Music Trade Review

Issue: 1932 Vol. 91 N. 9

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
November,
1932
LOUIS C. WACNER ELECTED PRESIDENT OF
CHICAGO PIANO AND ORGAN ASSOCIATION
HE regular October luncheon and busi-
ness meeting of the Chicago Piano and
Organ Association was held at the Audi-
torium Hotel on the 28th with a good attend-
ance. The principal topic of discussion was
T
the annual session when the various officers
and committee heads presented their reports.
Treasurer Schneider stated that the organiza-
tion was in excellent financial condition with
over $1,400 in cash and $5,200 in bonds on
hand.
The nominating committee presented the
following slate which was adopted by accla-
mation: President, Louis C. Wagner, of the
Baldwin Piano Co.; first vice-president,
David W. Kimball, of the W. W. Kimball
Co.; second vice-president, Richard J. O'Con-
nell, of Lyon & Healy; secretary, Fred Ryder,
LOUIS C. WAGNER
the increasing enrollment of Chicago Public
School children in the group piano instruc-
tion classes and the support given to that
movement by Superintendent of Schools
Bogan and Doctor J. Lewis Browne, director
of music. As previously announced, the asso-
ciation paid for the printing of 60,000 ques-
tionnaires to be sent to parents explaining
these classes.
The November meeting was held on the
tenth, also at the Auditorium Hotel, it being
DAVID W. KIMBALL
of the Cable Co., and treasurer, Adam
Schneider. In address of acceptance Presi-
dent Wagner commented upon the uniform
courtesy and kindness which he, an Easterner,
has met with in Chicago.
1929 and 1931. In the former year radio and phonograph
apparatus was valued at factory prices at $476,041,054, while
in 1931 this valuation had shrunk to $194,313,602.
The individual manufacturer and retailer may get some
comfort in comparing the condition of his own business over
the two-year period with the general trend of the trade of
which he is a part. If his proportion of decrease in either
units or valuation is higher than the average he needs to do
further adjusting. If the decrease is lower than the average
then he is just that much more fortunate or perhaps that
much better business man.
PUTTING THE SEAL OF APPROVAL
ON GOOD RADIO RECEIVERS
T
H E Radio Manufacturers' Association has taken a
distinct step forward in its efforts to improve mer-
chandising conditions in the industry by providing for
a concerted drive against unlicensed manufacturers
who, in placing inferior products on the market, are inclined
to trample on the patent rights of association members. The
general trade and public may not be interested in the patent
troubles of the manufacturers, but they will be interested in
Mr. Kimball, in accepting the office of first
vice-president, took occasion to endorse the
stand of Marshall Field & Co., in expressing
faith in the country as evidenced by a credo
published in the Chicago papers by that
great department store and which read:
CREDO
1—We believe in the United States of
America; in the soundness and permanence
of its institutions; in its destiny to lead the
family of nations to peace, brotherhood and
contentment.
II—We believe in the ability of our ap-
pointed leaders to overcome the obstacles
which obstruct the path of our people to
happiness and prosperity.
Ill—We believe that the business men of
this country can and will work together for
our national welfare; setting aside, if need
be, the powerful influences of self-interest;
and will so coordinate their efforts and poli-
cies that recovery—material and spiritual—
will be hastened.
IV—We believe it to be the duty of all
who have jobs to try to create jobs for those
who have not.
V—We believe that we can best show our
patriotism and our faith in our country by
thrusting aside all distraction, setting our
faces forward, and working—harder, more
thoughtfully than ever before.
—Marshall Field & Company.
The George Seeley Furniture Co., Glendale,
Cal., has opened a new music department
under the management of Leo A. Dearrick,
well known in the music trade of that city.
The new department will feature Baldwin
pianos and Atwater Kent radios among other
lines and will include a recital hall seating
300 for the use of music teachers and their
pupils.
