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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Now that the year \ { )\7 las come to a close
we may well feel thankful that business has, on
the whole, been so good. The entrance of the
L'nited States into the world-war was foreseen
by thoughtful men this t'me last year; but the
public, generally speaking, was, as usual, taken
by surprise. The natural excitement that im-
mediately succeeded the portentous action of
last April had its effect upon the music business;
and not least upon the manufacture and sale
of music rolls. Yet that effect was neither long-
lasting nor, during its continuance, really seri-
ous.
Indeed, there will be no denial that the
manufacturers have had, on the whole, a very
good year. They have been able to sell as
many rolls as they have been able to manufac-
ture and at certain times have been decidedly
behind in their orders.
From the manufac-
turers' point of view, indeed, there is little rea-
son to complain of the output. The causes of
complaint are rather to be found in the steadily
rising cost of supplies and in the slowness of
transport. At the present moment, of course,
it is not possible to say with any certainty
whether the Government will put upon the
music industry direct restrictions during the
coming year. The chances seem to be about
even, with perhaps a general probability that
the shipping facilities will be, in a measure, cur-
tailed.
It is quite generally recognized, of
course, that the present congested condition of
the railways and shortage of freight cars is main-
ly due to the shortage of facilities at the sea-
board terminals. The railways are loaded up
at these terminals with cars whrch cannot be
unloaded; and the facilities of the shipping for
rt moving these goods to their overseas destina-
tions are strained to the utmost. Hence, the
shortage of cars; and hence any restrictions that
may be put upon the music industries during
the coming year. In matters of this sort, un-
fortunately, there is little or nothing to be done,
save that we can make sure the Government does
no more than it actually must.
Nevertheless, the general condition of the
music roll business has been, otherwise, very
good, and manufacturers have had little reason
to complain' save in one respect. That is to
say, they have had almost as much reason, as
in past years, to complain that the retailers
still fail to see the value of the music roll trade
as a genuine profit maker.
In some remarks
on this subject, published three weeks ago in
the Holiday number of The Review, Thos. M.
1'letcher pointed this out quite forcibly. What
he >ays there has been said at other times
by other music roll men; and the best retailers
know well the truth of these things. The music
roll has been treated by retailers as a sort of
incident, like the stool, bench or scarf. The
great point has been missed; which is, that the
only way to retain the interest of the owners
in their player-pianos is to give them constantly
Every Player Owner
is a first-class
prospect for the
Stevens Player Cleaner
An Extra Profit Maker
Send for booklet and full information
STEVENS MFG. CO.
FRANKFORT
IND.
new music on which to exercise their instru-
ments.
It is not the player-piano of which
the owner becomes tired, it is the old music.
But it is not to be expected that the buyer will
see this for himself, for all experience proves
the precise opposite. The buyer will not look
even this obvious fact in the face.
He will
imagine that his instrument has lost the power
to charm him. So lit will become negligent,
and indifferent. The result may he a reposses-
sion with its attendant losses. The remedy is
to induce that customer to continue buying rolls
from the start; or else, which is even better,
to see that he gets, at the beginning, so large a
number of rolls that the danger of becoming
tired of them will be eliminated, for some
months anyhow. Suppose, as this paper has
often suggested in the past, and as Mr. Pletcher
in the above-quoted interview also proposes, that
we could induce retailers to endeavor to in-
clude in every sales contract the price of fifty
rolls of music, to be paid for along with the
piano as part of the sum total! Suppose even,
as has been suggested by Frederick Luhnow,
that a special edition of such rolls be arranged
for, consisting of a standard selection packed
in a box with a special label. Such an edition
could be had, on the basis of continual duplica-
tions of standard numbers, at a very favorable
price m quantity lots. Would not retailers who
adopted such a plan be in better shape, as re-
gards sefiing their customers continued, as well
as momentary, pleasure and interest? More-
over, is it not plain that such a plan would have
the secondary effect of furthering the general
interest in player music and also in developing
the growth of legitimate sales to customers for
an indefinitely long time thereafter?
The manufacturers of music rolls, stirred by
the necessities of competitive business, have not
been idle during the past year in the search for
novelties. We have a right to speak of such an
idea as that which is embodied in the "story
roll/' with considerable respect. The notion of
printing along the edge o,f the roll, as the same
unwinds, a story of the music, written to bring
out the dramatic or popularly appealing qual-
ities thereof, is one. which, if it be judiciously
carried out, cannot fail to be most valuable as
a promoter of interest. To what extent a pub-
lic interest, which has to be fed by such extra-
usual means, is a genuine interest, or will ever
grow into anything better, is a question that
others may decide.
Hut there is no doubt
whatever that the American people, year by year,
become little by little better acquainted with
good music. The process is without doubt
extremely slow in working out. But by de-
grees the light begins to show through, and we
see that the manifest duty of the business man
of the music roll industry is to cultivate in
every way the demand for high-class rolls. For
it is evident that the sooner the industry gets
on to a basis where the demand is principally
for standard numbers, the better it will be for
all concerned. This condition of affairs may
not come into existence for some time yet; in
fact, all superficial signs point to a continuance
of the demand for the jazziest of the jazzy.
Hut wartimes are pre-eminently not siHy times;
and, cruel as it may seem to say it, the fact
remains that the sufferings inevitable with war
have their good effects, in that they tend to
sober up the younger people and to teach them
that they have other things besides dancing to
think of. Happy the people who, in such a time,
have the love for great music to carry them
13
above personal sorrows!
Kvery single idea
that can be put forth practically for the purpose
of promoting public familiarity with good music
should therefore be encouraged; for not other-
wise can we do our duty, either to our country
or to our industry.
On the whole, we think it may be said that
during the past year the technical and musical
side of the roll business have been widely de-
veloped, that the music roll, as a piece of manu-
factured goods and as a piece of mechanical
achievement, is more highly perfected than ever
before. We may say that substantial progress
has been made in manufacturing, and it may
also be said that some progress has been made,
likewise, in the direction of policy. To bring
the wholesaler into more direct and sympathetic
contact with the retailer remains, however, our
biggest problem; and one which must be fur-
ther worked out during the year 1918.
AEOLIAN CO.
The January bulletin of this company looks
very promising and has some very interesting
novelties. The most attractive of all is Percy
Grainger's setting of an old English Morris
dance tune, called "Shepherd's Hey."
Mr.
Grainger has set this for orchestra as well, and
it makes a very fine piece, simple, tuneful and
thoroughly British. This is a Themodist-Met-
rostyle • roll. Then the Duo-Art edition con-
tains the second movement in Harold Bauer's
great interpretation of the Saint-Saetis con-
{Continucd
an page 14)
United States Music Co.
CHICAGO
U. S. A.