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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.
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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
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o f , technical nature relating to the tuning,
H p n a r r m o n t t regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
l / e p a r t m e i U S a r e dealt with, will be found in another section of
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ing which will be cheerfully given upon request.
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NEW YORK,
JULY
20,1918
EDITORIAL^
USINESS conditions naturally vary in different sections of
B
the country, being governed largely by the local situation ;
one section reporting a volume of business as normal or just
JULY 20, 1918
forms in the matter of terms and methods, it has been quite pos-
sible to realize a normal profit, or better, on a sub-normal volume
of business. If these improved methods continue after the war,
then the period of stress will have accomplished some good at
least.
from Washington regarding the consideration by
R EPORTS
the Ways and Means Committee of the proposed new Wai-
Revenue bill have naturally aroused considerable anxiety in the
musical instrument manufacturing and selling field, owing to
the suggestion, said to have been made by the Treasury De-
partment, that all musical instruments be subjected to an excise
tax of 20 per cent. Members of the trade have not yet forgotten
the fight that was made in connection with the present Wai-
Revenue law, and the difficulties met with in explaining to the
legislators that the making and selling of musical instruments,
particularly pianos, was not, as popularly supposed, a business
of large profits, but rather a business in which profits were sur-
prisingly small in view of the amount of capital invested and the
thought and labor demanded.
Of course, there has been nothing definite decided as to the
final wording of the bill, but members of the trade cannot afford
to let their interest lag for a moment in setting those in charge
of the drafting of the measure right regarding what the industry
can stand without being forced into oblivion. The piano trade,
as that of all peace industries, has borne and is bearing its full
burden in support of the war. As there are greater demands
upon the resources of the country, so is the piano trade prepared
to do a further share in meeting those demands, and steps must
be taken quickly to impress upon the national legislators that
there is a dividing line between what the industry can stand in
the way of taxation and what will mean its disruption.
George W. Pound at the recent hearing on the proposed new
War Revenue bill presented some convincing facts to the mem-
bers of the Ways and Means Committee, and it is to be hoped
that in the framing of the bill the committee members will at
least give some consideration to these facts as presented, and
govern themselves accordingly in placing a further wartime bur-
den on this industry, remembering that in all of the war demands,
including the floating of Liberty Bonds, and contributions to the
Red Cross, the piano men and members of the allied music trades
have given their support wholeheartedly and substantially, which
has proved that the spirit to do is there.
below normal, while another section can report in the same
OELDOM has a court in this country rendered so sweeping
period a volume of trade surpassing previous records. In view
^ a decision in giving protection to the use of a family name
of this likelihood of variance in business volume, therefore, it
on a manufactured product as that rendered by the Superior
is interesting to note that from practically every part of the Court of Cook County in the case of Decker & Son, Inc., New
country come reports of an unusually satisfying piano business
York, versus the Decker Bros. Co., Chicago. The decision, which
for the first six months of 1918, and particularly for the month
appeared in full in The Review of July 6, is important, not alone
of June. Some piano merchants report several record-breaking
from the viewpoint of the victorious plaintiff, but from the view-
months within the period, although, of course, these are excep- point of the trade at large, as setting another precedent in the
tions. There are very few, however, who report any dropping
legal protection of name rights.
off of their last year's figures, and this is to be accepted as sig-
Piano names have a peculiar value—a value that does not
a
nificant, inasmuch as business conditions have been less favor-
PPly generally to names of manufactured products. A piano
able this year than last.
to the average purchaser is a tiling of mystery. As a rule, he has
In the first place, the piano merchant has been forced to
no means of judging value beyond, of course, tone value, and
contend with stock shortage, delayed shipments, depleted staffs
that depends upon his individual taste. He, therefore, is com-
and higher expenses in his establishment and, on the other hand,
pelled to rely upon the word of the retailer, and more particularly
he is faced by a public urge to economize in every direction, and
upon what is represented by the name on the fallboard. The
beset by the unusual expenses and problems brought about by
piano name is, in short, a guarantee of the standing of the instru-
the war. Over all these things, however, the piano merchant
ment, and is generally accepted by the public in that light. For
has triumphed, which bodes well for the future.
another to trade, therefore, upon an established name, whether
It is particularly significant that the reports tell of a larger
innocently or not. means in a measure trading upon the guar-
proportion of cash sales in most instances, and in practically
antee implied by the appearance of the name on the instrument.
every case where instalment sales have been made larger down
From other decisions in the trade it would seem that the
payments and more substantial monthly payments have been
courts are always quite willing to protect name rights, which
demanded and secured. Then again piano merchants practically
should serve as a deterrent to those who, intentionally or other-
have been gainers in some measure through depleted sales forces,
wise, seek to infringe upon those rights.
for they have cut down expenses in this direction, even though
more work was required to make up for the vacancies. Still
N order to stimulate a fuller realization of the fact that music
again the wide-awake merchants have realized that this is the
is an essential and powerful influence in maintaining" the
time to clean house, and they have stopped the leaks arrd cut
national morale during wartime, The Music Trade Review, at the
out poor systems that under ordinary circumstances might con-
National Music Show, held in New York, June 1 to 8 inclusive,
tinue indefinitely without receiving attention. With these re-
announced that a first prize of fifty dollars and a second prize
I