Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 1 - Page 12
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
12
OUR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
(Continued
from page 11)
deny themselves the pleasure of perfectly ac-
corded pianos than they will that of perfectly
cooked steaks.
It is, of course, plainly true that the piano
trade is quite as much to blame as are the
tuners for the present disgraceful indifference
of the people. In fact, the trade is more to
blame, because salesmen have deliberately for
many years cultivated, by their silence, the
belief that a piano needs very infrequent tuning.
Part of the tuners' task will be to educate the
trade also, I imagine.
A Double Conclusion
So that we come to a double conclusion: first
that the profession may look forward to 1921
with quite as much confidence as to any other
year, seeing that, apart from the fact of the
present period being certainly much healthier
than the previous "depressed" periods to which
I have referred, the amount of tuning which
will certainly in any case be done will be the
amount which is always done, namely, the
minimum. Secondly, we may conclude that if
the profession will take upon itself the task of
starting a campaign of education the trade will
follow suit, no doubt, and thus we shall enter
upon what I hope is to be our next era, the era
of legitimate expansion.
The trade will not only not stand in the
way, but will undoubtedly help. Already the
efforts "of the tuners' official representatives
before the Chamber of Commerce have had
most gratifying results, and one may look for-
ward to the day when the tuners will secure
from every manufacturer in the country assur-
ance that the form of guarantee shall distinctly
require periodical tunings at not less th'an cer-
tain stated intervals as a condition preliminary
to any claim for faulty construction or be-
havior against the maker.
At this point let me leave that part of the
discussion, which my readers can carry on for
themselves. But let us not omit to consider
another question of equal importance, and one
which is sure to come up in more or less violent
form pretty soon.
Prices
The question refers to prices. Shall the pres-
ent rates be maintained or shall there be a
recession of prices to meet anticipated condi-
tions which many suppose will prevail during
1921 to a greater or less degree? To this ques-
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—{Standard Dirlioncry)
PIANOS
0
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wis.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, III.
JANUARY 1, 1921
EMERSON PIANO CO. ISSUES DISTINCTIVE CALENDAR
One of the holiday re-
minders of unusual in-
terest that has reached
The Review office is the
calendar distributed to
its trade friends by the
Emerson Piano Co., of
1'oston. The calendar
bears a reproduction of a
photograph of the fa-
mous T Wharf of Bos-
ton, the original having,
been made expressly for
the Emerson Co. by Her-
bert B. Turner. It was
from the T Wharf, or at
least from the spot where
the wharf now stands, that
the members of the Bos-
ton Tea Party started on
their visit to the British
lea ships just before the
Revolution. The photo-
graph shows in the fore-
ground a number of typi-
cal fishing schooners,
with their dories piled
high on the deck, while in
the background stands
the Custom House tower.
The calendar may be said
to have both a practical
and historical value, and
reflects in its distinctive-
ness and originality much
credit on the prominent
piano house which is re-
sponsible for conceiving
and issuing it.
KM. T O P H U Q.
2 3 4 7 6* 7
9 10 II 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
25 26 27 28 29
The Very Artistic Emerson Calendar for 1921
tion there are two answers, one depending from
the other.
The first answer is that prices are not now
too high; they are not even high enough. For
many years the prices of all work done on the
piano and kindred instruments, work quite
essential to the musical efficiency of these in-
struments, have been based far too low. To-
day, although prices have been raised, they
have not been raised far enough to compensate
for the decreased purchasing power of the dol-
lar, which has shrunk by as much as 50 per
cent since the year 1914. Timing and mainte-
nance work urenerally have certainly not been
doubled in price on the average during that
time. Therefore to talk about prices going
down is illogical. They have never been up yet.
The second answer is that the only excuse
for declines in prices that have not been arti-
ficially raised until their present level is above
the prevailing purchasing power of money,
would lie in a reaction of that purchasing power
towards older and greater heights. If the dol-
lar were recovering its pristine purchasing
power, and if at the same time it could be
alleged that prices had been adequate in the
old days, then the tuners would be justified
in reducing their figures. As things are, it
would be both cowardly and unnecessary to
do this. In fact it would be unjust.
