Presto

January 31, 1925.
PRESTO
EXHIBITS AT THE
NEXT CONVENTION
mission. The directors evidently felt this to be a
very important matter, particularly the merchants,
as, it was brought out that the increases would be
especially bad for the dealer who in the last analysis
pays all freight rates and who receives his shipments
usually in less than car load lots, which under the
proposed rate will be increased fifty per cent.
Large Gathering of Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce in Chicago Last Week Dis-
cussed Convention Arrangements and
Many Other Matters.
To Oppose Perkins Bill.
The board voted to oppose the so-called Perkins
Bill, H. R. 11258, a bill to amend and consolidate
the acts respecting copyright and to permit the
United States to enter the International Copyright
Union, because it eliminates the principle of compul-
sory mechanical license. This bill, if passed, would
entirely discard the present arrangements under
which phonograph record and music roll manufac-
turers obtain copyrighted music for reproduction.
Under the present law if one firm obtains the right to
reproduce such music, all firms have the same right
and the price is fixed at two cents. Under the pro-
posed bill exclusive contracts are possible and there
would be no limit to the price.
As a result of the action of the Board at the previ-
ous meeting, the Better Business Bureau has been
working upon an investigation of low price and "bait"
advertising. The report on the subjects, which ap-
pears elsewhere in Presto, was approved unanimously,
and its recommendations concerning the procedure
of the Better Business Bureau in case of complaints
of unfair "bait" advertising were adopted. It is ex-
pected that the National Association of Music Mer-
chants and the National Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation will go on record with the adoption of the
strong resolutions which will be used in a campaign
to eliminate misleading and fraudulent "bait" adver-
tising.
Another "Division" Added.
The National Association of Musical Instrument
and Accessories Manufacturers was elected a division
member. Its president is J. R. Stewart of the Har-
mony Music Company of Chicago. The Pianostyle
Music Company of Brooklyn, music roll manufac-
turers, was elected to individual membership.
The vacancy on the Board caused by the resigna-
tion of Ralph L. Freeman, former vice-president of
the Victor Talking Machine Company, was filled by
the election of Mr. C. G. Child, a director of the
Victor Company who for many years has been very
well known in music circles.
Max J. deRochemont who is at president in Aus-
tralia will represent the Chamber officially at the
convention of the Federation of British Music Indus-
tries in England the latter part of May, and will
address the Federation on the work of the Chamber.
The votes of the Chamber were cast in favor of all
four propositions of referendum 44 of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States with respect to the
Postal Service. The questions are:
1. The Committee recommends that the Post Office
should be brought up to a high state of efficiency and
that the attainment of efficiency should be the first
consideration in the financial program of the postal
service.
2. The Committee recommends that any revision
of postage rates should be based upon a scientific
determination in which efficiency is the first consid-
eration and consideration is given, in addition to cost
of operation, to the portion of fixed charges that
should be met otherwise than through rates.
,3. The Committee recommends that postal salaries
should be readjusted by proper classification on a
different scale rather than on a uniform nation-wide
basis.
4. The Committee recommends that an adequate
emergency fund should be made available to the
Postmaster General to use in increasing salaries in
communities where the Civil Service Commission
certifies eligibles cannot otherwise be obtained.
The principles of business conduct of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States were approved.
"Among Those Present."
The following directors were in attendance: Rich-
ard W. Lawrence, president; Mark P. Campbell, M.
V. DeForcest, Percy A. Deutsch, Charles Deutsch-
maim, H. C. Dickinson, C. D. Greenleaf, E. Paul
Hamilton, Wm. C. Hamilton, F. H. T. Hollenberg,
E. R. Jacobson, A. W. Johnston, E. C. Johnson.
Joseph F. Reed., C. Alfred Wagner, A. K. Gutsohn.
As guests there were in attendance: Oscar A.
Field, Edmund Gram, Matt J. Kennedy, William
Heaton. Arthur Wessell, D. D. Luxton, James T.
Bristol, Rexford C. Hyre, Henry Weisert, Robert N.
Watkin, John C. Wickham, Charles Jacob, C. C.
