Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JANUARY 18,
MUSIC TRAfrE REVIEW
19ij
I
Technical Conferences to Be Held in New York
New York Piano Manufacturers' Association at a Meeting on Monday Accepts Offer
of Frank E. Morton to Conduct Series of Conferences in This City Very Shortly Sim-
ilar to Those Held in Chicago—What Happened at the Regular Association Meeting
As a result of the address delivered by Frank
E. Morton, acoustic engineer of the American
Steel & Wire Co., at the meeting of the New
York Piano Manufacturers' Association at the
Hotel McAlpin on Monday evening of this
week, and in view of the attitude taken by the
executives and members of the association pres-
ent, there will be held in New York within the
next couple of months a series of technical
conferences among piano men, similar to those
held under Mr. Morton's auspices in Chicago a
year or so ago, and from which such excellent
results were derived.
Mr. Morton came to New York from Chicago
especially for the meeting, at the telegraphed re-
quest of President Mark P. Campbell, of the
association, and in making his offer to spend
some time in this city and co-operate with local
manufacturers in conducting a series of tech-
nical conferences to be attended by officials,
superintendents, foremen and other employes of
their factory, had some interesting comments
to make upon the present trade situation and
upon the necessity for developing a more in-
tense interest in piano manufacturing as a busi-
ness.
Piano Making an Engineering Problem
Mr. Morton stated that with too many manu-
facturers it was simply a question of getting
their pianos out of the factory and into the
hands of the salesmen without any direct effort
to instil a greater factor of interest in their
product and its making, and said that many
piano merchants had to be sold because the in-
terest in the origin of the product was not suf-
ficient to reach the buyer. He declared that
the making of a piano was distinctly an engi-
neering problem, and that if properly presented
would prove of great interest to the technical
experts, and that members of the trade should
endeavor to interest the scientists in their
work, in order that scientists of standing, as
well as students, would find it worth while to
visit the factories and study the scientific prin-
ciples expounded therein.
Breaking Down Trade Prejudices
Mr. Morton told of the success of the tech-
nical conferences in Chicago, and the trouble
he experienced in breaking down the prejudices
of manufacturers and then their superintend-
ents against having practical men meet to-
gether and exchange ideas. He said that many
piano makers held that certain processes in
their factories were deep secrets, and it was
only by pointing out to them that the same
processes were being followed in other factories,
and that by intercommunication and discussion
these processes could be improved to the ad-
vantage of all concerned, that he succeeded in
arousing sufficient interest to bring a score or
more superintendents out to the first confer-
ence. As the idea back of the conferences was
expounded and understood, more technical men
attended, others brought their assistants, and
the result was that towards the end of the sea-
son a regular attendance of from seventy to
eighty men was registered. Even the sales
managers and salesmen found it worth while to
come and explain to the technical men the
faulty features they found to develop in pianos
after they left the factories.
Technical Men of the Future
The speaker emphasized the fact that the
thought of piano men to-day should be devoted
to the question of where they will secure
expert workmen a few years hence, and that it
was only by making their industry interesting
to the trained or partly trained young man,
that they may hope to build up their organiza-
tions. He suggested the establishment of a de-
partment in some technical school in or about
New York, where ambitious youths could study
the technical side of piano making, spending two
weeks alternately in the classroom and in the
factory, the course to last two years or more.
This method he believed would overcome the
disinclination of the average youth of mental
ability to go into a factory and work his way
up from the ground by main force and without
the advantage of technical training.
Present Conditions Reviewed
Incidentally, Mr. Morton had some interest-
ing comments to make on present-day condi-
tions. He declared that it was still a seller's
market, and that statistics gathered by his
company indicated that the possible buy-
ers for pianos numbered 50 per cent, in
excess of the available supply of instruments.
He said that production costs were almost en-
tirely dependent upon labor, that labor costs
began from the time the metal ore was
first taken from the ground, or the tree first
struck with the axe before removal from the
ground, to the time the lumber, or partly fin-
ished metal, came to the factory door.
"Where costs progress arithmetically there
must be at the same time a geometric advance
in price if the manufacturer is to maintain a
proper balance in his business," he said.
Mr. Morton gave it as his belief that the fu-
ture depended largely upon proper educational
work, both at home and abroad. Plans were
already under way, he said, for the inclusion of
information regarding piano manufacture, par-
ticularly as it related to the production of
sound, in school text books, and that in de-
veloping foreign trade there was likewise much
to be done in educating people in other coun-
tries to the American tone.
In closing Mr. Morton offered to demonstrate
in New York some engineering problems in
piano making that can be used to advantage,
setting forth some of his ideas along that line.
