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VOL. XLVII. No. 1 0 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, September 5,1908.
PROSPERITY IN THE SOUTHWEST.
Said That Last Quarter of This Year Will
Equal Easily Business of Same Time Last
Year—Business Men Report Healthy Tone in
Affairs—Percentage of Losses Steadily De-
creasing.
Piano men, as well as merchants and manufac-
turers in all lines of effort who supply the
greater part of the Middle West and Southwest,
are now confident that the volume of business
between June 1 and Dec. 31 will attain at least
the same magnitude as that of the corresponding
period of 1907, and, probably, will make a new
high record for the concluding six months. The
general expectations are that there will be only a
slight difference between the whole of 1908 and
1907, and that this year will exhibit marked
gains in all branches of commerce over 1906.
A survey of the situation, supported by inter-
views with successful men of affairs, discloses
remarkable and gratifying invigoration. The
current of business is not only moving with nor-
mal speed, but it is expansive, and gives assur-
ance of enlarged proportions. The commerce of
the third quarter of this year—July, August and
September—will reach that of the same period
of 1907, and the trade of October, November and
December will be larger than for the final quar-
ter of any year.
It is practically impossible, with statistics in-
complete, to give the exact percentage of the
average decrease in business. Many branches of
industry and commerce showed average decreases
of no more than 10 per cent., while a few ex-
hibited losses of 60 and 70 per cent. Two or
three months showed alarming reductions, while
the reports for other months indicated only slight
losses.
. The.situation during the eight months of this
year, as compared with the corresponding period
of 1907, may be illustrated best by stating the
percentages of each month.
Trade was about 50 per cent, of normal in
January, February and March; about 40 per cent.
in April; about 60 per cent, in May; about 75 i:er
cent, in June; about 85 per cent, in July, and
1C0 per cent., or normal, in August.
Notwithstanding the startling nature of these
percentages it is a fact that the sales or trans-
actions of the eight months between Jan. 2 and
Aug. 31 broke all records for number. Business
houses have received more orders than ever
before, and their records show a less number of
cancellations. Another point worthy of emphasis
is that the aggregate value of business has gone
steadily up to the normal total, with the prices
of many articles considerably lower than a year
ago.
Had prices held business would, on an
average, have been normal in July and much
better than normal for August.
Prosperity has hit the South and the West per-
ceptibly, and business men and farmers are most
optimistic. There is no sign whatever of the
least possibility of a reaction or of interruption
to improvement and development.
The political campaign and its outcome are re-
garded serenely, and visiting merchants say the
general sentiment is conservative in this respect.
Not only at St. Louis," but at all the minor cen-
ters in the South and the West, the expectation
is that the commerce of the last half of this
year will at least equal that of the corresponding
period of 1907 and, probably, will be better.
Business men are looking forward to unequaled
prosperity next year.
CHANGES IN AUSTRALIAN TARIFF.
Tariff on Pianos Increased from 25 to 30 Per
Cent, from All Points Outside of Great
Britain—Other Rulings.
A number of changes have recently been made
in the customs tariff of Australia. The prin-
cipal changes of interest to the music trade are
on pianos. Upright pianos, except outside pack-
ages in which pianos are ordinarily imported
when containing such goods, are subjected to an
increase from 25 per cent, ad val. to 30 per cent,
ad val. in the general tariff, and from 20 per
cent, to 25 per cent, ad val. preferential tariff
on goods manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Talking machines and accessories, except horns,
and military band and orchestral musical in-
struments both remain on the free list as for-
merly.
AMBUHL BROS. INCORPORATE
Under Name of Ambuhl Bros. Piano Co. With
Capital of $160,000.
The business of Ambuhl Bros., Pittsburg, Pa.,
has been incorporated under the name of Ambuhl
Bros. Piano Co., with capital stock of $160,000,
all common. The officers are George E. Ambuhl,
president; C. Roland Ambuhl, vice-president and
treasurer, and J. M. Wilson, secretary. These
gentlemen also constitute the full board of direc-
tors. It is announced that there will be abso-
lutely no change in the policy that has governed
the house for a decade, or since they began busi-
ness in Pittsburg in a small way ten years ago.
They are now one of the largest houses in Pitts-
burg, and handle Kimball, Sterling, Huntington,
Mendelssohn, Whitney, Hinze and other makes
of pianos, as well as organs, and control a very
good trade, considering conditions.
AND STILLJTHEY BITE.
Fakir Offers $800 Steinway for $100 and Finds
Many Takers—Buying Gold Dollars Next.
A benevolent and kindly-looking old man about
seventy years of age, with a suave manner, has
been reaping a harvest of money with the eco-
nomical but luxury-loving matrons of Corona.
A week ago he appeared at the home of Mrs.
J. Anthony, on Lincoln street, and introduced
himself as James Rogers, a special salesman of
Steinway & Sons, who, he claimed, owing to the
dull market in the piano line, were offering $800
Steinway pianos at $100 each, payable in instal-
ments, $5 down and $1 or $2 weekly. His man-
ner so impressed Mrs. Anthony that she fell a
victim to the extent of $5.
Although the man visited a number of other
houses in Corona, just how many more matrons
were called on is not known at this time, but the
pianos were to be delivered to the purchasers on
Monday last, and when Monday and Tuesday
came and went the ladies before mentioned made
inquiries at the Steinway office, and were firmly,
but politely, told they had no representatives
offering any such bargains.
The man was then reported to the New lown
police, who sent out a general alarm.
JOINT FIGHT ON_RATE DECISION.
Railroads and Shippers Unite Against
state Commission Ruling.
Inter-
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, August 30, 1908.
Plans are now being laid for one of the most
stubborn contests ever waged against a decision
of the Interstate Commerce Commission in the
effort to secure a reversal of the decision written
by Commissioner E. E. Clark in the famous
Missouri River rate case. The decision means
a great deal to Chicago and vitally affects the
most important interests of the railroads and the
shippers alike. The fight will assume an added
interest from the fact that the transportation
companies and the shippers for the time being
will stand side by side to defend their position
against what is regarded as one of the most
radical steps ever taken by the commission.
It not only involves the loss of millions annu-
ally in revenue to the railroads, it is asserted,
but if carried out to its logical conclusion may
mean the revision of the commercial and indus-
trial map of the country.
The order of the commission, which goes into
effect on Sept. 25, reduces the through rates from
the Atlantic seaboard to the Missouri River to
an amount less than the sums of the local rates
from the seaboard to the Mississippi and from
the Mississippi to the Missouri. As interpreted
by Commissioner Clark the order is a promulga-
tion of a new principle of rate making in place
of the one which has been in effect for forty
years.
The direct effect of the decision is to place
Chicago and St. Louis at a disadvantage with
the Missouri River cities, such as Kansas City,
St. Joseph and Omaha, in the matter of rates
as applied to the jobbing business. The indirect
result, it is said on all sides, will be a new sys-
tem of rates throughout the country as well as
a possible blow at some commercial centers and
the building up of others.
The figures relating to the imports of musical
instruments into South Africa during 1907 indi-
cate a decrease of over $185,000 as compared
with 1906. The decrease was directly traceable
to the severe business depression in that coun-
try due largely to conditions in the diamond
mines and the closing of the great DeBeers mine.
Of the decrease, Germany, the heaviest importer,
lost $125,000. A peculiar feature of the report,
however, was that the imports of talking ma-
chines during 1907 amounted to $77,260, as com-
pared with $42,245 in-1906, an increase of $35,
015. Germany controls about 50 per cent, of the
trade in talking machines.