Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Retail trade in some of the principal
cities has shown a considerable falling off
during the past two weeks. In New York
City it has been dull, while in smaller
towns there has been increased activity,
due to the fact that the roads have settled
to a considerable extent and better possi-
bilities are afforded for seeking trade out-
let. Everything now indicates the biggest
year industrially this country has ever
seen. It is extremely probable that the
Presidential election, which occurs next
fall, will have less of a depressing effect
upon the business affairs of the country
than any previous presidential struggle for
many years. As far as the music trade in-
dustry is concerned its prospects never
were brighter or its future more rose-
colored than to-day. There is scarcely a
manufacturing plant in the trade that is
not being added to substantially in the
way of factory extensions. There is
no sign of an over accumulation of
stock. When that occurs there will be
cause for immediate alarm, for con-
gested stocks, either in the manufac-
turing or retail department of any in-
dustry, indicate unhealthy conditions
which are usually followed by forced
sales and depreciated values. But as long
as everything is absorbed through various
channels, there] is every indication of a
healthy organism which comes from per-
fect trade circulation.
PAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS*
j\TO doubt the bar to the development
of trade in South America is the
lack of knowledge of the conditions pecu-
liar to that region. We have found it easy
to do business with Great Britain because
of the racial kinship between the two na-
tions, or with some other European coun-
tries because of the bond of interest grow-
ing out of the adoption of the United
States as a home by so many of their peo-
ple.
But with regard -to South America, the
popular mind can be said to have become
little informed since the assertion of inde-
pendence by the Spanish and Portuguese
colonies there early in the century. One
who reads Henry Clay's speeches made in
Congress eighty-two years ago, in favor of
recognizing the independence of the Span-
ish colonies in revolt, will be struck with
the fact that, while inspired by a desire
for the universal enjoyment of the bless-
ings of liberty, he did not overlook "the
immense advantages our country would
derive from a commerce with the South
American States." The idea still prevailed
that the great development made from the
outset by the then new United States
of America had been due to the substitu-
tion here of a republic for monarchical
rule; hence, a similar result would follow
a like change in South America. Even
Mr. Clay's opponents felt this to be true,
and they opposed any support of the inde-
pendence of General Bolivar's followers for
the reason that "the South American
States, if independent, would become the
commercial rivals of our own country."
Time has shown, in South America as
elsewhere, that a mere change in the form
of government does not affect the tendency
of trade. No question of sentiment de-
cides people to buy pianos or hardware or
clothing in one country in preference to
another where better prices are quoted.
Nor does it make progressive, industrious
and inventive a people not naturally in-
clined to be so.
Europe has been paying particular at-
tention to the South American trade and
through her consuls in the various South
American countries has been manufactur-
ing goods which are most desired by the
people of those countries. In musical in-
struments, until within a comparatively
short period, all of the purchases were
made in Europe. Within the past decade
large shipments of American pianos have
been made to Mexico and other important
countries in Latin America, but thus far
the Latin American trade does not appeal
strongly to American piano manufacturers.
Whether the Pan-American Fair to be
held at Buffalo will result in bringing about
increased trade relations in our own in-
dustry with those Republics which lie
south of us, remains to be demonstrated.
Up to the present time American piano
manufacturers have not looked seriously
upon the Latin American market as pos-
sessing great possibilities in the music
trade line.
FREIGHTS AND PIANO MEN.
DIANO manufacturers and music trade
shippers will be interested that resto-
ration to the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission of its former power of preventing
discrimination by the railroads in favor of
individuals or localities and requiring all
carriers to publish and apply just and rea-
sonable rates, is extremely probable within
the near future.
A rehabilitation of the Interstate Com-
merce Commission, which apparently has
been shorn of some of its powers, is now
proposed. The proposed measure has re-
ceived the endorsement of manufacturers
and merchants. The introduction of such
a measure has been necessitated by the
growth of competition between freight
railroads, much of this competition being
of a secret and underhand character. In
competition of this kind only exceedingly
grave results are exceptional. Special
favors to one party or one business cen-
ter imply the necessary corollary of un-
just discrimination against others. Efforts
to stamp out this competition by means
of agreement between rival roads have
invariably proved futile, hence it is only
by those who have studied the matter of
competition between railroads resulting as
it does should be restricted. Such restric-
tion, moreover, must be provided by the
federal government, since it is clear that
state legislation, lacking as it does, uni-
formity, could only serve to further com-
plicate the present difficult situation.
Recently in the West while discussing
the matter of freights with a piano manu-
facturer he told us that he had been un-
able to secure anything even approxi-
mating fair car rates to certain points
further West. We know of instances
where shipments have been filled to the
Pacific Coast points and in the meanwhile
the cars through certain arrangements
have been held up at intermediate cities,
where fair rates direct could not be secured.
In other words, it paid the purchasing
parties better to obtain other shipments
to far away points than to their own local
cities and through some juggling with the
authorities they held the cars at the points
designated long enough to unload them.
If the Piano Manufacturers' National
Association at its annual meeting next
month in Chicago should handle this mat-
ter of freights in a lively way it would do
more to popularize the organization with
that portion of the trade which still re-
mains aloof from participation, than the
advocacy of any other measure. Good,
strong, intelligent discussion along the'
lines of the securing of proper freight dis-
crimination would be exceedingly popular
alike with d ealer and manufacturer.
IN DANGER.
T^HE half cent is in danger. The prac-
tice which has been resorted to by
proprietors of several large department
stores, especially in the West, in issuing
small metallic coins purporting to repre-
sent one-half cent in value when presented
to the store issuing the same, is likely to
result in serious trouble, if the treasury
officials are successful with the campaign
which is now on foot.
It is believed at the department that this
practice is a direct violation of the law,
but owing to a peculiar condition of cir-
cumstances no decision has yet been se-
cured upon which prosecutions can be be-
gun with a fair prospect of success. It
will soon be illegal to announce pianos for
sale in the department stores a la dry
goods for $129.29^.