Music Trade Review

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JULY 3, 1920
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Executive Members of Music
Merchants' Association Meet
Executive Board, Advisory Board, Committee Members and State Commissioners of National Association of Music Merchants
Meet at Atlantic City and Prepare Progressive Program for the Activities of the Association During
the Balance of the Year—1921 Convention to be Held in Chicago in May
v.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., June 26.—The mid-Sum-
mer meeting of the executive board, advisory
board, committee members and commissioners of
the National Association of Music Merchants,
held at the Hotel Traymore yesterday and to-day,
was noteworthy for the broad spirit in which the
discussions were carried on and plans laid for the
future work of the Association. The merchants
have evidently grasped in full the spirit of
greater trade development and particularly the
significance of the movement for the advance-
ment of music and laid out a program that
should mean much to the men of the industry
as a whole.
The attendance was a representative one, only
two of the executive board being absent, due to
conditions over which they had no control.
Incidentally, the trade will be interested to
learn that the convention plans for 1921 have
been changed and with the endorsement of the
majority of the Association members, through
the medium of a questionnaire, the annual ses-
sion of the general body will be held in Chicago
during the month of May, probably during the
week of May 22, instead of the end of February,
as at first planned. It is also likely that a music
show will be held at the Coliseum, Chicago, dur-
ing the convention period, the date being se-
lected with that end in view.
With an active membership of over 1,200
music merchants and a working organization of
nearly 500 State and city commissioners in all
sections of the country the Merchants' Associa-
tion has developed into a body that appears to
be well qualified to undertake and carry out
the constructive program laid down for it at the
meeting.
tivities of the Association would prove the best
solution of the problem and that the small com-
mittee plan would be tried out.
Work of the Commissioners
M. V. DeForeest, first vice-president, next
spoke in relation to the work of the State and
city commissioners, there being forty-four of
the former and 434 of the latter already enrolled.
He declared that there must be laid out some
definite plan under which the State and city
commissioners could do their best and most ef-
fective work in their own localities for the pro-
motion of the various Association activities and
particularly for the advancement of music.
Working for Music Advancement
As chairman of the Committee on Music Ad-
vancement, C. A. Grinnell made an eloquent plea
for the full co-operation of the great body of the
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The Friday Session
The opening session of the meeting followed
immediately after an informal luncheon attended
by the officers, directors and State commission-
ers of the Association and their guests. Presi-
dent E. Paul Hamilton started the proceedings
by outlining the purpose of the meeting. He
E. Paul Hamilton, President
trade in putting the music advancement idea
across. He cited the success of the Music Week
in New York in February, but declared that the
music dealer could not expect continuous results
from only one such week a year; he must work
in his own locality to make every week a music
week.
Music advancement work must begin with the
child, said Mr. Grinnell, for the development
of a musical child means a musical home in the
future and business for the music merchant.
The work should be carried on through the
music supervisors, the schools, the churches and
the industrial institutions, but before beginning
such work the State commissioner should fortify
himself with facts and material regarding the
work as supplied by the National Bureau for
the Advancement of Music. The speaker told
of what had already been done to win over the
newspapers and outlined the opportunities that
lay in the direction of securing increased pub-
licity for music. In closing, Mr. Grinnell de-
clared that annual or semi-annual meetings of
M. V. DeForeest, First Vice-president
the Board of Control of the Association were
declared that the object was to determine by not sufficient but that the governing body should
what means the greatest results could be ac- come together more frequently to consider the
complished for the Association and the general work already accomplished and the new prob-
trade before' the next general convention and lems that arise constantly.
urged that the present well-organized ma-
; The Better Business Bureau
chinery of the Association be used in the most
Edmund Gram, as chairman of the Better
effective manner rather than be permitted to re- Business Bureau of the Association, was the
main idle and useless. Mr. Hamilton stated that next speaker and reviewed actions that had
the general sentiment appeared to be that small been taken and were pending, both before the
committees placed in charge of the various ac- Association and the constituted legal authorities,
against those of the trade charged with violat-
ing business ethics. Mr. Gram recommended
drastic Association action. George W. Pound,
general counsel of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce, also spoke at some length on
the same subject.
After C. J. Roberts, chairman of the Press
Committee, reported on what had been done
and what was planned in the matter of Associa-
tion and music publicity, E. H. Droop, as chair-
man of the Legislative Committee of the Asso-
ciation, presented the following report:
Legislative Committee's Report
"While the Legislative Committee of our As-
sociation has not been called upon to perform
any special work, it may be apropos at this time
to say a few words respecting the work of
George W. Pound, general counsel of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce, to whom all
legal matters that come up before our Associa-
tion are now referred.
"Mr. Pound is an indefatigable worker in the
interests of our industry and the highest com-
mendations are due him for his untiring efforts.
Since his last report of activities made to our
convention last February Mr. Pound has
traveled extensively through the country and
has brought the message of music to merchants'
meetings in Baltimore, Washington, Boston,
Norfolk, New York City, etc., in addition to
addressing other bodies on the same subject.
"In respect to legislative matters at Wash-
ington, he successfully opposed further internal
revenue taxation on musical instruments, in the
soldiers' bonus and other bills. Through his
efforts, the renewed propaganda against so-
called non-essentials in respect to our trade
was overcome. There was successful opposi-
tion to the proposal of the railway executives,
made to the Interstate Commerce Commission,
to put embargoes on freight shipping against
non-essentials. He gave strong support to the
Blakeley and other so-called 'misbranding' bills
pending in Congress. These bills would make
unlawful the false labeling or marking of goods
by manufacturers.
"Strong protest was made by Mr. Pound be-
fore the House Agricultural Committee in its
J. Edwin Butler, Second Vice-president
investigation of the packers' trust against the
practice started by them of going into the music
business—particularly small instruments and
musical merchandise generally.
"Arguments were made before the United
States Commerce Commission against the in-
creasing of freight rates on musical instruments
and the taking away of our present favorable
rates. A new bill was drafted having for its
(Continued on page 8)