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MAY
7, 1921
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
MUSIC MEMORY CONTEST IN AKRON TO HOLD NEW REFERENDUM ON QUESTION OF SALES TAX
Over 30,000 School Children Take Part in Great
Contest Recently Brought to a Close in That
City—Aiding the Cause of Music
AKRON, O., May 3.—Akron's public school mem-
ory contest closed to-night, when more than 150
grade and high school students, representing
twenty-eight schools in the city, competed in the
final elimination contest before a large audience
at the Akron Armory.
Each school was represented in the contest
by a team of five boys and girls who attained
the highest averages in elimination music mem-
ory contests conducted individually in each
school.
To-night's program was furnished by the com-
bined high school orchestra of the public schools,
under direction of Miss Nellie Glover. The
orchestra had an instrumentation of over forty.
Large delegations from all schools attended the
contest to boost for their respective teams.
For several weeks children in the schools and
at home have been working pianos and talking
machines overtime, playing selections in prepa-
ration for the contest.
For the best three individual scores in to-
night's contest three medals will be awarded.
Winner of first prize will receive a gold medal,
«wjth'a silver medal for second prize and a bronze
medal for third prize. The school represented
by each winner will be awarded a phonograph.
The medals were designed by Mrs. Jane Barn-
hart, art instructor at Central High School.
In order to continue interest in the music
memory work the Chamber of Commerce an-
nounced to-night it would offer prizes of $10 and
$5 for the best essays submitted by public school
children on the subject, "What the Music Mem-
ory Contest Has Meant to Me." According to
school authorities, the music memory contest
is the biggest undertaking ever attempted in
Akron public schools, with 30,000 competing in
the elimination contests.
COMPANY IMPROVES QUARTERS
Thearle Organization Takes Ten-year Lease on
Building—To Make Extensive Repairs
SAN DIEGO, CAL., May 2.—A ten-year lease on
the entire Thum Building on Broadway, this
city, has been lately taken by the Thearle Music
Co., A. D. LaMotte, manager. For some years
the firm has occupied a part of this structure.
When the present lessee vacates, which will be
about July 1, extensive alterations will be made
by the Thearle organization. A spacious piano
salesroom on the second floor of the building
will be one of the important renovations made.
Thirty-two rooms on the third floor will be re-
modeled and made into music studios.
The remodeling plans also call for an enlarge-
ment of the string of demonstration rooms in
the talking machine department. The sheet
music division will likewise be enlarged and
increased space will be given the smaller musi-
cal merchandise. It is likely that the improved
building will be named the Thearle Temple of
Music.
JAPAN'S BIG FAIR IN 1922
The fine arts are to have a conspicuous place
in the World's Fair to be held in Tokyo in
March, 1922, according to the World Salesman,
which recently made announcement of the ex-
hibition next year. The fair will be the largest
of its kind ever held in the Nippon empire. It
will consist of two blocks, connected by cable
cars, which will comprise halls for educational,
agricultural, electric, forestry, chemical, indus-
trial, dyeing, fine arts and botanical exhibits.
Halls for many other exhibits will also be found
at the fair.
Work Done by Music Trade Representatives at Meeting of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce
Largely Responsible for Decision to Resubmit Tax Question to Referendum Vote
As the result of a protracted fight conducted
in every one of the eight group meetings of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United States
convention at Atlantic City last week by repre-
sentatives of the music industry and other trades
subject to an excise tax it was decided to re-
submit the subject of the abolition of excise
taxes and the recommendation of a sales tax to
a referendum vote of the Chamber.
This will afford those members of the music
industry who failed to respond to the appeal of
our Chamber to get out and work in their own
interest when this matter was first submitted to
its members by the National Chamber last De-
cember an opportunity to make amends.
Partly through the indifference of the music
trade members and partly through misunder-
standing due to the obscure manner in which the
tax proposition was stated the National Cham-
ber's first referendum vote was in favor of excise
taxes upon "some articles of wide use, but not
of first necessity."
R. B. Aldcroftt and William J. Keeley, presi-
dent and vice-president of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce, represented the music
industry in the transportation group. J. New-
comb Blackmail, in the finance group; Alfred L.