Keep This in Mind!
I have said "unnecessary" and this brings me
to a last point. The country is on a buying
strike, but it is not in a panic, and will not get
itself into a panic if the movers of public opin-
ion do not deliberately force that opinion. If
the people are let alone they will come back
into the" market soon enough; but if the movers
of public opinion either deliberately provoke
labor troubles (I refer both to employers and
employed in this respect), or otherwise try to
force along the operation of natural economic
law, there may be more depression than any-
thing we now know. At the moment we are
not in a panic or measurably near one. Busi-
ness is perfectly sound, and only fear and
stupidity in unison can .make it anything else.
Our task then—yours and mine—is to edu-
cate our people more s-trongly than ever, to
co-operate with the best elements in the trade,
to work for national trade recognition of the
indispensable value of tuning and the tuner to
the prosperity of all, to keep up prices, to ad-
vertise and to work unceasingly to teach our
communities that the piano must be maintained
in good accord and in mechanical order. With
these determinations we may face the future
in undiminished confidence.
For which reason I take unusual pleasure in
wishing one and all A Most Happy and Prosper-
ous New Year.
TO ALL READERS
The Technical Editor welcomes letters of re-
quest, questions of any sort bearing on the
practical side of the music industries, informa-
tion, criticism and suggestion. Address all such
communications directly to William Braid
White, c/o Music Trade Review, 373 Fourth
Avenue, New York, N. Y.
Louis W. Mack, Portland, Ore., small goods
dealer, reports a tine sale of La Favorita violin
strings, which are distributed by the M. E.
Schoening Co., Inc., 26 East Twenty-second
street. New York City.
THE LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Grands, Uprights
and Players
YORK PIANOS
Uprights and Players
LIVINGSTON PIANOS
Uprights and Player-Pianos
If your competitor does not already have this
line, go after it at once.
Weaver Piano Co., Inc.
FACTORY
Established 1870
YORK, PA.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
12
OUR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
(Continued
from page 11)
deny themselves the pleasure of perfectly ac-
corded pianos than they will that of perfectly
cooked steaks.
It is, of course, plainly true that the piano
trade is quite as much to blame as are the
tuners for the present disgraceful indifference
of the people. In fact, the trade is more to
blame, because salesmen have deliberately for
many years cultivated, by their silence, the
belief that a piano needs very infrequent tuning.
Part of the tuners' task will be to educate the
trade also, I imagine.
A Double Conclusion
So that we come to a double conclusion: first
that the profession may look forward to 1921
with quite as much confidence as to any other
year, seeing that, apart from the fact of the
present period being certainly much healthier
than the previous "depressed" periods to which
I have referred, the amount of tuning which
will certainly in any case be done will be the
amount which is always done, namely, the
minimum. Secondly, we may conclude that if
the profession will take upon itself the task of
starting a campaign of education the trade will
follow suit, no doubt, and thus we shall enter
upon what I hope is to be our next era, the era
of legitimate expansion.
The trade will not only not stand in the
way, but will undoubtedly help. Already the
efforts "of the tuners' official representatives
before the Chamber of Commerce have had
most gratifying results, and one may look for-
ward to the day when the tuners will secure
from every manufacturer in the country assur-
ance that the form of guarantee shall distinctly
require periodical tunings at not less th'an cer-
tain stated intervals as a condition preliminary
to any claim for faulty construction or be-
havior against the maker.
At this point let me leave that part of the
discussion, which my readers can carry on for
themselves. But let us not omit to consider
another question of equal importance, and one
which is sure to come up in more or less violent
form pretty soon.
Prices
The question refers to prices. Shall the pres-
ent rates be maintained or shall there be a
recession of prices to meet anticipated condi-
tions which many suppose will prevail during
1921 to a greater or less degree? To this ques-
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—{Standard Dirlioncry)
PIANOS
0
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wis.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, III.
