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NMPA Petitions OPA for
Price Relief for Lumber Products
On behalf of the National Piano
Manufacturers Association, a petition
for adequate price relief for lumber
producers has been sent to Paul Por-
ter, Administrator of the Office of
Price Administration, and Peter A.
Stone, Pi ice Executive, of the Lumber
Price Branch of the same organization,
signed by President C. D. Bond, presi-
dent, and George A. Fernley, execu-
tive secretary, which states:
On behalf of the National Piano Manu-
facturers Association of America, Inc.,
and allied industries, it is our desire to
respectfully request that the Office of
Price Administration give consideration
to more realistic pricing of Lumber, pro-
duction of which is now being- stifled by
reason of doubled costs since prewar,
that are not provided for in current
rollings.
The critical Lumber shortage is se-
verely restraining reconversion in the
Piano Industry and unless adequate re-
lief is granted Lumber producers, pro-
duction in ours, and other industries
concurrently restricted, will be so hin-
dered as to cause—
1.
Widespread unemployment.
2.
Insufficient
supply of Pianos to
keep factories operating and prevent
severe capital loss.
3.
Failure
of
retail
Piano
dealers
who,
because of restricted
production
during the War, are now in serious
straits and must have immediate sup-
plies.
to u higher ceiling on Lumber
use.
for
our
Due to months of reduced production
and the total elimination of cutting in
grades useful for Pianos and some fine
furniture items, there will continue to
be a critical scarcity of Lumber and an
almost utter lack of our specification
as to manufacture and grade, unless
the Lumber Industry as a whole is giv-
eii substantial price relief.
We,
therefore,
wish to
recommend
that —
1.
An increase of from $7.50 to $12.(10
per one thousand be given on all No. 1
Common and Better Hardwoods with a
correct relationship between thicknesses.
This would enable a producer to re-
ceive approximately the same overall
net return regardless of what item he
produced from his logs.
2.
An additional advance in ceilings
be granted where selection has to be
made such as producing good quarter-
sawn lumber that requires a better, big-
ger b>ii and slowed-up production, and
where this is again made difficult by
grain and color requirements.
In presenting the above recommenda-
tion, we wish to particularly bring to
y.>ur attention the fact that fair and
, iiuitable prices as suggested for Lum-
ber producers would reduce costs in our
Industry rather than advance them.
This is true because proper pricing
would enable us to more readily secure
the special lumber for our particular
usage, and save substantially on the
cost of procurement as well as in the
cost of manufacture.
In many cases,
due to the shortage of Lumber and
traveling expenses to find it, plus ex-
pense of airdrying and stickering of
green lumber, costs have more than dou-
bled, adding $15.00 to $20.00 per thou-
sand to the price.
Lumber of the proper species is the
most difficult item for Piano Manufac-
turers to secure. If it continues to be
so scarce (and it is unobtainable only
because of the present inequitable price
situation), then the increased supply of
Piano plates, hardware items, wire and
other metal parts, felt, ivory, etc., will
he of no avail as the manufacture of
Pianos will !><• sharply curtailed and
eventually halted.
In view of the above, at a general
Meeting of Manufacturers of Pianos and
Piano Parts in New York City, March
Sth, the undersigned were instructed on
behalf of the Industry to present this
Petition for adequate relief for Lumber
Producers and to urge the necessity for
immediate action by OPA on this most
critical situation.
$50,000 Steinway Piano Attracts
Passersby to Curtis Window
Therefore, while the Piano and Piano
Parts Industry has been removed from
price control, increased production nec-
essary to adequately meet pent-up de-
mand, provide for sufficient recovery of
costs, etc., is not possible, because dum-
ber producers cannot afford tinder pres-
ent ceilings to cut the special types mid
grades necessary for our use.
The reasons for this are as follows:
Our industry requires a large percen-
tage (700%) of lumber specially selected
for its use, the ordinary grades and
manufacture not being suitable for the
production of Pianos. The special Lum-
lir which it requires comes from all of
the various OPA pricing regions.
The special items which we require
are quarter sawn Yellow Poplar and
Hard Maple and some quartered Red
• Him—also, specially selected flat sawn
White Straight (3rain Maple free of all
burls, mineral and defects for piano ac-
tions; thick straight grain Birch for
legs and other case parts where curly
grain stock cannot be used.
It is also necessary to procure the
highest quality grain Sitka Spruce for
soundboards and this same type of stock
in 2" thickness, special widths, for the
production of braces and keybeds. All
of these items are so priced that the
lumber manufacturers cannot afford to
produce them at this time and conse-
quently are converting their logs into
items which bring them a greater re-
turn when the lumber is sold.
Thus,
Piano
production
requires
a
better, bigger log and slowed-up pro-
duction to cut it, in addition to special
grain and color requirements. In view
of this. Lumber producers are entitled
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1946
Passersby have been attracted to the
show window of S. L. Curtis, on West
Fifty-fifth Street, New York, during
the past month where he has displayed
a Steinway concert grand piano, re-
puted to have been especially built for
the late Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney at
a cost of $50,000.
The case, which was designed by
Cottier & Co., is made of walnut, ebony,
tulip wood and rosewood, and is inlaid
with mother of pearl and tortoise shell.
Also set in the sides of the case art*
hand-painted medallions of the com-
posers, including Wagner, Bethoven,
Schubert, Schumann, Mozart, Gluck,
Handel, Hayden and Bach.
Inlaid on the outer rim of the top is
the inscription, "Music can noble hints
impart, engender fury, kindle love with
unsuspected eloquence, can move and
manage all the man with secret art."
It is said it took 15 years to finish
the Renaissance case.
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