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THE
JANUARY 30, 1926
MUSIC TRADE
Piano Manufacturers' Executive Body
Favors Greater Convention Simplicity
President Authorized to Place Attitude Before Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Directors
—Twelve Members Dropped for Not Using Music Advancement Stamps
HP HE Executive Committee of the National
*• Piano Manufacturers' Association met in the
offices of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce on Friday morning, January 22.
President deRochemont presided, and there
were in attendance Charles Jacob, Mark P.
Campbell, E. R. Jacobson, Jerome F. Murphy,
J. W. Stevens, C. D. Bond and Herbert W.
Hill, secretary.
The chief item of business was a report from
the secretary concerning members in arrears for
dues on account of not using the stamps of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, which
a year ago were made part of tin 1 dues. Sev-
eral manufacturers have announced that they
will now use the stamps, and hence will con-
tinue to be eligible to association membership.
About twelve members were dropped from
membership on account of failure to use the
stamps. However, of these nearly half were in
arrears for the $50 annual dues, some of them
for several years, and would have been dropped
even if the use of the stamp was not a condi-
tion of membership. It is understood that sev-
eral of the remaining members who were
dropped have given indication that they will
apply for membership again.
There was a long discussion of the type of
convention which should be held this year, and
it was the unanimous opinion of those present
that the convention should be simplified, and it
was left to President deRochemont to make this
suggestion at the meeting of the directors of
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce.
It was suggested also that exhibits at the
next annual convention be restricted to firms
that are members of their respective associations
in the Chamber.
Association Executives Entertained
by N. Y. Merchants and Manufacturers
General Charles P. Summerall and Walter Damrosch, Conductor of New York Symphony Orches-
tra, Speakers at Dinner at the McAplin, with Richard W. Lawrence Presiding
/^VN Thursday evening, January 21, the mem-
^"^ bers of the executive committees of the Na-
tional Piano Manufacturers' Association and the
National Association of Music Merchants, to-
gether with the delegates to the mid-year meet-
ings of those organizations, were the guests of
the New York Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion and New York Piano Merchants' Asso-
cation at a dinner given at the Hotel McAlpin,
an informal affair that proved most satisfying.
Richard W. Lawrence presided as toast-
master, and in proper season introduced Major-
General Charles I'. Summerall, Commander of
the Second Corps Area, with headquarters at
Governor's Island, and who made an enviable
war record as commander of the First Division
in France. General Summerall delivered an ex-
cellent address in which he made the point that
those who took part in the industrial develop-
ment of the nation rendered equal service with
those who defended it in time of peril. He par-
ticularly stressed the importance of the Reserve
Officers Training Camps operated each year
under Government auspices for the purpose of
teaching the youth of the Nation not only mili-
tary operations, but also discipline and the
ability to handle men. He urged that the heads
of the industries co-operate with the Govern-
ment in making it possible for the young men
of their organizations to attend these camps
as a means of direct service to the nation in the
future.
Walter Damrosch, the noted conductor of the
New York Symphony Orchestra, was in a happy
mood when introduced by Mr. Lawrence, the
toastmaster taking occasion to refer to the pro-
gram to be given over the radio on the follow-
ing Sunday by Mr. Damrosch and his orchestra,
to an audience of unseen millions, it being one
of the A. Atwater Kent series of concerts.
Mr. Damrosch's talk was most interesting in
every particular. He told of the growth of musi-
cal appreciation throughout the country and paid
tribute to the service rendered by instruments
for the reproduction of music, declaring that he
was reconciled to them because of the fact that
it brought into the smallest communities and
into the hamlets and farms of the land a quality
of music that could ordinarily be heard in per-
Highest
Quality
son only by those who live in the larger cities.
The speaker told of his experiences in France
where he went because, although beyond the
fighting age, he felt he could be of some service
in furnishing music for the soldiers. His
description of the manner in which he organized
a school for army bandmasters was particularly
interesting, and in the course of his talk Mr.
Damrosch declared that had he a sufficiently
large fortune at his disposal he would utilize the
income for training band leaders throughout the
country.
At the present time, declared Mr. Damrosch,
there was too much concentration of musical
interests in the larger cities. In New York, for
instance, there is an over-plus of concerts and
recitals, with the music teaching profession also
concentrating here, while many small communi-
ties suffer from an almost complete absence of
opportunity for hearing music of the better
sort. What was needed, he said, was some sys-
tem for spreading out this supply of music to
cover the entire country.
During the course of the evening John Pal-
mer, of the sales staff of Steinway & Sons, en-
tertained the guests with what really constituted
a one-man vaudeville show, contributing sev-
eral highly humorous musical bits and recita-
tions. His operatic setting for the home break-
fast was particularly well received, as it was
cleverly rendered.
Albert Behning as usual had charge of the
dinner, and succeeded in gathering together rep-
resentative members of the trade from many
sections of the country. He also read a number
of letters from other distinguished tradesmen
who were unable for one reason or another to
be present, one of the letters being from Ed-
ward S. Payson, Boston, who, in his 86th year,
is regarded as the dean of the industry.
New Quarters in Pawhuska
PAWHUSKA, OKLA., January 22.—New quarters
have been taken by the McDowell-Castator Mu-
sic Co. on Kihekah avenue, directly opposite the
Triangle Building. A mezzanine and several
sound-proof demonstration booths are among
the features of the new store. The McDowell-
T
0NKRE
9
REVIEW
NCH
Castator Co. has been located in this city about
five years, under the management of Paul
Ecklor.
Kelly Reports Large
Proportion of Grands
Orders Placed With Springfield, O , Plate Man-
ufacturer Indicative of Increase in This Type
SPRINGFIELD, O., January 20.—The plant of the
O. S. Kelly Co.'s output, in which an increased
proportion of grand piano plates is ordered, re-
flects the present tendency of the trade. Talk-
ing to a representative of The Review, Presi-
dent A. L. Kelly said: "Our 1925 trade finished
up very satisfactorily, orders and shipments dur-
ing September, October and November making
up for a lighter volume in the first part of the
year. Nineteen-twenty-six opens very well, and
there is every indication to me that the first
half of the year will show extremely good busi-
ness.
"Beyond that, one does not care lo prophesy
if one is conservative, but it is encouraging to
observe that the farming communities arc now
reappearing as buyers, having been out of the
market, broadly speaking, for about four years.
During that period most of the pianos were sold
to urban areas, for the great stimulus to home
building during that time has provided the piano
merchants with a wide-selling field among peo-
ple erecting new homes. All told I feel sure
that we have just entered a very good year for
business."
Pratt Read
Products
P i a n o Ivory
Piano Keys
P i a n o Actions
Player Actions
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1806
at Deep River, Conn.
Still There
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PRATT, READ & CO.
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