Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
JUNE 10, 1922
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
15
CONVENTION OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRIES CHAMBER OF COMMERCES-(Continued from page 13)
the full story of what the Bureau has accom-
plished in even those fields it directly covers. It
gives only the results of which we have definite
record. We have heen told that Music Memory
Contests were held in thirty towns and cities
around Chicago, but we listed nine because we
have not yet secured definite information on the
others. The same thing might be said of Music
Weeks and outdoor Christmas caroling.
Our map shows eighty-eight cities and towns
holding Music Weeks. Pennsylvania and Michi-
gan held State-wide Music Weeks and Dr. Dann,
State director of music in Pennsylvania, told me
the results were astounding, especially in the
rural districts.
In Philadelphia there were
forty concerts given by members of the Matinee
Music Club alone and thousands of concerts in
the schools. The music wave swept through that
city without any question. The story is much
the same in other places. Dr. Dann's assistant
wrote saying the Music Week was the best-
organized enterprise ever undertaken in Penn-
sylvania. Dr. Dann himself said there was
scarcely a town which did not enter fully into
the observance, yet we have only listed five, as
we have not received sufficient definite inlorma-
lion as to the others.
The first year we started outdoor Christmas
carding we could trace but thirty towns and
cities after a year's work; the second year, one
hundred; the third year, 336, and last year, 609,
and the Associated Press called us up for a story
the week before Christmas—pretty conclusive evi-
dence that we were doing something.
Interesting Municipalities
One of the most important lines of activity
is the establishment of municipal music com-
missions as a part of the city government and
civic music associations. The Dallas Commis-
s on ha-} accomplished remarkable results and we
have published its report in pamphlet form with
comments of our own for the benefit of other
cities. Let me read you a letter received from
Mayor Aldridge a couple of weeks ago:
"Dear Sir:
"I find the pamphlet, 'A Short History of the
Municipal Music Commission of Dallas,' ex-
tremely interesting. Dallas has always been in-
terested in musical activities and in recent years
the Municipal Music Commission has played a
large part in directing the attention of the peo-
ple of this city toward the proper kind of music.
For your information I expect this year to put
3 Great Pianos
With 3 sounding boards
in each (Patented) have the
greatest talking points in
the trade.
the Municipal Music Commission on a budget
basis from the general fund of the City of Dallas,
making it an entirely independent Commission.
Heretofore it has derived its funds from the Park
Board of the City of Dallas, but I believe that
by taking this step in reference to its budget its
place as a permanent organization in municipal
affairs is assured."
That commission was established by Mayor
Wozencraft within three weeks after he received
a letter from this Bureau urging him to appoint
it. The Bureau was responsible for establishing
that commission.
Personally, I do not like to talk about what
we have done. I would rather let others do that
and have the work speak for itself, for we accom-
plish our results by never claiming credit for
anything we do. That is why everyone wishes
us for a partner. But you are entitled to know
what is being done with your money.
What I do like to talk about are the possi-
bilities ahead, to give you a glimpse of the future.
The Bureau is but five and a half years old and it
has already become a potent factor in the musi-
cal development of the country. My present
p'ans will take five more years to mature. At
the end of that time music will come somewhere
near taking its rightful place as an integral part
of the life of all the people. This is no idle
boast. It is a goal which is within your reach.
Music Industry and the Federal Reserve
At the conclusion of Mr. Tremaine's report
the members of the Chamber were addressed by
J. H. Case, Deputy-Governor, Federal Reserve
Bank of New York, who had for his subject
"The Music Industry and the Federal Reserve
System," and who, in enlarging upon the rela-
tionship of the two interests, said in part:
not unlike checks, letters of credit and bills of
exchange.
"But people outgrew the one-man banking sys-
tem as they had outgrown the one-toned musi-
cal instrument. The great expansion in com-
merce that followed the Dark Ages created a
need for improved financial facilities, and this
period saw the beginnings of modern banking in
the maritime cities of Italy, Spain and Holland.
Of these early banks the Bank of Amsterdam,
established in 1609, came closest to our present
conception of banking, and it is interesting to
note that the period of its establishment was, in
your industry likewise, a period marked by the
beginnings of order after confusion ami the in-
troduction of some standardization of design. It
was the birth date of the modern violin and of
the beginnings of orchestral music.
