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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
American Pianos in Europe.
OUR LONDON CONTEMPORARY HAS SOMETHING
TO SAY OF THE " AMERICAN INVASION "
SKEPTICISM HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE
BELIEF THAT THE AMERICAN PIANO
IS BOUND TO BECOME, IN TIME, A
POTENTIAL FACTOR IN EU-
ROPEAN TRADE.
can afford to send his surplus stock to for-
Our Trade with Porto Rico.
eign markets at factory cost. To this cir-
Commerce between the United States
cumstance is due the extensive trade done
and Porto Rico has developed rapidly since
in this country in American boots and
the new act went into effect on May 1,
shoes. At the price no British manufac-
1900. Imports into the United States from
turer can compete. Why? Because he is
that island have increased 50 per cent, over
not protected at home, and cannot export
those of one year ago, and are three times
because of hostile tariffs. The American
as great as the average when Porto Rico
pianomaker admittedly does know how to
was Spanish territory, while exports to the
make a piano for his own countrymen. But
island have increased nearly 150 per cent,
by and by he will learn to accommodate
over one year ago, and are nearly five
himself to the tastes of European buyers.
times as much as the average when Porto
Then, with the natural and fiscal advant-
Rico was Spanish territory. During the
ages which he enjoys, he will become a
month of July, whose figures have just
powerful factor in the European piano
been completed by the Treasury Bureau of
trade."
Statistics, the exports from the United
Yes, our London confrere is about right. States to the island were $529,729, against
The manufacturers of this country, includ- $206,466 in July, 1899, and $156,296 in
ing those of the piano industry, are fast July, 1897. Taking the entire three
learning to accommodate themselves to the months in which the new act has been in
tastes of European buyers. Our immense operation, May, June and July, the exports
sales of manufactured products abroad for to the island were $2,117,207, against
the past year demonstrate this fact beyond $873,453 in the corresponding months of
question. There is no good reason why 1899, $485,279 in the corresponding months
we should not be able to satisfy our Eng- of 1897, and $393,225 in the correspond-
lish cousins more satisfactorily in the mat- ing months of 1896. On the import side
ter of pianos than their German neighbors, the figures for July, 1900, were $640,023,
and make them better, too, and at as close against $448,267 in July, 1899, $145,273 in
a price.
1897, and $254,676 in July, 1896.
There is no immediate danger, however,
It is apparent, therefore, from an exam-
of a conspiracy to invade the piano field of
ination of these figures that imports from
Europe. The music trade industry of
Porto Rico in the three months' operation
this country is pretty busy at the present
of the new law are fully fifty per cent, in
time catering to the wants of our prosper-
excess of those for the corresponding
ous people; still we are of the same
months of 1899, when the island was un-
opinion as our London contemporary that
der the American flag, but the former tariff
"the American piano manufacturers are
relations yet unaffected, while they are near-
determined to find an outlet for their
ly three times as much as in the corre-
products in Europe." This will not oc-
sponding months of the closing years of
cur perhaps in a day, a month, or in a
Spanish control of the island. Taking the
year, but it is coming. We are bound to
export side of the picture, the evidences of
play a larger role in the great European
growth are still more plainly apparent.
theatre of arts and manufactures. And
The exports from the United States to the
this view is based on the logical evolution
island in May, June and July 1900,
of our trade and is not a sample of Yan-
amounted to $2,117,207, against $873,453
kee "blowing."
in the corresponding months of 1899,
$485,279
in the corresponding months of
Mr. Prante Killed in Runaway.
1897,
and
$393,225 in the correspond-
[Special to The Review].
ing
months
of 1896. Thus the exports
Louisville, Ky., Sept. 9, 1900.
under
the
new
law are nearly two and
August Prante, manufacturer of church
one-half
times
as
much as in the cor-
organs, was killed in a runaway accident
responding
months
of 1899, when the
at First and Broadway early last night.
island
was
under
the
American flag, but
The horse attached to his buggy became
the
tariff
relations
yet
unaffected, and
frightened and crushed the buggy against
nearly
five
times
as
much
as the average
a telegraph pole. Mr. Prante was hurled
during
the
closing
years
of
Spanish con-
over the dashboard by the shock and thrown
trol
of
the
island.
head first into a tree ten feet beyond. He
Our always interesting contemporary,
Music, of London, confesses in its last is-
sue that it had grown rather skeptical re-
garding the invasion of the European mar-
ket by American pianoforte makers, owing
to the fact that the American pianos with
which the editor was acquainted had not
the remotest chance of competing with
either English or German instruments of a
similar class and at a similar price—that
they were constructed, in regard to cases,
in the style admired by Americans, and
their tone was woolly and most unsympa-
thetic to English ears.
Mr. Alfieri has evidently seen light, for in
this connection he says: "We are assured
by English members of the trade who
have recently visited the United States
that American piano manufacturers are
determined to find an outlet for their
products in Europe; and, in order to do
this, they will modify their structural
methods and alter their styles of decora-
tion to suit the most exacting require-
ment of European buyers. They are pro-
tected up to the neck at home, and do not
fear reprisals. Although they have a vast
territory at home they have an insufficient
population. Hence they naturally turn to
Europe for an outlet for their piano.
There is an old saying that ' it is dogged
as does it.' The Americans are above all
things dogged, and they keep their eyes
peeled all the time, to use an appropriate
phrase of their own. Hence they will
learn what is required in Europe, and go
straightway to make it.
"Their successful rivalry with the old
country is due to their great inventive-
ness. They are superior at engineering
and tool-making, and they employ ma-
chines where we employ men. This ex-
plains why, although wages are on a
higher scale in the United States, and liv-
ing dearer, the American workman is better
off than the European workman. He
does more work—with his machine—and
his employers can afford to pay him ac-
cording to the amount of work he turns
out. The ingenuity of the Americans as died at midnight.
tool-makers has long been admitted. An
Jacoby Enlarging.
Bollermann Burned Out.
instance of this is found in the magnetised
C. J. Jacoby & Co., of Alton, 111 , are
hammer, which is used in every factory in
The five-story brick building at Nos. branching out. They have just leased the
the country. This appliance facilitates 458-460 East 144th street, this city, the
work enormously. The workman simply second floor of which was occupied by Bol- four stores, 551, 553, 555, 557 East Second
lays the hammer head on a nail, and it is lerman & Son, piano manufacturers, was street, for a term of years, and intend to
immediately suspended point downwards totally destroyed by fire early Sunday remodel these establishments so that they
ready to be driven home. As a time- morning, causing a loss on the building will have thoroughly up-to date piano and
saving device the electric hammer is al- and contents of about $50,000. The fire organ rooms. Their new purchase gives
most equalled by the newest screwdriver, originated on the third floor, occupied by them a floor space of ten thousand square
which screws or unscrews by mere pres- Bernstein & Co., and was probably started feet and^ 105 feet front, with five elegant
plate glass show windows. This concern
sure, and is, moreover, by slight altera- by incendiaries.
have
branch stores in Bunker Hill, Jersey-
tions, adapted for other kinds of work.
The retail ware rooms of the Melville ville and Nokomis, 111.
"The American pianomaker is used to a Clark Piano Co., at 399-405 West Madison
large profit in his own country—the tariff street, Chicago, will be under the manage-
Geo. Beardsworth, of Gloucester, N. J.,
gives him a monopoly in his own land— ment of Harry R. Ewing, a well and fa- has arranged to open a piano repair shop
and in order to control a large output he vorably known piano man.
on Jersey avenue, that town,