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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JULY 16, 1921
MUSIC TRADE SHOULD HAVE FEDERAL REPRESENTATION
Secretary of Commerce Hoover, in Recent Letter to Alfred L. Smith, Advocates an Industrial Divi-
sion of the Department of Commerce That Will Include the Music Industries
Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce, in
a letter to Alfred L. Smith, general manager of
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
expresses himself as of the decided opinion that
there should be an industrial division of the
Department of Commerce that will include the
music industries.
Secretary Hoover's letter, which was in reply
to a letter from Mr. Smith, was in part as
follows:
"I am glad to have your letter of June 29 re-
garding the organization of one of our new in-
dustrial divisions along lines that would make
possible the inclusion of the music industries.
I think we ought to have such a unit, decidedly,
but just what to call it is a problem. We are
to have a Division of American Specialties and
possibly a Miscellaneous Division, although
there are some valid objections to the latter
name. Where do you think the music industries
should go? I should like very much to have
you help us with a suggestion."
Accepting Secretary Hoover's invitation to
suggest in which division the music industries
should be placed Mr. Smith replied as follows:
"When I originally made a general sugges-
tion I did not have in mind grouping minor in-
dustries in accordance with any definite policy.
I simply assumed that, in addition to a number
of important export industries, there might be
several which would warrant more attention
than they would get from a miscellaneous divi-
sion covering all industries not otherwise in-
cluded, and yet would not warrant the attention
of a special division. It was my idea that such
industries, irrespective of their character, might
be included in a separate division or if there
proved to be too many there might be more
than one division organized. In other words,
such divisions would each include several—pos-
sibly three or four—secondary lines of industry,
grouped together simply in order to be covered
by a special division and without any particu-
lar basis.
"I can understand that it is preferable to
select industries for these general divisions on
some basis of similarity. It is difficult to sug-
gest any desirable grouping which would in-
clude the music industry. One possible sug-
gestion is a division devoted to articles used in
the home, such as pianos, phonographs and
other musical instruments; furniture, rugs, car-
pets and linoleum; kitchen and table utensils,
china and glassware; sewing machines and elec-
tric household appliances. I can see two pos-
sible objections to this grouping; in the first
place, I imagine several lines of house furnish-
ings would be included under other divisions,
as, for instance, carpets in the textile division,
electric household appliances in an electric prod-
ucts division and sewing machines in a ma-
chinery group; and, in the second place, while
all these articles have the common basis of
being used in the home they differ radically
in character and are not distributed through the
same trade channels.
"Another possible grouping would be three
or four articles which, like musical instru-
ments, are of comparatively wide use, are of a
high development of manufacture, high initial
unit cost and comparatively long life. Such a
grouping might be musical instruments, furni-
ture, automobiles, sewing machines. I presume
automobiles will be included in a distinct divi-
sion, but some similar product probably could
be substituted. Such a grouping would have the
advantage of including articles sold more or
less in the same manner, with similar channels
of trade distribution, etc.
"There are certain products of comparatively
minor importance in which, however, the Amer-
ican product is supreme not only here but in
BECAUSE our workmen work
for more than mere wages and
build more than mere mer-
chandise
HOUSE WOVEN FELTS
STAND PRE-EMINENT
Unionville, Conn.
most foreign markets. Such products might be
called American specialties, but would not be
included in your division of American special-
ties probably because of the fact that they are
of comparatively high unit value. I assume
that small goods or so-called specialties arc
what you intend to include in the division of
American specialties. Some of the American
specialties of high unit value which might be in-
cluded in one group are musical instruments,
office equipment and sewing machines.
"I do not feel that the above suggestions arc
good enough to be particularly helpful to you,
and believe that it would probably be best sim-
ply to take such minor lines of industry as may
warrant and demand some special consideration
and group them in as many distinct divisions
as may be required to handle them properly "
OUR IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADE
Statistics on Imports and Exports of Musical
Instruments for May, 1921, Show Decided De-
crease in Total Volume of Business
WASHINGTON, D. C, July 11.—The summary of
exports and imports of the commerce of the
United States for the month of May, 1921, the
latest period for which it has been compiled, has
just been issued as follows:
The dutiable imports of musical instruments
and parts, including stfings, during May, 1921,
amounted to $239,163, as compared with $215,-
392, which were imported during the same
month of 1920. The eleven months' total end-
ing May, 1921, showed importations valued at
$3,007,301, against $1,576,094 worth of musical
instruments imported during the same period of
1920, and $575,926 in 1919. This gives an in-
crease in imports for the eleven months of
$1,431,207.
The total domestic exports of musical instru-
ments for May, 1921, amounted to $306,170, as
compared with $1,389,153 for the same period of
the previous year. The eleven months' exporta-
tions of musical instruments amounted to $8,-
812,847 in 1921, as against $7,723,347 in 1920 and
$4,983,733 in 1919. This shows an increase for
the eleven months of $1,089,500.
Of the aggregate exportations in May there
were sixty organs, valued at $7,588, as compared
with 179 organs, valued at $13,586, in 1920. The
eleven months' total showed that we exported
2,161 organs, valued at $273,056, in 1921; 1,947
organs, valued at $164,698, for the same period of
1920, and 1,464 organs, valued at $107,064, in
1919.
In May, 1921, we exported 310 pianos, valued
at $98,346, as compared with 2,345 pianos, valued
at $722,386, for the same period of the previous
year. The eleven months' total shows 11,080
pianos, valued at $3,626,257, as compared with
12,148 pianos, valued at $3,363,348, for the same
period of 1920 and 9,463 pianos, valued at $2,-
069,510, in 1919.
The exports of player-pianos show that 288
of these instruments, valued at $112,223, were
exported during May, 1921, as compared with
869, valued at $374,160, in 1920. The eleven
months' total shows that 6,658 player-pianos,
valued at $2,869,283, were exported during 1921,
as compared with 4,471, valued at $1,770,310, for
the same period of 1920 and 3,920, valued at
$1,449,885, in 1919.
Of the aggregate exportations there were ten
piano-players, valued at $3,565 in 1921, as com-
pared with ten piano-players, valued at $3,770
in 1920. For the eleven months' period ninety-
two of these instruments, valued at $33,982, were
sent abroad in 1921, as compared with 157 piano-
players, valued at $55,796 in 1920.
The exports of perforated music rolls for the
month of May, 1921, amounted in value to $12,-
144, as compared with $41,518 in 1920. The
eleven months' total amounted in value to
$329,140, as compared with $362,650 in exports
for the same period in 1920 and $188,915 in 1919.
The value of all other musical instruments
and parts thereof sent abroad during May, 1921,
amounted to $72,304, as compared with $233,634
in 1920.
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