Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 71 N. 9 - Page 7
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
AUGUST 28, 1921
Wherein the Editor of This Player Section Sets Forth His Opinions on Various
Matters, Economic, Industrial and Technical, With the Hope That His Humble
Views May Prove Interesting and Also Instructive to the Gentle Reader
Peace, Production and Justice
things do look better. The award on wages
has been accepted by the railway brotherhoods.
In that case there will without doubt be a gen-
eral improvement in the speed of handling and
moving freight.
Whether the Pennsylvania
Railroad's lay-off order of last month, affecting
some ten thousand employes, had anything to
do with the improved spirit which has been
manifested may be a little hard to determine;
but we have our ideas in that direction too.
Still, on the whole, there are more indications
of progressive improvement than of the con-
trary, all the way round. The world is not go-
ing to kick off just yet. Nor are the people
going to forget their love for music just yet. So
long as that survives the music industries must
flourish, provided that they do not simply de-
stroy themselves by their own foolishness. It
is a curious fact, for the historian of the future
to note, that the industry which deals in music
has always been so slightly interested in the
upkeep of musical feeling amongst the people.
A dawning recognition of this fact and of :he
explanation it affords of the occasional instabil-
ity of the music industries is perceptible
throughout the trade. May it continue. Mean-
while, we may fairly cheer up!
Life, remarked the Practical Pragmatist. is
just one darned thing after another. As Life
so Business. Telle la vie, telles les affaires, as
we say in France. A month ago it was Pro-
duction, the great bogey, not to mention the
equally horrendous spectres labeled Industrial
Unrest and Red Radicalism. There is much
strength in a word to those who believe there-
in. Ideas are not made more powerful in real-
ity by labeling them with colored titles, nor
are they hushed to sleep by the process of
pretending that they are not there. Industrial
Unrest is a matter of world-wide range and
scope, arising from the letting loose of the pas-
sions, and from the clash of conflicting ideas,
which culminated in the war. It will be settled,
that is to say composed to rest, when, and only
when, it has been approached on all sides with
a view to Justice and to nothing else. Just
so long as each side to a controversy enters
into negotiations for settlement looking for one-
sided advantage so long no permanent settle-
ment is possible. The worker is no more justi-
fied than the employer merely by virtue of be-
ing a worker. Nor is the employer necessarily
in the right in every dispute merely because
Quod Erat Demonstrandum
he is an employer. What every industry needs
now is Peace and Production. There is one way
It may be old stuff, but sometimes the old
and one way only to attain this desideratum. stuff is the best after all. It is said that seven
That way is through the road of Justice. It is of every ten pianos sold to-day are equipped
time for both sides to take heed. Unrest, etc., with some sort of player action. Now the
are mere spectres if we only have sense enough vastly greater number of these are foot-driven,
to ignore their gestures and go about the busi- are in fact player-pianos of the usual sort. The
ness of securing Industrial Justice. Business foot-driven player-piano has always maintained
life, at any rate, will continue to be just one its superiority, in the face of all the ambitious
darned thing after another until we grasp the rivals which have sprung up from time to time,
principles on which events are ordered. There and which often have displayed astonishing in-
is not a business difficulty of the day which genuity and value. What is the reason? Main-
need cause serious worry if the principles ly, without a doubt, because the foot-driven
which underlie it are first recognized.
player-piano, no matter how badly played,
nevertheless does give its owner a certain part
ip. the production of the music. It is this per-
We Are Not Kicking Off Yet!
sonal urge which is at the bottom of all the
Jt is Production to-day; but also apparently player business. Remove it and we should soon
it is Railroads. Or shall we say that it has find that an abstract belief in the superiority of
always been Production but now it is Railroads better played music, passively listened to, would
as well? Perhaps that will fit better the scheme be a very weak substitute. Apart from all other
of life of the W. B. M. (worried business man, considerations, we should never make the fatal
to wit). Seriously, there is not much doubt mistake of forgetting that the personal appeal
that the railway situation has been threatening is the strongest element in the salability of the
enough to worry most of us to pieces. Stijl, player-piano. This fact remains true in spite
of all modern changes in the industry and is
amply demonstrated by the continuing popular-
ity of a type of player-piano which would long
ago have been driven out of existence by some
electrical rival, if the people did not actually
prefer to pump. In the face of facts like these,
why on earth should we so carelessly neglect
the important art of demonstrating? How many
salesmen are there to-day who really can play
the player-piano decently, in a manner not to
horrify a musically minded person?
