Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
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 Stall
EDWAXD VAH HAKLINCEN, V. D. WALSH, E. B. MUNCH, LEE ROBINSON, C. R. TIGHE,
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, 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 8ERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Intend 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
REMITTANCE
Lyman Bill Inc
Lyman Bill, Inc.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
anil
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
l l P n a r t n U > n R regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
l l C | l a l UIIclllS 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 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 6982—6983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting: all Departments
Cable Address: "Elblll, New York"
Vol. LXX1V
NEW YORK, APRIL 8, 1922
No. 14
THE COMING CONVENTIONS
H E annual convention of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce and of the various trade organizations allied with it,
including the National Association of Music Merchants and the
National Piano Manufacturers' Association, is less than two months
off and the time has come for starting work on a program that will
not simply serve to fill up the three or four days of the convention
period, but will prove of sufficient constructive value to enable the
convention delegates to take home with them some thoughts that
will tend to help them meet current business conditions.
The conventions of the past two or three years have been much
different from those of a decade or more ago, and the tendency has
been distinctly toward providing for discussions and the distribution
of information that is of real value, and that gives the manufacturer
and retailer something tangible in return for their investment of time
and money in association work. The end is not yet, however, and
there is need this year for particular thought to the problem of pro-
viding a convention program that will mean something.
The officers of the National Association of Music Merchants
have, first, hit upon the happy slogan, "The Jubilee Convention,"
and they have made a countrywide canvass to arouse interest in the
forthcoming meeting. The big thing now is so to arrange the con-
vention activities that promises will be kept and expectations met.
The work is in the hands of prominent men and the results should
be satisfying.
T
STEADILY IMPROVING CONDITIONS
M
USIC trade travelers who are returning from trips to various
sections of the country are bringing back with them rather
encouraging reports regarding improved conditions—not a complete
reversal from bad business to good, but rather a steady movement
toward a better situation generally.
It must be said the improvement is not in any sense countrywide,
but there are enough sections reporting a better trend due to local
conditions to warrant a certain measure of optimism regarding the
REVIEW
APRIL 8,
1922
business outlook as a whole during the coming months. In the South,
for instance, the farmers are planting their crops at a greatly
reduced cost, both for labor and material, and should even fair
prices prevail at harvest time there promises to be a substantial
amount of money in circulation.
In many industrial centers there has been a distinct picking up.
Iron and steel works in various sections are being reopened, and
although they are now operating below normal the amount of
unemployment is being reduced gradually, but steadily. This, in
itself, is another good sign.
Men who have traveled the country over and who are not
regarded as confirmed optimists bring back with them these
promising reports, which indicate that there is something tangible to
the statements regarding the passing of the peak of the depression.
NEW PATENT LEGISLATION
S
ENATOR LADD, of North Dakota, has introduced a bill into
the Senate designed to limit the life of a patent to five years
where the patentee fails to make use of his invention, and limiting
its life to two years in cases where patentee has sold his patent and
the purchaser has not utilized it.
It is likely that the progress of the I^idd bill will be regarded
with mixed emotion by business men, although it has been advocated
in this country for a long period. The idea, however, is not new and
has been the rule in some European countries for a number of years.
The primary purpose of the new bill is to put a stop to the practice of
individual corporations in buying up patents likely to interfere with
their products, and storing the patents carefully away in vaults for
protection, rather than for use.
It may be that the passage of the bill would work some hardship
on inventors who for one reason or another are unable to put their
patents into use within the prescribed limit of five years, but a far
greater number of inventors would be benefited by having their
patents put into service and realizing some profits from their
ingenuity.
It is claimed, and likely with some authority, that a law pro-
viding for the use of patents by prescribing penalties for their
non-use is calculated to promote business development by causing to
be put on the market new devices and improvements in existing
products that are calculated to benefit the public and arouse its
interest. Meanwhile, the attitude taken by business interests toward
the new Ladd bill will be interesting.
EXPORT TRADE INCREASING
R
EPORTS from a number of piano manufacturers who have
been engaged, more or less successfully, in catering to foreign
markets are to the effect that there has recently been a marked
improvement in the export trade situation, particularly in the demand
for American-made instruments from many South American coun-
tries and from Australia. There is no reason given for this satisfy-
ing change in conditions, but it is likely that the slow but steady
improvement in exchange may have had some effect. One thing
indicated by the export demand, however, is that American-made
instruments have found a definite place in foreign markets, and as
the world's trade gets back on a normal basis we may expect to find
foreign countries taking a very satisfactory proportion of our factory
output. Any development along this line, however, will not come
automatically. The export situation must be studied carefully so
that no opportunity be overlooked.
. • ,
THE TARIFF QUESTION
LTHOUGH the Senate Finance Committee is said to have
agreed on the re-imposition of the duties levied under the
Payne-Aldrich Tariff of 1909, with substantial duties on musical
instruments and parts included for the protection of the industry,
there is no indication that the prolonged argument over the tariff
will be ended in the Senate for a couple of months at least.
The announcement of the action of the Senate Finance Com-
mittee simply brings to mind again the fact that the tariff question
is still a live one, and continues to have its deterring effect upon
business, both domestic and export. The House of Representatives
passed the bill on July 21, 1921, which means that the Senate has
wasted practically a year dilly-dallying while the country is waiting
for a definite decision.
A