Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
In the West
Condition of Trade — Continual Labor
Troubles Depress Business—Will There
Be a Coal Famine? Why Coxeyites
are Like Certain Music Trade
Editors—Elastic Conscience ?
as Well as Currency—
A Fair Presenta=
tion of Facts.
Michigan Melange—Whitney=Marvin Co.
Boom the Chickering—Big Advertis-
ing—"Gildermeister " Incorrectly
Presented—Clough & Warren
Optimistic— Never Have
Shut Down—Farrand
& Votey—The Elec-
trical Wizards.
Clement, of Ann Arbor—A New Piano Case
Organ—A Chat with Norris at Sagi-
naw—Should Be a City of Homes
—A Man Who is Erd To-day —
A New Piano — Barrows
the Banjo Man — At
the Factory of
Chase Bros.
An Up-To-Date Concern — The Pioneer
Piano of the West—The Defunct Nel-
son Piano Co.—An Extensive Ex-
perience—In Grand Rapids—
Conditions — Off for
Chicago.
DETROIT, HICH.
Conditions.
HERE can be no reasonable doubt but that
the series of strikes, lockouts and other busi-
ness disputes, together with Coxeyism and con-
gressional Indifference, have together rolled up a
formidable barrier which effectually blocks busi-
ness prosperity and throws the industrial world
into a turmoil. The worst of it is there seems
to be no end to these vexatious and retarding
ebullitions.
No sooner has one trade adjusted its disagree-
ments than another sharpens up the battle axe
and enters the arena ready for a conflict. These
conditions are discouraging because they seem
interminable.
Sporadic outbreaks like these are of serious mo-
ment to the business prosperity of the nation—
they permeate every trade. The general public,
too, is vitally affected by all these industrial
battles, and they can do nothing but look on
and hope for a speedy cessation of hostilities.
Unless the coal strike is quickly adjusted it bids
fair to seriously effect the manufacturing and
building enterprises. The workmen themselves,
who have been complaining for months that they
could get no employment, seem determined to
indefinitely extend their period of enforced idle-
ness. To any observant mind it is clear that
each outbreak assists to accentuate the depressed
condition of trade. Speaking ot Coxeyism,
what on earth the men expect to gain who com-
pose the rank and file of the industrial '' armies,''
is not clear to all of us. Tramping on through
mud and rain to Washington, and starving on
rations which a self-respecting dog would refuse.
Certainly the crusade has in it little of the
search for work. There can be but one explan-
ation for the march to Washington. The march-
ers are under the influence of a delusion such
as now and then attacks some music trade edi-
tors. They imagine by intimidation and threats
that they can coerce and dictate. With some of
the music trade editors the scheme has been
f
eminently successful. They have secured an
elastic currency equal to their wants. It is
doubtful if the Coxeyites will be as successful in
their senseless clamor for cheap money.
Naturally the music trade is effected in com-
mon with other industries by the unrest preva-
lent in the industrial world. At both factory
and wareroom there is a diminished volume of
trade. With the reduced purchasing power of
the people could we confidently anticipate other
conditions ? Hardly.
It is well to look at things as they are. I do
not believe it pays to give readers other than
the right impression.
Dealers everywhere are purchasing cautiously.
They are depleting their stocks, and during
these times they have embraced the opportunity
of "cleaning house," so to speak, by the dis-
posal of an accumulation of odds and ends repre-
senting the driftwood of years. There is solid
meat of satisfaction in this for the dealer as well
as the manufacturer. It means that when the
great trade arteries of the nation are pulsing
with new and quickened life, that these men—
mediums between the manufacturer and pur-
chaser—will be ready and anxious to replenish
their diminutive stocks. It means also that the
long span between spring and fall purchases will
be narrowed. Trade will extend farther into
the summer months. People will still continue
to buy, and the dealer must have goods to sup-
ply them.
THE TRADE.
Detroit I hold to be one of the best cities in this
country, population considered, for the sale of
musical merchandise. To say that trade here
was up to the normal condition, would be to
state an untruth. It, however, has shown mark-
ed improvement during the past few weeks. The
Whitney-Marvin combination are using consid-
erable space in the daily press. The instrument
which they are advertising prominently is the
Chickering. It is rumored that they will make
some changes in the list of pianos which they
now handle. The Smith & Nixon branch is
full of enterprise. Their advertisements bring
out the Steinway piano prominently. They are
also advertising the Gildemeester & Kroeger in-
struments. But they do murder poor " G i l ' s "
name. This is the way it reads : Gildermeister.