"In most foreign countries the development of
banking took the form of a few big banks main-
taining a large number of branches. In England,
for instance, at the present time, about 75 per
cent of the entire banking business is done by
five big banks, and in Canada approximately the
same proportion is done by seven banks. Each
one of these banks, with its numerous branches,
is a system within itself, and, when all are con-
nected up, as in England, through the Bank of
England, the result is an organization combining
maximum serviceability with highest degree oi
safety. Like the orchestra in music, such a sys-
tem represents the most flexible, responsive and
harmoniously working instrument that has been
devised.
"In this country the development of banking fol-
lowed a more complex form. We established a
large number of comparatively small independent
banks—an orchestra which has grown by the
present day to number more than 30,000 pieces.
The great problem of our banking history has
ADDRESS BY J. H. CASE
been to get harmony out of this system.
"I have been impressed by the fact that the
Discords in the Beginning
development of banking is paralleled in a rather
"Right from the beginning we had repeated and
striking way by the development in your own sharp discords. Lack of adequate supervision
industry—the manufacture of musical instru- over bank note issues resulted in most chaotic
ments. Both have experienced a gradual evolu- currency conditions before the Civil War. Notes
tion from simplicity to complexity, and I find of some banks depreciated heavily and business
that the different stages of progress that each men had to make continuous use of 'bank-note
passed through had characteristics that were a reporters' and 'counterfeit detectors' to keep up
to date on what their mouey was worth. Then,
good deal similar.
"The first musical instruments were very primi- and even after these flagrant currency abuses
tive affairs, which gave forth only one tone, like were remedied by the National Banking System,
the rude drums and rattles of the savages. Grad- panics were a frequent occurrence."
ually, and in step with the growing intellectual
Mr. Case then went on to outline the various
power of the race, these instruments were im- attempts made to reform the banking system of
proved and were supplemented by others more the country up to the time of the passage of the
complicated and capable of wider expression. I Federal Reserve Act in 1913, which resulted in
am told that students of this subject divide this the establishment of great reservoirs of credit
development into four stages, marked successively to support the individual bankers when they had
by the appearance of percussion instruments, exhausted their own resources in making loans
wind instruments, stringed instruments and key- and relieve them by rediscounting paper of rec-
board instruments. The tendency was ever ognized standard. After an extended descrip-
toward the more intricate, and so faithfully have tion of the details of the Federal Reserve Sys-
these steps typified the progress of man that tem and its operation, Mr. Case said, in closing:
scientists have been able to classify the state
"Under the Federal Reserve System, currency
of advancement of early peoples by means of evi- being based partly on gold and partly on com-
dence contained in relics or crude drawings of mercial paper of the sort I have described, these
their musical instruments.
difficulties were eliminated and elasticity assured.
"I am inclined to agree with some writers that Moreover, banks desiring additional funds may
we should add a fifth to the four stages men- bring commercial paper to the reserve banks and
(Continued on page 18)
tioned—a stage marked by the appearance of the
orchestra. For, in effect, this is a great instru-
ment, played upon by the conductor. It blends
and unites the properties of many, and makes
possible harmony which would be impossible in
any of its separate parts. It is the final fruition
of that searching for musical expression which
began with the simplest instruments.
"Perfected" "Crown"
The Development of Banking
"In a like manner banking has grown from the
Highest acoustic excellence dating back to the
simple to the complex stage. The prehistoric
days of Jonas Chickering. Took prize over whole
world at Paris, igoo. For generations the
days of banking were the days of barter, when
standard, and used on the greatest number of
people exchanged goods for goods without the
pianos in the world.
medium of money.
Services of our Acoustic Engineer always available — free
"As money came into more general use and
Illustrated books—free
commercial intercourse was extended a form of
American Steel & Wire
banking by individuals gradually developed. The
ACOUSTIC DEPARTMENT
Greeks and Romans were not unskilled in busi-
208 S. LA SALLE ST., CHICAGO
ness of this character and they used documents
American
Piano Wire
fam&ttoral^*^^ fa^to&tt&
We fix " o n e p r i c e " —
wholesale and retail.
The Heppe Piano Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.