Presto

September 29, 1928
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
bers out of an estimated total of five thousand mer-
chants, but as the membership includes every house
of standing and distinction, the membership is decid-
edly representative of the trade. National Music
Merchandise Association, Musical Supply Association,
National Association of Sheet Music Dealers, Band
Instrument Manufacturers' Association, National As-
sociation of Musical Instrument and Accessories
Manufacturers, National Piano Travelers' Associa-
tion, National Association of Piano Tuners, and Na-
tional Piano Technicians' Association.
His Experiences.
As long as I have been connected with the music
industry—and I shall not tell you how long that is
because you might consider me either old or boastful
and I do not like either—there have been associations
within our trade. As far as I can recollect, however,
and this applies to my country, these associations
have always been of a mainly defensive nature, and
when the reason for the necessity of the defense came
to an end, the association lapsed into dormancy
until a "raison d'etre" again became evident or cru-
cial. These reasons were invariably the same, i. e.,
attack upon the manufacturers by labor in the form
of unions for higher wages and better working con-
ditions, and attacks upon manufacturers and mer-
chants alike by legislative bodies usually for some
restrictive laws or taxation, including the question of
duties, and in a minor degree, bad practices by irre-
sponsible members of the trade that had an injurious
effect upon the industry as a whole.
It was the advent of the great war which shook
our associations again out of their lethargy and
brought us all to a realization that only by united
and concerted effort would it be possible for our
industry to keep its head above water during that
terrible conflict as our War Industries Board was
rapidly proceeding to curtail all our requirements of
every raw material necessary to carry on, having at
once rated us as a non-essential industry. That nat-
urally required definite action, but as you will observe
it was again defensive in its nature. It was a case of
do or die. It is to the distinct and everlasting credit
of the farsighted men of our industry who in those
clays of tribulation and stress, banded together as one
and organized our chamber as it exists and functions
today, and all of you who have been in any manner
active in trade association work will appreciate just
what that means. So it may safely be stated that
our chamber is a war baby in the true sense of the
word. The men who cannot deny their responsibil-
ity for it, in reality builded better than they knew,
for as our renaissance dates from the year 1917, the
year of our entrance into the War, we now have a
pretty healthy little kid going on twelve years of
age.
This time we didn't relapse back into inactivity
the moment danger ceased. Our then officers saw
and realized as you did, that a trade association had
other functions but those of defense, and could be
made useful to its members and contributors in chan-
nels that would return dollars where pennies w r ere
invested, and so our officers applied their organization
for offense and adopted as a slogan for the aim to be
accomplished, "For the Advancement of Music," and
under this banner we have carried on our principal
activities ever since.
Points to Similarity.
I believe I am correct in saying that on this par-
ticular point the similarity between our two asso-
ciations is complete. You, too, are carrying on as
your main objective the highly educational and cul-
tural development of a greater appreciation, under-
standing and love of music in the British Islands, not
only that this art may be used as a mere pastime for
listeners, but also that a greater desire may be stimu-
lated for self expression on any one of the various
musical instruments, not forgetting the human voice
and particularly on the piano which we are all agreed
is the basic and most important musical instrument
of all, and forms the backbone of our commercial
existence. And so you and we are spending a small
mite of our profits individually, but collectively a
respectable sum of money by ploughing it back into
the soil annually so that our crops and our harvests
may improve in both quality and quantity from year
to year.
As we pause at periodical intervals to take stock
of our achievements and to measure their results
where this may be possible, we wonder why this
thought and the need for it was so tardily recog-
nized. I think the reason for this is quite clear. A
new era had begun to set in. At first the effects of
it were not clearly definable, even if they were recog-
nized, partly because the industry itself became the
beneficiary of it in the shape of the playerpiano and
the phonograph. Both of these instruments for quite
a period of years furnished manufacturers and deal-
ers alike a goodly portion of their annual turnover
and indeed I will recall periods at which predictions
were freely made that the time was near at hand
when the straight piano would be a thing of the past.
Even the music teacher was in great fear that his
usefulness was nearing its end.
The New Era.
However, the new era did not confine the changes
wrought by it to the music industry. It brought the
automobile, at first a costly and troublesome affair,
but later perfected and commercialized as it is now,
which diverted the thoughts of the people from home
pleasures and amusements to those of the country
side, forests and fields, and in its wake came a dozen
or more of new mechanical contrivances, calculated to
produce greater comforts, efficiency and economy in
the household, all of which contended seriously for a
slice of the householders' budgetary allowances and
available spare change if any. All of these new and
desirable devices quickly took a hold of the popular
fancy, and Io and behold along came the radio with
its fascinating ability to put one in communication
with all the world.
