Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1918 Vol. 66 N. 15

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TIRADE
VOL.
LXVI. No. 15
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Avc, New York.
April 13, 1918
Single Copies 10 Cents
$2.00 Per Year
Business According to Conditions
B
USINESS men of all classes in the United States have learned, as they did in England, that the
cheerful slogan "Business as usual" used so generally at the beginning of the war, is nothing more
than a slogan. They have come to a stern realization that under war conditions business cannot be
conducted "as usual." Few industries in the United States just now can be said to be on a pre-war
basis. The makers of war supplies are, of course, enjoying unprecedented activity—an activity that will last
until peace comes. Those engaged in manufacturing articles of peace find themselves handicapped in the matter
of supplies, labor and transportation to a degree that is bound to cut down production. The retailers—the
sellers of merchandise—can be lined up in the same way, with this difference, that in both cases there is a
shortage of goods, although the available supply favors the man who caters to military needs.
It is a waste of space here to review the conditions that have existed in the piano trade during the last
few months, for the shortage of goods has been real and so have the financial problems. These conditions are
extraordinary and cannot be met in the usual way. New methods and new policies must be adopted to meet
the situation, and the concern that hesitates is liable to find the delay a costly one.
.. ..
The big problem of the day is to maintain the financial stability of the industry—not that the trade as a
whole is on an unhealthy basis—but the attention given to financial matters in years past, a more or less casual
attention in many cases, is not going to prove satisfactory now. Cash, and assets that can be quickly con-
verted into cash, command respect nowadays. That means short time paper and paper that is non-renewable.
The demand for stable methods of financing between manufacturer and merchant has caused the spotlight
to be turned on the trade acceptance. In peace times the trade acceptance was advocated strongly by those
who appreciated its real value as the basis for sound business dealing, but it was regarded by business men—
those in the piano trade at least—as something desirable, but at the same time something that could be con-
sidered at leisure without demanding immediate action. Under existing conditions, however, the trade
acceptance has taken on a new importance. It has been grasped as the salvation of business, and a number of
piano manufacturers have joined the ranks of those who have adopted the trade acceptance in their business.
The dealers, of course, have had to watch their finances more closely. Many have been brought for the
first time to a realization of the fact that books full of open accounts with customers, backed by long-time
instalment paper, do not represent assets that are calculated to impress either the banker or the manufacturer
whose orders are in excess of his ability to produce. It has been a rude awakening in some cases, perhaps, but
if the retail credit system can be remodeled and placed on a safe, sane and conservative basis—on a basis
that can be really called liquid—then war has had at least one helpful influence. The retailer must also look
after his buying and be prepared to make terms with the manufacturer whereby he will be able to secure a
maximum supply of instruments when available. The more available cash he has, the better will he be able to
command the attention and consideration of those upon whom he depends for his stock in trade.
The main thing to remember, however, is that no fixed rule can be offered or adopted for conducting a
piano business or any other business at this time. Each manufacturer and merchant must work out his own
salvation, though by co-operating with his fellows in the trade the problem can be solved more easily.
The first thing is to realize that the "Business as usual" idea is a fallacy and that constant watchfulness
is the only sure means for surviving any untoward situation that may develop. To rely on old, easy going
methods is to court disaster. Clean house and clean it now. Facing the music may prove somewhat expensive
at the outset, but if by such an expenditure a piano house is enabled to weather the storm of war and come
through staunch and prepared to develop when peace comes,, the temporary sacrifice will be well worth while.
Eet us substitute for "Business as usual" the more sensible slogan, "Business according to conditions.''
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane,
373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, J. Raymond Bill, 373 Fourth Ave.,
New York; Secretary and Treasurer, August J. Timpe, 373 Fourth Ave., New York.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor
AUGUST J. TIMPE
Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
B. BRITTAIN WILSON, CARLETON CHACE, L. M. ROBINSON, WILSON D. BUSH, V. D. WALSH,
W H . BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, A. J. NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
TOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN,
Republic Building,
Telephone, Main 69S0.
209 So. State St. Telephone, Wabash 5774.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., D. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $4.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $130.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
P|
Piann
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
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T . i . L n : A n l rti>fiii>tMi>ii(>
technical Departments
t j ons
o f a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
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| deal j* with>
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be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concern-
ing which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal. .Charleston Exposjtion, 1902
Diploma.. .Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal. ...St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal..Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 6982—6983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable address: "Elbill, New York."
