Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
the officers of the national body will ever be radically violated.
Furthermore, a compromise can be easily reached. Let the nom-
inating power continue to be vested in the Advisory Board with
the concurrent power of nominations from the floor.
This is ordinary parliamentary procedure and exists in prac-
tically every organization. It gives an opportunity for whatever
opposition that may exist to express itself freely and thus to fight
the control already existing if it considers it necessary.
Nothing produces dry rot so quickly in any organization as the
perpetuation of control and that exists where the right of nomination
is vested solely in a body consisting of the past presidents of any
organization.
The final objection rests on the fact that the National Board
of Control is empowered to exercise a censorship over all resolutions
or recommendations brought before the membership. The power
to return such a recommendation or resolution with a simple ex-
planation of Such refusal places in the hands of that body control
of the entire association, and effectively shackles free action on the
part of both individual and affiliated members.
There is reason enough that such resolutions should be submit-
ted to that board. But there is always every reason that they should
be reported to the membership in convention, either with favorable
or unfavorable recommendations. The ultimate power of any organ-
ization must rest with the membership itself, if that organization
is to be an efficient one.
To place it in the hands of a certain group of men is to mean
that such a body will eventually prove useless and in fact injurious
to the industry it represents since it will speak not for the majority
of its membership but for a minority.
To exercise control of the matters which come up for discussion
is in the hands of clever men, a greater power than to control the
votes necessary to pass them.
It may be argued that such a method leads to simplicity. The
American Congress may be pointed out as an example, basing
that example on its committee system. But that control is the con-
trol of a majority and is not as stringent as is the method embodied
in this section of the National Association's by-laws. Even in the
British House of Parliament, where such control is still more
stringent, there is such a thing as a private member's bill.
The campaign for effective affiliation between the National As-
sociation of Music Merchants and local and State associations has
been going on for four or five years. It has been conducted by men
Detroit Piano Playing
Contest Begins April 28
Preliminaries Will Be Held in All Schools of
City, 316 in Number—Wide Interest Aroused
The piano playing contest being conducted
by the Detroit Music Trades Association, in
conjunction with the Detroit Times and in co-
operation with the prominent musicians, con-
servatories, public and parochial school systems
and music teachers of Detroit, is meeting with
greater public interest and co-operation than
was anticipated. The mayor and public officials
came forward promptly and gave their approval
in the press, and with it the co-operation of the
school machinery, thus reaching some 300,000
school children as a civic movement for the
public good. The object of the contest is to
promote widespread interest in playing the
piano by the rising generation. The piano,
being the basic instrument, provides the founda-
APRIL 17, 1926
who have studied organization work in the music trades. It has
been supported by the trade press, which represents neither the
supporters of the national association as it is, nor the local or State
associations.
Its basis has been the fact that the music trade is too big to be
adequately represented by a national body based on individual mem-
berships. That realization has been more than supported by the
rapid growth of sectional, State and local associations.
When it is considered to-day that the Pacific Coast has a
sectional association of its own, with affiliated local associations;
when it is considered that the annual gathering of the Ohio associa-
tion is an event of national importance in the trade; when it is
considered that the sectional, local and State associations are prob-
ably doing the most effective work for the retail music merchant
because they are closer to that merchant's real problems and in a
better condition to deal effectively with them, it can easily be seen
that proper affiliation has become a matter of survival.
If these local associations are to come into the national body
and come in as effective units, they must be given power in national
affairs in proper relation to that they have in their own territory.
Each decision of the national organization binds each member
of a local association as effectively as it binds each individual
member of the national association.
Therefore, the former must have the same power as the latter,
since he has the same responsibility.- The two must go together.
There is need of a new flexibility in association affairs. There
is need for greater vitality. Both of these must be looked for from
the sectional, State and local associations.
The national body has recognized those facts in promulgating
its program of greater organization of such bodies. But it does
not seem to have recognized them enough in proposing its conditions
for such affiliation. There is lack of flexibility to meet a new
condition. Broader views must prevail.
At the present time it is up to the officials who direct the
national association to state their views on the subject.
Let them take the objections of the Ohio association, analyze
them and answer them. This entire matter should be threshed out
in the next two months before the national meeting in June.
It is a matter that vitally concerns every music merchant, and
since it vitally concerns him, he should hear both sides of the discus-
sion. And the final decision should be reached on the open floor
in the national meeting.
tion for an appreciation and knowledge of music,
and this propaganda has had daily hammering
in the press for the past three weeks, with
several yet to go. The effect upon the public
mind is already noticeable.
Preliminary contests will commence in all
schools of Detroit, 316 in number, on April 28.
Several hundred entries have been received on
the newspaper coupon, which has been rm.
twice. Entry blanks will be distributed by the
teachers in the schools this week. A bronze
button and certificate of merit will be awarded
to every child competing in the contest. The
choice of any grand piano up to $1,500 is the
capital prize. Eight scholarships in conserva-
tories and some eighty prizes have been offered,
including a big cup by Finzel's Orchestra, to the
youngest winner of the first preliminary.
At a meeting of the advisory committee,
which consists of all the prominent musical
people of the city, with the Detroit Music
Trades Association, held at the Book-Cadillac
April 5, great enthusiasm was displayed.
Gable Company Registers
Trade-Mark "Cable Midget"
Eight Years of Use on Small Uprights and
Grands by That Company—Protected by
Registration.
Eight years ago The Cable Company began
to distinguish its small uprights and grands by
referring to them as "Cable Midget" pianos. Of
late there have been a number of instances of
the use of the name "Midget" by others brought
to the attention of The Cable Company.
The Cable Company now feels that the trade
should be notified that it has used the mark
"Cable Midget" as an actual trade-mark upon
small uprights and grands of its manufacture,
that the name has been so registered in the
United States patent office and that it is hoped
that the promiscuous use of the word "Midget"
by others will cease. If persisted in, it will be
considered as an infringement.