Woodman, Spare That Tree
Whilst we are at it, may we remind the tech-
nicians of the player industry that there is at
present much real perturbation amongst lum-
bermen concerning the supply of various woods
which are in great demand by manufacturers
of furniture, pianos and player-pianos. Player
actions arc included in this statement. The
United States Government, as represented by
the Department of Agriculture, has for some
ten years maintained a Forest Products Labo-
ratory at Madison, Wis., for the special purpose
of discovering ways and means for utilizing
lumber in the liberal arts in ways hitherto not
possible; and also for showing how lumber of
grades and kinds hitherto deemed useless may
be utilized successfully. Here is a benefit to
the industry which practical playermen will not
be slow to recognize. The whole subject of
lumber conservation is at present under con-
sideration by lumber producers as well as by
the Government, and researches are being con-
ducted in various directions for the purpose of
finding ways to utilize lumber which is now
going to waste, as well as to conserve the re-
maining timber resources of the country, which
are now actually approaching exhaustion. We
should like to see the player men, as important
users of lumber in special forms, co-operate
with the producers of lumber and with the Gov-
ernment in promoting all possible research
work in these directions. The subject of spe-
cial dimensions, of special types of lumber, of
special woods for special purposes, has never
been discussed in full, or even opened up. There
are a thousand and one angles to this great
question. ]t is becoming more and more im-
portant each year. Already the question of fu-
ture timber supply is extremely pressing. It
threatens to become immediately critical. Shall
we delay till it is too late?
Zephir Leather is Airtight Leather!
A player action is as good as its diaphragms
or lungs allow it to be—
Lungs made of Zephir Leather breathe easily,
quickly and give full aspiration to each note.
For PROOFS and pertinent details, ask
JULIUS SCHMID, INC.
348 West 38th St., New York City
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
AUGUST 28, 1921
Wherein the Editor of This Player Section Sets Forth His Opinions on Various
Matters, Economic, Industrial and Technical, With the Hope That His Humble
Views May Prove Interesting and Also Instructive to the Gentle Reader
Peace, Production and Justice
things do look better. The award on wages
has been accepted by the railway brotherhoods.
In that case there will without doubt be a gen-
eral improvement in the speed of handling and
moving freight.
Whether the Pennsylvania
Railroad's lay-off order of last month, affecting
some ten thousand employes, had anything to
do with the improved spirit which has been
manifested may be a little hard to determine;
but we have our ideas in that direction too.
Still, on the whole, there are more indications
of progressive improvement than of the con-
trary, all the way round. The world is not go-
ing to kick off just yet. Nor are the people
going to forget their love for music just yet. So
long as that survives the music industries must
flourish, provided that they do not simply de-
stroy themselves by their own foolishness. It
is a curious fact, for the historian of the future
to note, that the industry which deals in music
has always been so slightly interested in the
upkeep of musical feeling amongst the people.
A dawning recognition of this fact and of :he
explanation it affords of the occasional instabil-
ity of the music industries is perceptible
throughout the trade. May it continue. Mean-
while, we may fairly cheer up!
