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THE
REVIEW
flUJIC TIRADE
VOL. XLIV. No. 2 2 .
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave-, New York, Jane I, 1907
CONDITIONSJN GERMANY.
Consul John Thackara Says There Are 465
Piano Factories and 395 Supply Plants Many
of Them Small Concerns—Some Figures
Bearing on Exports and Imports of Musical
Instruments—Duties on Importations.
(Special to The Review.)
$9.52; organs, with pipes, $4.76; harmoniums,
$9.52; pianos, all kinds, $9.52; piano mechanism
and keyboards, $13.09; stringed instruments to
oe played by hand or bow, wind instruments, and
concertinas, each $4.76. To obtain a foothold in
the German market for American pianos, har-
moniums and organs would require an intelli-
gent and business-like campaign. Competition in
the German musical trade is too keen to expect
any satisfactory results from catalogs or from
correspondence.
Washington, D. C, May 28, 1907.
In response to inquiries from American manu-
facturers regarding the musical instrument trade
in Germany, Consul-General A. M. Thackara, o£
AGREE ON BILL OF LADING.
Berlin, has sent in a report in which the follow-
ing appears:
Manufacturers and Railroad Men End a Long
The manufacture of musical instruments is an
Struggle.
important German industry, there being, in 1903,
465 piano factories, many of them small concerns.
(Special to The Review.)
There were 30 factories making piano mechan-
Chicago, 111., May 25, 1907.
ism, 50 producing keyboards, and 25 smaller con-
After three years of constant struggle, repre-
cerns making and covering hammers. Besides sentatives of railroads and manufacturers to-day,
there were 280 factories which make special parts
at a meeting in the rooms of the Illinois Manu-
used by the piano makers, such as cast-steel
facturers' Association, agreed upon a uniform
springs, wires, felt, plates, etc.
bill of lading. An effort will be made to have its
The imports of pianos in 1900 amouted to $47,
provisions enacted into a Federal statute, thus
100; in 1905, $114,700. The exports of pianos
making it obligatory on all roads in the country
rose from $6,525,200 in 1900 to $8,454,700 in 190.'..
to adopt the same form.
The principal countries to which pianos were
It is known that the commercial interests
sent in the latter year were; Gpeat Britain, $3,
gained nearly every point they contended for, es-
165,400 worth; Australia, $1,118,600; Argentina,
pecially the elimination of the 20 per cent, insur-
$428,400; Italy, $285,600; Brazil, $142,800, and
ance clause. The new bill will be a negotiable
Finland $71,400.
paper.
In 1903 there were 275 factories for the manu-
facture of church organs, most of which were
STEINWAYSJ'ON THE SEA."
small concerns, working only for the home trade.
The imports of organs and harmoniums into The Mammoth White Star Liner "Adriatic"
Has Two Steinway Pianos as Part of Her
Germany in 1900 were valued at $87,000; in
Furnishings.
1905, $98,500. The exports amounted to $318,900
and $433,200, respectively. The manufacture of
The latest ocean liner to bear the Steinway
stringed instruments and strings is chiefly car-
ried on in small factories. Violins are made in piano over the "briny deep" is the great White
Markneukirchen and its environs, also guitars, Star liner "Adriatic," which visited New York
mandolins, zithers, banjos and like instruments. recently on hor maiden trip. Two Steinways are
Very few American pianos are imported into on board, both uprights, one being a Vertegrand.
Germany, and these only of the higher grade, nor
is an increased trade probable until the existing
D. WOLFF & CO. OPEN IN PATERSON.
objections to the American-made instruments
D. Wolff & Co. have opened a new piano store
have been removed, which are: A too high retail
price as compared with the German-made instru- at 198 Market street, Paterson, N. J., under the
ments; case design and finish unsuitable for the management of G. Fred Pollock. They handle
German market, and a different standard as to the Steger and several other makes of pianos.
the character of tone. As to low-grade pianos
there is almost no chance of establishing an out- ARCHER MFG. CO. IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE.
let in Germany for the American, as the Germans
The Archer Manufacturing Co., makers of piano
consider their low-grade pianos just as good, and
besides the prices are considerably lower. A stools and benches in Rochester, N. Y., have filed
piano made near Leipzig sells at wholesale for a voluntary petition of bankruptcy. Assets and
liabilities not given.
