14
June 16, 1928
PRESTO-TIMES
SHEET MUSIC
DEALERS CONVENE
National Association of Men Who Retail the
Music Publications Meet at the Hotel
McAlpin to Discuss Their Trade
Problems and Hold Election.
The National Association of Sheet Music Dealers
held its annual convention on Monday and Wednes-
day of this week at the McAlpin Hotel, Xew York
City. On Tuesday, June 12, the convention of the
Music Publishers' Association was sandwiched in be-
tween the dealers' dates.
Destructive competition, sales by publishers direct
to teachers and schools, competition by syndicate
chain stores, 10-cent popular music are matters which
were discussed by the dealers.
J. Elmer Harvey, president, who presided at the
15th annual convention, asked that, as a preliminary
to the business session, the members pause to pay
tribute to the founder and first secretary of this
association—the late Raymond W. Heffelfmger, "to
whom the retail sheet music industry is greatly in-
debted," said Mr. Harvey.
Outstanding Evils.
"The outstanding pernicious evils that are causing
the general unsatisfactory conditions that exist in
our business are the practices of some publishers
competing with us in our own territory, in selling
teachers, schools and colleges at discounts and terms
that no retailer can possibly meet, and in supplying,
at dealers' discounts, music schools, stores having no
regular sheet music department, and book stores not
carrying sheet music or music books.
"School music is often supplied at wholesale dis-
counts to piano houses or small instrument dealers
not having music departments, and these stores sell
this music to the public at practically the same price
that they pay for it, using it for bait to get cus-
tomers into their stores.
"Dealers' discounts should be given only to legiti-
mate sheet music dealers, and no dealer who orders
THE FAMOUS
CLARK
ORCHESTRA ROLLS
of De Kalb, Illinois
only a few outstanding items should be considered a
sheet music dealer.
"Nondescript 5 and 10 cent editions of reprints are
now flooding the country. These publications are
detrimental to the music business, and no dealer
should sell them or encourage the publishers of them.
"The present high wholesale cost of popular music
and the impossibility, under existing conditions of
raising the retail price, have made this part of the
business an unprofitable one for many dealers. Pub-
lishers of popular music should, for their own best
interests, endeavor to remedy this condition.
Free Orchestrations.
"While the general custom of giving orchestra-
tions to leaders is no doubt necessary in some cases,
1 believe this is being overdone, and could be greatly
reduced without losing any of its advantages.
"'Mail order business is generally considered to be
rapidly declining, and ample proof of this is shown
in the fact that the two leading mail order houses in
the country are building and operating many large
local stores while their gross business is showing only
a moderate increase.
Co-operation Is Keynote.
"Co-operation is the keynote of this convention.
We are anxious to co-operate with the publishers in
anything that will advance the music business, and
we ask them to co-operate with us, to help us solve
our mutual problems.
"To the publishers who arc co-operating with us,
and the trade papers, who have been so generous, 1
extend my sincere appreciation. I also wish to thank
Mr. Donlan for the enthusiasm and untiring energy
he has shown in carrying out the preliminary work of
the convention. 1 '
Paul A. Schmitt Talks.
Paul A. Schmitt of the Paul A. Schmitt Music Co-
Minneapolis, spoke on "Mail Order Houses and Chain
Store Competition."
"Xo benefit has ever accrued to any member of
the National Association of Sheet Music Dealers on
account of the selling of music publications by mail
order houses and chain stores," said Mr. Schmitt.
"When the publisher establishes the lowest possible
price on a new publication, he must provide for a
discount on such to the members of the National
Association of Sheet ATusic Dealers which will insure
a reasonable margin of profit for the retailer. A very
grave condition arises when the retailer loses any
part of such gross profit on account of lower retail
prices offered to the public by mail order houses and
(.•bain stores.
"Selling music publications at less than the ad-
mitted lowest selling price at retail is detrimental to
the entire music industry—publishers as well as re-
tailers. It is a fact that these concerns only buy the
well-known, established publications, and the demand,
or popularity, of such compositions is due largely to
the efforts of acknowledged sheet music retailers
introducing such publications to their patrons—
schools, teachers, artists and the general public.
"The common interests of the sheet music industry
urge a very thorough discussion of this problem by
the members of the National Association of Sheet
Music Dealers at this time. If the conclusions
arrived at by our members justify it, I suggest that
a resolution be made by the National Association of
Sheet Music Dealers to the Music Publishers' Asso-
ciation calling to their attention that on account of
the very large quantities of music certain individual
publishers have been selling to the general mail order
houses and chain stores, the gross sales of the recog-
nized sheet music dealers and attending net profits
have materially fallen off during the past several
years. Tf continued, this ruinous and unethical policy
on the part of some publishers will mean the elim-
ination of the recognized sheet music dealers, and
the making of a very disastrous situation for the
publishers."
EDWARD DUCKWORTH INJURED.
Edward Duckworth, one of the salesman for the
Starr Piano Company, Indianapolis, was seriously
injured recently while driving his machine on state
road Xo. 31 near Indianapolis. Duckworth was en-
gaged in arranging his tire rack at the rear of his
car, when another car driving at a high rate of speed
crashed into him. His left arm and leg were mangled
and he appeared to be suffering from internal injuries.
He was taken to the city limits by a passing motor-
ist, where he was met by the ambulance and taken
to the city hospital. His condition was said to be
serious. H. (r. Hook, manager of the company, said
that his condition had to improve before his broken
limbs could be set, or any aid administered on account
of the loss of blood.
EVIDENCES OF PROGRESS.
A new 12-story store and office building is to be
erected in Milwaukee, Wis., by L. M. Kesselmann
and associates. Work is to be started soon on wreck-
ing the three-story structure that now occupies the
site and which for many years housed the Kessel-
mann-O'Driscoll Co., dealers in musical merchandise.
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CLARK ORCHESTRA ROLLS
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De Kalb, Illinois
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