Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JANUARY 1, 1921
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
FIFTY LINES OF ACTIVITY
CONVENTION AT AEOLIAN HALL
TWIN CITY DEALERS OPTIMISTIC
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Is
Working Along Half a Hundred Lines Con-
nected With the Music Industry
Sales Staff of Smith, Kline & French, Philadel-
phia, Hold Meeting to Discuss Vocalion and
Melodee Roll Sales Campaigns
Review of the Year Shows That Business Was
Much Better Than W a s Anticipated—Xmas
Trade Was Heavy and Very Satisfactory
There has just been issued by the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce an imposing list
of iifty lines of activity in which the various
divisions of the Chamber are at present earn-
estly engaged. With most of these activities the
majority of the trade members are already quite
familiar, for they have come in direct contact
with them in one way or another, but the list
cells to attention considerable special work with
which the trade is not quite so familiar.
Particular interest attaches to the work of the
National Bureau for the Advancement of Music,
twenty-three of the principal activities of this
important department of the Chamber being
listed, including the weekly service for the music
pages throughout the country, community
chorus work, the campaign for the appointment
of music commissions, the advertising cam-
paigns, the co-operative work with other or-
ganizations, preparation of special literature,
etc., etc.
The work of the Legal Bureau is outlined in
a briefer list, with special emphasis laid upon the
activities of that Bureau and representatives in
Washington, in connection with many important
legislative matters that are constantly coming
up and which are calculated to affect music trade
interests.
Interesting information is offered regarding
the activities of the Export Bureau, which is now
in active operation and is accomplishing results.
The work of the Better Business Bureau, and of
the Trade Service Bureau now in process of de-
velopment, also receives attention and there are
listed half a score of unclassified activities of the
Chamber that are in themselves of distinct im-
portance and are calculated to keep the trade to-
gether and to develop propaganda that will prove
helpful in interesting members of other trades,
Government officials and the public generally in
music and the things that go to make music.
Of these unclassified activities perhaps the most
interesting from a trade point of view is the
interest exhibited by the Chamber and its vari-
ous Bureaus in the organization of various State
and local associations and in the development
of those bodies.
A convention of the sales staff of the Smith,
Kline & French Co., Philadelphia, who on Janu-
ary 1 became wholesale distributors in Philadel-
phia and Pittsburgh territory for Vocalion phono-
graphs .and records, in addition to Melodee
rolls, for which they have been wholesalers for
some time past, was held at. Aeolian Hall on
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. An in-
formal sales meeting was held on Tuesday
morning at which Vocalion sales policies were
explained. This was followed by a trip of in-
spection through the hall, and a special pipe
organ recftal.
After luncheon at the Republican Club the
conventioners met in the artists' room at the
Hall and listened to addresses by F. L. Young
and A. C. Berg, of Boston, who talked on retail
sales, and H. G. Stoehr, who talked on motor con-
struction. After dinner at the Claridge the party
were guests of the Aeolian Co. at the perform-
ance of "Mecca" at the Century Theatre.
Wednesday was Melodee day, and the sales-
men enjoyed a live sales talk by Geo. H. Bliss,
general manager of Melodee Music Co., and
other officials. After luncheon a visit was made
to the recording studio, where Ernest Hare and
Colin O'Moore made records for the edification
of the visitors. Later in the afternoon T. C.
Ratcliff gave a record analysis with the aid of
the Phonodeik.
CONCERTS AT' MUSEUM OF ART
Two Series of Four Concerts Each Announced
for January and March—Educational Work of
a High Quality to Be Carried On
A most interesting musical program for a
series of concerts and musical lectures at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art has just been an-
nounced. There will be two series of four con-
ceits each, the first series starting on Saturday
evening, January 8, with a concert on each of the
three following Saturday evenings of the month,
while the second series includes concerts on the
four Saturday evenings in March.
The concerts are to be given by David
Mannes and a symphony orchestra, and in the
afternoon before each concert an illustrated talk
on the orchestra, with special reference to the
program of the evening, will be given by Frances
Morris, of the Museum staff. During the past
seasons the music-loving public has evinced deep
interest in the concerts given at the Metropoli-
tan Museum of Art, which are of a distinctly
educational character, and to which admission
is free.
