^srrom ^Jne ddit or 5
THE AUTOMOBILE HORN—THAT
HORRIBLE NOISE!
The most unmusical sound in America is the automobile
horn. It sends forth its ear splitting blasts during the entire
twenty-four hours of the day. It is a terrible noise, distress-
ing to the body, destructive to the ear, and ruinous to the
nerves. If the automobile engineers deliberately desired to
do a misservice to humanity, they succeeded 100% when they
produced the automobile horn.
I live in a downtown hotel in Chicago. The noise of these
blasting horns is nerve racking all day and all night. They
are really worse than the squeaking and grinding of the ele-
vated trains or the rattle of old flat-wheeled street cars.
Taxi cabs are the worst offenders. Cab drivers seem to
take a fiendish delight in blowing their horns. About 99%
of this horn blowing is unnecessary. It only adds to the con-
fusion and distress of our city life. There are many cities
that enforce their ordinances against blowing auto horns.
For some reason that ordinance is not enforced in Chicago
where a lot of horn blowing is very childish. But those taxi
cab drivers! They must have a deep seated spite against
human beings and hence torture them by turning our city
streets into a modern "Bedlam".
THE PLIGHT OF MUSIC MERCHANTS!
According to all reports the condition of the music mer-
chant in this country is serious because of all kinds of unfair
and destructive competition by unethical and irresponsible
persons who are selling musical instruments in a great many
communities at cut throat prices. This competition cannot go
unchecked without ruining the legitimate business of the mu-
sic merchant. Now! The only thing to do is for music mer-
chants to organize in a vigorous way and fight this evil. A
good start is being made by the National Association of
Music Merchants which has just sent out an announcement
entitled: "Music Merchants ! Help Save Your Own Business."
The announcement states the evil and calls on the Music
Merchants to unite to beat this evil. It says the Association
has a complete plan for dealers to follow. This is good news.
This announcement is printed in full on page ten. Here is a
real chance for the Music Dealers to help themselves to over-
come the greatest evil facing them. The time has come to act.
^ * #
H. KAY KUHRMEYER ATTACKS THIS EVIL
On page 15 you will find an article by Mr. Kuhrmeyer who
was asked not to pull his punches which advice he has fol-
lowed in grand style. During a luncheon which I attended
recently with Mr. Kuhrmeyer and others interested in the mu-
sic business, this matter of unethical competition came up for
discussion. As a result, Mr. Kuhrmeyer wrote this article.
Advice to Auto-engineers
Why can't the automotive engineers make a horn that is
musical? Why can't they reduce the force of those horns?
It does not seem necessary for auto horns to make a blast
louder than thunder or worse than cannon. Engineers! Give
us musical horns. Cut down the noise one hundred times at
least.
FAIR TRADE COMMITTEE SELECTED
We read with interest the leading article in the October
issue of "The Retail Music Merchant" which is the Official
Bulletin Of The Music Merchants Association Of Ohio. It
carried the caption printed at the top of this article. It is
the report of an address delivered to the Ohio Music Mer-
chants Association by George J. Heckman of Cleveland. It
deals in constructive way with the evil of unethical compe-
tition. A real working plan was presented. The Ohio Asso-
ciation means business and is not fooling with this proposition.
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*T»
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MUSIC MERCHANTS MEMBERSHIP DERBY
Paul S. Felder, President of the National Association of
Music Merchants, announces that the traveling men, repre-
senting piano manufacturers, band instrument manufacturers,
and jobbers engaged in the music business, will be requested
to enter this contest which will start on January 6th and
continue through June of 1941. Three prizes will be given;
first, second, and third to the salesmen producing the largest
number of new memberships. The prizes will be suitably en-
graved with their accomplishments and their name, and will
be presented to the winners at the annual banquet of the
Association, at which they will be honor guests.
The National Association of Music Merchants requests all
of the manufacturers, as stated above, to furnish a list of their
salesmen. Every salesman will have an opportunity to win
one of the prizes.
Every person in the whole Music In-
dustry should boost this Derby.
l'ACK TCKJIIT
Advice to Cab Companies
Why not instruct your drivers to cut out this incessant
honking of horns. It is not necessary. It would seem to me
that just a little schooling of your drivers would be a great
benefit to the American public who certainly suffer intolerably
as a result of this everlasting blasting of auto horns.
Some nights it is almost impossible to get any sleep. One
feels like throwing boiling tar out on those automobiles. But
if something is not done soon to stop this nuisance, I am
sure we will be constrained to follow Dante's example and
consign these automobile engineers who invent the horns and
these drivers who blast them to the deepest inferno. If they
continue to disregard the heads, the ears, and the hearts of
people—then, gentle reader, let's hope that these engineers and
drivers will have to spend all eternity in an inferno by them-
selves making and honking these horrible horns continuously
without sleep or even rest.
Tf -
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