Music Trade Review

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NOVEMBER 23,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1918
Demobilization Plans Interesting the Music Industry
Piano Men Await Announcement of the Plans Being Made by the Army Gen-
eral Staff for the Demobilization of the Men in Service With Much Interest—
Labor Shortage Will Be Relieved, and Purchasing Power Will Be Increased
WASHINGTON, D. C, November 20.—If I may
judge from the letters that have, these past few
days, reached the desks of officials at the War
Department from centers of the piano industry,
the chief interest of members of the trade just
now is in the question of "the when and how"
of army demobilization. Doubtless all phases
of reconstruction problems are claiming atten-
tion. When the musical instrument industry
will get back on a 100 per cent, steel supply
basis is interesting. So likewise is the outlook
for tonnage for piano exports. Of sure sig-
nificance is the conundrum whether the de-
creased necessity for war revenue will render it
possible to remit in part the contemplated spe-
cial taxes on musical wares. Most absorbing of
all, though, seemingly, are the prospects and
possibilities for quick demobilization.
In their communications to Washington a
number of the piano men have made it clear that
their interest in this question has two separate
and distinct angles. On the one hand, the mer-
chants and manufacturers are curious as to how
soon they can have back on their jobs the em-
ployes that Uncle Sam took from them for
military service and the loss of which has left
many a business more or less crippled. On the
other hand, the piano merchants are impatient
for the return to their respective communities
of the male population that has been withdrawn
for war, because, obviously, drain of man-power
has meant drain of purchasing power, even
though women have to some extent taken the
places of men as wage earners.
With respect to this latter aspect of the situa-
tion, not a few of the piano merchants evidently
feel genuine alarm over reports that have
gained currency throughout the country to the
effect that the soldiers from overseas are to be
mustered out in New York, Washington or at
ports on the Atlantic seaboard. Piano men in
the smaller cities of the Middle West, the moun-
tain States, and the Pacific Coast make no secret
of their fear that if any such plan should be
followed many of the young men would not re-
turn to their old homes, but would settle in the
East.
The answer that is being made to such misgiv-
ings is that while nothing has been determined
on this score and will not be until the Army
General Staff gets farther along with its program
for demobilization it is unlikely that the soldiers
will be discharged from service at the ports of
debarkation. The feeling is growing in official
circles at Washington that inasmuch as the Gov-
ernment took the men from home environment
by means of the draft or compulsory service it
is only right, for both sentimental and practical
reasons, that it put the men back whence they
came. Indeed, the problems of the labor situa-
tion, if nothing else, strongly demands this
course. A suggestion that is now receiving at-
tention at Washington is that the soldiers be
returned to civil life through the instrumentality
of the 5,000 local draft boards that sent them
away. It is urged that a local draft board, with
its intimate knowledge of each soldier's record,
capabilities and former employment, is better
qualified than any other agency to restore the
average man to his old job or one equally as
good.
Questions relative to the restoration of the
status quo of sales forces in piano warerooms
are also coming to Washington by every mail.
In answer to these it may be said that there
is no chance that a man who has not ere this
been summoned for military service will be
called upon, even in the unlikely event that it
should be decided to send fresh troops to relieve
some of those now in France. Similarly is as-
surance given that the "work or fight" order is
off. The piano merchant who has lost porters
or piano movers or salesmen to "more essen-
tial" industries has a free hand to go and win
them back if he can.
There is scant chance, however, that any music
trade firm can secure a special dispensation that
will relieve forthwith from military service em-
ployes of which it stands in especial need, even
though these employes are in camps in this
country. Secretary of War Baker feels that to
thus grant individual requests would break up
units and create an inequality of condjtions. How-
ever, demobilization of the men in camps and
cantonments on this side of the Atlantic has
already started on a fairly large scale. The
first to go are the members of the so-called
Development Battalions—that is the aggregate
of some 100,000 men who are underdeveloped
physically and for that reason have been subject
to special training. With domestic demobiliza-
tion in full swing men can be let out at the rate
of 30,000 a day.
