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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
RLVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave"., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Aye., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Win. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Stall
V. D. WALSH, W M . BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), £ . B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
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
(his paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
and local associations in various industries to enter the political-
arena, not on a partisan basis, but rather to demand some
guarantee of a businesslike administration of the country's finances,
so as to reduce the enormous Government appropriations to a sensi-
ble figure and thus remove directly the burden of taxation .upon
industry and upon the public at large.
It is only by concerted action that the powers that be can be
reached directly and in a manner to demand attention and considera-
tion. Congress has nowadays been trained to talk and think in
billions exclusively. It is a billion for this and a billion for that,
regardless apparently of the actual necessity or wisdom of the
proposed expenditure.
The country has been saddled with taxation, and apparently
the officials in Washington feel that the saddle should stay while
they engage in an orgy of extravagances. Government agencies are
very timely in their suggestions to business men that there be plans
of standardization, budget systems and plans of business efficiency
adopted to promote increased production and by that means reduce
costs, but the advice so heartily given is not followed by the givers.
It is time for business men and organizations to insist that the
money the men are called upon to contribute to the Government in
the way of heavy taxes be spent on a legitimate, sensible and
economical basis, and that if there is a surplus an effort should be
made not to find means for spending that surplus, but rather to
concentrate on means for reducing the tax burden of the nation's
industry. Industrial development depends in a large measure upon
the success of such a demand.
REASONS FOR INCREASED EFFICIENCY
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Honors Won by The Review
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Gold E Medal—Lewis-Clark
1905
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LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—6983 MADISON 8Q.
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Cable address: "Elbill, New York"
Vol. LXXI
NEW YORK, AUGUST 21, 1920
No. 8
THE PLAYER-PIANO WEEK CAMPAIGN
T
HE general interest displayed by piano merchants throughout
the country in a National Player-Piano Week in October would
seem to assure the success of the venture even at this early date.
In some sections piano merchants have already begun to make pre-
liminary arrangements to participate in the celebration even though
the detailed plans for the week have not been announced. It may
be that with the coming of October the retail player-piano business
may not require stimulation, but a national campaign cannot help
but have an influence on the general public that will be lasting in its
effect. Although designed primarily to attract public attention to
the player and the music roll, Player-Piano Week, through bring-
ing new people into the.stores and focusing attention on the various
retail establishments, should result in stimulating a demand for all
types of musical instruments. The idea is worth working out so as
to be of general benefit to the entire industry.
THE BUSINESS MAN AND POLITICS
T
HE country will soon be in the throes of a Presidential cam-
paign—a campaign in which business men generally should take
far more than ordinary interest, for upon the results will depend
in a large measure the welfare of the country's" industries'for several
years to come.
During and since the war we have had occasion to realize
the seriousness of working under revenue and other laws drafted
by small town attorneys and professional partisan politicians. The
music trade has had particular occasion to realize the situation,
because it has been one of the industries discriminated against in
the assessment of excise and certain forms of luxury taxes, to say
nothing of having to meet so-called excess profit taxes.
Taxation is recognized as necessary, and in many instances
just, but taxes that serve to impede industry and progress and to
harass business men in the following out of their legitimate voca-
tions require more consideration than has apparently been given
them to date.
;
It would seem time for business organizations and the national
AUGUST 21, 1920
A REPORTED development in the labor situation that is most
i \ interesting and encouraging is to the effect that there is evident
in manufacturing plants throughout the country an increased ef-
ficiency on the part of the workers, not normal efficiency by any
means, but a distinct improvement over the condition that has main-
tained for many months past. This increased efficiency is expected
to have a material effect upon market conditions by bringing about
some increased production, and, more important, some lowering
of production costs.
The cause for this increased efficiency is not hard to find. It
is a known fact that in a number of industries conditions are not
what they should be. There has been a dropping off of orders suf-
ficient to force a reduction in the number of employes. This con-
dition is particularly evident in the woolen trade. The average
worker can see the handwriting on" the wall. He realizes that there is
a possibility that in his own particular factory there may be a
slowing up of business sufficient to cause "the laying off of employes
and those laid off will naturally be the ones who will prove least
efficient. The worker with any sense will attempt at least to impress
his employer with the fact that he is a little more competent than
the average worker and, therefore, worthy of being kept on the
payroll when the process of elimination is under way.
Whatever the cause for the improvement in efficiency, it is grat-
ifying to learn that it is sufficiently in evidence to make comment
worth while.
THE STANDARDIZATION OF SUPPLIES
T
H E Committee on Standardization of the Musical Supply Asso-
ciation is still hard at work in an effort to formulate practical
ideas regarding the standardization of supply parts that will be of
interest and value to the industry as a whole. The appointment of
sub-committees to study the standardization problem as it relates
to the various divisions of the supply trade is a move in the right
direction, and with the reports of these sub-committees in hand
in the near future the general committee should be able to present
to the piano manufacturers suggestions on standardization that
should be distinctly feasible.
This problem of standardization of supplies is not simply an
emergency problem, but one that is well worth considering at any
time, and particularly now when such an unusual situation exists
in the trade. It will not be enough, however, to simply indorse any
report made by the Standardization Committee, but efforts should
be made to put these suggestions into force, to get results that will
not only simplify the supply man's work, but will result in some
saving in money and at the same time bring about a material
increase in production.