Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Secretary, Edward Lyman Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York;
Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAY BILL, B. B. WILSON, BRAID WHITE, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
L. E. BOWERS, Circulation Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Staff
EDWARD VAN HARLINGEN, V. D. WALSH, E. B. MUNCH, C. A. LEONARD, LEE ROBINSON,
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BBESNAHAN, A. J. NICKLIN.
WESTERN DIVISION:
BOSTON OFFICE:
Republic Bldg., 209 So. State St., Chicago.
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone, Wabash 5774.
Telephone, Main 6950.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basingball St.. D. C.
N E W S SERVICE IS S U P P L I E D WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED I N T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Enttrtd
as second-class matttr September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York. N. Y..
under the Act of March 3, 1879.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, (2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $6.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $150.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
anil
Hull
tions
of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
re ul tin
K ji 8 and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
p
are 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
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal. ..Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma....Pan-American
Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition.1905
.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 6082—6988 MADISON 8Q.
Connecting all Departments
Cable address: "KlbllL New York"
Vol. LXXII
NEW YORK, APRIL 16, 1921
No. 16
in co-operation with the National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music, is the fact that much of the financial support for the movement
has come from public-spirited citizens and music lovers in general,
rather than from the trade or profession, although these have helped.
This general support is significant in that it promises to make the
annual Music Week celebration a self-sustaining venture, and to
divorce it entirely from any possible taint of commercialism.
The successful carrying on of the Music Week program and the
greater interest in music aroused thereby are naturally calculated to
bring about a substantial increase in the demand for musical instru-
ments, and the music merchants, not only in New York proper, but
for a wide radius about the city, should appreciate the opportunity and
prepare themselves to take full advantage of it. Even though the
Music Week celebration itself must not have the appearance of com-
mercialism, there is nothing to prevent the retailers from hooking up
with the campaign and enjoying directly the fruits of the stimulation
which music and musical instruments have been given thereby.
Therefore the wise dealer will increase his present efforts along the
line of salesmanship in order to secure the full benefits from Music
Week before its effect has been allowed to lapse.
ENCOURAGING TAXATION DEVELOPMENTS
T
HE members of the music industry who are so strongly committed
to some form of sales tax as a substitute for the present excise
taxes on musical instruments and other articles should be encouraged
by the report from Washington to the effect that Treasury officials are
now at work to determine the resultant revenue from various sales
taxes. Although the department has prepared no definite recom-
mendations for tax reforms to be submitted to the Ways and Means
and Finance Committees, it is understood that Secretary Mellon is
a believer in the advisability of some form of sales tax. The work
of the Treasury Department is to determine how much revenue such
taxes will bring rather than to pass upon the wisdom of instituting
such taxes. At the present time the plan most favored appears to be
the one providing for a sales tax of one-half of one per cent on all
commodities except those specially exempt. This form of tax is in
line with that proposed by the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce.
THE CONVENTION EXHIBITS
NATIONAL PLAYER-PIANO WEEK
N
ATIONAL Player-piano Week has proven a success. There is
no question of that fact, or of the further fact that more general
co-operation on the part of both manufacturers and retailers of
player-pianos in the future should insure Player-piano Week being an
annual feature and even more widespread in its scope than it was
this year.
From every section of the country come reports of special musical
programs, window displays and advertising campaigns on the part
of retailers to call public attention to Player-piano Week and what it
meant. Player-pianos were displayed assembled and unassembled;
music rolls were featured in various ways; music roll machinery was
exhibited in windows and warerooms; special posters were shown
and other things done to concentrate on the player.
Full credit is due to the Standard Pneumatic Action Co. for
launching the project and to the hundred or so manufacturers of
player-pianos and to the host of dealers who saw fit to co-operate
in the movement. The success of the venture, even though it had its
natural limitations, gave some indication of what might be accom-
plished along that line should every interest in the trade get back of
the movement. It should be an idea worthy of careful consideration
next year and in the years to follow.
THE COMING MUSIC WEEK CELEBRATION
N
EXT week the second annual Music Week celebration will be
held in New York and its environs, and from every indication
the occasion will be a memorable one, for it appears thaf all musical
interests have arranged to participate in the program. The movement
this year is not confined in any sense to trade or professional circles,
but has spread out and gathered in the schools, churches, clubs and
other institutions and organizations that in any way can claim devotion
to music either from the artistic or the entertainment viewpoint.
The most significant feature of the campaign, which has been
worked up for many weeks past by a committee headed by Otto
Kahn as honorary chairman, and Berthold Neuer as active chairman,
APRIL 16, 1921
I
N approving of the maintenance of trade exhibits in the Drake
Hotel during the period pf the conventions the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce urges that every effort be made to prevent
the exhibits interfering with the business of the regular convention
sessions. This respect by the exhibitors for the rights of the several
Associations to hold their meetings undisturbed by outside influences
should come without urging, even though there have been some
exhibitors in the past who have plied their trade without regard for
the interests of others.
The Merchants' Association has rescinded, temporarily at least,
its resolution barring exhibits from the convention hotel. This action
was taken with a view to promoting the convenience of both the
exhibitors and the delegates. The exhibitors, therefore, who might be
moved to be overenthusiastic in the heralding of their wares during
the period of the Association meetings should bear in mind that
convention hotels in the past have seen fit to heed the request of the
Merchants' Association and bar exhibits. There should be no reason
for making such a request necessary in the future.
CRISIS IN TAX FIGHT APPROACHING
M
EMBERS of the music industry should not overlook the fact
that Congress went into an extraordinary session on Monday
of this week at the call of President Harding, and that the fight
over the revision of the War Revenue Act will now be on in earnest.
The extraordinary session promises to be a long one, but among
the first matters to be handled will be the question of taxes and their
adjustment. The music industry, under the leadership of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce, has already done some effective
work, but it is essential that the efforts of trade members be doubled
in order to insure proper consideration for the music industry, which
will mean the elimination of excise taxes and the adoption of some
form of sales tax to produce the required revenue. Upon what is
done within the next month or two will depend the manner in which
the trade comes through in the matter of tax readjustment.