Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
DECEMBER 9,
1922
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
PROBLEM OF GETTINGJ^AINED WORKERS
By C. C. CHICKERING, President, National Piano Manufacturers* Ass'n
The inability of the music trade to get suf-
ficient skilled labor has been discussed and will
be discussed until this condition has been re-
lieved in some way.
That there is a very real shortage is shown by
C. C. Chickering
our own experience. After advertising week
after week in our leading Chicago mediums,
absolutely without results, we decided to try
elsewhere. We ran an ad in Boston, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Rochester, Buffalo and Rock-
ford without a single response. We adver-
tised in five leading foreign language papers
here in Chicago with negative results.
The situation now for getting trained piano
workers is much worse than it was during the
war.
And what is the result of this condition?
Well, for one thing, we are all busy, that is,
as busy as we can be with our present force
of men. Every factory is producing to the
extent of its man power.
Prices were first stabilized and are now tend-
ing upward; this is in response to real and
legitimate business facts, which can be easily
verified.
The tendency in our trade has always been
to overproduce. This has been directly re-
sponsible for most of. our evils, particularly
the evil of long terms, and also of price cutting.
And so, Mr. Editor, the shortage of skilled
labor is not an unmixed evil and it has its
silver lining in the curtailment of long credits,
the lessening of questionable risks and in the
steadying effect reflected in the securing oi
right and proper prices.
I will venture the prediction that the number
of failures among piano manufacturers will be
reduced 50 per cent by a combination of im-
proved business and with labor conditions a*
they are now. And the big and controlling
factor to effect this result will be the shortage
of skilled labor.
PRESENT GOOD BUSINESS IS HERE TO STAY
By J. EDWIN BUTLER, President, National Association of Music Merchants
I doubt if ever a return to prosperity has
been felt so decidedly or appreciated so ab-
solutely as has the present period of good busi-
ness, coming as it does after months of de-
pressed business conditions and at the end of
such industry-wrecking conditions as the coal
and railroad strikes. The business man to-day
has every reason to believe in the statement
that after the storm comes sunshine and that
every dark cloud has its silver lining. By going
back to former intensive selling methods, and
taking full advantage of the national spread of
the advancement of music work, the music mer-
chant is again in a position to wear a smile of
satisfaction and contentment.
The fact that business has been good through-
out the Fall makes me believe, personally, that
the present good times are not merely a holi-
day condition, but mark a permanent return
to normal business; that is, for the fellow who
has been a consistent worker and advertiser and
has not yielded to the temptation to follow the
line of least resistance during the recent busi-
ness depression, forging ahead in full con-
fidence that he will eventually be rewarded for
his efforts.
I am reasonably sure that the business
momentum that has been gained by our indus-
try as the result of existing conditions will
carry us through a very satisfactory 1923, and
upon good statistical authority the year 1924
will be even better. We can truthfully say that
the future holds the brightest of prospects for
t
fine, clean-cut, intelligent group of men that
would be an asset to any industry. If the deal-
ers would draw on the fund of information
these men carry around with them they would
receive constructive suggestions. and valuable
co-operation that would be of material benefit
to their business. The piano traveler calls on
many dealers and, being on "the outside look-
ing in," sees where bad judgment has been
used; where a change of policy would have
meant success or where a new sales plan pulled
a business out of a flirtation with bankruptcy,
all of which adds to his valuable fund of in-
formation which is at all times at the dealers'
disposal.
The members of our executive committee
have been receiving many inquiries regarding
the rumor that a new travelers' association was
being formed to take in all traveling salesmen
George H. Bliss
representing manufacturers and jobbers of mu-
sical merchandise.
Upon investigation we find that there is a
growing tendency among several of our mem-
bers to enlarge our Association, to take in
travelers representing musical products other
than pianos. This question was brought up
last year, but the opposition to changing our
by-laws at that time prevented the matter com-
ing up at our annual meeting.
It is the desire of the officers of our Asso-
ciation to abide by the wishes of the majority
of our members and we have, therefore, called
a special meeting to be held at the Republican
Club in New York City on Wednesday, De-
cember 13, at which time the question of chang-
ing our by-laws to take in travelers from other
associations affiliated with the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce will be acted upon.
SYSTEM IS NECESSARY TO SUCCESS
Many Business Men Fail Because They Do Not
Use System in Merchandising
J. Edwin Butler
all of us if we are willing to take advantage
of the opportunities it will present.
TRAVELERS HAVE COME INTO THEIR OWN
By GEORGE H. (JACK) BLISS, President, National Association Piano Travelers
The members of our Association have again
come into their own during the past year. In-
creased activity in the piano industry, together
with rumors of a piano shortage, makes the
piano traveler a welcome visitor. During a
period of dull business the traveler is often as
welcome as the mumps, but when things are
booming and merchandise is hard to tret he is
11
received with open arms. However, it is en-
couraging to notice that the progressive piano
merchants are beginning to realize that the
traveler has something to offer besides pianos.
One need but look over a gathering of our
members, such as get together at our annual
banquet each year, to realize that the National
Piano Travelers' Association is composed of a
Where there is no system there is chaos. In
no other instance is this so true as in the
conduct of a business. The merchant who works
blindly and haphazardly really has no control
over his business and, therefore, does not have
a complete knowledge of where he stands. If
he is losing money he does not know it and
thus shortens his chances of making a success
of his enterprise.
Complete systemization is the solution to this
problem. The merchant should at all times have
a complete knowledge of his overhead, his stock,
outstanding indebtedness, payments due, and, in
short, all the details which have an important
influence on his success or failure. The tasks
of securing this information may be delegated
to employes, but always under the direct super-
vision of the proprietor or some one with the
experience to handle the job properly. Records
of the various ramifications of the business
should also be familiar to the dealer so that
he knows exactly what is going on.