Smith, general manager of the Chamber, in the
insurance group, and Albert Behning, of the
Harlem Board of Commerce, were members of
the committee to put the matter before the
various groups. In each group the sales tax
won by a big majority.
The subject of excise taxes was not on the
official program, but the representatives of the
associations working together succeeded in
bringing it up informally. Wherever a vote was
permitted strong opposition was recorded. The
resolutions committee did not report on the
resolutions on the sales tax, giving as its rea-
son that the referendum was out so recently
that a report was unnecessary.
In the fight on the floor in the last session
of the convention Harry Wheeler, the first pres-
ident of the National Chamber and again re-
cently its president, stated that the tax refer-
endum was an impossible one to vote upon, and
the questions on the subject as framed in the
group meetings were even worse. He gave his
assurance that the directors would put the ques-
tions to a vote and would push the matter ex-
peditiously.
FACTS ON RETAIL TRADE
quality which the conditions of 1921 demanded—
and they fell behind; they did not get the busi-
ness that was to be gotten and the effect is
shown in their own results.
"Any dealer who, during the first three months
of 1921, did not come within 5.21 per cent of
equaling the amount of business done during
the same period of 1920 has no one but him-
self to blame.
"Were you above or below the average shown
en the attached table? Did your line reach the
mark?"
The chart referred to in the letter follows:
Comparative Business Diagram
of
First Quarters 1920 and 1921
by
The Baldwin Piano Co.
Combined Sales—Retail and Wholesale
1920
100.00%
1921
87.32%
The reduction was 12.68%
Our Retail Sales Alone
1920
100.00%
1921
94.79%
The reduction was 5.21%
Your Business
1920
100.00%
1921
?
Did it reach 94.79%?
Baldwin Piano Co. Presents Some Interesting
Statistics Showing That Retail Sales During
First Quarter of This Year Were Only
Slightly Behind Same Period of 1920
It is not unusual for piano manufacturers to
call the attention of dealers to certain sales
averages and make comment on what should and
should not be done to preserve such averages.
The Baldwin Piano Co., however, has gone a
step further and has offered to its dealers actual
figures regarding its business this year as com-
pared with last, special stress being laid on the
fact that the retail end has dropped just a little
over 5 per cent.
In a letter to its representatives the Baldwin
Co. said recently:
"The attached diagram tells an interesting
story. The year 1920 was perhaps the most
prosperous business year in the history of the
United States; practically all of us did a 100 per
cent business. There can be no question that
with the advent of 1921 a retrenching movement
on the part of the buying public set in, which
made itself felt in all lines.
"It is idle to .speculate on the immediate
causes of the retrenchment, but the important
thing is to determine its true extent and to
evolve ways and means to overcome it.
"A comparison of the business done by the en-
tire House of Baldwin for the first quarters of
1920 and 1921 shows a falling off of only 12.68
per cent.
"When we divide the wholesale and the retail
business we find the falling off in retail sales
is but 5.21 per cent—a most remarkable show-
ing under the circumstances—and therein lies a
lesson.
"Our retail business hinges largely upon our
own business-getting and business-developing
methods. Here is where salesmanship and sell-
ing policy in dealing with the ultimate consumer
is in evidence. Think of it—we came within
5.21 per cent of doing the amount of business
done in the most prosperous year of our exist-
ence. We went after the business and we got
it. When others 'let up' we 'speeded up.' It re-
quired more steam, but we furnished it.
"In our wholesale business we are to an ex-
tent dependent upon the attitude of the dealer.
Many dealers kept up with our pace—they, too,
'got the business.' Others lacked the 'pushative'
REMOVES MUSICAL STOCKS
COOKEVILLE, TENN., May 2.—The J. H. Howard
stock of musical instruments has been removed
from the public square of the storehouse occu-
pied by M. H. Borden's jewelry establishment.
J. G. Ducke will take charge of the business of
Mr. Howard.
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Opportunity for Exporters
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Would like to hear from piano manufac-
turer located on East Coast of United
States interested in developing stable, prof-
itable export business throughout Aus-
tralia. Prefer concern making high-grade,
high-priced line and also low-priced line
under different name. A real opportunity
for right company to secure good, clean,
easy business on permanent basis through
fully experienced representative residing
in Australia. Address "Experienced," care
The Music Trade Review, 373 Fourth
Ave., New York City.
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