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THE
flUJIC TIRADE
VOL. XLII. No. 1 6 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave*, New York, April 21, 1906.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS BOOMING.
Exposition Was the Biggest Kind of an Ad-
vertisement—Piano Dealers Have Profited
by the Improvement in Trade—Eilers East to
Attend Chickering Convention—Soule Piano
Co. Have Good Trade.
(Special to The Ktvlew.)
Portland, Ore., April 14, 1906.
Perhaps never before in the history of exposi-
tions has such a boom been given to a locality
as the Lewis and Clark Exposition gave to the
whole of the Pacific-Northwest. Every business
concern, including, of course, the leading piano
houses in the Northwest, have profited by these
conditions.
Demand for real estate in Oregon, and espe-
cially in the western portion of the State, shows
ai. excess over any former period. There has
been no boom, and Doom prices do not prevail
at. present, but there has been a steady and rapid
increase in values for several years past, most
noticeably since the close of the Lewis and Clark
Exposition. The fair was a prominent factor in
the present condition, as it attracted investors
and permanent settlers to the State by thousands.
More remote districts of the State are only be-
ginning to feel the benefit resultant from the
present influx of settlers, but Portland has ex-
perienced a great growth during the last winter
and property values of business and residence
holdings have almost doubled in the last year,
and in some cases they have increased three or
four-fold. The encouraging feature of the mar-
ket is that about four-fifths of the purchases are
made as permanent investments rather than on a
speculative basis. Real estate transfers in Port-
land for the month of March amounted to $2,554,-
000, establishing a new record. For the corre-
sponding month last year the total was $750,000.
The Lewis and Clark fair grounds have been
purchased for factory purposes, and great sums
of money will be invested there.
If we go Northwest to Washington the same
conditions exist there. The entrance of three
great transcontinental railroads into Washington
has caused an unprecedented activity in real es-
tate throughout the State, and particularly in
Seattle, where the roads made the largest pur-
chases. In Seattle and Tacoma a score of men
can be selected who were fighting hard to obtain
the necessaries of life five years ago, and who
are now worth anywhere from half a million to
a million dollars.
In any cafe ia Seattle one can pick out many
diners who have competences for life, obtained
through the sale of land to the railroad. The
greatest activity has been in tide lands, in Seat-
tle and Tacoma. A great part of the land pur-
chased by the railroads is under water.
So great is the demand for retail property that
James A. Moore, whose hotel tops a hill a block
square, will at once demolish the hotel and tear
down the hill a t . a cost of $2,000,000, so as to
make the property available for retail stores.
Recent music trade visitors to the Northwest
have all caught the fever, and it is said that
some of them have made good investments here
while upon their recent trip.
The D. S. Johnson Co,- are doing a marvelqqs
trade in Chickering pianos, having just received
a carload.
Trade in Portland has been excellent for the
past month, and the piano dealers look forward
to a record breaking spring. Hy. Eilers is East,
where he went to attend the meeting of the
Chickering agents in Boston.
The Soule Bros. Piano Co. report an excellent
business. The Davenport & Treacy piano is a
strong favorite with this concern.
WILL HELP OUR TRADE ABROAD.
New Bill for Consular Regulations of
the
Highest Importance to American Commercial
Interests.
In signing the Lodge bill providing for the re-
organization of the Consular service of the United
States, President Roosevelt has taken the final
steps in giving birth to a law which must mean
much for the upbuilding of our export trade.
The new law is a most comprehensive one, and
an idea of its importance can be gleaned from
the following statement by Representative
Adams, chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and who has long fought for the enact-
ment of this measure, and who states that the
Consular service will be improved by the insti-
tution of the following reforms:
Reclassifying the service and adjusting sal-
aries, so as to make an adequate salary the only
compensation of the consul.
Authorizing the transfer of consuls to act tem-
porarily as vice-consuls general, deputy consuls
general, vice consuls and deputy consuls, so that
emergency vacancies may be filled temporarily
and detriment to our interests prevented.
Abolishing the grade of commercial agent.
Providing for systematic inspection and super-
vision.
Americanizing the service.
Prohibiting consular officers from practicing
law for private compensation.
Requiring consular officers to perform notarial
acts for fees specified by law.
Abolishing all personal fees.
Repealing those sections of the statutes pre-
scribing fixed fees for certifying invoices and
empowering the President to make suitable tariffs
lor this service.
The service is divided by the new law into
seven classes of consuls general, with salaries
ranging from $12,000 to $3,000, and eight classes
of consuls, with salaries of from $8,000 to $2,000.
As an illustration of the practical operation of
the classification, it may be said that the salary
now received by the consuls general at London
and Paris is only $5,000, with an indefinite
amount in the form of fees. Under the new law
the salary at each of these two important posts
in placed at $12,000.
The friends of the new law regard the pro
vision for the Americanization of the consular
service as a feature of the highest importance.
At the present time almost every office em-
ploys one or more foreign subjects in the capacity
of vice or deputy consul, interpreter or clerk.
These subordinates, to a great degree, attend to
the routine of the office. They have little idea
of our policies and usually have no sympathy
With, them. Their free access to the secrets of
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
trade movements and the trade secrets of their
neighbors gives them an advantage which is just-
ly resented by honest exporters and is made use
of by dishonest ones. Above all, they are, as a
rule, of no value in our efforts to build up our ex-
port trade, because their sympathies and the in-
terests of their local associates are generally op-
posed to the success of those efforts.
It is sought by this law to radically change
this condition by prohibiting the appointment of
any person not an American citizen to a clerical
position in any consulate general or consulate the
salary of which position is $1,000 or more.
No feature of the new law will do more to
place the consular service on a sound business
footing than the requirement that all fees of
every kind received by consular officers for serv-
ices rendered in connection with the duties of
their offices shall be paid into the Treasury of the
United States. The present fee system has led
to many abuses in times past. Under the law
heretofore in force, a consular officer might re-
ceive as personal compensation fees for taking
depositions and acknowledgments, administering
oaths, settling estates and performing other serv-
ice of a notarial or legal character.
The tendency of the system has been to extor-
tion, neglect of official work and friction among
consuls. It is frequently an unjust burden to
foreigners and to American citizens and often
impairs a consul's usefulness in the district in
which he resides.
WESER ACTIVITY
Is Most Marked This Season.
The increasing demand for the Weser pianos,
made by Weser Bros., of 520-528 West 43d street,
New York, is one of the strongest testimonials
that could be given Ihem by multitude of deal-
ers throughout this great country who handle
their instruments. A prominent dealer said the
other day: "For a piano that is designed to sell
at a moderate price they embody a tone quality
and thoroughness of construction that entitles
them to the most careful consideration of the
trade. It is their boast, and one which they con-
scientiously live up to, that they give a value
and a guarantee that is beyond dispute, and that
a dissatisfied dealer or customer is an extremely
rare instance in their commercial career. Otto
Heinzman, their road salesman, has been in
Washington, D. C, during the past week, look-
ing after their trade in that section."
TEXAS TRADE GOOD.
Goggan Attends Chickering Meeting.
(Special to The ltcv'ew.)
Galveston, Tex., April 16, 1900.
The new Galveston is teeming with business
life and activity, and everywhere is evidence of
a business boom unprecedented in this part of
Texas. Galveston and her business men will win
through this condition of affairs. Piano men
with whom I have talked in this section of the
State all seem enthusiastic upon the subject of
spring business. John Goggan, of the great
house of Thomas Coggan & Bro., has gone North
to attend the meeting of Chickering agents in Bos-
ton. He is expected back here this week.