Music Trade Review

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REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXVIII. No. 9
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman BUI, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York. Mar. 1, 1919
Single Copies 10 Centi
$2.00 Per Year
Why Prosperity Must Prevail
W
E face a period of extraordinary development in every phase of our industrial relations. The
statement is trite; but triteness does not appear as a defect when it connotes vital, essential truth.
At the present moment nothing can be more important, more completely vital, to the music
industry at large than to come to an understanding of the underlying facts of the business situation.
These facts may be summed up in a sentence: Business is to be extremely active, with demand exceeding
supply; but with incalculable economic and social factors appearing from time to time.
This does not mean the easiest of flowery paths for any of us. It means that there will be problems to
meet and handle. But it also means that our foundation is solid and sound, safe and sane.
At the moment the facts as to the industrial situation are beclouded by the handful of agitators who talk
extremism on the one hand; and on the other hand by those who would take advantage of public susceptibility
to preach reaction and an impossible return to outworn ways.
There should be a short way with these gentry. Ole Hanson made every good American feel proud when
he took Bolshevism by the throat in Seattle. He who will likewise take reaction by the throat will be an even
greater benefactor.
American business cannot be reactionary. Prosperity must not only exist; it must be distributed. The
future of the music industries rests on the growing capacity of the individual consumer. The one hundred
richest men will only buy one, or perhaps two, pianos for each of their houses; but a million prosperous middle-
class Americans will buy a million pianos.
To-day the mass of the American people are earning good money and have some of it to spend. They are
ordering pianos, player-pianos and talking machines in quantities which surpass the ability of the manufacturers
to provide. The retail dealers realize the facts and find themselves able to demand prices and terms more in
accordance with sound business principles. Manufacturers find it possible, as well as desirable, to raise their
prices and stiffen the terms. The public pays; and that willingly.
The world reconstruction is about to begin. The League of Nations is born. The United States, finding
itself a creditor nation, finds itself also in a condition of financial health unparalleled. The banks are filled to
bursting with money. Savings deposits have increased immensely and the coming of another national loan only
emphasizes confidence in the ability of the people to continue the saving habit. The music business should be
able, by all right and reason, to say that its season of prosperity shall be continued long beyond the winter of 1919.
Why, then, should we hear repinings? Why should we hear doubt expressed, or foreboding or misgiving?
For two reasons: One is that some men will always worry when times are good lest peradventure they cease to
be so some day. The other and more important reason is to be found in the contesting and contrasting forces of
extremism which are now showing their ugly heads.
Yet the American people are at bottom sane and safe. They will choke Bolshevism to death if we let
them. They will take reactionism by the throat if once they recognize the danger of it. But we need, to gain
these ends, and to emerge into permanent happiness and prosperity, courageous thinking and bold speaking. We
must know facts and make others know them.
For too long our economic thinking has been done for us by selfish materialists on the one hand, and by
boudoir Bolsheviki on the other. We music-industry men and women depend upon the prosperity of the great
mass of plain people. It is for us to lend ourselves to every intelligent effort which purposes to crush both
the ugly rattlesnake which would stick up its crest crowned by a red flag and the materialistic greed which
would turn the new world back into channels long since found unsuited to its new aims and aspirations.
Clear thought, clean business and good Americanism will not only maintain but increase the prosperity
which we to-day so thankfully recognize as ours.-.:;---;ov