Music Trade Review

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THE
P
7VTCVSIC T R H D E
IANO manufacturers have not as yet manifested serious con-
cern in the coming Exposition at St. Louis. It was plain to
We are shipping pianos and organs to all parts of the earth.
Some of the heads of the great music trade institutions of
all who were in the world's fair city last week, that the men behind
Europe visit America for the sole purpose of arranging for the
the exposition had planned a gigantic affair, and from the manner
European representation of American makes of instruments.
in which the formal dedication ceremonies were conducted, there
There isn't a civilized country in the world where American
might be an element of doubt in the minds of many whether or not
musical instruments do not give joy to the citizens thereof, but
they were capable of carrying it to successful culmination.
about the unkindest cut of all is the establishing by Americans of
However, the lessons which they learned and the__ criticisms
a factory at Glasgow, Scotland, to make golf balls.
which were made by men in high official circles may result in bring-
Hoot mon!
ing about constant betterment in exposition work.
But that is carrying coals to Newcastle with a vengeance.
Of course the exposition officials seriously regret the unsatis-
factory manner in which St. Louis received her guests, but not-
withstanding that many will hold them responsible for unfortunate
mistakes.
UT St. Louis will have a magnificent exposition, there is no
question about that, and it is generally conceded that perfect
arrangements could not have been expected on the first big occa-
sion and that mistakes incident to the dedicatory exercises will be
a helpful object lesson from which it is hoped that the manage-
ment of the Fair will learn a necessary lesson.
A MID music and the tramp of marshalled hosts and before
\ A 7 HEN Henry Eilers, the well known San Francisco dealer,
* * was in the office of The Review recently he remarked that
just before he left home the lathers engaged in building operations
had struck for six hours a day and nine days' pay.
Now, the question is, how can we endure such exorbitant de-
mands and continue our business?
That is the one cloud on the horizon, the one menace to the
continuance of prosperity. The danger lies in the demands which
labor is making for higher wages and the strikes actual and threat-
ened in various lines of industry. Where is this sort of thing going
to end?
H T H E time cannot be far distant when with the advance of
'
wages, the cost of various products will rise so high as to
tries St. Louis formally inaugurated the beginning of what is that
seriously lessen their consumption.
city's boast to make the greatest world's fair ever held.
We know personally of men engaged in the lines of trade in
The occasion was an impressive one, not only from a prospec- which The Review is directly interested.and in view of the high
tive, but a retrospective viewpoint. For the ceremonies marked prices of materials and labor, have deferred the erections of new
the centenary of the signing of the treaty by which a vast territory buildings and similar hesitancy is marked in other quarters. There
was added to the United States. What this country would have must be a point beyond which wages cannot rise—when the ad-
been without the purchase of the territory now known as the State vance is coincident with shorter hours of labor and a general re-
of Louisiana and the great West beyond the Mississippi, we can duction of the efficiency of the producer.
hardly imagine. But that without this great accession, without the
HP* HE granting of the union demands too frequently breeds in
dominance of one flag from Atlantic to Pacific, the nation would
*
the operator the conviction that he need work only as hard
never have risen to its present pre-eminence is unquestionable.
as it suits him, and may loaf as much as he pleases, thus as the
St. Louis is fortunate in the fact that no previous American prices go up, the product of organized labor deteriorates.
Exposition has ever been planned or begun under such favorable
Get more, return less, is the watchword.
auspices.
Now, how long can this country stand this sort of thing? The
HE strides which the country has made since the days of the decline of industrial England is in the absolute domination of the
Chicago World's Fair are enormous. The United States to- labor unions of that country. Now we should not see our pros-
day holds a place in the estimation of other countries far and away perity reversed and our progress checked by unreasonable de-
mands.
above that which it occupied ten years ago. That the leading na-
tions will be active participants in the St. Louis Exposition is '""T'HE only way to meet organization is with organization, and
*
the piano manufacturers who gather at Buffalo next week
unquestioned. That vast crowds will be attracted to this country
in their secret session, will discuss without doubt this matter in a
to study our industries and products is equally certain.
Some of the buildings are far advanced, and are vast and way which will not be given out in their special press reports.
The way to meet the demands of organized labor is by organ-
ornate beyond ordinary descriptive powers, and President Francis
ized capital, then the industries of the country will be put on a
remarked to The Review that the great I 7 air would positively open
safer basis.
at the time set, namely, May ist, 1904, therefore we would suggest
It is all well enough to say that every man is independent,
that every manufacturer who desires space to make immediate
but absolute dictations of the union are reducing the independence
application for allotment.
of manufacturers to mere mockery.
Wherein does the independence lie if they are to be hampered
A MERICA is the great industrial supply house of the world.
* *• We are sending out the fruits of our industry to every coun- and tied up by arbitrary rules so that their interests are seriously
threatened ?
try on the Globe.
*• audiences of Americans and representatives of many coun-
T