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The Jfusic jf/iade
Established 1879
REVIEW
VOL. 111-No. 2
THE
PIONEER
PUBLICATION
O F T H E MUSIC
February, 1952
2 r 863rd Issue
I N D U S T R Y
The Controlled Material Situation
Relating to 1952 Piano Production
a Statement by
JAMES V. SILL
President, National Piano Manufacturers Association
T
1HERE seems to be some confusion about the
status of piano manufacturing under present gov-
errnent controls.
Our industry is included in what is called the Con-
sumers Durable Goods Division of N.P.A. This group
comprises about 100 industries, including School
Room Furniture, House Furnishings, Stoves, Wash-
ing Machines, Appliances, etc.
Pianos Called "Less Essential"
F
correctly. The Executive Committee of the National
Piano Manufacturers Association and the Piano In-
dustry Advisory Committee, immediately upon hear-
ing of the unfavorable classification, took action to
see that the facts did reach those responsible. It is
to the credit of the N.P.A. officials that they ap-
proached the subject with an open mind. They cor-
rected the wrong by allotting additional copper to
bring our industry up to the top rating for the first
quarter and have classified us accordingly for the
second quarter of this year.
fcRIOR to January 1st of this year all Consumer
Durable Goods items were treated pretty much the
Production Still Curtailed
same, but in allotting critical materials for the first
T is important to note, however, that even those
quarter of 1952 N.P.A. attempted to classify indus-
with high essentiality ratings in the Consumer
tries as to essentiality, allotting more material (i.e.
Durable Goods Groups are receiving for the sec-
a higher percentage of the base period) to those in-
ond
quarter less copper than they received for the
dustries they considered most essential and reducing
the allotment of copper to those they thought were first quarter and only 50% of the steel used in the
base period, so piano production, except for small
less important.
manufacturers, is still on a greatly reduced basis.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Piano Industry
Close Dealer-Producer Contact Urged
Advisory Committee and the National Piano Manu-
facturers Association had supplied N.P.A. with con-
AST year piano manufacturers were able to keep
siderable data showing that pianos were used mostly
j production at a fairly good level by using ma-
for educational purposes and were, therefore, essen-
terials in their inventories in addition to what
tial, our industry was given a "less essential" rating
was allotted them. This year there is much less flexi-
in the allotment of materials for the first quarter of
bility as factory inventories are down and N.P.A.
1952.
allotments are substantially less. Various manufac-
T was apparent to the members of our Industry turers may be affected differently by these regula-
Committees that whoever in N.P.A. made the tions. Dealers might, therefore, benefit by keeping
decision on pianos did so without having studied in close touch with their sources of supply in the
the data we had furnished or had not interpreted it months ahead.
.;
.
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1952