Quick Action Taken on Morton's Offer
Paul B. Klugh thereupon made a motion that
immediate action be taken on Mr. Morton's
offer, and that a committee be appointed by the
president to arrange the details. He also sug-
gested, and the suggestion was accepted at once,
that a letter be sent to the American Steel &
Wire Co. expressing appreciation of what that
company was doing, through Mr. Morton, for
the benefit of the industry as a whole. The
committee appointed by President Campbell
consists of Paul B. Klugh, George W. Gittins,
Max J. deRochemont, J. A. Coffin and Albert
Behning, and its members have been instructed
to report at their earliest convenience.
Pound Talks on "Co-operation"
Congressman Charles Pope Caldwell, who was
scheduled to speak, was unable to be present,
and George W. Pound, general counsel of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, there-
upon talked on Congressman Caldwell's subject,
"Co-operation and Co-ordination." Mr. Pound
emphasized what had been accomplished for the
benefit and protection of the industry during the
stress of war through co-operation and co-ordi-
nation of effort, and emphasized that the future
success of the trade depended largely upon the
continued adherence to that plan. He stated
that the message of the day to all industries was
co-operation, and that it was the only means of
assuring the successful handling of the various
post-war problems and pointed out that Ger-
many was already making a strong bid for South
American trade, and that other European coun-
tries were looking in the same direction. He
said that the labof problem was going to be
the one that would prove most annoying, and
that in the opinion of experts it would be at
least two years before American industry would
again come into its own. He declared that
there would be many soldiers and sailors who
upon demobilization would not be in a mood to
come back to the bench, and that therefore
there would be some shortage of labor for a
considerable period. Moreover, the price of
labor would continue to be high for some time
to come.
One particular advantage enjoyed by Ameri-
can manufacturers, however, was the fact that
they enjoyed the largest natural home market
in the world, which offered sufficient outlet for
their product to warrant quantity production.
In order to meet the problems the question to
be studied was that of efficiency, for it has been
estimated by labor authorities that in most
American plants the man power at present was
only about 40 per cent, efficient.
"Let us put upon ourselves the mantle of
efficiency, organization and co-operation," said
Mr. Pound.
The Regular Association Meeting
The set speakers of the evening were pre-
ceded by a regular meeting of the association,
in the course of which President Campbell ex-
tended New Year's greetings to the membership,
and in a short address declared that the Iesson3
taught by the war should not go for naught.
"The war made us shorten terms and likewise
made the retailers shorten terms, and served
to make us feel that we were in a real busi-
ness so far as financing was concerned. The
question, therefore, is, do we have to have con-
tinuous war to have our business remain a pleas-
ant one to be in," said Mr. Campbell. It is
only through united efforts and earnest en-
deavor that the history of the trade can con-
tinue to be one of progress, and everyone must
lend assistance to the task of preserving solid
conditions that were brought about by war
necessities, he said. He told of the work done
by the various trade bureaus, in protecting and
benefiting the industry, and called particular at-
tention to the work being done by the Bureau
for the Advancement of Music.
President Campbell also made other sugges-
tions as to the future conduct of the trade and
emphasized particularly that attention must be
given to factory conditions in order that there
might be attracted into the industry new and
young blood to carry on the business in the fu-
ture.
During the course of the meeting it was an-
nounced that Wing & Son and.Cable & Son had
been elected to membership in the association.
Endorse Dock Commissioner's Work
The following resolution, endorsing the work
of Dock Commissioner Hulbert in endeavoring
to secure improved dock facilities for the city,
was adopted at the meeting:
"Whereas, Honorable Murray Hulbert, Com-
missioner of Docks of the City of New York,
is and long has been a recognized and firm ad-
vocate of improving the port of New York, and
"Whereas, The facilities of said port are no-
toriously deficient and inadequate and a con-
stantly increasing menace to commerce, and
"Whereas, Fully one-third of all the pianos
manufactured in the United States and more
than one-sixth of all the pianos produced in the
world are made in New York City, particularly
in Harlem and the Bronx, and the docking fa-
cilities are inadequate for the manufacturing in-
terests,
"Resolved, That the Piano Manufacturers'
Association of the City of New York in meet-
ing assembled this 13th day of January, 1919,
do most heartily approve the plans and endorse
the efforts of Honorable Murray Hulbert, Com-
missioner of Docks, our city, for the improve-
ments of our port and docks so earnestly and
so wisely urged by him."
The meeting was preceded by the usual ex-
cellent dinner, with some lively entertainment
provided to keep the minds of the piano men
off the sordid details of business for a short
period at least.