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REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXX. No. 24 Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y., June 13, 1925
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Richard W. Lawrence Chief Speaker
at Opening Chamber Session
President of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Reviews Activities of That Organization During
the Past Year in Speech at First Noon-Day Luncheon Before Attendance of Nearly 1,000—
Mayor of Chicago Welcomes Music Trade Delegates to That City
HICAGO, June 8.—The National Music
Industries Convention of 1925 opened
most auspiciously to-day with the first
of the noonday luncheons at the Hotel Drake
under the direction of the Piano Club of Chi-
cago. Nearly 1,000 delegates to the conven-
tion, as well as members of the local music
trade, their families and friends, attended.
The National Music Industries Convention
was officially welcomed by Mayor Dever, of
that city, who was introduced to the repre-
sentatives of the country's music industries by
Harry Schoenwald, president of the Piano Club
of Chicago. Mayor Dever presented the free-
dom of the city to the visiting delegates and
bade them welcome in the heartiest of terms.
President Lawrence, the Speaker
The chief speaker of the luncheon was Rich-
ard W. Lawrence, president of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce, who in his ad-
dress outdid himself in describing the signifi-
cance of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce to the entire industry, the great value of
that organization as a protective factor and
the vital necessity for an appreciation of this
fact in greater co-operation upon the part of
the industry as a unit.
Mr. Lawrence declared that the Chamber
was working in the interests of the industry
three hundred and sixty-five days out of each
.year and this at an annual cost of slightly less
than $100,000. Despite the results which have
been achieved by this co-ordinating organiza-
tion, there is a tendency upon the part of cer-
tain members of the industry to accept this
service primarily as a matter of course, and,
in the vernacular, to "let George do the work."
He directed attention to the harmony in the
work of a large chorus which had previously
sung for the diners and cited it as a striking
example of effectiveness in complete organiza-
tion.
Progress Made
In his detailed discussion of the Chamber's
work, Mr. Lawrence called attention to the
progress that had been made in perfecting the
various activities of that organization during
the three years he has been at the head of the
Chamber. He especially emphasized the great
value to the industry of the information which
the Chamber compiles for its use. He pointed
out that approximately $400,000,000 had been
C
put into the purchase of radio by the public
without a substantial profit to anyone engaged
in supplying the public's needs of this type or
with many losses, largely because advantage had
not been taken of information available from
Richard W. Lawrence
President, Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
and other sources regarding the menace of
pyramiding orders and similar injurious factors
that inevitably appear when an industry devel-
ops under "boom" conditions.
Continual Vigilance
Mr. Lawrence particularly emphasized the fact
that the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce is continually vigilant for the music in-
dustry's interests, citing as a striking example
of this the quick action taken by it in connec-
tion with the recent ruling of the Bureau of
Internal Revenue regarding income tax reports
from merchants whose sales are largely made
upon an instalment basis.
The President of the Chamber stated emphat-
ically that where an organization can wage a
successful fight in protection of its industry's
interests, individual members of that industry
cannot even attempt to meet similar attacks or
successfully overcome obstacles toward its
consistent progress which means its profit.
Mr. Lawrence paid a high tribute to the work
of the National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music. He stated that at the present time this
bureau is operating through over 7,000 distinct
organizations which of themselves are investing
over twenty times the amount of money that is
appropriated for the support of the Music Ad-
vancement Bureau in the development of a
steady campaign throughout the country for a
greater growth in the appreciation of music and
a wider popularity of that art. He declared
that the New York Music Week Association,
organized upon the initiative of the Bureau for
the Advancement of Music, alone has an esti-
mated budget of expenditures of $100,000 for
the year 1925, an amount that exceeds the en-
tire sum invested in the support of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce for a similar
period.
Must Use Every Effort
He declared in conclusion that if a good vol-
ume of sales is to be expected for the coming
year extra strong efforts must be put forth by
the members of the industries themselves. "The
dealer must go where people live to put music
in the home," he declared. "We must be sure
that we have done all we can, or should do, to
make sales before we condemn general condi-
tions, the Chamber itself or some other factor
for poor business."
Mr. Lawrence received an enthusiastic recep-
tion from those present at the luncheon, his ad-
dress being punctuated with applause at many
intervals. .
The Entertainment
The Piano Club of Chicago maintained its
well-known reputation for entertaining royally
at the first of the mid-day luncheons of Conven-
tion Week. The feature of the first luncheon
was the appearance of the male chorus from
the "Student Prince." This fine body of male
singers appeared in the costumes used in the
production and sang all of the chorus numbers
from the show. They were most impressive
and themselves an indication of the advance-
ment of musical taste which is demanding bet-
ter musical productions upon the comic opera
stage.
From the attendance at the luncheon and
from the early registration, the Convention bids
fair to be one of the greatest ever held.
Entered as second-class matter September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of Congress of March 3, 1879.