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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
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NEW
YORK,
JUNE
2, 1917
= EDITORIAL
T last the National Piano Manufacturers' Association has
A
come to a realization of the fact, as many other trade asso-
ciations have already done, that to secure effective representation
a paid staff is a necessity. Members of the Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation have in the past shown a loyalty to the organization that
has been most praiseworthy ; they have given up their time and
spent their money generously for the benefit of the trade as a
whole, but every member of the association is a business man
with his own business responsibilities to look after and there is
naturally a limit to the time that he can take from his personal
affairs to devote to organization work.
This has been proven most emphatically in connection with
the fight on the proposed excise tax on musical instruments in
the War Revenue Bill. Certain men went to Washington and
did their best to protect the interests of the trade. They pre-
pared and presented arguments that in their minds were most
logical and effective. These men were called back to their own
desks and others took their places, thus breaking the chain of
thought, for the new representatives had to begin all over again
studying the arguments of their predecessors and formulating
new arguments of their own.
Other organizations, notably the Automobile Chamber of
Commerce, had paid representatives on the job in Washington
from the time the significance of the bill was first realized, and it
is in line with such a policy that the Manufacturers' Association
arranged for Charles H. Parsons to go to Washington as a rep-
resentative of the association and stay there until the tax fighi
is either won or lost.
It will mean, for one thing, that the campaign of the piano
men will be carried on systematically and under one direction,
that the various forces that can be brought to bear will be di-
rected into one channel and where they will be doubly effective.
With the "war chest" as an accomplished fact—and it will
be after July first—there will be provided a corps of paid
officials representing the association who will have no business
interests other than the association's interests, whose time will
belong exclusively to the association and who will act as its
representatives on all occasions, anywhere, and for as long a
period as is necessary.
It is estimated that this will be done upon payment by mem-
bers of the association of one-tenth of one per cent, of their net
annual production. If such an organization had been in force at
the time the tax bill came up and through its efforts succeeded
in killing the clause applying to musical instruments, it would
have in that one instance saved fifty times the maximum cost of
its maintenance.
Looking at it from all angles the "war chest" should prove
very cheap insurance.
LTHOUGH a thousand miles away from the convention
A
hall, and over twenty-four hours distant by fast mail, the
Review's staff men from headquarters, assisted by the local or-
ganization of the Chicago office, succeeded in offering to the trade,
on schedule time, by far the most complete and most consecutive
report of the convention happenings. Every feature of the con-
vention sessions and the social affairs in connection therewith
was reported in detail, and in addition the various exhibits at the
National Music Show as well as those in hotels and warerooms
in Chicago were covered in a systematic and exhaustive manner
not attempted by any other publication.
The Review hereby acknowledges the many congratulatory
messages that have been received at this office regarding the
convention number and feels that the work and heavy expense
entailed has met with the full measure of appreciation that makes
all work worth while. The Review reached the trade in New
York and neighboring sections of the East promptly on Satur-
day morning, thereby carrying the first complete report of con-
vention happenings to the piano men in the East.
HE Chicago convention meetings brought forth the fact that
T
it was possible to have genuine co-operation among the
various trade associations without in any way interfering with
the individual rights and privileges of any one of the organiza-
tions.
The manufacturers, for instance, effected their plan for rais-
ing what was termed a "war chest" for carrying on development
work through the medium of the National Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music and for organizing a paid staff of experts
in cost systems, legislative matters and other factors of im-
portance to the trade.
President Coffin, of the association, then went to the mer-
chants and explained what had been done, with the result that
they promised not only moral but financial support for the work.
The same procedure was followed in the cases of the Travelers'
Association and of the National Association of Music Roll
Manufacturers.
The association officers realized particularly that the music
advancement work was of vital importance to every depart-
ment of the business and that any results attained through such
work were in the interests of every individual engaged in the
business, for increased demand in musical instruments brought
about thereby meant activity for those engaged both in producing
and selling such instruments.
Each branch of the trade and each association may have -its
individual problems, but the fact remains that there are also
problems that affect the interests of the industry as a whole,
and they can best be met by united action.
ROM the trade viewpoint at least, the National Music Show
F
held in Chicago last week proved a decided success. For that
matter, all the exhibitions held during Convention Week, either
at the Music Show, in the hotels or in local warerooms, served
to attract an unusual number of dealers, possibly because there
were an unusual number of dealers in town.
Getting back to the main subject, however, the Music Show
so impressed the merchants that they voted to have a similar
show in connection with the convention to be held in New York
next year. Now it is up to the manufacturers to lay their plans
accordingly for 1918.