NEW YORK, APRIL 13, 1918
EDITORIAL=
T has been formally announced from Washington that the
musical instrument manufacturing industry must curtail its
output 30 per cent, for the months of April and May, based on the
output for 1917. Many other industries during the past couple
of months have received orders for a curtailment of their output
from Washington, the amount of curtailment in many cases
running up to 50 per cent. Our industry is not in any sense the
first to be affected, and we have assurances from the authorities
that a large part of the possible loss occasioned the industry
by the cut in its regular output will be made' up by war work
distributed among the various plants.
Under the circumstances,, the industry cannot very well
complain. There were officials at Washington who even de-
manded a 50 per cent, curtailment, but after conferences between
the various boards and trade representatives, it was decided
that a 30 per cent, reduction would meet all requirements for the
present at least, with a readjustment promised on June 1.
We are in a very serious war, and in it to the hilt. As the
conflict grows and preparations increase, business men must ex-
pect to be called upon to make numerous sacrifices. So far, our
trade has received fair treatment.
Officials in Washington seem to have grasped the fact that
the music industry is not only in itself an important link in the
business fabric of the nation, but that on its well-being depends
the stability of many other allied industries, and in some measure
the national financial status of the country, to say nothing of the
livelihood of thousands of workers and their families. Knowing
exactly what the curtailment in the output is going to be
gives the industry the satisfaction of being sure of its position,
for the time being at least.
• •
There have been rumors upon rumors, some of which have
gone so far as to prophesy the entire elimination of this industry,
together with many others. It is time that rumor mongers and
theorists were muzzled, that only official facts be permitted to
I
APRIL 13, 1918
circulate. The loose talk by men who pretend to know it all, but
know nothing, is doing more harm to this and other industries
than all of the regulations put into effect by the combined forces
of the administration.
Industry cannot be killed. The success of the war depends
upon the money that industry pays in taxes and in subscriptions
to Government loans. The stability of the country after the war
depends upon the condition in which industry finds itself at the
declaration of peace. If industry is paralyzed the process of
reconstruction is going to be that much longer and that much
harder.
Over the Top With Your Dollars—Buy Liberty Bonds.
April 6, the anniversary of the entrance
O N of last this Saturday,
country into the world war, there was launched the
third Liberty Loan campaign, with the music industry of New
York and vicinity pledged to subscribe $1,000,000 or more to the
new bond issue. Even with the business difficulties that are
piling up on us, there has not up to this time come a general
realization that we are actually engaged in a tremendous war,
that we must either sacrifice all for victory, or pay all in tribute.
The launching of the third Liberty Loan, however, finds us
perusing casualty lists and reading what the American troops are
doing on the actual fighting lines in France. There are over
1,600,000 soldiers and 350,000 sailors now in the service, thousands
of them risking their most precious possession—life—at sea, on
the battlefield and in the trenches for the cause of democracy and
for the protection of those who for one reason or another are not
privileged to shoulder a gun.
There will be a million more soldiers called to the colors
before another year is upon us. Let us support and back up
these men to the limit of our resources. They are putting their
lives into the struggle, and we can at least loan our dollars.
Money put into Liberty Bonds will come back again with interest,
but life, once gone, is irretrievable.
The music trade industry has proven its patriotism on many
previous occasions. It has contributed liberally to the various
loans and to other worthy causes connected with the war, even
though it has been called upon, or may be called upon, to bear
an extra share of the war's burdens on industry. Let us all work
to make good the guarantees given to our Government by the
various Liberty Loan Committees in the industry.
Invest in Victory—Buy Liberty Bonds.
who has any appreciation at all for the power
N O of individual
the printed word, and for the part played by the
magazines and newspapers in developing public opinion,
in' carrying messages from the people in one section of the
country to those in another, and in rendering the greatest service
to national education, should fail to register his protest against
the action of Congress in raising postage rates on newspapers
and periodicals to a prohibitive degree. The increase actually
ranges from 50 to 900 per cent.
The law also divides the country into sections and places a
heavier burden on one section than on another when it comes to
buying reading matter. A man in San Francisco subscribing for
a paper published in New York will be called upon to pay several
times the price charged to a man in Pennsylvania or Ohio, simply
because he is 3,500 miles away from the publication office instead
of being within 100 miles or so.
It is not in- any sense a war tax, as is admitted in Congress,
and the high rate will be continued after the war, unless strong
action is taken to have the law repealed or amended. The new
law will not only cripple the business of publishers to a large
extent, and curtail the amount of reading done by the public at
large, but it will necessarily narrow down the business of the
nation, and the postal revenues as well, for advertising is vital
as a business developer. Circulation is what makes advertising
pay. To cut down the circulation of a magazine, and that is what
the law is going to do, is to narrow by just so much the ability of
magazines to make advertising produce results, and in a general
way every business that is being advertised, whether in general or
class periodicals, is going to suffer,

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