The Houck Music Co., Little Rock, Ark.,
has been incorporated with capital stock of
$10,000 by W. P. Hamilton, Mrs. Lenoir
Mosley and T. P. Ma us.
the plan to attach an official R.M.A. label to all authorized
products, providing the label and its purpose is given the
proper publicity.
A great deal of the trouble experienced by the radio indus-
try has been due to wildcat concerns who have been more
interested in unloading their stocks than in producing radio
receivers of merit. The result has been the lowering of the
tone of the entire industry. If the public can be assured
that a radio product bearing the official label represents a
definite quality standard their confidence in the trade will be
restored. These standards provide that the sets must have
the approval of the Underwriters; ahall cover the entire
United States and Canada broadcast band; shall be non-
interfering and shall provide a definite performance.
It might be well, were it possible, for other divisions of
the music industry to establish similar standards of quality
definitely authenticated for the guidance of the public.
It
might change things a bit.
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November, '1932
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PRODUCTION IN 1931
(Continued from page 5)
TABLE I.
SUMMARY FOR THE PIANO INDUSTRY: 1931 AND 1929
1931
Number of establishments
50
Wage earners (average for the year) 1 ...
4,737
Wages'
$5,156,909
Cost of materials, fuel and purchased
electric energy'
_.
$5,892,230
Products, total value 21
$15,293,048
Pianos t
$12,500,674
Other products, value and receipts
for custom and repair work.... $2,792,374
Value added by manufacture 4
$9,400,818
Per Cent of
decrease
192S
81
(*)
9,970 —52.5
$14,000,826 —63.2
$18,866,437
$42,501,375
—68.8
—64.0
$36,616,297
—65.9
$5,885,078
$23,634,938
—52.6
—60.2
TABLE 3.
SUMMARY
FOR THE "PIANO AND ORGAN PARTS AND
INDUSTRY: 1931 AND 1929
1931
Number of establishments
Wage earners (average for the year) 1 ..
Wages 2
Cost of materials, fuel and purchased
electric energy 2
Products, total value 2 *
Piano »nd organ parts and perfo-
rated music rolls
Other products, value and receipts
for custom and repair work
Value added by manufacture 4
50
1,213
$1,178,187
MATERIALS"
1929
1931
67
(•)
3,090 —60.7
$3,597,210 —67.2
$4,247,919
$11,883,098
—76.3
—74.0
$2,912,402
$11,127,941
—73.8
$177,481
$2,085,038
$755,157
$7,635,179
—76.5
—72.7
* Per cent not computed where base is less than 100.
i
Not including salaried officers and employes. The average number of wage
earners is based on the numbers reported for the several months of the year.
This average probably exceeds somewhat the number that would have been re-
quired for the work performed if all had been continuously employed through-
out the year, because of the fact that manufacturers report the number em-
ployed on or about the 15th day of each month, as shown by the pay rolls,
usually taking no account of the possibility that some or all of the wage
earners may have been on part time or for some other reason may not actually
have worked the entire month. Thus it becomes necessary to give equal
weight to full-time and part-time wage earners in calculating the average,
and therefore the average may overstate somewhat the amount of full-time
1929
Per Cent of
decrease
Number of establishments
Wage earners (average for the year) 1 ..
Wages-
Cost of Materials, fuel and purchased
electric energy 2
Products, total value 23
42
1,460
$1,763,270
62
2,389
$3,603,631
(•)
—38.9
—51.1
$1,626,948
$5,710,028
$3,090,676
$11,322,736
—47.4
—49.6
Organs
Other products, value and receipts
for custom and repair work
Value added by manufacture 4
$4,876,852
$10,460,584
—53.4
$833,176
$4,083,080
$862,152
$8,232,060
—3.4
—50.4
TABLE 4.
SUMMARY FOR THE "MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, PARTS AND
MATERIALS, NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED-
INDUSTRY: 1931 AND 1929
Per Cent of
decrease
$1,004,845
$3,089,883
1929 to $5,892,230 last year. The value
added by manufacture decreased 60.2 per
cent, from $23,634,938 to $9,400,818.