Small wonder that the playerpiano, which up to Widely Known Representative of Packard
that time had held the center of the stage for auto-
matic musical instruments, and even the gramophone
Piano Co., Gives Cheering Account of Im-
for a while, dropped into disquieting desuetude for
proving Conditions and Voices Hopeful
the piano (manufacturer and merchant alike. It
seemed as if the bottom were going to drop out of
Anticipations.
the music business, and something had to be done
to stem the adverse tide. Of course it was not so One of the interesting trade visitors to Chicago on
bad as it seemed but it was serious enough to arouse Tuesday of this week was W. B. Marshall, officer,
our trade to realize the necessity for concerted action
director and sales manager of the Packard Piano Co.,
to re-awaken the people to the fact that the piano
Fort Wayne, Ind. Mr. Marshall is interesting both
maker and merchant were still trying to do business
at the old stand. It was not to be thought, either, from the extent of his experiences in the piano field
and for his ability to relate them due to his keen
that music would be cast aside for good. Too many
sense of observation. He believes that the best esti-
prominent piano manufacturers had always taken
mate of conditions in the piano trade within the
great pains and spent considerable sums of money
next four months can be made by the piano travelers
in connection with musical affairs, artists and schools
to make certain that the art should thrive and ex- or the piano houses going direct to the dealers for
pand, but the new condition required more than all information and anticipations. The anticipations,
of these individual houses could possibly cope with however, are only valuable when based on plausible
and I am happy to say that we feel that in the work reasons.
of our association as in your own, a solution has
"The piano industry has been buoyed with hope
been found, work which indeed only an association
for several months," said Mr. Marshall. "Now, how-
well conducted with a definite goal always in mind
ever, we have something encouragingly definite to
can accomplish for the benefit of the whole.
stimulate action. There is quite a noticeable activ-
Uses Simile.
ity in piano factories and what I say goes for other
Your own great poet, Kipling, has aptly said, "The
industries besides the Packard Piano Co. The orders
strength of the wolf is in the pack," and applying it
to our associations this may be paraphrased to read, and inquiries are pretty fair assurances of a satis-
"The strength of the Industry is its Association." factory fall and winter season in the piano trade."
Far be it from me to imply that a trade association
Leaving Chicago this week Mr. Marshall went
can supply the intelligence, energy, experience and
direct to San Francisco, where he will make the
talent necessary for an individual to achieve a worth- Palace Hotel his headquarters for about a week.
while success in business, but I do wish to empha- Visits to Los Angeles, San Diego and other impor-
size that no trade can prosper as a whole, in our
modern high tension type of competition—not alone tant cities in the southern portion of the state will
follow. His return east will be a slower and more
within industry—as competition with other wide
awake industries, unless it has an ably managed asso- broken trip in which he will see the dealers in a
ciation competent to cope with every new phase great number of places in the Rocky Mountain and
arising on the constantly and rapidly changing com- mid-western states.
mercial horizon of our modern time.
There are still many business men, particularly in
NEW AMPICO HALL FOR CHICAGO.
the older industries such as ours, who fail to realize
the need for united action, and are too prone to re-
Golden lettering with two words, "Ampico Hall,"
gard associations as the means for the aggrandization
was put up on Tuesday of this week across the front
of the relatively few who are willing to give their
of the new building that the American Piano Com-
energy and time required for the necessary work, but
1 am happy to say that the number of such men is pany is erecting on Wabash avenue immediately
gradually melting away under the fire of positive north of the Steger Building. The structure, upon
evidence of the beneficial results which associations which work is being speeded up, is going to be one
such as yours and ours have and still will and can of the most artistic in the entire length of Chicago's
achieve. I am confident that at no time in the his- famous Piano Row. The interior will show the handi-
tory of our industry have the members thereof been craft of the builders and decorators, as befitting the
so keenly alive to the part which is theirs to play in
setting of the beautiful instruments created in the
the musical life of our nation. This confidence in- several factories of the American Piano Company.
stills in me the greatest optimism for the future of
the business in which we are all so vitally interested.
I trust, Mr. President, the same may be the case in
A. L. OWEN'S ACTIVITY.
your own country over here. If it should not be yet
A.
L.
Owen,
who made good for many years as
I feel certain that you will use your splendid organ-
ization to bring about the same condition in due time. general manager at the P. A. Starck Piano Com-
pany's headquarters, is now a successful music house
Once more I thank you!
proprietor at 4736-38 Broadway, Chicago. He is
The interior of Sommers' Song Shop, Prophets- specializing on the Brunswick Panatrope with Ra-
town, 111., has been redecorated.
diola.
W. B. MARSHALL'S TRIP
TO PACIFIC COAST
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GULBRANSEN COMPANY
3232W. Chicago Ave.
CHICAGO
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