Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
to De Kalb that same year when he took a
position in the Wurlitzer factory, then under
the general management of E. S. Rauworth.
He was given a position in charge of stock
and supplies. Mr. Farny is now vice-president
of the DeKalb Division of The Rudolph Wur-
litzer Company and practically in entire
control of that great industry, at DeKalb.
* * *
Can it be that an enthusiasm among manu-
facturers in producing new and varied models
of that digression of the old American upright
piano called console, console-vertical and just
plainly "vertical," may work to serious neglect
in sales and production of the regular types,
the small and medium grands and in a lesser
way the larger grands and also the upright.
At any rate there was something like a
scramble among manufacturers to keep up
with each other in changing sizes and designs
of the little instruments that were put together
in various sizes and shapes as cut down from
the upright and selected from many submitted
drawings. Tt was hard to keep up with the
rapid changes and alterations that were taking
place, almost week after week until, for the
present a settlement seems t o be reached in
the "flat top," with variations, as now hold-
ing its own.
The metamorphosis through which the ver-
tical has passed and some of the models
brought forth were nicknamed "hunchback."
Mr. Cyril Farny, in his speech at the Wur-
litzer dealers luncheon given during the Music
Trade Convention at the Stevens Hotel last
summer mentioned this phase of vertical piano
building and indicated that manufacturers who
have not been overhasty in settling on the
form and size they would adopt were the more
fortunate ones. The manufacturer who has
consistently held to models he believed would
meet general approval and has carried on his
operations along consistent lines is the one
who has maintained normal demand for his
entire line ; grands, standard uprights, verti-
cals.
The piano manufacturers of England, al-
though they were making "low-down" and
"flat-top" vertical scale pianos a long while
before any were made in this country, have
not taken seriously to the "vertical" and cer-
tainly not in any such fashion of rapidity as
the space was set for production in America
a year and a half ago, an activity that con-
tinues with increasing production. A few
small pianos of the miniature type such as the
Minipiano made by Eavestaff & Sons, Ashfield
Road, London, and another make of the "Flat-
top" order called the "Minx" constitutes the
bulk of verticals made in Great Britain. Ger-
many and France make several models of ver-
tical scale small uprights which they call
"pianinos," but they have not yet experienced
a "vertical boom" in any form or shape.
* *' *
Reference is made in another column of this
issue of Presto-Times to the first appearance
of the late Ossip Gabrilowitch in this country ;
how he was induced to come to America by
Mr. A. M. Wright, to play a series of piano
concerts, using the Everett piano, then made
in Boston. This story of inducing him to come
here was one of the romantic episodes in the
life of the great pianist and conductor. Mr.
Wright, who had taken over the management
of the ambitious Everett Piano Co. went t o
Europe to secure a pianist for an Everett tour
of the United States. He had heard interest-
ing stories about this young Russian who had
gained considerable of a reputation as a young
pianist in his home country, but who was
hardly known of anywhere else. Mr. Wright
went direct to the Gabrilowitch home near St.
Petersburg where he remained until he finally
got the consent of the young man and his
Sept.-Oct., 1936
cation, Department of Interior, in accordance with the plan prepared by Commissioner
J. W. Studebaker and approved by the joint committee of the Music Educators' National
Conference and the Music Teachers' National Association; and be it
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the members of this associa-
tion with a request that they endeavor to secure the active support of their congressmen
in passing the legislation necessary to establish and maintain said Division of Fine Arts.
FEDERAL ACTION—FEDERAL INQUIRY
Inquiries have been made to secure data on the use of the word grand as applied to
the piano. This inquiry started because of the opinion held in some quarters of the
piano manufacturing industry that the term grand used with the recent so-called type of
vertical piano is not justified used as indicating the instrument to be a grand piano in
the common acceptance of the term and thus that its use as qualifying for classifying the
more recent vertical is not justified, even if not barred legally.
