The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-20
Editorial Comment on
Nation $ Big Music Bill

About 1--WE weeks ago John c. Freund.
the noted editor OF Musical America,
and an acknowledged authority on mat
ters musical, delivered an address before
the New York State Music Teachers
convention In which he made the state
ment that the'people OF the United Sta ies
spend nearly 5000, ,000, 900 per year Tor
music These figures. startling as they
appear are not the result OF guess or
rough estimate on the part OF Mr.. Freund.
long. careful research and comparison
with government statistics gathered by
experts.
The address, printed in Musical Ameri-
ca under date OF June Ia, called fortn
editorial comment all over the country.
Some excerpts from the views expressed.
as collected BY Musical America, are
herewith presented:
New York Tribune-One way Of fixing
the status OF music In America is to
figure out our cash valuation of it
what we spend on it annually.
This may be called a Yankee method
OF calculating q nations artistic abli-
ity Yet II is u highly interesting one
and quite applicable in our case. no
one could assert that we had been or
We're today musical nation at all COM
parable 10 The Germans, for example
The question is. Are we becoming a
musical nation? And on this point the
figures quoted have very real bear
ing.
The '-ied Illustrated, New York-John c.
Freund after forty wears of editing
and criticism in New York and London
has come into his own. at last. and is
accepted by the entire press as the au-
thority on musical matters. He made
his first deep impression by demon
stratins In q Times interview that
American music teachers have attained
equality with those OF Europe. Now
he publishes the sensational statement
that Americans expend nearly $780,
600. coo a year for music. The figures
are stupendous; but Mr.. Freund has
verified them by expert computa tons
with the assistance OF the official bu-
reau of statistics,
further asserts that OF the vast sum
thus expended, from 10 to I5 per cent
Is spent by women. If they get the
vote Heaven help the men! The
money on music, and men Will have
TO get along without armies. nsvies,
cigars and other things masculine
New York Sun-The music tea chers must
not be puffed up with pride for the
amount expended for music in year.
The drink bill for year is put at 81
SSS. 527,9l4, which shows that another
appetite was more expensive 10 salts
ty than the craving for harmony.
Philadelphia Press-Iy these astonishing
figures come anywhere near the cor
rect mark. they offer food for reflec-
ton to our American populace. Such
sum is nearly equal TO the value OF our
cotton or hay crops. We are not.
money Is thus plentifully lavished
upon fine art
Boston Traveier-If the American people
do spend 5000, 600 600 a year for music,
now now much , OF mat grand total is taken M
from them under false pretenses? How
many families are there who having
children, that can tell one note from
another. are induced to part with hard
OF their offspring may be developed
and the realm of music enriched by
their services? How many young
women all over the United States have
left home TO make music their profeS
sion and have returned wearily will
the eNpensively acquired information
that there is not room as demonstration!
| in the sheet music stores for those wht
began with dreams of operatic con
quests?
| Milwaukee Evening Observation-Disclosures
by the amount that they are alleged t
eNpend for music, it would seem tina
| the inha bitants Of the United States
Of all the people in the world, shoulc
be free from inclination TO treason
stratagem and spoils.''
| Portland Oreaonlan-John c. Freund th
editor of Musical America, has takei
| the trouble to find out how much w
which he cultivates. His discoverie
are flatterins. If they do not prov
that we are all passionate musician
| they show, at least, that we spent
money enough to give ourselves tina
appearance-which is just as well. E =
One OF the big items IS the cost of
| musical instruments. This amounts
J to saying mat very few American
| families are without a musical in
| strument of some kind. h" y
| New York CommerciaI-Music costs tn
| people OF the United States $500 600, 90
a year. one third OF which goes for tu
| ition, according to the estimate OF JOIN
| c. Freund. The spending of even sucl
| vast estimate OF money to give dee
and innocent pleasure is not an eX
travagance, Compared with the drinl
bill or the cost OF tobacco, cigars, ciea
rettes and snuff. 1t is compare tive ell
/ Insignificant, Music forms a desira bl
! part Of the high standard OF living t
which this country has attained, an
all sociological authorities now agre
that innocent diversion is one of tn
prime necessities OF life.