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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
48
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CONDUCTED BY B. B. WILSON
LEO FEIST MANAGERS HOLD THEIR ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Plans for a Very Active Campaign Perfected at Meeting Held During the Past Week—Visiting
Managers Entertained by Edgar F. Bitner- -Visit to Atlantic City Ends Convention
The annual conference of the Feist managers
was held throughout the past week, commenc-
ing Monday, July 17, and continuing until to-
day. While the primary motive of the mana-
gers' meetings is to form a campaign to be fol-
lowed during the year, much in the way of
entertainment is arranged by the home office
to make their stay one to be remembered.
Monday morning the heads of the different
branches gathered at the office of Edgar F.
Bitner, general manager of Leo Feist, Inc., and
after a general exchange of greetings, spent the
greater part of the morning in telling of the
experiences of the past year. On Monday after-
noon an informal meeting was held at the Feist
professional rooms, where they met the new
additions to the writing staff, and also renewed
acquaintances with those who have long been
members of that organization.
A dinner was given Monday evening at
Keen's Chop House, on West Forty-fourth
street. The professional department, led by
Manager Kornheiser, acted as hosts on this
occasion. After the dinner the guests were
entertained by the Feist staff of song writers.
This was not all pleasure, however, as the fall
campaign will be mapped out from the decisions
that are made as to the different numbers that
were presented. Of course, the fact that each
writer rendered his own compositions allowed
the guests to judge to the best advantage.
On Tuesday and Wednesday meetings were
held both morning and afternoon and the pro-
gram for the entire year was outlined.
Wednesday evening the visiting managers
and their ladies motored to Mount Vernon,
N. Y., to the home of Edgar F. Bitner, general
manager of Leo Feist, Inc., where Mr. and Mrs.
Bitner entertained them at an elaborate dinner.
Thursday and Friday the managers and their
ladies spent their time in Atlantic City. Before
leaving many of the managers expressed the
opinion that it was one of the most successful
gatherings of the organization, and also claimed
that the house of Leo Feist was going to have
one of its most successful years.
The following attended the meetings and
were also present at the convention dinner:
THE SECOND MEETING OF THE RETAIL MUSIC DEALERS
Newly Formed Association Discusses the Matter of Teachers' Discounts and New Price Lists
—Many Publishers Represented at the Meeting—Committee to Interest Dealers
The second meeting of the New York Retail
Music Dealers' Association was held at the
Harlem Casino, 116 street and Lenox avenue,
on Friday evening, July 14, at which about
thirty dealers were present.
The session opened with a short talk by
President Arison, who commented on the aus-
picious beginning of the organization, and who
expressed his pleasure at finding that contrary
to the general opinion the New York sheet mu-
sic dealer was anxious to improve his business
and raise it to a higher plane. He also said
that the integrity of the dealers was of a high
standard, and that it was only the unbusiness-
like competition and price cutting that prevailed
prior to the organizing that had forced the ma-
jority to meet conditions over which, up to
this time, they had no control.
Secretary Cool then read a report of the com-
mittee on by-laws, which was tabled tempo-
rarily without adoption, after which the chair
called for individual reports on conditions that
have prevailed since the last session and also
asked for complaints, if any, that the dealers
had met from the general public regarding the
new prices. This question was then discussed
from many angles, many dealers from different
sections of the city reporting, but it was agreed
by all that the public at least made little or no
complaint over the new scale, and that it only
remained for the association to enlarge its
membership to take in every dealer or at least
the majority of the dealers to enforce any rea-
sonable demand of the association.
A motion was then passed to hear from the
"I'm A-Longin' Fo' You"
THE SONG
Which was recently reproduced on the
Victor as sung by Miss Elsie
Baker. Record No. 18044.
and
THE WALTZ
Which created an instantaneous sensation
in New York and is now being
played everywhere.
" I'm A-Longin' Fo' You" is possessed of a most beautiful, appealing, plaintive
melody. This charming quaint little number has struck a responsive chord in
the hearts of the great American people. It was in answer to the insistent
demand that we published the waltz in which Jane Hathaway and J. S. Zamecnik
have combined two other equally melodious strains with the melody of the song.
A Window Display
of the SONG, the WALTZ and the RECORD will INCREASE BUSINESS In both
your SHEET MUSIC and VICTROLA DEPARTMENTS
Order from the Publisher or Your Jobber
There is PROFIT for YOU in Sam Fox Publications
Trade Prices Upon Request
Ne
Nev
Mil
We are pleaded to recommend i
....
_ . ...
l\ J. A. Forster Music Co., Chicago.
SAM FOX
CLEVELAND
Edgar F. Bitner, general manager, and J. A.
Decatur, his assistant; Lee Orion Smith, mana-
ger B. & O. department; Meyer Jacobs, audi-
tor; Phil Kornheiser, professional manager, New
York; Rocco Vocco, Chicago; Fred Auger, St.
Louis; Cliff Owens, Philadelphia; Billy Lang,
Boston; H. C. Johnson, San Francisco, and
Mort Schafer, road representative.
PUB.
CO.
OHIO, U.S. A.
European Representatives—BOSWORTH & CO., London, Leipzig, Vienna, Zurich, Paris
publishers or their representatives, several of
whom were present, as to the assistance that
could be expected from them.
The representatives of the publishers includ-
ed the following: Lyle Andrews and A. J. Han-
son, G. Schirmer & Co.; J. M. Priaulx and J. F.
Glasmacher, Chas. H. Ditson & Co., and Emil
Stock, Carl Fischer.
Mr. Andrews, in addressing the dealers, said
that in speaking for the house he represented,
it was well pleased with the start the associa-
tion had made and that it would do all in its
power to co-operate with the dealers, but that
he felt the action of the association in calling
on the publishers at this time for other than
an expression of their attitude towards the or-
ganization was premature, and that the asso-
ciation should find out the attitude of the ma-
jority of the dealers, whether members of their
body or not, and then make a report of the
same to the publishers, with recommendations
or suggestions as to the action they wished the
publishers to make.
The statement of Mr. Priaulx follows: "The
dealers have the entire sympathy and support of
the house of Ditson. We believe in the suc-
cess of the organization. We think the outlook
is promising for the future and we are very
optimistic as to the results to be obtained. This
body should, however, eliminate the 40 per cent,
now allowed the teacher, and the decision of
both the publishers and this association as now
applied to the general public should also be-
come effective regarding the teacher. That
profit belongs to the retailer and it is robbing*
the dealer to discriminate in favor of one class.
This will possibly lead to other discrimination
later, thus spoiling the splendid work this or-
ganization has mapped out for itself."
Emil Stock, in speaking of the aid that could
be expected from the house of Carl Fischer,
said that he did not believe there had been
enough missionary work done among the un-
organized dealers, and that he felt that with a
committee or committtes appointed in the dif-
ferent localities there would be a much larger
and a more united support given to the new
prices.
Argument was then heard as to the abolish-
ing of the teachers' discount, opinions widely
differing as to the right of the teachers to a
special rate, many taking the stand that they
were not entitled to same; while on the other
hand many believed that teachers had always
received and would continue to receive a dis-
count regardless of the action of the associa-
tion. Those who were in favor of the teachers
were certainly not in a mood to be persuaded
to pass lightly over the matter, even with sev-
eral of the publishers' representatives arguing
against the practice. The publishers showed
that they themselves had already put the teach-
er on a par with the public and if the individual
dealers or the body of dealers continued in al-
lowing the special discount to the profession,
that they would be placed in the position of
allowing the dealers to undersell them. The
publishers also explained what was meant by
40 per cent, to schools, stating that it did not