The organ industry had only 42 estab-
lishments in 1931, against 62 in 1929. The
number of wage earners was reduced from
2,389 to 1,460, a decrease of 38.9 per cent.
Wages were cut more than 51 per cent,
from $3,603,631 to $1,763,270. The cost of
materials, fuel and purchased electric en-
ergy declined 47.4 per cent, from $3,090,-
676 to $1,626,948, and the value added by
manufacture receded 50.4 per cent, from-
$8,232,060 to $4,083,080.
The industry making piano and organ
parts and materials had 67 establishments
in 1929 and 50 in 1931. The number of
wage earners was cut down 60.7 per cent
between these two years, from 3,090 to
1,213. Wages were reduced 67.2 per cent,
from $3,597,210 to $1,178,187.
The cost of materials, fuel and pur-
chased electric energy for the industry
TABLE 2.
SUMMARY FOR THE ORGAN INDUSTRY: 1931 AND 1929
1931
Number or establishments
Wage earners (average for the year) 1 ..
Wages 2
Cost of materials, fuel and purchased
electric energy 2
Products, total value 2 »
Musical instruments other than
pianos and organs
Parts and materials
Other products, value and receipts
for custom and repair work
Value added by manufacture*
87
2,592
$3,051,318
1929
Per Cent of
decrease
106 —17.9
3,176 —18.4
$4,580,720 —33.4
$2,237,468
$3,825,294
$8,108,169 $14,274,078
—41.5
—43.2
$6,596,977
$1,134,160
$11,250,850
$2,131,440
—41.4
—46.8
$377,032
$5,870,701
$891,788
$10,448,784
—57.7
—43.8
employment. For this reason the quotient obtained by dividing the amount
of wages by the average number of wage earners can not be accepted as
representing the average wage received by full-time wage earners. In making
comparisons between the figures for 1931 and those for 1929, the possibility
that the proportion of part-time employment was larger in one year than in
the other, should be taken into account.
2
Manufacturers' profits can not be calculated from the census figures be-
cause no data are collected for certain expense items, sucli as salaries, inter-
est on investment, rent, depreciation, taxes, insurance and advertising.
2
For 1931, production; for 1929, sales (shipments or deliveries) by manu-
facturers.
4
Value of products less cost of materials, fuel and purchased electric energy.
was down 76.3 per cent, from $4,247,919 to
$1,004,845. The value added by manu-
facture was $2,085,038 last year and $7,-
635,179 in 1929, representing a decline of
72.2 per cent.
The industry turning out "musical instru-
ments, parts and materials, not elsewhere
classified," reported 87 plants last year,
against 106 in 1929, and 2,592 wage earners
in 1931, compared with 3,176 in 1929.
Wages were down about a third, from $4,-
580,720 to $3,051,318.
The cost of materials, fuel and pur-
chased electric energy for the industry was
reduced 41.5 per cent, from $3,825,294 to
$2,237,468, and the value added by manu-
facture decreased 43.8 per cent, from $10,-
448,784 to $5,870,701.
RADIOS WORTH $194,313,602
MANUFACTURED IN 1931
sets for the home (excluding batteries), ex-
cept combination radios and phonographs,
3,647,499, valued at $113,214,421; all other
receiving sets (including automobile and
aircraft sets) valued at $4,347,037; combina-
tion radios and phonographs, 73,603, valued
at $6,310,442; receiving tubes for initial
equipment, 24,944,796, valued at $13,263,520;
tubes for replacement, 24,317,552, valued at
$13,712,552; phonographs, not including dic-
tating machines, 48,276, valued at $1,674,010;
and records am! blanks which were valued
at $7,9+6.355.
The Bureau of the Census, Washington,
D. C, recently announced that, according to
a preliminary tabulation, the value of radio
apparatus and phonographs made in the
United States in 1931 amounted to $194,-
313,602 (f. o. b. factory prices), a decrease
of 59.8 per cent as compared with $476,-
041,054 reported for 1929.
The most important items which con-
tributed to this total were: radio receiving

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