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THE
SEPTEMBER 19, 1925
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
Ohio Music Merchants' Convention—(Continued from page 6)
cussed earnestly and in detail plans for co-
operative advertising designed to check the bait
type of publicity and some excellent ideas were
advanced. At the suggestion of Henry Dreher
both the report and the recommendations con-
tained therein on bait advertising were en-
dorsed by the Association.
Federal Income Tax
Alfred L. Smith, general manager of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, then
talked at length upon current rulings by the
Bureau of Internal Revenue upon federal in-
come tax procedure in relation to instalment
sales and emphasized the necessity of the retail
music merchant keeping his books in accord-
ance with the requirements of the Federal
authorities so that tax reports could be made
conformable to their desire. Mr. Smith cited
the Todd cas*e in Philadelphia, the decision in
which was printed in full in The Review early
in the year, as an example of the conditions that
often arise through lack of this conformity.
He concluded his address by stating that the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce would
hold conferences with the officials of the Treas-
ury Department in an effort to obtain a definite
ruling upon this subject that would be mutually
fair to both parties concerned.
Afternoon Session
At the official luncheon on Wednesday the
principal speaker was Chas. A. Deutschmann,
president of the National Association of Piano
Tuners, who outlined the activities of that or-
ganization.
The Carrying Charge
The session of Wednesday afternoon and the
final session of the convention developed a num-
ber of interesting and helpful discussions and
was the liveliest of the entire convention. The
first speaker was O. H. Boyd, whose subject
was the carrying charge, his address being
printed in full on page 9 of this issue. He was
followed by Wm. R. Graul, who presented a
report of the Carrying Charge Committee of
the Association, which is printed in full on page
12.
A general discussion followed these two ad-
dresses, various dealers citing their successful
experience with the carrying charge. Chas. H.
Yahrling stated that he had been using the
carrying charge on instalment sales of musical
instruments, talking machines and radio with
such good results that three months ago he
extended the plan to pianos on a basis of 4
per cent on twelve months sales, 6 per cent on
eighteen months sales, 8 per cent on twenty-
four months sales, 10 per cent on thirty months
sales, etc. This rate is less than on other instru-
ments handled by that house, as the rate on
talking machines is 3 per cent on six months
sales and 5 per cent on twelve months sales,
and on radio 5 per cent on six months sales
and one-half of 1 per cent monthly on terms
over that.
The next speaker was Robt. E. Taylor whose
subject was "Securing and Training Efficient
Retail Salesmen."
The Phonograph's Future
Following him came J. E. Henderson, man-
ager of the phonograph division of the Bruns-
wick-Balke Collender Cincinnati branch. In
discussing the future of the phonograph, he
stated that the tremendous volume of sales made
during the past sixty days, even at special
prices, indicated there are still a genuine demand
for this instrument and that the public is will-
ing to buy the existing types of machines even
with the knowledge that something new is com-
ing. The speaker declared that the phonograph
manufacturers were doing more to bring the
public into the store of the dealer than all other
branches of the music trade combined. Two
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for
the
osco
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of the leading companies spent $1,418,000 in
thirty-five national magazines in 1924, as com-
pared to $812,000 spent by other musical instru-
ment makers. This advertising, he declared, re-
verted to the benefit of every department of the
retail music business during the same year.
Mr. Henderson also described some of the
new phonograph developments in which radio
principles were then combined with that instru-
ment, declaring that manufacturers had pro-
tected the trade by making radio a part of the
line instead of allowing it to remain an en-
tirely outside competition. He urged stronger
selling and more canvassing.
The Dealers' Standpoint
The next speaker, C. C. Baker, of Columbus,
presented the dealer's views of the phonograph
in a manner that was direct from the shoulder.
After asserting his faith in the future of that
instrument, Mr. Baker declared that profit was
lacking because discounts had remained sta-
tionary, although all overhead expenses have in-
creased considerably. He stated that in his
opinion too many types of machines and too
many records are being produced, that the ad-
vertising furnished by the manufacturer is often
not suited to the dealers' needs and that repre-
sentation was given too many concerns outside
the retail music business." The appeal in the
address for larger discounts to give the dealer a
larger working margin was received enthusias-
tically, and, in fact, his entire address aroused
much favorable comment and it was voted that
the new president appoint a committee to confer
with phonograph manufacturers on plans for
solving retail problems.
President Henry E. Weisert, who was present
declared that he, too, would appoint a committee
of the National Association of Music Merchants
to confer with phonograph makers or repre-
sentatives.
Call for Delegates' Meeting
A number of important resolutions were
adopted by the convention, including one di-
rected to the National Association of Music
Merchants and reading:
"Whereas at the suggestion of the National
Association of Music Merchants this Associa-
tion on March 31, 1924, made formal written
application for affiliation with it, and
"Whereas at the national meeting in New
York City during June, 1924, said application
was accepted and said affiliation officially con-
sumate, and
"Whereas this Association has at different
times taken action upon various retail matters
by resolution and otherwise to benefit its mem-
bers and which it was believed could and should
be considered nationally as well, and
"Whereas this Association at its fifteenth an-
nual meeting in Cleveland, O., on September
10, 1924, passed a resolution recommending that
all nationally priced instruments be advertised
as to retail price f. o. b. factory, and at a special
meeting held in Columbus, O., on January 12,
1925, it passed resolutions regarding phonograph
records and machines, radio and advertising, all
of which resolutions were referred by this Asso-
ciation to the National Association of Music
Merchants, concerning which no definite na-
tional action or consideration followed, and
"Whereas this Association desires such affilia-
tion along with the affiliation of other municipal,
State and regional organizations to continue
and be of equal benefit to the national body,
and all other affiliated bodies and itself, and
"Whereas the National Association of Music
Merchants has indicated the desire to have this
Association, as well as other of its affiliated
organizations, co-operate in a closer and more
effective manner,
"Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Music
PIANO
SCARFS
Merchants Association of Ohio, if it is to con-
tinue to co-operate with the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants, hereby makes and offers
the following suggestion to the national organ-
ization as a means of more closely amalgamat-
ing and recognizing the various regional State
organizations; first invite each affiliated organ-
ization to send three duly appointed delegates
to the next mid-year national executive meeting
in January, 1926; second let each delegation
bring the national organization suggestions
from its own association which seem properly
referable to the nations body; third permit
these delegations to organize in a general meet-
ing and let the recommendations and problems
of each be presented and discussed by all in
executive session; fourth receive and consider
the final action and recommendations of all
these delegates as approved at this general
meeting, and,
:
"Be it further resolved that the Music Merch-
ants Association of Ohio hereby reaffirms its
desire to cooperate with the national body and
pledges its continued support to the National
Association of Music Merchants in any plan of
future national operation be benefited through
the united independent national action, and,
"Be it further resolved that a copy oi this
resolution be forwarded by the secretary to the
president of the National Association of Music
Merchants."
i
(Continued on page 10)
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