Music Trade Review

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THE
J1UJIC TIRADE
VOL. LXXXIV. No. 18 Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 420 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y., April 30,1927
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New York State Dealers
Organize in Syracuse
S. H. Morecroft Elected President of Association of Music
Dealers of the Empire State in Organization Meeting in Syra-
cuse—New Association to Affiliate With the National Body
YRACUSE, N. Y., April 27.—The organiza-
tion of the music merchants of the Empire
State into a trade association is now an ac-
complished fact as the result of a two-day con-
vention held at the Hotel Syracuse, here. The
proceedings went along according to program
with a machine-like precision that reflected great
credit on the committee which made arrange-
ments for the meetings and particularly upon the
ability of S. H. Morecroft, the general chairman,
who acted as presiding officer.
Although the attendance, so far as numbers
were concerned, was rather discouraging, it
nevertheless was representative of all sections
S
Glenn L. Chesbro, Secretary
of the State, with an excellent showing from
New York City. There is every indication that,
having been successfully organized, the mem-
bership of the Association will grow rapidly for
the reason that a number of those unable to at-
tend the convention made known by letter their
desire to participate. The new association was
formed under the general plan as suggested by
the National Association of Music Merchants
and application was made at once for affiliation
with the national body.
The convention sessions were opened with a
luncheon yesterday noon at which the visitors
were officially welcomed to the city by Clarence
Hancock, Corporation Counsel of Syracuse, the
response being made by L. Schoenewald, of New
York, the newly elected president of the New
York Piano Merchants Association. Mr. Scho-
enewald, incidentally, outlined some of the very
important benefits of Association work and
pledged the support of the New York City
dealers to the State body.
The first formal convention meeting was held
yesterday afternoon with Mr. Morecroft presid-
ing as temporary chairman and C. L. Dennis
as temporary secretary. The dealers got down
to business quickly and first listened to a talk
by Frank J. Bayley, of Detroit, president of the
Michigan Music Merchants Association, regard-
ing the benefits of co-operation among trade
members as they had been experienced in that
State.
Mr. Bayley declared that there existed a
crisis in the piano trade which made co-opera-
tive activities essential. There was real need
for the members of the trade to launch or to
participate in a movement for the re-establish-
ment of the American home and for educating
the public to the fact that music and the piano
were the foundation stones of the home. There
was much being done in the trade, he admitted,
but he held that most of the work was unor-
ganized, conflicted at many points and needed
some strong central direction to make it effec-
tive.
As he expressed it "the dog has too
many tails and no head."
The dealers were particularly impressed with
Mr. Bayley's statement to the effect that only 40
per cent of the homes of the country were
equipped with pianos and that the remaining
60 per cent were being supplied by the trade at
the very slow rate of about 1 per cent per an-
num which was not rapid enough to take care
of even the replacement of the worn out instru-
ments. Mr. Bayley addressed the meeting as the
representative of President Edward H. Uhl, of
the National Association of Music Merchants.
In a characteristic talk, full of wit, John J.
Glynn presented to the assemblage the formal
resolution calling for the organization of the
S. H. Morecroft,
President of New Association
New York State Music Merchants' Association
which was promptly, seconded by H. G. Hyde,
of Cortland, and adopted by the convention. In
his introductory remarks Mr. Glynn told of
what had been done by the New York City asso-
ciation in bringing about a greater spirit of
friendliness among the dealers of the city, in im-
proving business methods and meeting business
problems and in checking legislation inimical
to the industry, such as the recent lien law.
Constitution and by-laws drafted along the
lines of those under which other State associa-
tions are operating successfully were read by
(he chairman and adopted practically without
discussion and the association also took formal
action to affiliate with the National body.
The slate of officers for the first year,- as
presented by the nominating committee under
)he chairmanship of Mr. Schoenewald, was
elected unanimously as follows: President, S.
H. Morecroft, Syracuse; First Vice-president,
John J. Glynn, New York; Second Vice-presi-
dent, B. E. Neal, Buffalo; Secretary Glenn L.
Chesbro, Syracuse, and Treasurer, William H.
Levis, Rochester. The directors are: Three
years, Burton Michael, Syracuse; H. G. Hyde,
Cortland and J. H. Godard, Syracuse; two years,
M. Doyle Marks, Elmira; Jerome W. Ackerly,
Patchoguc, and T. A. Goold, Buffalo; one year,
Edward Weeks, Binghampton; M. J. Slason,
Malone, and F. W. Baumer, New Rochelle.
(Continued on page 16)