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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
47
PIANO SUPPLIES_FOR CANADA.
Frank Stanley, of Toronto, Discusses Condi-
tions That Have Developed Since the Euro-
pean War—How the United States Will
Benefit—Canadians Getting After Austra-
lasian Piano Trade—Suggests Display of
Canadian Pianos in New Zealand.
(Special to The Review.)
TORONTO, CAN., October 5.—The Canadian man-
ufacturers of pianos are not standing idle while
the present opportunity to secure trade heretofore
supplied by their German competitors lies open to
them. In this connection the Journal of Com-
merce of this city has been soliciting the views of
prominent manufacturers on the subject of trade
expansion, and in answer to an inquiry Frank
Stanley, who has a large piano factory in Toronto,
in a letter to that publication, tells just what Cana-
dian piano manufacturers are doing. He says:
"Regarding the displacement of German goods
in our trade, am quite concerned in the matter, and
would cheerfully make loss if it would lead to the
replacing of German material in the construction
of our pianos, which we have always found it de-
sirable to use. For instance, we have always found
the tuning pins made by Germany almost impossible
to replace by pins made elsewhere, although I un-
derstand the United States trade is experimenting
with a tuning pin that has given fair service, but
is not yet perfected.
"I have, however, completely displaced the use of
German wire by a wire made in the States, fully
equal and quite as good value, this being already
in use by the Steinway people, a leading house,
whose reputation would not be allowed to suffer
by the use of anything but first-class goods. I am,
however, at present experimenting with English
piano wire, which in previous years has not quite
suited our purpose, the difficulty in the past being
that it was very brittle.
"In piano felts the Germans have had a certain
exclusive advantage, particularly in the hammer
felt, but the English felt is rapidly approaching the
quality of the German felt, and am using the felt
to as large an extent as possible, and I may say
that in practically all the other lines of supplies
we have displaced German goods previous to the
war in our attempt to trade within the Empire to
the fullest possible extent.
"The value of the goods supplied by Germany in
the construction of the piano has not been a very
great portion of the total, as exclusive qualities
really belong to the tuning pin, wire and hammer
felt, and even in those lines, there would not have
been as great an amount used were it not that their
values were attractive.
"I am taking steps to secure some of the Aus-
tralasia trade for our piano, which trade in pianos
has been about divided equally between Germany
and Britain, the United States shipping only about
The Ohio Veneer Co.
CINCINNATI, O.
Importer* and Manufacturers of
Circassian Walnut and Figured
Mahogany Veneers for high grade
piano cases and cabinets.
New York Office and Sample Room
N.Y. FURNITURE EXCHANGE
Lexington Ave. and 46th St.
G. H. VAUGHAN, Eastern Representative
Lumber and Veneers
ASTORIA VENEER MILLS & DOCK CO.
BIRD'S-EYE VENEER CO.,
ASTORIA, L. I. N, Y.
Custom mills for band and veneer
sawing; slice and rotary cutting of
Mahogany, Circassian and Fancy
Woods.
ESCANABA, MICH.
Mfrs. of Bird's-eye Maple and plain
wood for Piano Linings.
THE £. L. CHANDLER CO.,
HENRY S. HOLDEN,
ORLEANS, VT.,
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
Black Walnut Veneers.
Figures Long and Butt Poplar
Cross-banding. Rock Maple. Bird's-
Eye Linings.
Rotary-cut Rock Maple, for Piano
Pin Blocks. We also manufacture
Birch and Maple Panels.
HOFFMAN BROTHERS CO.,
Established 1867.
Incorporated 1904.
FORT WAYNE. INDIANA.
Specialties, Hardwood, Veneers, and
Lumber for Musical Instruments.
J. J. NARTZIK
Plain Sawed and Rotary Cut Veneer6
1066 Maud Ave.,
CHICAGO, ILL.
Soft Poplar and Gum Cross-band-
ing. Hard Maple Pin Block Stock.
Bird's-eye or Plain Linings.
