts from large central
This condition needs improvement, notwithstanding
points." Two carloads at least of second-hands went
exports of music and musical instruments have them in condition and reselling. Anent this story of
junking pianos it is said that on a vacant lot in to Milwaukee recently.
dropped off greatly. The only items of importance in
Chicago's nearby west side one big Chicago loop store
imports are musical publications and certain lines of
* * *
small musical instruments. Band instrument imports has to its credit dumped a great pile of cast-off instru-
A remarkable degree of development is shown by
have been severely cut and piano imports are ments that nearly filled that lot, situated close to Lake a large Chicago piano manufacturing concern which
street. Another loop store has caused scores of
a few years ago added another line of manufacture,
dwindling to almost nil.
second-hands to be sent to a watery grave in Lake one closely allied to music and the music industries.
* * *
Michigan.
Somewhat more than a year ago a separation of this
It has been estimated that as many as five thousand
consolidation took place from which time a re-
* * *
old pianos, old squares, uprights and players, have
:
Of late and during the past few weeks numerous vitalizing of p ano manufacturing took place which
been scrapped in the United States in one year. What
has
developed
to
what may be justly called a phenom-
proportion of this number the large cities of the coun- truckloads of second-hand pianos picked up in Chi-
try are credited with the destruction seems not to cago and vicinity have teen delivered by motor truck enal growth. The output has steadily increased and
have been ascertained, but a certain gentleman identi- to points far away from Chicago. Parkersburg, shows a great percentage over the output a year ago.
* * *
fied with the music trades and industries in Chicago Dallas, points in Oklahoma, have received these in-
A caption under a group of three band and orchestra
and one able to compute on Chicago's record of old- struments. Generally by this motor truck transporta-
piano destruction, remarked that if he could have had tion delivery the buyers come with trucks rather than broadcasting leaders shown in a daily paper referred
all the pianos that have been sent to the junk pile by to depend upon securing this mode of service at the to them as "famous men," to which might have been
Chicago dealers since the first of January last he buying points for, as one dealer put it, "they squeeze added "made famous by radio broadcasting," for the
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