JANUARY 1, 1921
EMERSON PIANO CO. ISSUES DISTINCTIVE CALENDAR
One of the holiday re-
minders of unusual in-
terest that has reached
The Review office is the
calendar distributed to
its trade friends by the
Emerson Piano Co., of
1'oston. The calendar
bears a reproduction of a
photograph of the fa-
mous T Wharf of Bos-
ton, the original having,
been made expressly for
the Emerson Co. by Her-
bert B. Turner. It was
from the T Wharf, or at
least from the spot where
the wharf now stands, that
the members of the Bos-
ton Tea Party started on
their visit to the British
lea ships just before the
Revolution. The photo-
graph shows in the fore-
ground a number of typi-
cal fishing schooners,
with their dories piled
high on the deck, while in
the background stands
the Custom House tower.
The calendar may be said
to have both a practical
and historical value, and
reflects in its distinctive-
ness and originality much
credit on the prominent
piano house which is re-
sponsible for conceiving
and issuing it.
KM. T O P H U Q.
2 3 4 7 6* 7
9 10 II 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
25 26 27 28 29
The Very Artistic Emerson Calendar for 1921
tion there are two answers, one depending from
the other.
The first answer is that prices are not now
too high; they are not even high enough. For
many years the prices of all work done on the
piano and kindred instruments, work quite
essential to the musical efficiency of these in-
struments, have been based far too low. To-
day, although prices have been raised, they
have not been raised far enough to compensate
for the decreased purchasing power of the dol-
lar, which has shrunk by as much as 50 per
cent since the year 1914. Timing and mainte-
nance work urenerally have certainly not been
doubled in price on the average during that
time. Therefore to talk about prices going
down is illogical. They have never been up yet.
The second answer is that the only excuse
for declines in prices that have not been arti-
ficially raised until their present level is above
the prevailing purchasing power of money,
would lie in a reaction of that purchasing power
towards older and greater heights. If the dol-
lar were recovering its pristine purchasing
power, and if at the same time it could be
alleged that prices had been adequate in the
old days, then the tuners would be justified
in reducing their figures. As things are, it
would be both cowardly and unnecessary to
do this. In fact it would be unjust.
Keep This in Mind!
I have said "unnecessary" and this brings me
to a last point. The country is on a buying
strike, but it is not in a panic, and will not get
itself into a panic if the movers of public opin-
ion do not deliberately force that opinion. If
the people are let alone they will come back
into the" market soon enough; but if the movers
of public opinion either deliberately provoke
labor troubles (I refer both to employers and
employed in this respect), or otherwise try to
force along the operation of natural economic
law, there may be more depression than any-
thing we now know. At the moment we are
not in a panic or measurably near one. Busi-
ness is perfectly sound, and only fear and
stupidity in unison can .make it anything else.
Our task then—yours and mine—is to edu-
cate our people more s-trongly than ever, to
co-operate with the best elements in the trade,
to work for national trade recognition of the
indispensable value of tuning and the tuner to
the prosperity of all, to keep up prices, to ad-
vertise and to work unceasingly to teach our
communities that the piano must be maintained
in good accord and in mechanical order. With
these determinations we may face the future
in undiminished confidence.
For which reason I take unusual pleasure in
wishing one and all A Most Happy and Prosper-
ous New Year.
TO ALL READERS
The Technical Editor welcomes letters of re-
quest, questions of any sort bearing on the
practical side of the music industries, informa-
tion, criticism and suggestion. Address all such
communications directly to William Braid
White, c/o Music Trade Review, 373 Fourth
Avenue, New York, N. Y.
Louis W. Mack, Portland, Ore., small goods
dealer, reports a tine sale of La Favorita violin
strings, which are distributed by the M. E.
Schoening Co., Inc., 26 East Twenty-second
street. New York City.
THE LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Grands, Uprights
and Players
YORK PIANOS
Uprights and Players
LIVINGSTON PIANOS
Uprights and Player-Pianos
If your competitor does not already have this
line, go after it at once.
Weaver Piano Co., Inc.
FACTORY
Established 1870
YORK, PA.
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