Life, remarked the Practical Pragmatist. is
just one darned thing after another. As Life
so Business. Telle la vie, telles les affaires, as
we say in France. A month ago it was Pro-
duction, the great bogey, not to mention the
equally horrendous spectres labeled Industrial
Unrest and Red Radicalism. There is much
strength in a word to those who believe there-
in. Ideas are not made more powerful in real-
ity by labeling them with colored titles, nor
are they hushed to sleep by the process of
pretending that they are not there. Industrial
Unrest is a matter of world-wide range and
scope, arising from the letting loose of the pas-
sions, and from the clash of conflicting ideas,
which culminated in the war. It will be settled,
that is to say composed to rest, when, and only
when, it has been approached on all sides with
a view to Justice and to nothing else. Just
so long as each side to a controversy enters
into negotiations for settlement looking for one-
sided advantage so long no permanent settle-
ment is possible. The worker is no more justi-
fied than the employer merely by virtue of be-
ing a worker. Nor is the employer necessarily
in the right in every dispute merely because
Quod Erat Demonstrandum
he is an employer. What every industry needs
now is Peace and Production. There is one way
It may be old stuff, but sometimes the old
and one way only to attain this desideratum. stuff is the best after all. It is said that seven
That way is through the road of Justice. It is of every ten pianos sold to-day are equipped
time for both sides to take heed. Unrest, etc., with some sort of player action. Now the
are mere spectres if we only have sense enough vastly greater number of these are foot-driven,
to ignore their gestures and go about the busi- are in fact player-pianos of the usual sort. The
ness of securing Industrial Justice. Business foot-driven player-piano has always maintained
life, at any rate, will continue to be just one its superiority, in the face of all the ambitious
darned thing after another until we grasp the rivals which have sprung up from time to time,
principles on which events are ordered. There and which often have displayed astonishing in-
is not a business difficulty of the day which genuity and value. What is the reason? Main-
need cause serious worry if the principles ly, without a doubt, because the foot-driven
which underlie it are first recognized.
player-piano, no matter how badly played,
nevertheless does give its owner a certain part
ip. the production of the music. It is this per-
We Are Not Kicking Off Yet!
sonal urge which is at the bottom of all the
Jt is Production to-day; but also apparently player business. Remove it and we should soon
it is Railroads. Or shall we say that it has find that an abstract belief in the superiority of
always been Production but now it is Railroads better played music, passively listened to, would
as well? Perhaps that will fit better the scheme be a very weak substitute. Apart from all other
of life of the W. B. M. (worried business man, considerations, we should never make the fatal
to wit). Seriously, there is not much doubt mistake of forgetting that the personal appeal
that the railway situation has been threatening is the strongest element in the salability of the
enough to worry most of us to pieces. Stijl, player-piano. This fact remains true in spite
of all modern changes in the industry and is
amply demonstrated by the continuing popular-
ity of a type of player-piano which would long
ago have been driven out of existence by some
electrical rival, if the people did not actually
prefer to pump. In the face of facts like these,
why on earth should we so carelessly neglect
the important art of demonstrating? How many
salesmen are there to-day who really can play
the player-piano decently, in a manner not to
horrify a musically minded person?
Woodman, Spare That Tree
Whilst we are at it, may we remind the tech-
nicians of the player industry that there is at
present much real perturbation amongst lum-
bermen concerning the supply of various woods
which are in great demand by manufacturers
of furniture, pianos and player-pianos. Player
actions arc included in this statement. The
United States Government, as represented by
the Department of Agriculture, has for some
ten years maintained a Forest Products Labo-
ratory at Madison, Wis., for the special purpose
of discovering ways and means for utilizing
lumber in the liberal arts in ways hitherto not
possible; and also for showing how lumber of
grades and kinds hitherto deemed useless may
be utilized successfully. Here is a benefit to
the industry which practical playermen will not
be slow to recognize. The whole subject of
lumber conservation is at present under con-
sideration by lumber producers as well as by
the Government, and researches are being con-
ducted in various directions for the purpose of
finding ways to utilize lumber which is now
going to waste, as well as to conserve the re-
maining timber resources of the country, which
are now actually approaching exhaustion. We
should like to see the player men, as important
users of lumber in special forms, co-operate
with the producers of lumber and with the Gov-
ernment in promoting all possible research
work in these directions. The subject of spe-
cial dimensions, of special types of lumber, of
special woods for special purposes, has never
been discussed in full, or even opened up. There
are a thousand and one angles to this great
question. ]t is becoming more and more im-
portant each year. Already the question of fu-
ture timber supply is extremely pressing. It
threatens to become immediately critical. Shall
we delay till it is too late?
Zephir Leather is Airtight Leather!
A player action is as good as its diaphragms
or lungs allow it to be—
Lungs made of Zephir Leather breathe easily,
quickly and give full aspiration to each note.
For PROOFS and pertinent details, ask
JULIUS SCHMID, INC.
348 West 38th St., New York City
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