Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Are., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff
generally must recognize the importance of well-governed and well-
conducted railroads to national prosperity.
•
The question of labor in this connection is a vital one, and
there should be some law that would restrict unnecessary strikes
and compel labor disputes to be transferred to some impartial body
that can pass upon the issues in question without disturbing the
conduct of business. And this should apply not only to the railroads,
but to all kinds of business. It should not be in the power of-a few
malcontents or "outlaws" to disturb the entire business of the coun-
try when they please. Isn't it time that this matter be adjusted along
commonsense lines ?
T
WESTERN DIVISION:
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NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Enttrtd as second-class matter September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York, N. Y.,
under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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Lyman Bill, Inc.
__
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques
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tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
p
a r e d e a l t w i t h w i l l b e f o u n d i n a n o t h e r sectM >n of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Pnx
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma... .Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS *»82—6»8S MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Department*
Cabl* addreaa: "JfilblU, New York"
NEW YORK, MAY 22, 1920
22, 1920
THE EUROPEAN SITUATION
V. D. WALSH, WM. BEAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON.
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. IJRESNAHAN, A. J.
NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
Vol. LXX
MAY
No. 21
WANTED—EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION
LTHOUGH railroad officials insist upon the statement that the
A
"outlaw" strike of the yard workers and transportation em-
ployes has been broken and that conditions are back to normal, the
experience of manufacturers generally seems to indicate that the
transportation situation is not only not back to normal, but in a
somewhat worse condition than it was some weeks ago.
There are said to be about 350,000 cars of freight side-tracked
in various sections of the country waiting for the situation to improve
so that it may be delivered to the consignees. Some hundreds of
these cars at least contain supplies of finished materials essential
to the production of musical instruments. Actions, plates, hardware,
cases, backs, etc., are all being held up "somewhere in America."
They left the factories from two to five weeks ago and have not yet
reached their destination. Efforts to trace the shipments are in
most cases without avail because the condition has continued so
long that the railroad people are unable to unravel the tangle.
It is bad enough that dealers are unable to get finished instru-
ments through by freight, or express, but they at least have some
pianos, players and talking machines on the floor. When supplies
are cut off from the factory, however, it means that manufacturing
facilities must cease and that several weeks, or months, must be
lost before finished products are again coming through.
The hauling of supplies by truck has been tried with a measure
of success, but this plan is expensive, trucks are scarce and the relief
granted is hardly in proportion to the trouble and cost involved.
The situation, although irksome to practically all members of the
industry, nevertheless serves to prove to what degree the various
factors in the trade are essential to the welfare of one another.
The disturbed shipping conditions bring us face to face with
the tremendous importance of getting the railroads back to the best
possible condition so that the commerce of the country is not
further blocked.
The railroads are veritably the arteries of the nation, and when
they are tied up or interfered with the entire business structure fails
to function. Government officials, business men and the public
HE review of European conditions as presented by Carl C.
Conway, vice-president of the Hallet & Davis Piano Co., in this
paper last week is so exhaustive and so interesting in its summing
up of the situation in the various countries that it might well be
accepted as a rule and guide for business men in general and for
the majority of national legislators who are apparently regarding
the European situation through eyes badly afflicted with political
astigmatism.
Mr. Conway displayed strict impartiality in his summing up
of conditions as he found them, and has endeavored to present the
actual facts, as gleaned from his own observations—offering in-
formation coming from authoritative sources. A study of the situa-
tion leads us to believe that England and France and even Germany
have made, and are making, more rapid progress towards successful
reconstruction than we in America, because they have gone at the
matter more systematically, more logically and more earnestly. It
has been realized abroad that the increase in production and the
elimination of waste represent the solution of the problem, and the
nations have set about to arrive at that solution.
Mr. Conway's views are not in any sense confined to music
trade matters, but are broad enough to take in the industrial and
political situation generally. Based largely upon personal observa-
tion, the review is important enough to be worthy of thorough study
by Americans generally, and should serve to clear up some dis-
puted questions and false ideas regarding conditions now existing
abroad.
LIVING WAGES FOR POSTAL EMPLOYES
I
N view of the vital importance of the postal service and its effi-
ciency to the industrial welfare of the country, it would seem
most proper for business interests generally to support the trained
postal employes throughout the country in their efforts to secure
salary increases that will encourage them to remain in the service
and will enable them to at least meet present-day living expenses.
A joint commission on postal salaries has been in existence for over
a year, has held a number of hearings, but as yet.has not made any
report or prepared any bill to remedy the situation. Meanwhile,
letter carriers," postal clerks and postal executives whose years of
experience make their services most essential to the prompt and
accurate handling of the mails are resigning in great numbers and
entering other fields where they may obtain greater remuneration.
It is stated that many postal officials are at present working
under salaries that are the same, and in some cases even lower, than
those paid officials in the same position thirty or forty years ago, and
that even with the temporary relief granted the carriers the highest
possible income is in the neighborhood of $1,600 a year, and this is
obtainable only after a number of years of service.
Regardless of what the business man may care about the living
problems of the postal employe, the fact remains that while the
postal business is increasing rapidly there are recorded a steady run
oi resignations from the service, which have now mounted into the
thousands. Where it has been possible at all to fill the gaps, it has
meant the employment of inexperienced men, and much delay in
delivery of mail is due to this fact.
There are so many millions of dollars being wasted right now
by various Government departments and through the medium of
Congressional pork barrels that some of the money might as well
be diverted to the postal service, to the end that the mail service be
improved and the business of the country be saved millions of dol-
lars in losses as a result of the delays that are now being experienced.
Members of the trade should get in touch with their Congressmen
at once in regard to this important matter.