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THE: MUSIC TRADE:
OUR EXPORT ANJMMPORT TRADE.
Import Trade of Musical Instruments Shows
Decrease—Exports for the Month Not Much
Larger—Player Shipments Make Fine Record
—The Figures in Detail Regarding the
Various Instruments Furnish Some Interest-
ing Particulars to Our Readers.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, April 6, 1908.
The summary of exports and imports of the
commerce of the United States for the month of
February, 1908, the latest period for which it has
been compiled, has just been issued by the Bu-
reau of Statistics of the Department of Com-
merce and Labor. The figures relating to musi-
cal merchandise, including pianos, organs, piano
players and miscellaneous "small goods" in the
musical field are as follows:
The dutiable imports of musical instruments
during February amounted to $79,463, as com-
pared with $101,315 worth which were imported
the same month of 1907. The eight months'
total ending February shows importations valued
at $1,007,052, as against $955,792 worth of musi-
cal instruments imported during the same period
of 1907. This gives an increase in impoits for
the eight months ending February of $51,260.
The import figures for the eight months' pe-
riod for the three years are as follows: 1906,
$847,339; 1907, $955,792; 1908, $1,007,052.
The total domestic exports of musical instru-
ments for February, 1908, amounted to $224,-
930, as compared with $239,183 for the same
month of the previous year. The eight months'
exportation of musical instruments amounted to
$2,271,184, as against $2,068,249 for the same
period in 1907. This shows an increase in ex-
ports for the eight months ending February of
$102,935.
The export figures for the eight months' pe-
riod for the three years are as follows: 1906,
$2,133,329; 1907, $2,068,249; 1908, $2,271,184.
Of the aggregate exportations in February
there were 835 organs valued at $48,843, as com-
pared with 914 organs in 1907, valued at $61,630.
The eight months' total shows that we exported
8,488 organs, valued at $517,067, as against
8,859 organs, valued at $582,570, for the same
period in 1907, and 8,806, valued at $632,201 for
the same period in 1906.
In February, 1908, we exported 286 pianos,
valued at $C8,215, as against 281 pianos, valued
at $62,746, in February, 1907. The eight months'
total exports show 3,074 pianos, valued at $759,-
796, as compared with 2,547, valued at $578,425,
exported in the same period in 1907, and 1,875,
valued at $430,019, for the same period in 1906.
Of the aggregate exportations in February
there were 235 piano players, valued at $60,988.
For the eight months' period 1,752 of these in-
struments, valued at $467,373, were sent abroad.
The value of "all other instruments and parts
thereof" sent abroad during February, 1908,
amounted to 46,884; in the same month of 1907
the value was estimated at $65,363.
The total exports for the eight months under
RUDOLF
PIANOS
are conscientiously made, good
instruments; in other words, the
sweetest things out.
RUDOLF PIANO CO.
458 E. 144th Street,
NEW YORK.
REVIEW
this heading foot up $526,948, as against $545,
379 exported during the same period of 1907, and
$544,671, exported during the same period in
1906. This shows a decrease of $18,431.
NEWARK AN ACTIVE PIANO MARKET.
Handsome Establishments in Evidence in the
New Jersey City—March Trade Ahead of
Previous
Months at
Mathushek's—What
Manager Bender of Wissner's Says—T. H.
Reed of Reed, Davvson & Co. Not Over
Optimistic—Hallet & Davis Co. Cover Wide
Territory—What Other Dealers Report.
(Special to The Review.)
Newark, N. J., March 30, 1908.
With many of the leading lines represented
here, this is one of the most active piano mar-
kets in the country, despite its proximity to New
York. The stores are a credit in point of fur-
nishing, equipment and management to any in
the country, and with its world-wide reputation
as a manufacturing center—not in any one or a
few lines—of great diversity, the general aver-
age of business is of a pretty high standard, and
it is a field in which piano sales cover a wide
range and with very satisfactory results.
Lauter & Co., who have undoubtedly the finest
establishment in the State, report an excellent
business for March. Peter F. Campbell, the wide-
awake, progressive general manager, said to The
Review: "Our March business was splendid and
will go ahead of the same month last year by 5 or
6 per cent., and that is saying a great deal, as
1907 scored a wonderful record in piano sales.