As for the men overseas, the men who have
been in the trenches longest will come home
first, but, by and large, the whole program of
demobilization of the A. E. F. waits on the de-
termination of policy on two questions. One has
to do with the length of time that American
forces must remain on police duty in Europe—
will it be six months or two years, as some army
officers contend? The other question is one
which Congress must answer, namely, the size
of our permanent army. Men who have enlisted
or been drafted for the duration of the war must
presumably be discharged in any event, but it
will obviously make a difference to the man-
power situation whether we are to have an army
of a million men and universal military service
or go back to a standing army of 100,000 men,
without obligation for service.
Piano merchants may do well to bear it in
mind that great numbers of soldiers are coming
back from France with comfortable "nest eggs"
of ready cash. Any soldier who had no wife
or dependent to whom he had to allot a por-
tion of his pay has been at liberty to have Uncle
vSam hold back half his pay each month to be
paid as a lump sum with interest when he is
mustered out. Thousands of the boys have
availed themselves of this privilege and will
have the cash in hand for the purchase of any
musical instrument that may catch their fancy.
THE MUSIC TRADE TO BE REPRESENTED AT CONFERENCE
George W. Pound Will Attend Reconstruction Conference of War Service Committees in Atlantic
City on December 3—Paul B. Klugh May Also Attend—Problems to Be Discussed
Geo. W. Pound, general manager of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce, is planning
to attend the coming meeting of the War Serv-
ice Committees, which is to be held in Atlantic
City commencing December 3, under the aus-
pices of the War Service Executive Committee,
of which W. H. Manss is the director. There
is a possibility also that Paul B. Klugh, presi-
dent of the National Piano Manufacturers' As-
sociation, will also attend the meeting.
There will be represented at this meeting 367
industries, which will be co-ordinated first into
relative groups of thirty-five, and then for more
concentrated efforts into a relative group of ten.
The first day will be given up to the meeting
of separate War Service Committees, devoted to
the policies of each industry and resolutions
will be passed which it is desired to present
during the conference on the following three
days. It is urged that during the meetings of
December 3, the continuation of the War Serv-
ice Executive Committee for industry be con-
sidered for the entire reconstruction period.
Director Manss appeared before the Associat-
ed Business Papers, Inc., at a meeting on Fri-
day last, and spoke at length regarding the work
which is to be done at the conference in Atlan-
tic City. He presented at the meeting a list
of twenty-five questions, which will be discussed
at the conference, and urged each business
paper to ask the industry which it represents
for additional questions, which could be brought
up at the conference pertaining to the individual
industry.
The questions already compiled take up the
various phases of effects on business during the
reconstruction period, the idea of the discus-
sion being to arrive at some conclusion regard-
ing the suggestion for legislation which will aid
industries throughout the United States dur-
ing this coming reconstruction period.
The meetings will be addressed by prominent
officials in Washington, and it is expected that
they will be largely attended.
TO FEATURE THE MEHL1N LINE
DEATH OF DAVID R. YOUNG
The Greensboro Music Co., Greensboro, N. C,
which recently secured the agency for the Meh-
lin line, has completed plans for featuring these
instruments as its leader. The deal for the
agency was closed by Charles C. Spanier, travel-
ing representative for Paul G. Mehlin & Sons.
David R. Young, a well-known piano man of
Toledo, O., recently passed away following an
attack of pneumonia. Mr. Young was original-
ly connected with the Eilers Music Co., on the
Pacific Coast, afterwards joining the staff of the
Whitney & Courier Co., of Toledo, and later
becoming sales manager for the McConnell
Music Co., of Canton, O. He enlisted in the
Field Artillery a short time before he became ill.
E. H. DROOP A DIRECTOR
Edward H. Droop, of the E. F. Droop & Sons
Co., prominent piano dealers of Washington, D.
C, was elected a member of the board of di-
rectors of the Washington Board of Trade last
week. He has just completed a three-year term
as president of the organization.
OPEN MUSIC DEPARTMENT
J. W. Lawrence & Son, of Winchester, Ky.,
have opened a first-class music department in
their store at 11 North Main street.
WINTER & CO.
RUDOLF
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
22O SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK