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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
bers of commerce, which were, of course, semi- bother with foreign orders at all. The home
official bodies, and though the National Council trade pays him better, anyway, on account of the
of Commerce could not be a semi-official body, it fact that he has no supplying of any consequence
tmportant Meeting in Washington in December
to Develop This Movement—Gustav H. would be working in co-operation with the De-
to deal with and has not to wait for his money.
Schwab, of the New York Chamber of Com- partment of Commerce and Labor, and would be
There is very great temptation, indeed, for him
the intermediary between the Government and to ask himself why he should bother with foreign
merce, Says American Manufacturers Are to
the various associated bodies throughout the trade at all when he has all he can do, maybe,
Blame for the Slow Development of Export
country. The Government would know what to fill local demands, or, at any rate, demands
Business.
was being done, and uniform action could be from within United States territory. And he lets
secured.
the foreigner go hang until the time comes when
Piano manufacturers, as well as members of
Mr. Schwab remembered that the matter of ex- the home market is dull and he has more stuff
other industries, should become interested in the
meeting of representative commercial men to tending facilities for foreign trade had been on his hands than he can conveniently place in
be held in Washington in December, for it is discussed at the conference of State Governors the vicinity of his factory.
"That is just the situation. It explains the
destined to mark a new era in the extension of at the White House a few months ago, and he
our trade facilities with other countries, and will considered it to be about the most important whole business, and the reason why Germany
signify an endeavor to unify the business in- question with which the council would have to is so much more active in South America than
we are. Look at the grip Germany has on the
terests of the country and associate them with deal. He said:
"The time has gone by when the manufactur- Argentine Republic. The German manufacturer
governmental efforts on a far surer basis than
ever has been known before in the United States. ers of this country can afford to regard the is persistent, dogged, and what he has he never
Some time ago the Department of Commerce matter of export to foreign countries as an ex- lets go, and his whole economic policy is
and Labor in Washington, of which Mr. Straus pedient emergency in times when home trade is different. Our economic policy in this country is
is the political and administrative head, sent out dull. The manufacturers have begun to realize wrong, as displayed by the merchants of our big
circular letters to all the leading commercial that though they may get into foreign markets cities. Indeed, it is a national calamity that we
organizations in the country suggesting the for- with their astute business methods and their are too apt to 'eat, drink and be merry' for to-
mation of a National Council of Commerce for up-to-date goods, that is not all they have to day. We act as if we owed nothing to posterity,
the purpose of bringing the Government into do. They have to take very good care to retain and simply live for the present, in the present,
closer touch with the business interests of the those markets and to see that they are not al- and according to what we conceive the needs of
country, and at the same time unifying the in- lowed to go into other hands, as has been too the present to be. The American does not prac-
dividual efforts of the various associations along often the case. It has too often been the habit of tise real economies, knows nothing about them,
a common basis in regard to certain general and the manufacturer here to send out his goods for his methods are extravagant and wasteful."
Mr. Schwab admitted that the worst enemy of
important movements. The most important of and seize hold of foreign fields as emergency
these movements is held to be the extension of dumping grounds, letting the trade slide again the American salesman abroad very frequently
our trade with other countries, and what is so soon as home trade pulled up. While home was no other than his own firm, who, in times
equally important in the light of past experience, trade remained good he did not bother about of prosperity at home, would not even trouble
exporting, but times became slack again; there to fill the orders sent in by the "prospector,"
the retention of it, once secured.
Gustav H. Schwab, of the North German Lloyd came another slump, such as that we have just whose missionary work had opened up new fields
Steamship Co., is president of the National Coun- been through, and the manufacturer cast his and possibilities for American manufactures.
cil of Commerce, the inauguration of which is eyes over the seas again. But he finds what he
promised in December, when the council will must have known was inevitable if he had only
TWO FARRAND PIANO STYLES
hold its first annual meeting and appoint its stopped to think, namely, that the field he had
officials. W. R. Corwine is secretary of the coun- formerly secured and let go has since gone into That Must Attract the Attention of Particular
Piano Purchasers.
cil pro tem, and its executive committee con- the hands of the Britisher or the German, and
once you let a foreign market go it is not picked
sists of representatives of the Chamber of
The Farrand Co., Detroit, Mich., have added
Commerce and Manufacturers and Merchants' as- up again in a day nor in a year. The manufac-
two
new folders to the literature exploiting their
sociations in all the principal cities of the turers have been guilty of short-sighted policy,
line of pianos. One devoted to their Style 12
and
they
are
beginning
to
realize,
I
think,
that
country.
polished case and their Style 12 mission, while
i;,Mr. Schwab is chairman of the Committee on they have been short-sighted. They have begun
the other refers to their Style 5 polished and
to
see
that,
even
in
this
vast
territory
of
ours
Fbreign Trade in the New York Chamber of Com-
the
corresponding style in mission case. The
merce,,,and is connected with several business there come occasions when it is expedient to
polished styles have cases with simplicity as the
have
other
outlets,
and
to
maintain
them
our
associations of a relative order. In the course
keynote in their designs, while both the mission
of an interview the other day Mr. Schwab ex- work is really more educational than anything
styles are beautiful examples of that treatment,
else,
or
will
be,
at
least,
for
a
time."
pressed himself as hopeful that the coming con-
Style 12 showing true mission severity, while
"What do you consider to be the chief obstacles
ference in Washington and the formal establish-
Style 5 has the plainness relieved by panels of
ment of a national council would do much, not in the way of extending foreign trade?"
leaded glass. Both instruments have been built
"Just indifference on the part of the manu-
only to stimulate foreign trade, but also to bring
to supply a special class of trade. The folders
into line the efforts of individual associations facturers," said Mr. Schwab. "There is, of
are attractively printed, bear just enough descrip-
whose endeavors must necessarily prove more course, very great temptation when trade is good
tive matter to be decidedly interesting, and
successful under a system of co-operative action. here for the manufacturer to busy himself filling
should prove of great value to the dealer in influ-
He instanced the success of the German cham- local orders to supply home demands and not
encing prospects to inspect and purchase a Far-
rand piano.
EXTENDING OUR FOREIGN TRADE.
\
opportunities come to those who
make good use of small ones."
Order ONE
PIANO
You will see YOUR opportunity
NOW is The Time!
KANSAS DOLCETTE CO. ORGANIZED.
Professor Bissing, of Topeka, Kan., has re-
ceived patent papers for his new musical instru-
ment—the Dolcette. The instrument is unique
in many ways, one of the features being that by
a single pressing of a key either a single or
tremolo note may be produced. At the present
time the Kurtz Action Co. and the Haddorff
Piano Co., Rockford, 111., are manufacturing the
Dolcette under Professor Bissing's direction, and
the Kansas Dolcette Co. has been organized, with
salesrooms at 706 Kansas avenue, Topeka, for
the purpose of introducing the instrument to
the trade throughout the State. It is said that
piano dealers are free to handle the Dolcette,
for instead of conflicting with the piano it is at
its best when played with piano accompaniment
and should appeal to all owners of pianos.
HOLLENBERG CO.'S FINE EXHIBIT.
M
E. B. Bogart & Co.
Of
Pianos and Player Pianos
That are Trade Builders.
281-283 East 137th Street,
NEW YORK.
The Hollenberg Music Co., Little Rock, Ark .
had an elaborate exhibit of pianos, player-pianos,
small goods and talking machines at the Arkan-
sas State Fair, held in that city recently, which
attracted much attention from visitors. The
Apollo 88-note player-piano proved a special at-
traction.