When a representative of Presto-Times was questioned on the information sought it
could only be suggested that it is by common usage that the three-cornered shaped
piano of the horizontal scale is known as the grand piano and not by any legal right,
trade-mark or copyright formality. Tn the same manner the word "grand" has long
been applied to the conventional upright and even on the old squares (horizontal scale)
to indicate greater piano magnitude and greater volume of tone. It is in this manner
that (barring any horizontals with vertical shaped case) our manufacturers use the term
"grand" to indicate super tone volume and greater carrying capacity of the three corner
triangular piano. The large conventional upright is the one called "upright-grand."
In continental Europe the term "grand," except sometimes and quite rarely, to indicate
comparative capacity (in volume or excellence) is not used tt) designate a type of piano.
The German equivalent of our grand piano is the "fluegel" and in France the "piano
a Queue." The uprights in Germany and France are called pianinnos. In Great Britain
and throughout the English speaking world the three-corner, triangular instrument is
known as the "Grand," but they do qualify the upright (vertical scale) under the term
"upright-grand."
* * * *
Further investigation by the Federal Trade Commission has brought out several cases
more or less identified with music and the music business. One of these was lodged
against the Griffith Piano Company of Newark, N. j . . charging "disparaging competi-
tors' products." This charge stated that using the term "colonial grand piano" was not
justified and which term the Griffith Company was directed to discontinue and also to
discontinue using pictures that had been altered in such a way as to "give an erronious
opinion of a square piano of colonial design." The matter of simulating advertisements
and illustrations was ordered to be discontinued.
A concern at Del Rio, Texas, was cited for misuse of the name "Major Chord," as
was also "Nu-Tone Laboratories, Inc.," Chicago, dealing in electrical radio and house-
hold specialties. The Meyercord Company of Chicago, makers of piano and other decal-
comania transfers was cited to make explanations.
Another case which is before the commission under a complaint of "Commercial
Bribery" is that of the Finishing Products Company, Inc. Indianapolis, Ind., which con-
cern manufactures lacquers, paints and finishes. This concern was directed to discon-
tinue "giving or proffering sums of money or other gratuities to employees of prospec-
tive purchasers without the knowledge or consent of such prospective purchasers for the
purpose of inducing said employees to recommend the purchase of respondent's prod-
ucts or of rewarding them for having protected the products against competing products."
Many questions of fact and law were raised by these respondents, some of them con-
tending that section 5 of the act violates the Federal Constitutional Mandate of separa-
tion of governmental functions, and the diK' process clause.
parents to visit America. He made a success-
ful tour of the United States and did more at
that time to bring the Everett piano to the
front than any other influence.
* * *
Two well-known traveling men engaged
themselves to a piano manufacturing concern,
each as sales manager. Both were hired and
fired within ten days and unknown to each
other until the "firing" was over, whereupon
they conspired to have a third party apply for
the job; and he was accepted. The two job-
less ones are now wondering if applicant num-
ber 3 will by any hook or crook hold the job
if he is engaged. If he does the two "outs"
say they will make this "luck}' guy" "divvy"
up.
* * *
Miami. Fla.. has a street named Zack and,
furthermore, it is reported that a new music
store is to be opened on that street. It ought
to be successful.
i|:
:j:
$
The considerable lineup of ex-piano men,
m u s i c a l merchandise representatives and
others formerly on the road was one phase of
the music trade convention last July that made
it appear like one of the big gatherings of the
past. There were travelers, managers, special
salesmen, and other specialists of the music
business ready and willing to start in again
and duplicate the big things that stood to their
glory in the past. This group of experts is a
mighty strong indication, too, of returning
prosperity and redoubled manufacturing ac-
tivities in music.
:':
*
*
A concern known as the W. F. Main Com-
pany, which was located at Iowa City, Iowa,
will be remembered as having been engaged in
an extensive piano mail order business. This
concern at the present time is listed at Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, as dealing in coin vending ma-
chines. Recently the business was cited by
the Federal Trade Commission on "alleged
misleading advertising relative to probable
earnings of agents."
Another concern, the National Publicity Bu-
reau, Inc., of Baltimore, which apparently has
had some association with music trade inter-
ests, has also been cited by the Federal Trade
Commission.
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