—Gildemeester's best friends have questioned
his judgment in changing the name of the
Kroeger pianos. Probably there was an element
of personal vanity which entered into his con-
sideration of the matter. At any rate, it is now
—as a man remarked yesterday—long enough to
set to music. " G i l " should see to it that
Clarke & Co. should at least spell his name cor-
rectly.
Clough & Warren.
The gentlemen who compose this firm are not
disposed to incline toward a pessimistic view
of men and conditions. It may be said of the
Clough & Warren Co. that their factory was
never closed through all the business vicissitudes
which we have passed. While their forces may
have been reduced, yet they were never com-
pelled to close down. The Clough & Warren
pianos and organs have found admirers on
two continents, and their clientele is ever in-
creasing.
Farrand & Votey.
It seems to me that each time I visit the fac-
tory of this concern I note that extensive addi-
tions have been made to their plant. It is a
forcible argument in favor of the business ex-
pansion of the firm. Farrand & Votey may be
appropriately termed organ wizards by reason of
their clever utilization of electricity in organ
playing. The manufacture of church organs
now occupies an important part in their product.
I had the pleasure of listening to some charming
effects produced by the use of electricity on an
organ just completed by them, specially design-
ed for the Gould Memorial Church, in Roxbury,
N. Y.
ANN ARBOR.
The Ann Arbor Organ Co.
Lew H. Clement, the general manager of the
Ann Arbor Organ Co., had grown "bearded as a
Pard" since I had last greeted him, and I mus r
confess I hardly knew him. I found that he was
the same versatile Clement whom I had met
years ago, just overflowing with business ideas
and theories. Mr. Clement is most loyal to the
Ann Arbor organ, and after that I believe the
Mehlin piano most interests him. I may add
here that I have found the Mehlin mentioned in
eulogistic terms all over Michigan.
Accompanied by Mr. Clement and Mr. All-
mendinger, who attends to the practical depart-
ment of the business, I toured the factory. The
Ann Arbor organs have a distinct individuality.
As Mr. Clement says, " they are different from
any other organ.'' Particular care is bestowed
upon the case work. The finish is remarkable.
They will have out in the near future a new
style of a piano cased organ. Special features
which the instruments possess will create a
lively demand for them,
SAGINAW.
" You see," said Mr. C. M. Norris, the well-
known dealer of Saginaw, after I was comfort-
ably ensconced in his private office, '' that many
people have a false idea of Saginaw as a business
point. An unfortunate situation for trade here
is in the fact that many of our wealthy men who
have made millions in lumber here, take
their accumulated wealth and reside in Detroit
or cities further East. Instead of investing their
money in Saginaw property and enhancing real
estate in our city, they retire with their wealth
to other cities. Again, the lumber interests
here are in a sense detrimental, for while they
are the principal industry here, yet they only
give employment to a number of men a few
months of the year. Then, when they are idle,
the butcher and the grocer have to carry them
until they get employment again ; thus they
are, as a rule, always in debt. What we need
here is steady employment the year through,
then the men build homes. No, the sooner
Saginaw enters into manufacturing then we
will move forward rapidly. L,ook at Detroit
and Grand Rapids. They never prospered in
anything like the ratio in the old days when the
saw-mills lined the banks, that they have since
those mills have given place to manufactories
of varied products. Saginaw has a great future,
but she will not prosper in the degree that she
would if the superb manufacturing facilities
here were utilized. The piano business has, of
course, suffered, and now my collections are
coming in very slowly."
Frank H. Erd.
-
; v
It required considerable nerve to commence
the manufacture of pianos in Saginaw, but it
seems that Frank II. Erd possessed the requisite
amount of courage to take the initiatory. He
has been for a number of years a dealer at this
point, and last year he began the manufacture of
pianos. Mr. Erd is a musician of considerable
note, and he knows a good instrument, and
more, he knows how to build it. The Erd
piano possesses merit. Mr. Erd contemplates
the formation of a stock company and the erec-
tion of a large factory in the near future.
Barrows flusic Co.
J. F. Barrows has achieved considerable
notoriety as an inventor. Some years ago he