27
PRESTO-TIMES
June 4, 1927.
SMALL GOODS, MUSIC ROLLS AND SHEET MUSIC
grievance will be investigated. The committee will
attempt to get at the root of the evils of the sheet
music trade and to abolish them.
Other subjects for consideration are the following:
Annual Convention of National Association at
Overproduction of new publications; high prices of
Hotel Stevens, Chicago, June 6 to 9,
teaching material; preferential rates given at retail
Expected to Be Well Attended.
by publishers; how are the so-called "T" prices work-
The officers of the National Association of Sheet ing out? can the retailers educate the teachers to
Music Dealers, elected at the convention of 1926, are take a profit on music? monthly reports of business
Paul J. Schmitt, president; Robert T. Stanton, vice- conditions in each section of the country prepared
by the directors will be distributed to all members of
president, and Thomas J. Donliu, secretary.
The annual convention of the National Association the association; can advertising, the greatest force in
of Sheet Music Dealers at the Hotel Stevens, Chi- modern business, be used to better advantage in the
cago, June 6 to 8, will have as a drawing force for stimulating of general public interest in music?
the trade, a program of great interest to every man
The officers of the National Association of Sheet
who sells music. Many of the old convention griev- Music Dealers, with offices at 325 West 75th street,
ances will not appear on the schedule because they New York, have issued the following, dated May 23,
have been settled and put away for keeps from the to sheet music dealers:
field of music selling.
The Announcement.
A great many things in recent years have occurred
The sheet music business is a complicated one. It
to influence the taste in music of the American peo- is estimated that not less than one thousand new
ple. And as the sheet music trade is dependant for music publications are issued by the recognized
success on its response to that varying taste it is easy American music publishers each month. These are
to see how talks relating to that range of subjects superimposed upon the enormous quantity of music
w T ill be keenly listened to at the business gatherings that is already on the market. Large sums have been
in the Hotel Stevens. Jazz may be tamed but other invested in the production of this material. Each
demands of the dance era are worthy of consideration publisher must realize a profit on his investment.
distributing of this vast assortment of music
by sheet music men. New kinds of music and the is The
the function of the retailer. He is in close touch
growth of the dance orchestra, professional and ama- with the music-buying public. He has invested his
teur, have possibilities for discussion that should in- capital in publications selected from the output of
terest the trade.
the numerous publishers. First-hand contact with his
In a notice to members and the trade generally clientele teaches him its needs. He must carry in
sent out by officers of the organization this week, it stock the music that is in demand and must be on the
is said that people hitherto have been left to the lookout constantly for new music that will appeal to
his patrons. The retailer, too, must realize a profit
spontaneous urge and specific inducements to buy on
his investment.
music have been the exception rather than the rule
The retailer cannot feature the publications of any
in the trade. To the lack of an organized trade a one publisher to the exclusion of other publishers'
large proportion of the public has become indifferent music. He has to visualize the situation from the
to the continuous appearance of new music, is the viewpoint of his customers. He does not have to be
urged to push a particular line of merchandise if he
statement.
knows from experience that it will find a ready sale
For Unified Effort.
over his counters. He will co-operate to the utmost
In the appeal for a unified effort to revitalize the with the publishers, upon whom, naturally, rests the
public into enthusiastic interest in music there is a burden of creating a demand for their own produc-
suggestion of what other trades have performed. tions.
Where one said it with flowers a few years ago,
The man of destiny has yet to appear who will re-
thousands eloquently speak by means of the blos- duce to something like order the chaotic condition
soms today. The slogan of the cut flower dealers that has prevailed in the sheet music trade for many
was the war cry in an organized effort that became years. The program for the coming convention of
general all over the country. Propaganda has brought the National Association of Sheet Music Dealers out-
lines a plan that will help to solve some of the prin-
the cranberry industry from a hit-or-miss affair to cipal
difficulties. Cut-throat competition will not do
one of the big commercial activities of the country. it. That has been tried times without number.
Trade is filled with instances of the value of organ-
The individual dealer's complaints are of little avail.
ized concentrated effort in directing public attention His bitterness over the loss of trade to destructive
to the merits of this or that commodity. Why not competitors does not bring the trade back. Disaster
use propaganda as a means to more sales of sheet to the retail business can be forestalled only by the
music? That is the query the convention of sheet organized sheet music dealers. A strong retail or-
ganization can prevent a recurrence of the blind
music dealers will be asked to answer.
struggle for monopoly that dragged the sheet music
Other Questions.
business down.
There are other questions which may find their
The Schedule of Dues.
answers in the discussions at the Hotel Stevens next
Sheet
music
dealers who are not members of the
month. Is the "On-Sale Plan" to endure? That is
National Association are cordially invited to attend
something that should stimulate every sheet music the
annual convention at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago,
dealer to add his suggestion for a cure to the many June 6. 7 and 8. A schedule of dues is given below,
already distracting . the trade. The officers of the with an application form for those who wish
sheet music dealers national association say some- roll in the association. The dues are nominal. The
thing must be done to end a custom that "means higher rates are cheerfully paid by the comparatively
slow death to the sheet music dealer." Whether the few larger concerns. The benefits derived from the
sheet music counter is to be a means to just profits work of the organization are in proportion to the
or only a circulating library, remains to be determined amount of business done.
Members doing a total business in sheet music and
by the trade at its convention at the Hotel Stevens. books
of $200,000 a year or more, $50; members doing
The association has sent out a vigorous call. Let it $100,000 or more, $25; members doing $50,000 or
be answered enthusiastically by the trade.
more, $15; members doing $10,000 or more, $10;
The convention sessions will begin with singing members doing less than $10,000 a year (associate
members), $5.
by the entire organization under the direction of
Robert T. Stanton, the vice-president. The out-
standing feature of the convention will be the estab-
MAIL ORDER PIANIST WINS.
lishing of a business ethics committee. This com-
Francis Schipfer, 86, Sigourney. Iowa, has been
mittee will receive all complaints of unfair competi- awarded a scholarship in a Boston conservatory of
tion. It will start work during the convention and
music. He took lessons by mail and arose early
will continue its activities the whole year. Every every morning for practice.
SHEET MUSIC DEALERS
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MUSICAL MERCHANDISE ASS'N
Big National Organization of Men Who Distribute
Music Goods to Convene in Chicago.
Another of the important national organizations of
the music trade scheduled to meet at the Hotel Ste-
ens, Chicago, on June 6, is the National Musical
Merchandise Association of which William J. Hauss-
ler, of C. Bruno & Son, Inc., New York, has been
WILLIAM J. HAUSSLER.
president successively for two terms. And if the an-
ticipations of many members of the organization are
correct, Mr. Haussler will be similarly honored for
another term commencing the convention date of
1927.
Other officers of the National Musical Merchandise
Association are F. C. Howard, vice-president; J. S.
Stewart, secretary, and Fred Gretsch, treasurer.
The association was primarily formed for the re-
form of certain hurtful practices in the trade, not
only those relating to manufacturing processes but to
the ultimate distribution of the goods. The associa-
tion is to be credited with accomplishing much in
these particulars but mainly through the continuous
efforts of Mr. Haussler many benefits due to a close
scrutiny of tariff measures have accrued to the job-
bers and dealers.
O. B. Heaton. Columbus, O., recently purchased
the stock of the O. W. Hudnell Piano Co.
THE FAMOUS
CLARK
ORCHESTRA ROLLS
of De Kalb, Illinois
The Best for Automatic Playing Pianos
Organs and Orchestrions
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Manufacturers — Originators — Patentees
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