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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Trade Conditions, Retrospective and Prospective.
WHAT DEALERS ALL OVER AMERICA WRITE REGARDING TRADE
HOW 1 8 9 7 COMPARES WITH
1896
WHAT WILL THE SUMMER TRADE BE?—HOW AFFECTED BY TARIFF?
THE STATUS OF THE VERY CHEAP PIANO.
CASH AND TIME SALES.
In order than an opinion of the retail
trade throughout all of America might be
gained, we have sent to dealers in all sec-
tions a letter asking a few direct questions
regarding the business situation for the
present year.
The hundreds of replies that we have
received we are unable to reproduce. As
space prevents us printing only a few we
have selected a number from important
points in order that our readers may gain a
fair idea of the trade conditions over this
country.
The letter which we sent embodied the
following:-i—
We hear much about the stagnancy of trade in
these times, and it is my personal opinion that
if less were said about hard times and more
energy were placed in extending trade, the
results would be more satisfactory.
l.--Let me ask you, do you consider that times
are really fair, dull, or stagnant?
2.—How do the first four months of the year
compare in a trade sense with the correspond-
ing months of 1896?
3.--Do you anticipate a fair trade throughout
the summer months, or do you believe that
the period of dullness will still be with us ?
4.—Do you not look for an immediate benefit to
business after the tariff bill shall have passed ?
5.--How do your sales compare as regards cash
and time with last year's business ?
6.--How about the cheap piano in your section,
I mean the very cheap piano ? Is it a promi-
nent factor in trade competition ?
7.--From your past experience are there any
predictions which you will make for trade-
considering 1897 as a whole ?
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
Foster & Waldo write: Our trade for '97
so far compares favorably with that of '96.
We fully believe this will be our banner
year. We know just what is required to
make it so and we propose to use that cer-
tain something—and plenty of it.
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
The L. Grunewald Co. write: Energy has
very little show in the present battle
against hard times. We have never ex-
perienced such a scarcity of money amongst
the people. We can, however, account for
it in this section, as we see it going to the
.afflicted in the submerged countries recent-
ly over-flowed by the Mississippi River.
All around us are lakes and in fact seas of
over-flowed farms, districts and plantations,
caused from the weak and inadequate con-
struction of our levees.
The greatest fights have been made to
prevent these disasters, but they came in
spite of the hundreds and thousands of
dollars spent to prevent them. The result
of all these distressing realities on busi-
ness can be imagined. In fact, all enter-
prises are stagnant and at a perfect stand-
still. Business in the latter part of 1896
was poor, but not as bad as we have exper-
ienced it this year during the same period.
There is certainly better business expected,
for it cannot remain much longer in its
present channel.
We believe that the extra duties clamored
for by the U. S. Government officials
through a new Tariff Bill will act detrimen-
tally to the musical instrument concerns of
this'country. We all very well know that
the U. S. Government needs more revenue
but there is no question that by advancing
the rates of duties on musical instruments,
there will be considerably less goods sold,
and that the Government g by raising the
tariff too high on articles which are not man-
ufactured in this country, would not get the
benefit it really needs and expects.
We think the idea is therefore a mistaken
one, and that the new tariff is one for pro-
tection to benefit a few who have laid in a
heavy stock of goods. We cannot there-
fore look for any immediate benefits by the
change of the tariff.
The answer to your fifth question is that
our sales are almost strictly " time" sales.
Now and then we have the good fortune of
catching a cash customer, but the percent-
age is small against the large majority of
time sales.
The so-called cheap pianos seem "to go"
yet, but we hope before long the eyes of
those who purchase these cheap pianos will
be soon opened to their want of better
judgment. We hope it will not be far off
when the balance of our people will realize
that the better grades of pianos are much
more an economy and much more benefi-
cial than the "box" which is so universally
clamored for owing to its cheapness (which
means the zvorst of all materials.)
PORTLAND, ME.
Cressey, Jones & Allen write:
1.—We consider trade very fair for the
season of the year.
2.-—Our first four months of this year
were better than last.
3.—We anticipate a fair trade the com-
ing summer as usual.
4.—We look for a better trade in the
fall.
5.—A larger per cent, of our sales have
been cash this year than last.
