Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
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 Reportorial Staff
factor in helping business interests to organize, or work together,
along legal lines.
The attitude of various Government commissions up to the pres-
ent has been that when an industry began to show a fair margin of
profit there must be something wrong with its operations. In short,
the altitude has generally been a negative one, and the help that busi-
ness has had a right to expect from Government forces that are sup-
ported in the main by the industries of the country has been lacking.
This condition has long been realized, even by politicians, but Secre-
tary Hoover has been the first Federal executive to make a real effort
to bring about an improvement in that condition. His work should be
watched with deep interest and supported wherever possible by the
business men of the country.
This support should prove easy, for it is the intention of the De-
partment of Commerce to work with business interests through regu-
larly organized trade associations.
THE PROBLEM OF STANDARDIZATION
EDWARD VAN HARLINGEN, V. D. WALSH, E. B. MUNCH, C. A. LEONARD, LEE ROBINSON,
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINCWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J. NICKLIN.
WESTERN DIVISION:
BOSTON OFFICE:
Republic Bldg., 209 So. State St., Chicago.
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone. Wabash 5242-5243.
Telephone, Main 6950.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., D. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered as second-class matter 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
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
cllltl
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
i c U I U l l a l VC|Jal lUlClllS 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
Grand frix
Diploma
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal... .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable Address: "Elbill, New York"
Vol. LXX1II
NEW YORK, JULY 2, 1921
No. 1
VACATIONS AS INVESTMENTS
USIC merchants this year more than ever before are realizing
that a vacation for employes is a profitable investment. They
are realizing that it means increased efficiency and a larger volume
of business. They realize that when an employe is relieved from the
cares and worries of business for a week or two and allowed to
seek rest and recreation for that length of time, he will come back
with more enthusiasm and energy and that the sum total of it all
will be better business and increased profits.
Music establishments throughout the country are planning to
give their employes vacations. Regular schedules are being prepared
to grant vacations at intervals that will interfere least with the
running of the business, the time being allotted in such a manner
that when one lemploye returns another will go.
There was a time when employers thought that a nine or ten-
hour day, six days per week and fifty weeks per year, was necessary
if maximum production was to be reached, but experience has
proved this to be erroneous and the vacation habit has become wide-
spread in every business.
M
SECRETARY HOOVER'S CONSTRUCTIVE WORK
ERBERT HOOVER, Secretary of Commerce, is displaying a
commendable interest in the formulation of plans for bringing
the Government and business into closer co-operation, and for making
the Government contact with business of a helpful nature rather than
harassing, as has frequently been the case- of late. Mr. Hoover is a
business man himself, is an able executive and understands rhe prob-
lems that are to be met, and it is to be hoped that his efforts to solve
those problems will be successful.
Certainly there is much room for improvement in the Govern-
ment's relationship with business, particularly in the redrafting of
the duties of the various bureaus and commissions. The first step it is
hoped will be to develop the work of the Federal Trade Commission
to a point where, although it will continue to act as a check on ob-
noxious business practices, it will, on the other hand, prove an active
H
JULY 2, 1921
O
NE of the important subjects being discussed at the first meeting
of the International Chamber of Commerce in London this
month is that of standardization of manufactured products, as pre-
sented at the conference by the American delegation. In view of the
efforts that have been made and are being made to make possible
and more general the practice of standardization of parts in the piano
trade, this treatment of the subject on an international basis is both
important and interesting.
In the various opinions expressed by many manufacturers and
supply men in the United States regarding the desirability of some
form of standardized products, the thought always uppermost has
been to reduce the number of styles, of parts and of instruments with
a view to making possible quantity buying, as well as a saving in
stock, storage and production costs.
It is interesting to note that the same idea was put forth by the
American delegation in London, which in a statement says: "In the
lack of standards and excessive variety in production of commodities
is found the prime cause of stagnant stocks of commodities and con-
gestion in distribution. The efforts of the U. S. Government with
the co-operation of industry in reducing this variety during the war
gave evidence of the practicability of such an undertaking and the
benefits to the industry."
During the war the question of standardization in the music trade
was a vital one in view of the limited production possible, the object
being to facilitate the filling of an abnormal demand with production
at low ebb. Just now, when the problem is one of developing sales,
standardization is equally important, for it enables the manufacturer
and merchant to concentrate on a few styles instead of trying to
feature many, and by cutting down production costs tends to help
materially in meeting the problem of readjustment of prices.
This reduction of variety through the standardization of parts
and styles is a matter that is worthy of constant trade thought, and
particularly the attention of the individual manufacturer. The supply
men in their efforts toward standardization should help materially in
solving the question, but really definite results must depend upon the
attitude and the work of the individual piano manufacturer.
OPTIMISM ON THE INCREASE
T
HE optimism prevalent in the music trades is indicated every-
where. New stores are being opened every day and existing
firms are moving to larger quarters or present quarters are being
enlarged. Present depression and slow business conditions seem to
have little effect on the enthusiasts who, confident that the future
holds golden opportunities, are preparing to grasp those opportunities
when the time is ripe. Even at the present time there are unmis-
takable signs of business revival and the Fall and Winter are sure to
see this condition intensified. One thing is certain, merchants who
are optimistic and farsighted enough to prepare now to handle large
volumes of business will reap the profits and enlarge their trade and
the slow-moving, pessimistic, too conservative merchant will suffer.
Every experienced business man knows 1 that a slump in business is
invariably followed by a return to normalcy, and a review of condi-
tions will convince anyone that the bottom has been reached. Reports
from all over the country point to a slow but sure upward trend.
Therefore it is necessary to get business in such shape that it will be
in condition to cope with the situation later on.