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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
You Can't Make a Battleship Out of a Nut Shell
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OPTIMISM PREVAILS IN DETROIT.
Business Men Believe That Effects of European
War Will Be Short Lived and That Money
Will Be Plentiful Soon—The Situation Is
Summarized—Factories Operating and Much
Building Going On—Some Recent Callers.
(Special tu The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., August 10.—The Detroit piano
trade lias had quite a setback since the first of the
month, owing to the outbreak of war in Europe.
There is no reason for it except that certain
classes of people think it the proper thing to fol-
low Wall Street and get a panic whenever any-
thing turns up that theoretically might interfere
with business. The only concrete happening that
possibly could iirterfere with business here is the
application of the law permitting banks to de-
mand ninety days' notice from depositors who de-
sire to withdraw savings funds. Some piano mer-
chants have received as reasons for non-payment
of contractual obligations explanations that the
parties could not get their money from the banks.
Such cases are comparatively few, however, as
payments on pianos generally are made from cur-
rent earnings instead of from savings.
But the talk of the possibility of tight money
and harm from the war has spread until it has
temporarily influenced a goo.d many people to
keep their money. Men in good circumstances
have been known to refrain from buying pianos
simply on the ground that they thought something
might happen. There has been no change in the
favorable basic conditions of business in Detroit
and throughout Michigan. Building operations in
Detroit are more extensive than ever before.
Factories in all trades seem to be in operation,
most of them full force.
The general opinion
seems to be that about the only men out of work
here are foreigners so unskilled that they are ab-
solutely incapable of holding any job other than
street labor.
So it is believed that the scare will be of short
duration. As soon as the war becomes an old
story, and people cease to think about it, busi-
ness wili resume its wonted channels. It is be-
lieved that the war will be of short duration o.wing
to lack of food supplies. '1 his very lack of food
will make big business for the United States, be-
cause the side that gets the upper hand will be
able to transport American crops and will buy
greedily at high prices. That demand will turn
gold back to. America and the farmers will put
it into circulation.
There is no lack of money in Detroit banks.
They have more than they ever had before.
Within the week two bank presidents have issued
reassuring statements advising the public in gen-
eral and business men in particular to pay no at-
tention to the war scare, that it could not affect
The Glidden Varnish Co.
Cleveland, Ohio.
the United States adversely, and to let business
go along in the usual way.
"The piano business is one of the quickest to
feel any" little ,scare," said one dealer to The Re-
view. "The purchase of a piano is not imperative,
like the purchase of clothing or other things. A
party who has a piano and has been intending to
get a new one will think, in a time like this, that
he can get long with the old one for another year.
A party who has none will think he can get along
a while longer without one. So procrastination
wins, at the expense of the piano merchants."
Frank Burns, of Burns Bros., stool and scarf
manufacturers, was in Detroit this week on his
way back from the Pacific Coast. He was having
fairly good business until the war scare appeared.
Since then it has been bad. If the merchants do
not feel sure of selling a good many pianos they
will not buy benches. Mr. Burns' schedule did not
call for him to reach New York until the latter
part of August, but owing to the change in con-
ditions he went straight home from here, starting
Thursday night.
E. P. Andrew, manager of the piano department
of the J. L. Hudson Co., has canceled his annual
motor car trip to the Eastern piano manufacturing
houses. He was to have started August 7, but
concluded it would be better, under existing con-
ditions, to remain at home.
Branch**
/ f
New York, Chicago
London
OPENS BRANCH IN FLORENCE, S. C.
The Siegling Music House, Charleston, S. C,
has opened a branch store in the Masonic Temple
Building, Florence, S. C, under the management
of S. C. Carr. Nearly fifty pianos and player-
pianos are on display at the branch.
K. S. Brown, a piano dealer of Lancaster, Ky.,
has been attracting much attention to his business
lately by holding a popularity contest with a piano
as the prize. The local Methodist Church was the
victor after hot competition.
TO RECOUP CUSTOMS LOSSES BY WAR
Administration Leaders at Washington Fear no
Alarm Through Depleted Revenues, Although
no Plans Have as Yet Been Outlined.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, August 6.—Administration
leaders still insist that the European war and its
consequent paralysis of commerce will not cripple
the Government finances through depleted cus-
toms revenues.
"There is plenty of money in the Treasury to
meet all the immediate needs of the Government,"
said Senator Simmons, chairman of the Finance
Committee, to-day. "If the war in Europe con-
tinues and imports fall off it will be necessary to
raise through some form of internal revenue the
money which would have come to the Government
from tariff duties. Nothing has yet been done
about this, but the Treasury Department is figur-
ing on this now and will report to Congress later.
We must learn just what money will be needed,
and then must consider the ways and means of
raising it through taxation."
Senator Simmons said no effort had been made
yet to select the articles upon which to levy a
tax.
For the time being the Administration hopes
of full sized revenues is being realized by the
hastening to American ports of all imports pos-
sible to escape later complications. This is re-
sponsible for the fact that Monday's revenues ap-
proximated $900,000, Tuesday's $fi00.000 and yes-
terday's $1,010,000. The chief item of Wednesday's
receipts was $720,909 at New York, an almost
unprecedented sum for that port. A big falling
off is looked for. however, as soon as the ships
now on the way from Europe have landed their
cargoes.
We began the manufac-
ture o/iiano wire under
supervision of Jonas
Chickering in 1850.
Write for "American Piano Wire and
Pite Orean News," illustrating^ and
describing use of our iiano wire in the
great fianofortes for fast 60 years.
Also use of our electrical, siring and flat "wires,
wire rote and shafting steel in tite organs and
self-flayers. Triangle Mesh Reinforcement for
concrete swell boxes.
E have developed by our
W own
original research
and experiment through the
past 60 years, the manufac-
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wire that represent the most
advanced ideas in the blend-
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acoustic results.
American Steel &
Company
Chicago New York, Worcester, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
Denver. Export Representative: U. S. Steel Products Co.,
New York. Pacific Coast Representative: U. S. Steel Prod.
ucta Co.. Sao Francisco. Los Angela*, Portland. 5aattl»