The month exceeds January and February con-
siderably. This represents hard work, to be
sure, but the results have been commensurate
with our efforts. The Lauter Humana is a strong
seller, for the player proposition appeals to the
public as never before. Our wholesale trade is
also developing, and we have made a number of
good sales to representative dealers. Collections
are a little spotty, to say the least."
General Manager Lintner, a gentleman who
understands his business thoroughly, and who is
scoring high sales for the Mathushek & Son
Piano Co., has not an ounce of pessimism in his
composition. Speaking of conditions, he said:
"Our March trade went ahead of January and
February, and the outlook is exceedingly bright.
We have made some nice cash sales. The gen-
eral tone is greatly improved from what it was
a month ago, and collections are very much bet-
ter. Newark was not so hard hit as many other
places by the recent financial flurry. Possibly
you may not know, but this city is a place of
diversified interests, where many articles of ac-
tual necessity are made, and therefore are needed
in daily life. Possibly only one industry strongly
represented here was affected above any other,
that of jewelry manufacturing, and that was hard
hit. In fact, that line commenced to feel \he
depression in September last, a month before the
crash came."
At Wissner's, John R. Bender, who is a nephew
of Otto Wissner, the highly-esteemed manufac-
turer of Brooklyn, N. Y., was of the opinion that
business recently had a better complexion. There
was an unusually brisk demand for grands and
players. This seemed to prove that sales with
the wage-earning people had fallen off. Business
was especially good in the country towns, where
they seemed to be better off financially than in
Newark, where not a few factories had been
closed down, but were now resuming. For the
times, Mr. Bender said, collections were not so
bad, and a good many customers were paying
up in cash in order to take advantage of the
discounts.
Reed, Dawson & Co. handle the lines of
Henry & S. G. Lindeman, of New York, the Krell
piano and the Simplex player. Besides, they
carry a good line of small goods, sheet music
and Edison phonographs, and in which they
were pioneers. T. H. Reed, of the firm, was
inclined to scout the idea that business was
picking up, and had no hesitancy in criticizing
anyone in the trade who said differently. He
agreed, however, that March was a marked im-
provement over the two preceding months, with
collections quiet. In the sheet music line they
did not cater to the popular goods, Mr. Reed,
who is a composer of some note, is greatly in-
terested in the copyright bills pending before
Congress, and had addressed five of the New
Jersey members of the House on the question In
the most vigorous manner, urging them to favor
the composer as against what he termed were
predatory interests, who appropriated his prop-
erty without compensation.
Hallet & Davis Co. also declared they had
an excellent March, and according to T. M.
Griffiths, the manager, it was greatly in excess
of February and January, and general condi-
tions were much better. A number of new
styles in uprights were received from the factory
last week, and also a new player model, all of
which may be fittingly described as handsome
as to design and finish. Harry E. Griffiths, who
travels for the factory, with territory covering
the southern part of New York State, the States
of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, got back from
a month's trip on Friday. He did very well
in the latter State, especially in the smaller
towns, but found Pennsylvania, especially in the
manufacturing and mining regions, quiet. The
branch was selling a large number of players
and also the higher grade of pianos.
Frank Doll, general manager of Jacob Doll &
Sons' warerooms, frankly admitted he had no
reason to complain; that March was very satis-
factory, indeed, with the bulk of the sales run-
ning to players.
A TIP FOR NEW YORK LANDLORDS.
George Ferguson, a Chicago, 111., landlord, re-
cently notified the tenants of his flat house at
642-644 Millard avenue, to have all their pianos
tuned at once and kept that way, a service due
to the neighbors in general. It is stated that the
tenants, realizing that the request was a just
one, complied willingly. Now for some New
York landlords to follow suit.
CELEBRATED 34TH ANNIVERSARY.
Albert B. Seavey, the piano dealer of Saco,
Me., recently celebrated his thirty-fourth anni-
versary in the music business. He has been in
his present location at 152 Main street for the
past twenty-four years.
"DISTINCTIVELY HIGH GRADE"
Wte CHRISTMAN
STUDIO GRAND
is the greatest success of the day.
It possesses a scale of rare even-
ness, atone of remarkable sonority
and richness, with a quality that
is highly orchestral. Our latest
styles of Grands and Uprights
mark a decided advance in the art
of piano-making. We court inves-
tigation. Some territory still open.
CHRISTMAN SONS, Manufacturer,
FACTORY AND OFF'OE :
869-873 EMI 137th St.
VEW
WAREROOMS"
YORK
35 W*jt 14th S«