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THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President
J. B. Spiilane, 373 Fourth Aye., New York; Second Vice-president, Raymond Bill, 37;
373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
CARLETON CIIACE, L. M. ROBINSON, WILSON D. B U S H , V. D. WALSH, W M . BRAID W H I T E
(Technical E d i t o r ) ) , E. B. M U N C H , C. A. LKONARH. EDWARD I.YMAN BILL,
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
Ptonn anil
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
f
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
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Vol. LXVIII
NEW YORK, APRIL 19, 1919
No. 16
EDITORIAL^
N next Monday there will begin officially the drive for the
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Fifth or Victory Liberty Loan, and, as has been the case with
every other Liberty Loan, the music interests are planning to show
that their money is back of the Government to the limit. There are
more or less definite assurances that this will be the last loan, and
this fact will probably aid materially in garnering subscriptions from
those who feel that the occasion is such that they should go the limit.
As has been announced, Carl C. Conway, of the Hallet &
Davis Piano Co,, has been appointed chairman of the Allied
Music Division, associated with the Rainbow Division, covering the
Metropolitan District, and he has gathered about him strong com-
mittees and sub-committees to reach into every branch of the in-
dustry and profession. Mr. Conway's known ability as an organ-
izer and his reputation as a man who does what he sets out to do
may be accepted as an indication that allied music will go "over the
top" by a wide margin. Although the quota for the industry has
not been announced, a high quota may be accepted as simply a chal-
lenge for extra effort.
HE Review is in receipt of a number of letters speaking in com-
mendatory terms of the editorial which appeared last week
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bearing upon the tendency of a great many dealers to cut prices of
music rolls and otherwise depreciate the value of this very impor-
tant branch of our industry.
It should be evident by this time that the one-price policy is not
only safe and sane, but necessary to the successful development
of the piano business. If we turn to the average piano house of
any standing we find that this system is the only logical one, and
applies to music rolls as well as to pianos or players.
With the increased sales of player-pianos the music roll indus-
try is becoming quite an important one. and it is well to realize
that music rolls are not an adjunct of the industry, nor are they
manufactured to be "given away" as gifts, but should be sold for
their actual worth as a separate and distinct product.
It is difficult to understand why any business man should tend
REVIEW
APRIL 19, 1919
to undermine this industry by slashing prices or using other methods
which are apt to disturb the confidence of the public in the music roll
as a product worthy of purchase at its face value. There must be
an awakening on this subject on the part of piano merchants. They
must get into line with the spirit of the times—with the spirit of cor-
rect merchandising.
interesting facts were revealed in the report issued by the
S OME
National Association of Manufacturers, which appeared in
last week's Review, regarding the canvass of its membership, com-
prising 4,400 firms engaged in practically every line of industry
with respect to post-armistice conditions and trade prospects gen-
erally for 1919. Of the twenty-five principal groupings of indus-
tries it is noteworthy that the makers of musical instruments were
among the five who reported satisfactory business conditions and
prospects at the present time.
It is interesting further to observe that the group classified as
musical instruments was the only one of the twenty-five in which
there were no replies received to the effect that business was poor.
Regarding present trade conditions 9 per cent, of the replies from
musical instrument men declared them to be fair, 72 per cent, good
and 19 per cent, excellent. As to trade prospects for 1919 the re-
ports were' 5 per cent, fair, 75 per cent, good and 20 per cent, ex-
cellent.
In the survey of retail stocks in hand, by groups, the associa^
tion report shows that in the musical instrument trade 75 per cent,
of the replies indicated that manufactured stocks on hand as com-
pared with pre-war supplies were low, 20 per cent, normal and 5
per cent, above normal. The reason for this condition is ascribed to
the war-time curtailment of production.
The chief obstacles now prevailing to prevent general business
activity are summarized as follows: (1) Delay in signing the Peace
Treaty. (2) General high cost of labor and materials. (3) Sudden
cessation of war-buying operations by the United States and foreign
governments. (4) Hand-to-mouth buying by jobbers, retailers and
consumers awaiting expected price reductions. (5) Continued Gov-
ernment control, management and operation of railroads, etc. (6)
Sudden imposition of heavy war revenue tax burdens on industry.
(7) Labor unrest, agitation and industrial strife. (8) High prices of
wheat due to Government guarantee. (9) Unemployment and poor
distribution of labor forces released from military or naval service.
(10) Delay in settlement by Federal Government of claims for pay-
ment under informal war contracts. (11) Partial shutting off of
important European markets due to import trade embargoes by
Great Britain, France and Italy.
This report of the National Association of Manufacturers is
entirely in conformity with the facts as set forth in The Review
from week to week and emphasizes that the music trade industry
is not only enjoying prosperous conditions to-day, but can look for-
ward with assurance to a still larger volume of business as soon
as supplies are more abundant and labor conditions improved.
HE recommendation that Congress give special attention to the
Sherman and Clayton acts, with a view to their amendment or
revision, as made by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States,
recently before the membership of that organization for a referen-
dum vote, is distinctly a move in the right direction, for to all intents
and purposes the anti-trust laws in the United States have failed
almost completely to accomplish the purpose for which they were
designed, and rather than proving effective in curbing the dan-
gerous monopolies, they have been invoked most generally against
industrial organizations that at best violated only the letter of the
law rather than its spirit.
Existing conditions and the necessity for co-operate effort on
the part of various industries openly encouraged by the Government
make it particularly necessary that the laws be so revised or
amended as to permit of certain industrial combinations when it is
apparent that such a move would prove beneficial to the industrial
fabric of the country, without in any sense being designed to open
the way for stifling competition. In brief, the Chamber of Com-
merce of the United States should receive the support of those in-
dustries represented in its membership in the movement now under
way to bring about the desired changes in the laws, in the belief
that such changes will be made in such a manner that they cannot
be taken advantage of for illegal purposes.
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