The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-18
Leading Piano M en-
Want Fake Guessing
Contests Eliminated.
QUESTION NOT
YET ACTED UPON
Chicago Selected as Next Meet
ing Place. and Advisability Of
Holding Annual Piano Ex-
hibit Left to Committee.
Travellers Elect
Officers.

Narrowly avoiding preoipitatsns it.
self into a maelstrom of controversy
| over the much mooted problem, o.
guessing contests.' matter which
vitally affects the relation betw Ger
the trade and the public, the SECOND
days session of the National Associ;,
tion of Piano Dealers was given over
to the reading of papers and the dis.
position of few important matters
Chicago was selected as the next con-
vention city. The hearty approval OF
the association was expressed In re.
gard to the first national plano show
now being held in Richmond, but the
attitude Of the body toward a second
one was left to the determination OF
the executive committee. whose de.
cision Will rest on considerations
which are not now ascertainable
The first session OF the National AS
sociation of Piano Travellers met ir
the afternoon. A. Dalrymple, OF New
York, was elected president and al
the other officers were chosen, some
after close contests. Chicago was
selected as the next meeting place
Matters of organization detail were
considered.
This morning at o'clock comes the
last business session of the Piano Deal
ers' Association and adjournment. AS an
aftermath of rare good fellowship. the
annual banquet takes place tonight
and 1t promises to be a memorable one
Going After Fnkers.
In vain the advocates of guessing
contests" tried to force premature
consideration of that issue at yester-
days session, though led by master.
parliamentarian and master champion
of such contests as are legitimate
Philip Woerlein, of New Orleans. Tha,
important question is OH the calcnda,
as a special order Cor today, and will
be disposed Of. These eontcstSs ara
those in which certificates are given
to the lucky contestants, who guess
or solve some riddle or puzzle. The
certificates are asserted to operate az
discount for SO or 500 on the pur-
chase OF piano from a certain deal
er. In some cases. they do operate
as bona fide certificates; in Others
they work as a fraud on the unpro-
tected and ignorant buyer The advo-
Gates in the association of such con-
tests claim that such decieti is very rare
and while they do not for one minute
countenance the practices OF the de-
ceitful dealers, they hold that the bona
fide dealers ought not to suffer be-
cause OF the evil deeds of the fraudu-
lent few.
This issue hangs like cloud owe,
the convention; but 1t is possible that
some satisfactory compromise may be
reached as to what attitude the con.
vention shall take.
Greeting Old Member.
One of the striking incidents of the
day occurred when the venerable S.
Nordheinier, of Canada. one of the two
honorary life presidents of the
association. entered the hall. He is
Lightweight years old. He was given
rousing ovation. and when he had
been escorted to the rostrum, he made
a short speech. thanking the members
for their kindly welcome.
The excellent attendance on this
convention was commented on, in pass
ing, by President Droop, who said that
last year the first days session showed
only 154 present, as against ESQ at the
opening session here on Monday.
Endorsement was given by the con-
vention to the future establishment Of
n Legislative committc to look after the
bills affecting the trade proposed in
the legislative bodies of the several
States and of the nation.
a resolution was passed favoring
the holding, of an exposition in New
Orleans in 1915, the year of the OPEN
ing of the Panama Canal. 1t is prob
able that largo piano exhibit and
may be convention will be held
there then.
Praise Piano Exhibit.
F. B. T. Hollenberg moved that the
association approve the first national
piano show held here, and put itself
on record as positively favorfnG it as
an annual affair. This motion was
amended, so as to leave the matter in
the hands OF the executive commit
tee
The sentiment Of the association in
regard to the perpetuation of tho
piano show was that all parties in
terestcd ought. to be consulted. All
present agreed Yesterday tl:at tho show
was a splendid one, and that 1t had
unduestionably promoted the harmony
and the welfare Of the piano trade
Some thought that as a business propo-
lsition it is still an undecided expert
ment
When MIR, Bush, of st. Louis, spoke of
.tIlSa ieNlllpll HS viz -llIleSla anu lNpSl
complete ever held" there was a. roar
of applause. and there was Hearty ap-
proval when President Droop corgratu.
lated the local committee on the
"high, efficient way in which 1t car
ried out the plans of the exhibit
Chicago us COu,nronise.
Chicago was chosen is the meeting
place for 1871 by heavy vote over
Milwaukee,, St. Louis. Rochester and
Atlantic City were the other bidders,
but no direct vote was taken on these
cities. There was much good natured
ripalry between Milwaukee and Chi
cago as to the beverage advantages
cf each, The boys from Milwaukee
said that Nc Pnbst, the beer king, was
ready TO give royal welcome to the
piano men. whereupon one Of the
Rochester "spielers' said milwaukee
claims to have the beer that made
her famous, but Rocnester has a beer
that mads Milwaukee furious" The
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