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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc
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Vol. LXVII
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NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 16, 1918
No. 20
NOVEMBER 16, 1918
ation of war contracts, if and when such cancelation is to be made,
raw materials so made available will be released and allocated by
the War Industries Board for use in supplying civilization and
export demands which through curtailment have been held in check
during the war."
.
Proof of the Government's intention to remove restrictions
from industries is found in the fact that immediately upon the
signing of the armistice with Germany the Priorities Commissioner,
as reported elsewhere in The Review, doubled the volume of pro-
duction allowed to the piano industry and increased the allowance
of metal to the talking machine industry from 40 per cent, to
70 per cent.
the most res«£tful meeting of-the National Piano
P ROBABLY
Manufacturers' Association ever held in the history of that
body was the session on Friday of last week at the Hotel Astor,
for the discussion of the general situation as related to the supplies
of tuning pins and other metal products necessary for the con-
struction of-pianos. The success of the meeting was undoubtedly
due irj a large measure to the masterly efforts of Paul B. Kliigh,
president of the association, who had the foresight to lay "out a
definite program to be followed at the meeting, and combined with
that foresight the ability to analyze quickly and accurately various
more.or less confusing situations.
The piano manufacturers and supply men got together on
an understandable basis, with the result that the former left the
meeting with a definite knowledge of the situation as it exists and
what they might expect in the near future. There has been much
said and written regarding the manner in which the piano trade has
gotten together as a result of war conditions, but the meeting last
week was a positive illustration of the effectiveness of this get-
together spirit. The habit of working together in harmony has
been so strongly established during the past year it should not
be allowed to fall. With that spirit, the coming year should witness
a development in piano manufacturing and selling to an extent
hitherto unknown.
EDITORIAL=
N idea of the fertile field for piano merchants in the North-
A
west this year may be estimated from the fact that the total
value of the crops of wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn and flaxseed, in
The Review went to press last week, there came a premature
A S report
of the signing of an armistice between the Allies and
the States of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Mon-
tana, according to figures compiled by the Northwestern National
Bank of Minneapolis, will be in the neighborhood of $1,250,000,000
this year. These States will produce 272,009,000 bushels of wheat,
287,159,000 bushels of oats, 114,219,000 bushels of barley, 37,295,000
of rye, 234,418,000 of corn, and 15,462,000 of flax. The total
of new wealth thus created will be distributed as follows: Minne-
sota, $439,915,380; North Dakota, $338,716,240; South Dakota,
$376,170,150, and Montana, $89,137,760.
A goodly share of this great volume of new wealth in the North-
west has been given to the support of the Government through the
purchase of Liberty Bonds, but this is a worthy and necessary invest-
ment that is going to afford the owners of these bonds an income
that will enable them to buy pianos, players—in fact, every form of
musical instrument—in due time. A billion and a quarter of dol-
lars means the dissemination of a great deal of money for such
necessities as music in the home, after responding fully to the
financial needs of the Government.
%
Germany, but on Monday morning New York was awakened with
the shrilling of sirens, the blowing of horns and the clanging of
bells, to learn that Washington had formally reported the signing
of an armistice with Germany to become effective that morning.
It is of course realized that the signing of an armistice simply
means a cessation of hostilities and that a definite declaration of
peace is necessary to bring an actual end to the war, but with an
armistice in operation a peace treaty seems to be practically certain.
The piano trade in the United States has been privileged to
participate and indirectly to bring to end the greatest war in the
world's history. It was the entrance of America into the combat
that spelled the final overthrow of the Central Powers, and the
piano trade, through its members in actual service, and through its
support of the Government in every particular at home, has con-
tributed its share to the winning of the victory.
Now comes the period of reconstruction—the period of getting
back from a war to a peace basis. Industry will have its troubles,
but they will be the problems of peace rather than those of war,
and they can be solved with a feeling that the solutions are working
towards a greater development of the industry. An industry that
has stood up so nobly under the stress of war cannot fail to forge
ahead to the front rank during the period that is to follow.
ANUFACTURERS in the. music trade field will be interested
M
to read elsewhere in The Review the statement issued by
Bernard N.- Baruch, chairman of the War Industries Board, as to
the policy to be pursued following the signing of the armistice with
Germany in regard to the readjustment of war business on a peace
basis, to the end that manufacturers are supplied with raw materials
of sufficient volume to be able to supply the needs of their customers
and afford a larger employment of labor.
Mr. Baruch, in brief, says: "As the demand for raw materials
is lessened by the reduction of war requirements, and the cancel-
T
HE supreme factor in American business to-day is the Govern-
ment. Through its power to regulate the distribution of fuel
and materials it controls practically all the industrial activity of the
country. Through its military and industrial powers it affects all
labor. By price-fixing it controls mining and important agricultural
operations. By licensing and priorities it controls traffic on both
land and sea. It operates railways, shipyards, munition plants. It
owns navy yards, armories, gun factories and powder plants.
An unprecedented degree of the power of industry has, because
of a people's passion for victory, beeri willingly given lip to those
in authority over us, says Harry A. Wheeler in the course of an
interesting article in the Nation's Business. Yet business lives. The
Government desires it to live. The Government calls upon it to pre-
serve, to strengthen its own organizations. The Government urges
it, not only to make its voice heard now, but to take serious counsel
regarding the future.