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The National
Convention
C. Alfred Wagner Heads th
for Coming Year—Various Oth<
C. Alfred Wagner
President, Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce
O
NE of the bright spots in the convention
developments wa,s the plan to continue
the work of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce and its several
departments, including the National Bureau for
the Advancement of Music, for the coming
fiscal year, through the setting up of a sound,
conservative budget, thoroughly skeletonized
but designed to keep things going in a manner
it is believed will prove effective.
As a direct move to increase the revenue of
the Chamber it was agreed by both the piano
manufacturers and the music merchants to have
the cost of the combination stamp now placed
on a very substantial portion of all pianos sold
in the country increased from fifty cents to a
dollar, with the manufacturer and the dealer
each paying half as in the past.
Nearly $1,000,000 in a Decade
In bringing about the increase in the stamp
price the committee of the Chamber, headed by
Hermann Irion, presented some highly inter-
esting information regarding the Chamber
finances in a form not hitherto available to the
average member. It was pointed out that dur-
ing the past ten years, that is from 1920 to
1930, there have been raised for Chamber pur-
poses, including the advancement of music
work, a total of $978,131.14, this representing a
maximum in 1922 of $112,061.13 and a minimum
during the fiscal year ending May 31, 1930, of
approximately $72,300. Of this total amount
the piano manufacturers and dealers contribut-
ed well over a half-million dollars, or fifty-
eight per cent, with ninety-three per cent of
that amount coming from stamp sales. Natu-
rally the decrease in the number of pianos
produced brought a corresponding decrease in
stamp sales to a point where it was found
necessary to raise the price of stamps if work-
ing revenue from that source for the coming
year was to be obtained. It is estimated, con-
servatively, that stamp sales for the year 1930-
31 should reach a minimum of $24,000. It is
significant that, according to the records, the
use of stamps by manufacturers was about
equally divided between the members and non-
members of the Association.
The General Manager's Budget
The tentative budget recommended by Gen-
eral Manager Harry Meixell of the Chamber
and the finance committee as being the abso-
lute minimum totals $50,000, divided as fol-
lows: piano manufacturers, $12,000; music mer-
chants, $10,000; musical supply association,
$5,000; musical merchandise association, $4,000;
musical instruments and accessories, $4,000; C.
G. Conn, Ltd., for band instruments, $5,000;
individual members, $2,000; phonograph manu-
facturers, $5,000, and miscellaneous, $3,000.
In the budget as set up, $25,000 is to be de-
voted to the benefit of the National Bureau of
the Advancement of Music, $5,000 for rent of
headquarters, $5,000, or rather ten per cent of
the budget, and any excess receipts to be set
aside as a reserve, and the remaining $15,000
to care for the balance of the Chamber work.
The entire finance plan for the Chamber made
Harry Meixell
General Manager, Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce
a strong appeal to the directors and delegates
of that body as well as the officers and mem-
bers of affiliated organizations, and it is quite
likely that an immediate effort will be put
forth to increase the amount raised for Cham-
ber activities to a sufficient degree that will
make unnecessary any serious curtailment of
its activities at this time.
The Opening Luncheon
The first public session of the Chamber was
the luncheon and mass meeting held at the
New Yorker on Monday and attended by a big
majority of those present for the convention.
President Mark P. Campbell presided, and
following a brief address of welcome, in the
course of which he called attention to the tre-
mendous growth of the amount of music made
available to the public through the radio and
by other means and of the future possibilities
for trade development to be found in that situ-
ation, referred to his annual report, copies of
which were printed for general distribution.
President Campbell's Report
In his report Mr. Campbell stated that ap-
proximately $120,000 had been raised and spent
in the maintenance of the Chamber activities
during the fiscal year ending May 31, of which
about $78,000 went to the National Bureau for
the Advancement of Music for general and spe-
cial promotion and about $42,000 for the devel-
opment and protection of the commercial inter-
ests of the industry. During the year an aver-
age staff of twenty-five officers and employes
has been engaged in the Chamber work, and
special emphasis was laid on the fact that in
connection with the Musical Supply Associa-
tion the operations of some twenty creditors'
committees supervising the affairs of piano
manufacturers and music dealers in financial
difficulties have functioned out of the Chamber
headquarters during the year.
The National Bureau's Work
In describing the work of the National Bu-
reau for the Advancement of Music, of which
C. M. Tremaine is the director, Mr. Campbell
explained that it was divided into two distinct
forms; first, general promotion not contemplat-
ing any specific instrument, and second, spe-
cific promotion where movements for the play-
ing of some particular instrument or types of
instruments have been encouraged. During
the year the Bureau spent nearly $32,000 for
the general promotion, and about $46,000 for
special activities divided as follows: in the
interest of the piano $20,252.15, band instru-
ments $10,958.83, orchestra instruments $6,119.85,
fretted instruments $6,950.91, and harmonicas
$1,679.29.
The general promotion included the making
of surveys of the field and the gaining of con-
tacts with organizations and individuals who
could be of service in the advancement of
music. The Bureau also published and contrib-
uted numerous books, circulars and pamphlets
and answered thousands of inquiries for advice
and help. It also assisted materially in the
celebration of National Music Week.
In closing his comments on the work of the
Bureau, Mr. Campbell said: "In my judgment
it would be little short of business suicide for
members of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce to fail to support and enlarge the
work of the National Bureau for the Advance-
ment of Music in connection with the general
and special promotions which I have just dis-
cussed."
The Commercial Activities
In describing the work of the Chamber in
developing and protecting the commercial in-
terests of the industry, President Campbell re-
ferred first to the credit department, which