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V O L . XXVII.
No. 3 .
Published Every Saturday at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, July 16,1898.
WAR AND BUSINESS.
MORE OPINIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE TRADE REGARDING THE BUSINESS SITUATION THE REVIEW
WILL CONTINUE TO PRESENT THE TRADE VIEWS UPON THIS MOST IMPORTANT MATTER,
AS SEEN THROUGH MANY GLASSES BUSINESS MEN IN ALL SECTIONS CON-
TRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS ARE
INTERVIEWED—SOME VERY ENCOURAGING REPORTS THE
OPINIONS SHOULD FORM A FOUNDATION UPON WHICH
TO BUILD THE STRUCTURE FOR FALL TRADE.
Chas. ft. Stieff, Baltimore, Hd.:— " T h e
indications of an unusually prosperous
fall are not only supported by a consensus
of opinion coming from those who have
carefully studied existing conditions, but
are based upon indisputable and logical
grounds.
"Vast sums of money have recently
been expended, and we must receive our
just quota.
"The nation has adapted itself to the
conditions of war, the ill effects of which
were generally felt immediately after its
declaration. Our spirits are high, because
our victories have been glorious, and
peace promises to be realized in the early
future.
" We are extremely busy preparing for
the fall, and our factory is taxed to meet
the conditions we anticipate.
"We are optimistic on future trade."
harvested and marketed at an average
fair price, we think trade this fall will
be the best we have had since '92. Am
expecting a very large music trade during
the balance of this year and indications
are such that all kinds of business in this
part of the country will be exceedingly
good and it seems to the writer that we
can expect these good times for at least
three years to come, if not for all time.
"Our banks are in better condition,
having more ready cash to-day than ever
before, and I can see nothing ahead that
can prevent us from having at least a
good solid trade for the rest of the year,
and in my mind, there is no question but
that the present war has helped to do this
to a great extent."
Raphael Fassett, Manager Conover
Music Co., St. Paul, Minn.:—"Business
with us has been slowly improving, each
Wulschner & Son, Indianapolis, Ind :— succeeding month showing a healthy
"We are making all preparations for a growth over the preceding one, until June,
large fall trade. Our factory force we are when a comparison with same month 1897
increasing and are endeavoring, during the shows our profits on sales to have been
present quiet state of affairs in the whole- twenty-five per cent, greater this year.
sale business, to catch up and, if possible, This certainly does not look as if the war
scare was perceptibly affecting our busi-
get a little ahead.
"We may find a continuance of the war ness, still the men complain of some cases
longer than we all expect, though it is our that they cannot close until the final sur-
opinion, regardless of the war excitement render comes and the troops are mustered
(unless something startling happens which out of service, and once more at home.
reverses our present good fortune) that the We hear much of the great wheat harvest,
incoming season will be a bright one for and undoubtedly it is bound to help the
entire country. Certainly business should
the entire music trade."
Stone's flusic House, Fargo, N. D.:— be better in St. Paul than it has been for
" A t the commencement of the present ten years, this fall. Having had the en-
war, it interfered very much with the tire management of this branch only since
majority of business throughout the State, January 1st last, my six months' work is
everybody being in an unsettled condi- very encouraging."
tion. However, it has called a good many
H. W. Hall, Manager, Bailey's Music-
of the idle men to employment leaving Rooms, Burlington, V t . : — " I do not think
work for those remaining home.
that to-day, the war with Spain is interfer-
"We have already seen quite an ad- ing with our business to any perceptible
vancement in business, and if our present extent. I came to this conclusion after a
outlook for the coming fall crop (which is careful comparison of our April, May and
very fine) meets our expectations and is June business, with last year.
$ 2 .oo PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS
" The first part of April business went
hard. Everybody talked 'war' and felt
the situation very grave. However, it was
but a short time before there was an im-
provement ; to some extent a better feeling
prevailed, and while it takes a little more
push, a little earlier start in the morning,
a little closer attention to details, we seem
to be doing about our iisual amount of
business.
" T h e fact is, the farmers are feeling
more sanguine. The crop outlook was
never better, and prices good. This has a
great deal to do with our business. The
piano dealer begins to realize that he can-
not sit in his comfortable office and
theoretically build up a big and profitable
trade. Customers must be manufactured
as well as the goods. They must be
looked up and converted, and it is only the
hard, incessant worker who does this.
" I t is all well enough to work out a suc-
cessful business on paper, but it requires
the application to make it a success.
'' The motto of every piano dealer should
be: 'War or no war, business must suc-
ceed,' and they will soon find the 'war ex-
cuse ' to be a secondary consideration.
Less theorizing as to the future, and more
energetic and systematic work at the pres-
ent time, will keep up and build up any
business."
C. F. Grobmann, flilwaukee, Wis.:—"As
to your query, ' How will the fall trade
be?' first, we will say:
"There are no 'remnants' or seasonable
pieces in the piano business. Years ago
pianos were sold every day in the year.
"We do not look for any better trade
this fall or next spring, and all the other
falls and springs to follow, so long as we
are afflicted with national and internal dis-
turbances!
" So long as the war continues, so long
may we expect poor business. When the
war is over we have still the greatest of
all evils to contend with, namely:
«• "The union labor agitators, those peo-
ple who neither seed nor harvest, and yet
they make their money out of the wage
earners and keep the cotintry in a contin-
ual turmoil from coast to coast. If every
wage earner would do his own thinking
and dictating, and Uncle Sam would exert
his power to call down and quell these
walking delegate agitators, those free
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