6.—We are selling more medium priced
pianos than high priced, also there is a
demand for some low priced pianos.
7.—We consider the outlook for '97 as
good as any previous year that we have
been in business.
8.—We think that hard times will affect
us but little if we put push enough into
our business.
DETROIT, MICH.
Grinnell Bros, write: " W e consider
times are really fair, and that the first four
months are better than 1896." We an-
ticipate a fair trade during the summer
months, and look for an immediate benefit
to business after the passage of the tariff
bill.
"Cash sales compare favorably with last
year. The cheap piano is still a prominent
factor. Predict fair trade for the entire
year."
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA.
The Mueller Piano & Organ Co. write
that times are dull with them, but look for
brighter conditions. About twenty-five
per cent, less business thus far this year
than in 1896. They anticipate a fair tra^e
throughout the summer.
They write: "We do not expect the tar-
iff bill will benefit business until politics
are taken out of business."
They report about the same cash sales as
last year, but add: "Those who have the
cash want the earth. Regarding the cheap
piano, no, the people are learning all about
them. Business for 1897, on the whole,
will surpass 1896 by over twenty-five to
fifty per cent. We do not look for great
things, but the outlook is altogether for a
fair business. Our great drawback here is
tne very low price tor corn. The farmer is
our money man; we have no factories."
NfciW ORLEANS, LA.
Philip Werlem Ltd. write: In our opin-
ion, business is not stagnant but dull. We
find that the first tour months of this year
compare favorably with those of last year.
We anticipate dull times tor the rest ot the
summer, and do not look for any imme-
diate or permanent relief from tariff legis-
lation.
The very cheap piano is not much of a
factor in competition clown here. We have
to have cheap pianos and sell a good many,
but we find tnat people, wanting to buy
("cheap") pianos, do not look around very
much but take the first thing that looks
pretty well, that they run across. It is our
opinion that the year 1897, as a whole, will
be very much better than the year 1896.
We consider that a great mistake in our part
ot the country has been made by the local
newspapers; they have been giving harrow-
ing descriptions of suffering and want,
caused by the drought and high water,
which are really not tounded on facts and
doing no good, except to throw the people
of the whole State into a terrible condi-
tion of anxiety about the future, which
caused a hoarding of read}' cash in antici-
pation of worse times to come.
Another point why music business is
not as good as it should be just now, is on
account of some of the music houses start-
ing to sell pianos on any terms that they
can get; for instance, it is said that such a
standard make as the Knabe will be sold
at any time for $10 cash and $10 per
month until paid. We do not make this
statement as any reflection, but at the same
time it is ruinous to business to offer pianos
of that grade at such prices.
NEW HAVEN, CONN.
M. Sonnenberg Piano Co. write: 1.—The
times are really dull and all talk and boast-
ing to the contrary does not changethe fact.
2.—Business for January, February and
first half of March gave fair promise for
the year, but since then it has been very
dull. Circumstances have favored us with
an increased business thus far in 1897 as
compared with the similar period of 1896.
3.—It cannot be expected the summer
months will yield a satisfactory amount of
trade. It has been my experience during
the past thirty-five years that dullness
must be expected during the summer
months. No reversal of the rule can be
anticipated this year.
4.—As an ardent Republican and an ad-
vocate of a high tariff, I look for an im-
mediate benefit to all commercial and finan-
cial interests by the passing of the tariff
bill now pending and cessation of political
jugglery. I lament and condemn the pol-
icy that rules at Washington to temporize
with legislation for adjustment of matters
vital to the prosperity of our country and
to every man, woman and child of our pop-
ulation, thereby causing widespread dis-
trust and distress. The questions of our
national finances and the tariff wisely set-
tled, confidence will be restored, manufac-
turers be enabled to reopen their factories,
labor of all kinds find employment at fair
wages, railroads resume natural operations,
capital now hoarded be called into activity,
and the thousands upon thousands of idle
labor find means of livelihood and more. The
wage-earners, the majority of population,
create business activity when employed.
No people on earth live so well or spend
their earnings so freely as the American
mechanic. Their desire to indulge and ed-
ucate their children and furnish attractive
homes, will make the piano business of the
future better and greater than ever before.