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PIANO MANUFACTURERS
HOLD ANNUAL MEETING
T
HE annual meeting of the National
Piano Manufacturers' Association was
held at its headquarters in New York
on May 19 when arrangements were made
to carry on the activities of the association
through a contract made with Trade Asso-
ciation Management, Inc., of which Harry
Meixell, present secretary of the association,
is president. This will represent a genuine
economy in the association management, in-
asmuch as the work will he handled for a flat
fee of $2,000 for the fiscal year, including
the compilation of monthly statistics on ship-
ments; reports on credit delinquencies, col-
lections and similar services including secre-
tarial work.
For the purpose of raising the money neces-
sary to meet these operation charges it was
decided at the meeting that dues should be
paid by the members as follows: Class A
members, $200.00 per annum; Class B mem-
bers, not less than $50.00 nor in excess of
$200.00 in accordance with arrangements en-
tered into between the officers of the. asso-
ciation and its membership.
The question of future specialized promo-
tion of the piano and piano playing was
left in abeyance pending the development
of the plans of the National Bureau for the
Advancement of Music for its coming fiscal
year July 1, 1932, through June 30, 1933.
The following officers were elected to serve
the association for the coming fiscal year—
June 1, 1932, through May 31, 1933: Presi-
dent, I.ucien Wulsin ; first vice-president,
William G. Heller; second vice-president,
Jacob Schiller; treasurer, C. Albert Jacob,
Jr.; honorary secretary, Herbert \V. Hill, and
secretary, Harry Meixell.
President Gordon G. Campbell, in present-
ing his report for the year at the meeting,
told of what has been done in carrying on
the commercial activities of the association
during the fiscal year, including the monthly
statistics on piano shipments, unfilled orders,
etc., the credit delinquency reports, the col-
lection of accounts and liquidations.
He stated that of the twenty-two companies
on the association rolls nineteen had supplied
monthly statistical data through the year and
careful calculation over a period of years
indicated that the shipments of seventeen oi
these companies represent approximately sixty
per cent of the total shipments of the indus-
try.
This, in turn, permitted of a fairly
accurate gauge of the progress of the trade.
He also told of the value of the credit de-
linquency reports in checking losses to manu-
facturers by calling attention to poor credit
risks. Similar success has also been noted in
making collections for association members.
The work of the association in handling the
problems of piano merchants in financial diffi-
culties has also been noteworthy, particularly
in three instances cited in the reports.
8
LUCIEN WULSIN
The New President
The president also included in his report
interesting comment on the promotional ac-
tivities carried on largely through the Na-
tional Bureau for the Advancement of Music.
He paid particular tribute to the work of
Miss Ella T. Mason, who has concentrated
on the piano under the direction of C. M.
Tremaine.
He recommended strongly that
this promotional work be carried on as ex-
tensively as possible.
Although the association's budget for the
fiscal year just ended was set at $25,500, the
actual income of the organization for the year
was limited to $17,157.38. Of this amount
$10,200 was turned over to the National
Bureau and $6,147.07 was paid in cash to
the Chamber for operating the association and
towards the expenses of the central body.
The year ended with a balance of $950.93.
In closing his report for the year Mr. Camp-
bell looked ahead to what is to he done dur-
ing the next fiscal year. He said:
"When we approach the proposition of
work programs for the coming fiscal year,
June 1, 1932, through May 31, 1933, we are
immediately confronted with vital questions
born of the serious economic crisis through
which the industry and every member of the
industry is now passing.
These questions
are:
1. Shall the association be continued?
2. With the continuation of the association
what are the specific activities which should
be undertaken? 3. What will be the approx-
imate cost of conducting these activities? 4.
From whom can the money be obtained, that
is, who will the members be? 5. How shall
the cost determined upon be apportioned
among the members?
"In my judgment the existence of the Na-
THE
MUSIC
tional Piano Manufacturers' Association of
America should be maintained throughout the
coming fiscal year, June 1, 1932, through May
31, 1933, if only in the shape of a name,
office address, telephone number and station-
ery testifying to the fact of its continued ex-
istence. Any other course would be a con-
fession of weakness to which I think the piano
manufacturing industry is unwilling to yield.
"In the matter of activities, here of course
the program may not and cannot exceed the
estimate of the possible amount of revenue
which the members can produce for the
financing of its activities where they are or a
commercial or promotional character.
"It is my feeling that a very moderate
cost over and above that incident to the
maintenance of office headquarters the mem-
hership should continue their monthly reports
and summaries on piano shipments, etc., and
their periodic reports and summaries on
credit delinquencies.
It seems to me that
the knowledge to be gained out of this mu-
tual exchange of important information and
the savings to be effected will far outweigh
the relatively small sum of money needed to
carry on this work.
"So far as promotional activities are con-
cerned and the cost of such activities, I feel
that here again the amount of money avail-
able for the purpose must be taken into con-
sideration and in addition the future plans of
the National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music through which the specialized promo-
tion of the piano is now being carried out.
"In this latter connection, however, let me
venture the opinion that in case the National
Bureau for the Advancement of Music in
its present incorporated form separate and
distinct in every detail from the Chamber
and the Chamber management does under-
take to engage in work involving the special-
ized promotion of the piano any support
given to that work by piano manufacturers
should come from them individually rather
than through the medium of National Piano
Manufacturers' Association of America.
"In the event, however, that the National
Bureau does not see its way clear to engage
in the specialized promotion of the piano
along the lines and to the extent deemed es-
sential to piano manufacturers then I would
strongly recommend that the Piano Manu-
facturers' Association itself develop ways and
means to keep before the public the cultural
and educational value of the piano and one's
ability to play it.
"Let me say in conclusion that I firmlv
believe that despite the very trying times
through which we have been passing during
the current fiscal year there has been greater
association consciousness among piano manu-
facturers and greater coordination and co-
operation of effort than has obtained for a
long time previously."
TRADE
REVIEW,
June-July, 1932