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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
The Piano Industry in Canada.
PHENOMENAL DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE NATIONAL POLICY OF PROTECTION
ANNUAL PRO-
DUCTION OF PIANOS IN 1877 WAS 7 0 0 TO-DAY NOT LESS THAN 7 , 0 0 0
SOME OF THE
LEADING HOUSES WILLIAMS, HEINTZMAN, NORDHEIMER, HOERR BROS.,
MASON & RISCH, NEWCOMBE, MENDELSSOHN CO. AN INTER-
ESTING RESUME FROM A CANADIAN STANDPOINT.
deal of capital would be rendered unpro-
ductive, and a great many people would be
exposed to the misery of idleness and
poverty. The story of 1876 would be re-
peated in 1897.
Caught in our Drag-net.
C
not less than $600,000 per annum. Take,
as an instance, the industry built up by
Mr. R. S. Williams, the father of the Cana-
dian piano manufacturing business. In
1877 Mr. Williams employed seven or eight
men on pianos, and his output varied from
twelve to twenty a year. The people were
prejudiced in favor of the imported article,
and it was hard to establish a trade in
home-made goods. Since protection was
established his business has developed, un-
til to-day he turns out two or three pianos
Much as we would like to increase the every working day, employing 160 men,
volume of our exports to the Queen's and paying in wages the sum of $2,000 a
Dominion, yet it cannot be denied that week. Abovit two years ago he branched
the present policy of protection has done out into the manufacture of small musical
considerable for Canada. A study of t h e ' goods, such as mandolins, violins, banjos,
industrial enterprises which have flourished guitars, and other sundries, an entirely
and grown strong under the banner of pro- new industry in Canada. He has now
tection will convince the foreigner as well as twenty men at work on these instruments,
the native that this national policy is as and his trade in them is growing quite
beneficial to Canada as it has been in the rapidly. His entire industry is a fitting
past, and will be in the future, to this example of the.benefits of a policy of pro-
tection in this line. Another is the large
country.
The growth of the music trade industry firm of Pleintzman & Co., whose factory at
in Canada is due almost entirely to their Toronto Junction gives work to 125 hands,
protective policy. It has attained immense with a pay-roll amounting to $60,000 an-
proportions since 1877. At that time the nually; and there are besides many well-
production of pianos in the Dominion known firms, such as Mason & Risch, New-
amounted to something over 500, and the combe, Gerhard Heintzman, Nordheimer,
industry employed not more than 125 the Mendelssohn Co., Hoerr Bros., and
workmen. The trade was chiefly in the others, both in and outside this city, who
hands of the American makers, on whose are to-day producing better pianos and at
goods there was a duty of 17^2 per cent. cheaper prices than were ever before sold
The price of American pianos was some- in Canada.
what higher than in the United States.
The result of all this is that the Canadian
When the National Protective Policy came piano trade is now almost entirely supplied
into force factories were built in various by the home manufacturers. There is a
parts of Canada, and the small industries small amount of imports, which is about off-
already in existence rapidly increased their set by the exports to other countries. The
output. The price did not go up at any annual production amounts in value to about
time, but as competition became keener $3,000,000, and is taken up by Canadians,
was gradually reduced, until to-day, as who have lost much of their former prefer-
everyone knows, a piano can be bought at ence for foreign goods. Pianos are much
a much lower price and on better terms cheaper than they were under free trade,
than ever before. After eighteen years of and the purchasing power of the people is
protection, it is worth while noting the much greater. Besides, the extension of
change wrought in the piano industry. In the piano factories has given a new impetus
Toronto and Toronto Junction alone there to cognate industries. Two firms in Tor-
are eight or nine large factories, whose an- onto have started the manufacture of piano
nual output amounts to- 2 500 pianos, on a actions, all of which have heretofore been
low estimate. In other places in'Ontario imported, and the quality of their product
there are about a do^en more, who turn out is rapidly improving.
There is also a
from 2,500 to 3,000 instruments; and in piano keyboard industry in Toronto, and
Montreal there are several makers, who many other accessories, such as the iron-
produce about 2,000 pianos each year. work, the bolts, screws, varnish, and glue,
These figures are only approximate, but are made entirely in Canada for the Cana-
one of the most experienced gentlemen in dian piano men. Under a policy of "free
the piano business is authority for the trade on broad lines" these factories would
statement that the annual output of pianos be quickly wiped out. The piano market
from Canadian makers is not less than 7,- would be thrown open to American and
000 instruments, and prcbably more.
German competition at ruinous prices.
These industries represent a capital of at The money which is now spent among
least $2,000,000. They employ about I,TOO Canadian factories for Canadian goods
hands, to whom they pay in wages a sum would be sent out of the country. A great
ANADIAN manufacturers, like those
in this country, are deeply interested
at the present time in the question of "pro-
tection," which is happily termed the
"national policy." They are advocating
its continuance, and it is one of the party
questions which will be decided at the
forthcoming elections in that country. In
the meantime, the development of contem-
plated enterprises will remain /// statu quo
until the result of the election becomes
known.
NEWHOUSE & LUETEKA, music trade deal-
ers, Terre Haute, Ind., have dissolved
partnership. The dissolution was brought
about through the Smith & Nixon assign-
ment.
A MOVEMENT is under way in Indianapo-
lis, Ind., looking to the establishment of a
large pipe organ factory in that city.
Some of the Boston organ houses are inter-
ested.
THE bill amending the copyright law to
permit criminal and civil suits for unau-
thorized performances
of musical or
dramatic compositions has been passed by
the Senate, and will no doubt receive the
President's signature. The measure is a
good one.
H. M. CABLE, vice-president of the Chi-
cago Cottage Organ Co., has been rusticat-
ing at his summer home in Walton, N. Y.,
during the past week. This has resulted,
as a matter of course, in the usual crop of
rumors of "big deals in the East," etc.
THE summer Autoharp trade promises to
be very satisfactory.
May business for
this year is reported to be considerably
ahead of the corresponding month last
year.
WILLIAM H. JOHNSON, of W. H. Johnson
& Co., Halifax, N. S., is expected in New
York to-day.
AMONG the members of the trade in town
during the week were E. W. Furbush,
of Vose & Sons, Boston; Alfred Schindler,
with Marshall & Wendell, Albany; A. G.
Wigand, wich the Starr Piano Co., Rich-
mond; W. C. Burgess, and Mrs. Wegman,
of the Wegman Piano Co., Auburn.
ALFRED MEYER writes the Newark, N. J.,
News to announce that all the piano stores
on Broad street will close Saturdays at 12
o'clock during the months of July, August
and the first Saturday in September. F.
R. Feehan, manager of the Bradbury piano
warerooms, informed him of this fact.
J. B. JENKINS, who for
years has been
the able representative of the Hobbie
Music Co., has now gone into business for
himself, and has formed a partnership with
W. W. Hamilton, a business man of many
years experience. The style of the firm is
Hamilton & Jenkins, and located at Bram-
well, W. Va. They are selling the famous
Conover, Schubert and Kingsbury pianos,
and the Chicago Cottage organs.
A MUSIC store has been opened in Coving-
ton, Ky., by E. B. Sanderson & Co,