Music Trade Review

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these letters it was very evident that dealers wanted an
association, that its then do-nothing policy was making it
impossible for them to support it, and that unless something
was done and a drastic change in policy was forthcoming,
there just wouldn't be any association. This expose became
far-reaching. Mr. McCormack immediately set the Execu-
tive Committee to work on the selection of a new Executive
Secretary. Then a committee to revise the constitution and
by-laws was appointed. At the January meeting W. A.
Mills became the new Secretary, but due to a change of
business Mr. McCormack found it necessary to resign and
E. R. McDuff, president, Grinnell Bros., Detroit, succeeded
him. Since then, he and L. G. LaMair, president of Lyon
& Healy, Inc., with Secretary Mills and others on the
Executive Committee have devoted much time, thought and
effort to working out the new policy, based on the ex-
pressions made by the members, which was adopted at the
meeting this month and is printed in this issue.
Basis for a Dynamic
Organization
/f^\
REAT credit is due these men. We congratulated
(l ~TT them. Don't let them down. They have worked
^•—^ out a plan whereby at some time or other every
dealer member of the organization can participate in its
management. They have developed a program whereby
every member will receive many times the value of what
it will cost him. Membership scope has also been widened.
So much so, that our prediction some months ago, that
there could be at least 5000 members should now come true.
But, remember, all these good things cannot come about
without your support both morally, physically and finan-
cially. So. if you are a member, support the plan; if not,
send in your application for membership and offer your
services to do your part nationally or in your community.
Remember no organization is stronger than its weakest
link. So. don't be that link.
1
The OPA Mess Is Still a Mess
EALERS will have to do something about this and
that is where your strong association can show its
teeth. Piano action manufacturers have received a
new and higher price ceiling after again threatening to
shut down. Other supply manufacturers will undoubtedly
get higher price ceilings also. This will mean the cost
of pianos will rise because piano manufacturers will
eventually get an increase. If they don't they'll have to
shut down. But so far OPA says the dealer will have to
absorb the increase? How do you like that? We under-
stand that this has happened already in one instance where
a manufacture was granted a slight increase over the 13%
and was told the dealer must absorb the increase which
brought his margin down to 77% instead of 89%. How
does that sound to you?
D
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY, 1945
Give Your Congressman a Lively Vacation
W
ELL, if the above doesn't spur you to action we
don't know what will. Here is an idea. Con-
gress is going to adjourn soon and your Con-
gressman is going home for a vacation. When Congress-
men are on a vacation they make it their business to find
out what the folks back home are saying. You tell him.
Use very plain, unadulterated English and tell him what
will happen to your business unless Congress gets busy
and throttles the OPA. Then address a letter to Senator
Morse from Oregon, Senator Tydings from Maryland and
Senator Homer Capehart from Indiana at the House of
Representatives Building, Washington, D. C. These legis-
lators are all for a Congressional investigation of the OPA
and Senator Morse has already proposed a permanent
Congressional Committee as a watchdog over the agency.
Don't wait until you have your business back up against
wall. Get going NOW. Nothing will make a government
bureau come to time quicker than a Congressional investi-
gation. So go to it.
Anent the Present Used Piano Market
T will not be long before planning for fall will be in
order. There will be but few if any new pianos. There-
fore the used piano will constitute the bulk of the sales
throughout the rest of the year. Although, as we printed
in last month's REVIEW, the OPA claims it has established
a formula for pricing used pianos none has been announced
yet. Some dealers, however, are fortifying themselves for
fall by buying as many MirrApianos as they can get. We
know of one dealer who purchased five carloads this month.
His belief is that with the growing demand for them
they will be a good sales value for fall business. Others
with whom we have talked feel the same way. The unfor-
tunate part of the situation is, however, that due to lack
of manpower those who are making the MirrApiano to
sell to dealers are finding it very hard to meet the demand
and are booked up with orders for months to come. Many
thousands of these instruments have been sold all over the
country in the past two years which would lead us to
believe that when new MirrApianos are made after the war
there will be a continued demand. In our opinion if the
OPA should suddenly spring on the trade the price ceiling
on used pianos, the MirrApiano will be a very good asset
for dealers. At any rate, used pianos will constitute 95%
of the retail sales this fall and there will be a good demand
for them for many months next year.
I
EDITOR