NEW INCORPORATION
The Victory Musical Case Co., New York,
maker of cases for musical instruments, has
incorporated for $10,000. The incorporators are
J. Rudnick, I. T. Goldberg and W. Rothman.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, MINN., December 27.
—With the holiday season of 1920 all but spent
the average piano dealer is casting back over
the departing twelvemonth and the retrospect
is not nearly as gloomy as the reviewer might
expect in view of the somewhat unsatisfactory
results of the work of readjustment. It can
be stated as a matter of fact that many North-
western houses will show a better trial balance
for 1920 than for any other year in their his-
tory. The statement may not hold true when
limited strictly to piano departments, but will
stand up for houses engaged in diversified
music trade.
The Northwest just now is a problem.
Farmers are discontented and are still refusing
to sell their products. Money is hard to get.
Industrial and commercial establishments have
parted with a considerable number of their em-
ployes and the experiences of the average retail
dealers are not exactly pleasing.
But it may be true, as many profess to be-
lieve, that the bottom of the pit has been
reached and that, as far as the Northwest is
concerned, the break in the right direction has
begun. Publications devoted to the grain trade
are advising the farmers of the Northwest to
market their grain within a very short time, as
it will not be long before the 1921 crop will
have its effect on the market and no one can
foresee what that effect may be; it may be
depressing, quite as well as stimulating. Then,
PIANO BOX TO HOLD XMAS GIFTS again, industrial concerns are said to be ready
to resume operation provided their men will
Milwaukee Piano Man Provides Christmas accept some reduction in wages. It is expected
Cheer for Miner's Family in Montana
that they will.
Excellent results were obtained by the St.
MILWAUKEE, WIS., December 27.—Eric S. Haf-
Paul and Minneapolis music men during the
soos, music merchant, and his wife were kept
week preceding Christmas. It hardly will pull
busy last week assisting Santa Claus. Last
up the poor November and the bad start for
Summer, when Mr. and Mrs. Hafsoos, with Mr.
December, but standing by itself the week was
and Mrs. O. S. Hafsoos and Roy Hafsoos, were
fine. Listen to some of the rhapsodies:
on a Western trip, they found an unusually
"The -24th day of December invariably has
pathetic case in the family of a miner. Out on
been
the banner day of the year and we set
a hike one day they passed a squalid little log
cabin, in front of which two little" children were a mark on that date in 1919, but our sales for
playing. They stopped and talked to the chil- last Friday were so far ahead of that other
dren, and, moved to pity by their ragged and red-letter day that we hesitate to give out
ill-nourished condition, went into the house to the figures for publication."—Robert Owen
see if there was anything they could do. Here Foster.
"All in all we have been extremely fortunate
they found a pitiful situation. There were seven
children in the family, the mother was dead and and we look over the records of 1920 with sat-
the father in the grip of miners' consumption. isfaction, but last week we truly had some phe-
The oldest, a tiny girl of fourteen, kept house nomenal days."—William J. Dyer.
"The Metropolitan can say that general re-
for the others and acted as nurse to her father.
sults look extremely well. Small goods and
On their return to Milwaukee Mr. and Mrs. the like have been going above expectations,
Hafsoos sent money and comforts to the family, while pianos hardly have been up to expecta-
01 whose progress they hear regularly. With tions."—Edward R. Dyer.
the arrival of Christmas they mentioned the case
"We are pleased as well as satisfied."—Wil-
to their friends and received such a ready re-
liam L. Hurley, Hurley-Moren-Frank Co.
sponse that they were scarcely able to use all
Whether the stimulation that the trade re-
the good things contributed for the miner's
ceived during the holiday week is to continue
children.
well into 1921 is but a matter of idle specula-
So a few days ago a huge piano box packed
tion. Retail dealers conceded that they are not
with everything from clothing to dolls and teddy in a position to predict. W. S. Collins, head of
bears started on its journey of cheer to the un- the Cable Piano Co., predicts that the houses
fortunate ones in Montana.
which let pianos and talking machines go out
of the house without a substantial first pay-
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR SCHOOL ment and substantial instalments will regret
their benevolence in a few weeks. The bait of
Supervisor of Evansville, Ind., Says Public Funds no payment down and small instalments was
Should Be Used for Their Purchase
thrown out mainly by the department stores,
it should be stated. Virtually all the exclusive
EVANSVILLE, IND., December 28.—Miss Ada Bick- music houses stood by their old rules, and their
ing, supervisor of music in the public schools, respective managements feel that they will be
advocates the investment of public funds in repaid in time.
musical instruments for the schools. She says
If we read the biographies of great men we
that in view of a recent investment of $25,000
in machinery in the Central High School it find that the power and influence which they
would be no more than fair to set aside money have won can be directly traced to their enthu-
siasm and ability to enthuse.
to equip the music d e p a r t m e n t .