Chickering, Herbert W. Hill, Otto Schulz, Harry D.
Schoenwald.
SUPPLY ASSOCIATION DINES
every dealer
knew what
successful
SEEBURG
dealers know
about conduct-
ing and oper-
ating auto-
matic piano
businesses,
every dealer
would be en-
gaged in the
business!
J. P. SEEBURG
PIANO CO.
CHICAGO
"Leaders in the
Automatic Line"
General Offices: 1510 Dayton St.
Factory 1508-16 Dayton St.
New Members Admitted and Plans for the Next
National Meeting of Manufacturers and Mer-
chants Considered and Disposed of.
At a meeting of the Directors of the Musical Sup-
ply Association of America held at dinner at the
Hotel Blackstone, Chicago, Wednesday evening, Jan-
uary 21st, plans were made to develop information
showing the importance of the supply trade to the
entire music industry and the importance of certain
activities of the Supply Association to the entire
industry. It was felt that the trade perhaps does not
realize the importance of the supply branch. A spe-
cial committee, W. C. Heaton, Chairman, was ap-
pointed to have charge of this matter.
There was a long report received from the Chair-
man of the Credit Committee, A. W. Johnston, show-
ing the continued work of the Association in assisting
piano manufacturers in financial difficulty. The rec-
ord of the Association in putting piano manufacturers
back on their feet, in liquidating concerns inex-
pensively, and in keeping members informed of the
credit situation has continued to be of the greatest
importance to the trade.
President Joseph F, Reed presided and the follow-
ing members were in attendance: A. W. Johnston,
John C. Wickham, William C. Heaton, Lester I.
Miller, Arthur L. Wessell and Alfred L. Smith, Sec-
retary.
Plans for Convention.
One of the longest and most important meetings
of the directors of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce was held at the Hotel Blackstone, Chi-
cago, at 2 p. m., Thursday, January 22. The meeting
immediately followed a luncheon. Members of the
Executive and Advisory Boards of the National As-
sociation of Music Merchants, Directors of the Musi-
cal Supply Association of America, and members of
the Executive Committee of the National Piano Man-
ufacturers' Association sat in with the Chamber
Directors as guests.
The chief topic of discussion at the mid-year
meeting is always convention arrangements. Harry
D. Schoenwald, president of the Piano Club of Chi-
cago, was appointed by President Lawrence to be
chairman of the Official Committee on Convention
Arrangements with, power of selecting his own com-
mittee members. The board delegated to the Con-
vention Arrangements Committee power to make the
final selection of the official convention hotel and to
make the necessary arrangements with the hotel. Mr.
Schoenwald had previously been made chairman of
the Convention Committee of the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants, a very important position,
particularly on account of the fact that the largest
number of delegates are merchants and a great social
function of the convention is the merchants' banquet.
It is expected that local social and entertainment
arrangements will be in charge of the Chicago Piano
Club as formerly.
Will Make Displays.
After a long discussion at which it was reported
that the piano manufacturers in their special meeting
had expressed a desire for exhibits, and the merchants
stated that their Executive and Advisory Boards had
voted against exhibits, a compromise which appar-
ently appealed strongly to both merchants and man-
ufacturers was effected by instructing the Conven-
tion Committee to allow the hotel to reserve rooms
for exhibits with the understanding, however, that
the Committee would take steps to have exhibits
closed between the hours of 10 a. m. and 4 p. m. on
Tuesday and Wednesday, of Convention week, at
which time the business sessions of the merchants
will be held. The Committee was instructed to make
arrangements with the hotel whereby exhibition
rooms would be confined to members of the Cham-
ber and its division member associations.
The employment was approved of J. C. Colquitt
of Washington, D. C, a widely known attorney who
practices before the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion, to represent the Chamber in a petition to the
Commission for a suspension of the proposed in-
creased rates on phonographs with radio installation,
and for later arguments of the case before the Com-
RELINQUISHES BRANCH STORE.
The Mitten Piano Co., Akron, O., has discontinued
the Barberton, O., store of this company. In the
future all business of the concern in that district will
be uerformed from the Akron store.
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