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SHEET MUSIC and BOOKS
HERMANN IRION ELECTED
PRESIDENT OF SCHIRMER'S
Hermann Irion, long an executive of Stein-
way & Sons., New York, and, for two terms,
president of the Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce, has been elected president of
G. Schirmer, Inc., the prominent music pub-
lishers and dealers. Mr. Irion, who has been
a director of the Schirmer house for a num-
ber of years, will retain his position with
Steinway & Sons. At Schirmer's he succeeds
Carl Engel, who by special arrangement with
the Library of Congress served as president
of that company for three years. Mr. En-
gel has again resumed his duties as Chief
of the Music Division in Washington, but
will continue with Schirmer's in an advisory
capacity.
Harold Flammer continues as vice-president
and business manager of G. Schirmer, Inc.,
and the Board of Directors of the company
remains unchanged.
To his new office of President, Mr. Irion
brings a wide acquaintance with matters
musical and the personalities in the musical
world together with a keen appreciation of
the opportunities that offer for a broader
musical development in this country.
BOSTON PUBLISHERS PROTEST
ANTI-PIANO CARTOON
The bi-monthly dinner and meeting of the
Boston Music Publishers' Association was
held at the Copley Plaza with President
Charles A. White, of the White-Smith Com-
pany, in the chair. It was a round-table oc-
casion and never before have the mem-
bers sat down to a more beautiful table deco-
rated as it was with carnations and ferns.
It was voted, following the repast, that
Banks M. Davison, long associated with the
music publishing business, but now retired,
be made an honorary member of the asso-
ciation. A committee consisting of Jacobs,
Crosby and Preston was appointed to draw
up a slate of officers for the February meet-
ing, which is the annual one.
Some interesting discussion followed, in-
spired by the appearance in the Boston
American of a cartoon bearing on the piano
business, which it was considered in bad
taste and President White wrote to Arthur
Brisbane of the Hearst publications, protest-
ing at its appearance. Mr. White's letter
was read to the members present as was the
answer which Mr. Brisbane sent in reply,
which was considered both interesting and
ingenious. Mr. Brisbane said, in part:
"I thank you for your letter, and I value
it especially because it reminds me that, with
Christmas approaching, it is desirable to
write again, editorially, as I have often done,
emphasizing the importance of music, not
merely the kind that comes from the radio
or the talking machine, but the kind that hu-
man beings produce themselves.
"I have more than once emphasized, and
shall again emphasize, the importance of
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
Henry Ford's statement, made to me, that
every child should be taught to produce some
kind of music.
"I hope you will not mind my pointing
out that in this particular strip, which would
not, in any case, influence people's ideas of
music, your friends have missed the point
entirely. The man with the truck is en-
gaged in dumping a load of gold, absent-
mindedly. And to show how absent-minded
he is, he mentions the fact that he also
dumped a load of pianos there, meaning to
say that the pianos are as precious as the
gold, and not by any means meaning to say
that the pianos are 'rubbish.' In other
words, he has been going to the rubbish pile
so often that he forgets himself, dumps solid
gold there, and even dumps a precious load
of pianos.
"There is nothing to suggest in the reading
of comics, by those that are experts, anything
to indicate that the maker of the cartoon
considers pianos rubbishy.
"But as I said, I am obliged to you for re-
minding me that something ought to be said
to encourage "Se purchase of pianos and
other musical instruments of high character,
now."
KENNETH S. CLARK WITH
RICHMOND-MAYER CORP.
Kenneth S. Clark, for some years past an
assistant director of the National Bureau for
the Advancement of Music, has been ap-
pointed sales manager of the Richmond-Mayer
Music Corp., New York, the prominent
music wholesalers. Although devoting his
major attention to his new post, Mr. Clark
will continue his association with the bureau
in an advisory capacity.
OPENS ELABORATE NEW
SHEET MUSIC SECTION
With alterations costing approximately
$2,000 completed, the new basement sheet
music department of the Seiberling & Lucas
Music Co., Portland, Ore., will be opened to
the public shortly. A full line of standard
and classical music, as well as musical sup-
plies, will be carried under the direction of
Mrs. Maude Luzader.
C. P. Macnab and F. R. Grubbs as co-
owners have launched a new venture in
Eugene, Ore., to be known as the Music
Box and to be operated along the same lines
as the Marshfield establishment of that name.
Macnab is the founder of the local store
which later was merged with the musical
business of T. R. Grubbs, successor to the
L. L. Thomas Music Co.
REVIEW,
Robert Teller Sons & Dorner
Music Engravers and Printers
I1ND MANUSCRIPT AND IDEA Of
TITLE FOB KSTIMATK
311 West 43rd St.
New York City
January,
1933
ANOTHER DEALER OBJECTS
TO RETAIL PRICES ON MUSIC
"Belleville, 111., January 3rd, 1932.
Editor, THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW:
"Dear Sir—The article in the December
issue by R. L. Jones, of the Jones Music
House, pertaining to the policy of the sheet
music publisher, in printing the price on the
title page, was very timely and should serve
as a clarion call to arms to every music
dealer in the country.
"We worked for years to establish a pay-
ing business on sheet music and felt that we
were fairly successful in doing so up to this
time. Records for the past month or so in-
dicate an alarming decline in profits and
we are joining with Mr. Jones, by instruct-
ing our wholesaler of the fact that we will
refuse to accept any popular sheet music
with the retail price indicated on the title
page.
"If the publishers want to join the ranks
of the hysterical 'dumpers,' let them do it
at their own expense and not ours. They will
destroy the very links which have sustained
them up to this time. They will destroy
the confidence of those whom we have man-
aged to 'stay on the ship,' and we believe
that this is the time for the retailer to im-
press the publisher with the fact, that, with-
out us they cannot survive.
"Yours very truly,
"E. W. PARO,
"T. J. Price Music House."
F. C. SOCIN INVENTS A
NEW PRACTICE CLAVIER
F. C. Socin, of St. Charles, III., well-known
pianist and organist, who is widely known in
the piano trade as a tonal expert, has invent-
ed and put on the market a new portable
clavier or practice keyboard, which can L,e
easily carried in a small suitcase, and which
ought to have a wide sale on its musical
merits. The striking mechanism is very
simple, of few parts and produces individual
musical tones, educating the ear and stimu-
lating practice. Key touch is that of a real
piano, and this Socin clavier (to use a gen-
eral name), but which he calls the Techni-
tone, is patented and will be manufactured
by the inventor for sale at a modest price.
Some dealers who have already purchased
Technitones to rent out to prospective piano
buyers and music students.
LESTER EXPECTS MORE GRAND
PIANO DEMAND IN 1933
In discussing the general situation, together
with prospects for 1933, Jacob Schiller, vice-
president in charge of sales for the Lester
Piano Co., Philadelphia, said: "During the
past twelve months we have had a very
active demand for grand pianos, particularly
the high-grade Lester grand. We added to
our dealer list a number of leading and bet-
ter known music houses and we anticipate
an increased demand for grand pianos."
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