$20,000 worth in 1913, as compared with $350,000
WALNUT COMINGJJACK IN FAVOR.
worth shipped by Britain and $325,000 worth by
Expected That Black Walnut Will Again As-
Germany.
sume a Prominent Place Among the Cabinet
"The success of the German piano in New Zea-
Woods—Has Many Admirers in Piano Trade.
land has, to some extent, rested upon the bonus
system of the German Government, who bonus all
Indications that black walnut is to resume its
the export shipments, and thus handicap their own
rightful place among domestic consumers of hard-
people in Germany to an extent, because they paid
woods and to be properly featured in the manufac-
the bonus and paid an excessive price at home for
ture of furniture, interior finish and other im-
their piano, whereas the buyer in New Zealand
portant lines have recalled the fact that the music
was given the advantage of this reduction which
trades have always been strongly in favpr of the
enabled the manufacturer to sell below his own use of the wood, says the Hardwood Record.
actual cost in Germany.
Many piano manufacturers have continued to
"I am sure that there is a strong sentimental
give prominence to cases made of that kind of
feeling in New Zealand, and it only lacks a for- material, even though they knew that the pianos
ward movement to secure their trade. I believe
would have to make their way by sheer beauty and
•that very much could be accomplished if the Trade
in spite of lack of accord with their surroundings
and Commerce Department of the Government at
of house furnishing and furniture. The vogue of
Ottawa were to equip and actually contribute a
early English and mission styles, however, helped
considerable sum toward the display of Canadian
the use of dark woods of all kinds and has made
made goods in New Zealand, that would have for
it easier to maintain the use of walnut in that
its sole object the education of the buyers of New business.
Zealand and Australasia generally, of the merit
It is also said that the talking machine manu-
of our Canadian made goods, and I believe that facturers are admirers and supporters of walnut,
manufacturers largely would be glad to supply
and that they are planning to feature it with ma-
samples for an indefinite period if the Government hogany and oak in the production of their cases.
would insure them that business would be em-,
ployed to place these goods before the merchants
WOULD SELL_STATE TIMBER.
of those countries in a business-like manner, leav- Conservation Board Will Put Plan Before Con-
ing out, naturally, all the usual side issues that
stitutional Convention.
belong to politics. This is an action where the
(Special to The Review.)
best brains of Canada can be employed to do for
ALBANY, N. Y., October 3.—To obtain data for
Canada what may mean the development of vast
the Constitutional convention next year the State
increased markets outside of our own borders.
Conservation
Commission has directed the Forest
Some means should be discovered or adopted that
would enable the manufacturers of Canada to get Rangers to obtain full information concerning all
State lands in the forest preserve.
their goods placed before the buyers in the vari-
The commission advocates amendments to the
ous markets of the world, while the present con-
Constitution
providing for the cutting and sale of
ditions are so upset, rather than leaving it to the
the matured timber on State lands and the leasing
enterprise of individual manufacturers, none of
whom are at the present moment any too well of camp sites in the Adirondacks and Catskill State
parks. The commission believes that the value and
equipped financially to initiate steps to sell their
beauty
of the forests would be enhanced without
own product at points so far distant with individ-
injury
by
the proposed selective method of cutting
ual representatives."
and selling the ripe timber. This would also, it be-
lieves, wipe out a fixed annual carrying charge of
TRAVELERSJECONOMIZING.
$365,000 on the forest preserve, of which $200,000
Ford Harvey, who is at the head of a company
is for interest and $150,000 for taxes, and result in
that feeds travelers all the way from Chicago to
a net annual income of $035,000 for the State.
San Francisco, either in railway station res-
taurants or dining cars, and who is therefore in a
positon to know whether people in that part of
the country are economizing or not, says they are.
•oft yellow poplar for cross band-
Mr. Harvey has arrived at the Plaza on a busi-
Ing is unapproached in this country.
ness trip. It was his father, Fred Harvey, a
A large supply always on hand.
freight agent, who in 1870 first got an idea that it
The Central Veneer Co., Huntington, W. Va.
was to the advantage of a railroad to make it pos-
sible for travelers to get a square meal at con-
venient places along its route. He now employs
between 3,800 and 4,000 people.
Piano Manufacturers £ J £
SOSS INVISIBLE HINGES
'OUT OF SIGHT
EVER IN MIND"
No. 10|
When you fail
to see an un-
sightly hinge
protruding you
know SOSS is
the answer.
Write to-day.
ATLANTIC AVE.
SOSS MFG. GO • 9 435 BROOKLYN,
N. Y.