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Convention of the Music Industries
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
A
T the annual meeting of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce held
at the Palmer House, Chicago, on
June 10, it was announced that a new finan-
cial set-up foT the Chamber had been devised
and adopted whereby the fixed overhead
could be materially reduced and a definite
income for operating commercial and pro-
motional work insured. Under the new plan
the operating overhead of the Chamber for
the coming year is not to exceed $7,500.
This being made possible largely through a
material saving in Tent. Moreover, all af-
filiated organizations making use of Chamber
facilities will be required to give definite
written' contracts for such use of space and
personnel as they! require.
The new plan will eliminate much of the
uncertainty that has existed in the past and
will moreover release for the general and
promotional work of the Chamber a consid-
erable sum of money heretofore absorbed in
office overhead. In short, it insures the con-
tinuance of the Chamber activities on a sound
business basis with a possibility of their ma-
terial enlargement.
PRESIDENT WAGNER'S REPORT
President C. Alfred Wagner, in a com-
prehensive -report of twenty-four printed
pages which was distributed to all members
of the Chamber, reviewed the work of the
organization for the past year and made
some important recommendations.
He first called attention to the fact that the
music industries have not been unique , in
suffering from current economic conditions,
but, along with almost every other line of
American industry, have been a victim of
world-wide business depression. However,
governmental and business authorities are of
the opinion that the worst is past and that
the future will be upward, which has en-
(Continued from page 5)
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
The' National Musical Merchandise Asso-
ciation of the United States decided to reor-
ganize, take care of the present obligation to
the Chamber, and to profit by the credit serv-
MUSIC
HARRY MEIXELL
Secretary and General Manager •
couraged the members of the trade to fight
harder and more intelligently for the right
to live and grow.
The activities of the Chamber for the year
are divided into three groups, namely: 1—
Musical promotional activities handled by the
National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music. 2—Commercial activities conducted
by the Chamber proper. 3—Supervisory and
administrative activities taken care of by the
Chamber proper for affiliated organizations.
WORK OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU
The National Bureau for the Advancement
of Music was reorganized on November 1,
1930, and has since been operated under a
board of control consisting of three representa-
tives of the music industry, three of the
ASSOCIATION
The decision to liquidate the affairs of
the Musical Supply Association of America
did not come as a big surprise to those
familiar with the affairs of the industry, but
it is to be hoped that some bureau at least
will be set up for taking care of piano manu-
facturers and others in distress without the
waste usually attending court action.
THE
PARTICIPATION IN RADIO CAMPAIGN
ice offered by th-e secretary of that association
which has proven so successful in other divi-
sions of the industry. This same organiza-
tion reorganized last year so that it is becom-
ing more or less of a habit.
WHAT HAPPENED AT
THE CONVENTIONS
SUPPLY
music supervisors and three of philanthropic
organizations. The result has been a broad-
ening of the Bureau's activities in the cause
of music generally rather than in the inter-
est of special groups and, what is equally im-
portant, has brought to its support during the
year $10,000 from the Carjiegie Foundation
with promises of larger support from out-
side sources during the year to come. This is
the outstanding feature of the Bureau's ac-
complishment during the year, for it spells
national recognition as a factor in the de-
velopment of the arts.
TRADE
THE EXHIBITS
Some few months ago when the convention
was first mentioned and with it the plan to
have the usual trade exhibits, there was
much skepticism as to the showing that
could he made under existing conditions. The
pessimists, however, were disappointed in
Chicago, for over twoscore members of the
piano and musical merchandise and radin
trades took advantage of the opportunity to
display their products with an aggregate re-
sult that was distinctly impressive. The dis-
plays, which in unit value and attractiveness
compared favorably with those seen at any
REVIEW,
July, 1931
Mr. Wagner also went into some detail re-
garding the participation of the industry in
the "Keys to Happiness" and "Music in
the Air" programs being broadcast by the
National Broadcasting Co. and with which
the trade is generally familiar.
So far as the commercial activities of the
Chamber are concerned the President re-
ferred particularly to the credit service, the
collection department and the co-ordination
of effort of various trade bodies under the
direction of the Chamber. Then followed
brief reports of the activities of the various
organizations affiliated with the Chamber.
In his recommendations President Wagner
urged that the various associations function
independently with their own offices, official
and clerical staffs, maintain separate bank
accounts, prepare their own work programs
and budgets and pay their bills directly.
Under this plan the Chamber itself will func-
tion solely as a clearing house for problems
and promotion work affecting the industry as
a whole. In other words, the associations
are to be likened to states and the Chamber
to the federal government.
{Please turn to page 8)
previous convention, occupied practically the
entire eighth floor of the Palmer House.
Nor did the exhibits go unnoticed for the
corridors and the rooms themselves were
well filled with dealers throughout the period
of the convention. Those manufacturers and
wholesalers with something new, worth while
and interesting to show reported a very sat-
isfactory volume of orders; in fact, the rep-
resentatives of several concerns were dis-
tinctly enthusiastic over the business booked.
This is to be taken not only as an indication
of present improvement in the music busi-
ness, but of a distinct confidence in the fu-
ture.
Altogether, it was a fine convention from
the standpoint of earnestness and accomplish-
ment and the work of the association execu-
tives in planning and carrying out the pro-
gram was well worth while.