$63, with which a five-year guaranty is given.
There is still quite a trade in American parlor
organs and harmoniums with Germany, but the
STRICH & ZEIDLERS FOR COAST.
imports are not increasing as rapidly as former-
Strich & Zeidler, of 132d street and Alexander
ly. American talking machines of the higher
grade are well represented in Germany, and, ow- avenue, received a large order from George F.
ing to their unsurpassed excellence, enjoy a prof- Fossey, their Coast representative, the past week,
itable trade. There would be little chance for in- and in addition a most complimentary postscript
ferior grades, as thousands of cheap machines, as to the favorable impression the concerns' prod
made in Germany, are sent annually to the uct had made. Mr. Fossey is a great admirer of a
fine instrument, and naturally orates on every es-
United States.
The duties on musical instruments imported sential point that is destined to land a sale. That
into Germany from the United States, per 220 he can handle the subject ably and convincingly
pounds, are as follows: Talking machines, etc., goes without saying. His success proves that.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$8.00 PER YEAR.
PIANO SHIPMENTS AFFECTED
By Longshoremen's Strike—500 Instruments
' Waiting Shipment to Foreign Countries—Ex-
ports as a Whole Are Being Seriously
Hampered—Improvement This Week.
That the strike of the longshoremen is having
a more serious effect upon business than the
steamship companies admit, is shown by the
comparative figures of exports given out by the
Custom House the forepart of the week.
The report shows that for the first full week
of the strike exports from this port dropped
$6,944,896 below the figures of a week ago, and
it is admitted by the Custom House officials that
this enormous shrinkage will be greatly increased
by the first of next week. Most of the big
ships in the transatlantic service are sailing with
only half and three-quarter cargoes. Normally,
the exports to England average $3,000,000 weekly.
Last week they shrunk to $1,914,000. Exports to
uermany are normally $1,750,000 per week. Last
week they amounted to only $503,000.
The piano manufacturers have also suffered
considerable loss, and complaints are filed daily
relative to delayed shipments. It is reported that
over 500 pianos and players are held up at the
steamship piers or at the factories pending a set-
tlement. It is further reported that many of
the steamships on their arrivals are no.t fully
unloaded, and that goods are being carried back.
For this reason bulky freight, such as pianos,
etc., etc., and unperishable consignments, are not
received for export, at least until the piers are
cleared. Steamship companies plying to South-
ern points are refusing piano shipments, but as
noted in last week's issue the dealers on being
apprised of the strike gave immediate instruc-
tions to ship by rail, which is now the rule.
TOLEDO DEALERS POSTPONE ACTION.
Efforts to form a local association among the
piano dealers of Toledo, O., have temporarily
fallen through, owing to the fear of the stringent
Valentine anti-trust law effective in that State,
the dealers fearing to place themselves open to
prosecution as forming a combination to regulate
trade. H. O. Friedrichs, Smith & Nixon manager,
who was the moving spirit in the matter, hopes
to form an association next fall.
The dealers have, however, formed a dinner
club, and held their first dinner last week, when
matters of trade interest were discussed in an in-
formal way.
JOHN M. GALLUP'S EUROPEAN TRIP.
John M. Gallup, of John M. Gallup & Co., who
handle the Chickering, Mason & Hamlin, Everett,
Kroeger and other pianos in Hartford, Conn ,
sailed on May 23 for an extended tour of Europe.
He was accompanied by Mrs. Gallup.
OLNEY CO. BUY OUT FINE & SON.
The Olney Music Co. have bought out the busi-
ness of the T. H. Fine & Son Music Co., 2208 East
15th street, Kansas City, Mo., and are disposing
of the entire stock of pianos and organs at that
address.