Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ing injustice when it includes The Review
under the sweeping" term of "the Eastern
trade press."
ALL PIANO MANUFACTURERS IN-
TERESTED.
"T^HE situation in Chicago interests every
piano manufacturer who is located
where there is a possibility of labor unions
being formed.
Those who have given this matter seri-
ous consideration realize that it is not a
question of paying more wages. That is
not the vital matter at issue. It is whether
a manufacturer shall be permitted to be
a free agent in the conduct of his affairs, in
the right to employ and discharge labor, or
whether he is to be thwarted at every move
by the more and more exacting and greedy
demands of the union as time rolls on.
The Review saw, and so reported from
the first, that should the manufacturers of
Chicago accept the ultimatum laid down
by the union officials, then industry could
never remain entirely free from the inter-
fering demands of labor. It is necessary
that there should be a complete harmony
existing between capital and labor, but
capital cannot afford to be dictated to in
every move by labor, because in that way,
capital would in the end cease to produce,
and all conditions of society would become
chaotic and uncertain.
The piano manufacturers of Chicago
fully realized this, and they were willing to
accept a long and bitter fight, thus losing
the cream of the best trade which this in-
dustry has enjoyed for years before they
would accept a reconciliation on any other
basis than that of industrial independence.
With them it was not a question of wages.
That was one of minor importance. They
were perfectly willing to grant that, but
they refused to be shackled and bound by
such clauses which would not require even
a liberal interpretation to tie up their busi-
ness at any time.
It may seem inevitable that the condi-
tions be waged into the new year, and we
wish to say to the piano manufacturers of
Chicago that practically the sympathy of
the entire Eastern trade is accorded them,
and that the reports which have been cir-
culated to the effect that Eastern manufac-
turers have egged on the disturbing labor
element is one of the vilest, most untruthful,
sectional fabrications ever concocted. No
matter how complicated the situation be-
comes, the thinking men of this trade rec-
ognize the vital question at issue—it can-
not become obscured; no matter how much
the labor element desire it. Should the
labor leaders win in their present demands,
there is no telling what the next move will be.
It should be understood that the build-
ing operations in Chicago are seriously
crippled by the labor unions, and a new
element of trouble was disclosed there last
week which had been partially suspected
but not proved. The fact was made pub-
lic that certain manufacturers of materials
used largely in building had made com-
binations with sub-contractors and labor
unions through which the use of certain
material was forced upon owners of build-
ings whether of inferior quality or higher
priced than could be procured from out-
side manufacturers.
Why would it not be possible for this
same condition of affairs, only magnified, to
be brought about in the piano trade? If
they demand one thing they could with
equal justification insist upon another.
They could insist upon certain materials
being used. If the manufacturing inter-
ests of this country are to thrive and pros-
per they must not be hampered by unwar-
rantable labor interference.
ANENT QUOTING PRICES.
JUDGING from the numerous expres-
sions of approval regarding the leader
in last week's Review, urging that some
action be taken to counteract the circula-
tion of ridiculous statements regarding the
cost of pianos by the labor leaders of Chi-
cago, we incline to the opinion that our
position is unequivocally endorsed. Assur-
edly something should be done to remove
the false impressions regarding the cost of
pianos to manufacture circulated from Chi-
cago.
It is well known that the Annex editor
did a very serious injury to the trade years
ago, when he published statement after
statement, itemizing the cost of pianos.
These are matters which alone concern
manufacturers, and the more these false
reports are circulated the more injury is
done to the legitimate trade. In the first
place some dealers readily gulp down the
absurd tales of cost of pianos and at once
commence a series of arguments insisting
that lower prices be granted them—that
the manufacturers are making all the
money, and the dealers are being forced to
pay exorbitant profits to the rich manufac-
turers.
Then again, in the newspapers these re-
ports reach the great purchasing public,
and a series of onslaughts is made on the
dealer for lower prices, alleging that enor-
mous profits are being made in the retail-
ing of pianos.
All of this sort of publicity is an injury
to the industry, and it means that the pub-
lic and the dealers are apt to look upon the
actual cost of the manufacture of pianos in
an entirely erroneous and false light. In-
telligent dealers should be good judges of
values, and if some manufacturers by a per-
fect factory system—by economy—paying
careful study to every department of their
business, are enabled to produce goods
cheaper than others, it is only right that
they should profit by their intellectual
acumen, and the dealers, that is the intel-
ligent dealers, know whether they are se-
curing great values or not. It is not what
a product costs to create, but it is what
it is worth in the market of to-day. The
matter of cost is too little understood.
It is the law of supply and demand which
creates the value, and even in this trade
there is a standard of values sufficiently
well established for the dealer to know
whether he is securing good returns for
money or not.
LABOR UNIONS AND TRUSTS.
T H E trust promoter is attempting to
make capital out of the labor condi-
tions now existing in Chicago to further
his own interests in the way of commis-
sions by using the present time to augment
the trust idea among the manufacturers.
He alleges that this is the only way in
which manufacturers can successfully com-
bat a strike or labor union.
His argument is too full of holes to hold
water. Strikes cannot be eliminated from
modern industrial conditions by the forma-
tion of trusts, and when the prosperity of
an industry depends entirely upon a com-
bining of all into one, then it is indeed in
a deplorable condition. Combinations can
be made which would work justice to in-
dustry and the promotion of individual in-
terests, but trusts, as they are commonly
termed, are not achieving such popularity
as they were a few months past. Small
manufacturers are exceeding loath to merge
their interests with greater ones, because
they know the old story of the fishes and
they prefer to swim in their own little
pond, where they run no particular
danger of being gobbled up.
Our people are becoming soberer on the
question of trusts; they realize that it is
a question of industry rather than politics.
The question of governmental supervision
of these great industrial corporations is
one which has been discussed from an
early period in the consolidation move-
ment. The necessity was perceived of
some action which would at least attempt
to insure the protection of the interests of
stockholders. It was believed that oppor-
tunities were being created which might be
used by unscrupulous individuals to enrich
themselves at the expense of those who had
their money invested but had no voice in
the management of affairs. An arrange-
ment whereby the government would be
brought into more intimate relations with