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THE
MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
'ourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Staff
V. D. WALSH, W M . BRAID W H I T E (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH,
L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques
P l a v a i . p|«nA anil
r i a j c l ' i lallV dull
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
p
a r e 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.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
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Vol. LXX
NEW YORK, APRIL 17, 1920
No. 16
LABOR PROBLEMS THAT MUST BE SOLVED
HATEVER may be the individual opinion regarding the rights
W
of labor to organize and make demands, there is no question
but that conditions have reached a point where a definite halt must
be called on the actions of a certain element in organized labor,
if for no other reason than that the public must be protected and
have its rights recognized.
•Just now the switchmen and other employes at the various
railroad terminals are on strike, not so much for higher pay as
for recognition of certain union principles that may or may not
be sound. The Brotherhood officers declare the strike illegal, and
the result is an inter-union dispute that will probably last some
time and cause much confusion. Meanwhile, the public suffers
while the almighty switchman stands pat in his demands. Industry-
is crippled through the halting of freight transportation. Millions
of people in the larger cities are facing a possible food famine,
and all because a few thousand men of radical tendencies take it
into their heads to adopt holdup tactics.
This periodical halting of industry, this loss of millions of dol-
lars in actual cash for wages and in potential business, has got
to come to an end some time, and the sooner the better. There is a
certain element of labor that makes the average profiteer appear
in the role of a gentleman and scholar. It would seem well for
industry and the Government to combine to promote fairness and
to throttle the species of radicalism that places the individual de-
mand above the welfare of the community.
In Argentine it is said there exists a "middle class" union that
seems to be working out very satisfactorily. Tired of being the
millstone between Capital and Labor, the middle classes of that
country simply organized for their own protection. If Labor is
unreasonable and calls unwarranted strikes the middle class union
rises up and sets Labor back to work, at the point of a rifle if neces-
sary. If Capital decides to be arrogant and refuses to discuss or
arbitrate the fair demands of Labor the same rule holds good, and
Capital is forced to be good in a manner that becomes unpleasant,
if the arrogant attitude is persisted in.
APRIL 17, 1920
It is about time the Government and the great masses of the
people awoke to conditions and moved to eliminate the strike evil,
instead of accepting it as a condition. It will mean the checking
of the unfair demands of both Labor and Capital—and checking
it in a way that will be effective-—through the medium of the court,
if possible, or by sterner measures, if necessary.
ASSOCIATIONS AND THE INDIVIDUAL
O state that the average trade association, including those in
this industry, is only so strong as its weakest member would
probably be overdrawing it a bit, but it is certainly a fact that the
association is only so strong as is the interest, taken in its welfare
and in its workings by the rank and file of its membership.
We have had an instance of this in the case of the National
Association of Music Merchants. For a number of years this
organization was more or less dormant. The more prominent mer-
chants of the country were included in its membership, but the
majority of the rank and file were not. As efforts were put forth
to interest the retail trade as a whole and-win its support the asso-
ciation began to progress—to become more active—to get results of
a sort that have served to bring into the fold many of those who
in the past stood on the side lines to criticize.
To be effective, a national association must be national in the
fullest sense of the word. It cannot be made up of an individual
here and there, but must include in its membership the bulk of the
individuals, not only that they may work together but that the very
membership shall give weight to the various movements and propa-
ganda instituted by the executives of the body. The proper pro-
cedure is not to stand aloof from the association and point out
that the body has not done this or that particular thing that the
individual believes necessary or desirable, but rather to join up
with the association and in the councils of that body present the
ideas believed necessary for its advancement. If the ideas are not
acted upon then there may be reason for criticism. Experience has
shown that those elected by the members at large to preside over
the association destinies have shown an inclination to be more than
reasonable in the consideration given recommendations from indi-
vidual members. The work being done just now is so big and broad
that the music dealer who hesitates to join the association ranks can
be accused of cheating just a little bit by letting the other fellow
carry on the burden of the work that in the long run is going to
benefit the trade as a whole and every individual in it. The work
is plentiful, and every one should do his part.
T
WORKING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
HE fact that the Bureau for the Advancement of Music has
T
succeeded in interesting several farm papers of large circulation
in the campaign for bringing to the public in rural localities the
real message of music is a matter for congratulation, but the sup-
port of these farm journals is to be accepted as supplementary to
the campaign already being carried on through "Music in the
Home" pages in a number of the larger dailies of the country
rather than a new development in a virgin field.
The ruralite today is a far different person from the country-
man of twenty years or more ago. The automobile, the interurban
cars and the telephone have put him in direct contact with the cities
and towns in his section and likewise in contact with the activities
of those urban centers. Through the medium of the rural free
delivery, the modern ruralite gets his city daily just as regularly as
does the man who grabs the latest edition from a newsstand as he
races for the train, or subway, or trolley, on the way to his office
in the city.
If every daily paper in all the large cities of the country can be
persuaded eventually to run "Music in the Home" pages, it is safe
to say that the country resident who does not have the message of
music carried to him by one or the other of the papers is of a caliber
that would not be impressed were he to receive direct letters from
the Bureau.
The invasion of the magazine field by the Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music through the medium of special articles, how-
ever, is to be regarded as a distinct triumph, and the addition to the
list of propaganda mediums of the several farm magazines will
have an effect that must be apparent to everyone at all interested
in the work for music as an art.