Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
JflJ JIC TIRADE
V O L . L X . N o . 18
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 373 Fourth Ave., New York, May 1, 1915
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS
$2.i n PER YEAR.
Some Contributing Trade Factors.
HE vast exodus of Americans to Europe which begins about this season of the year and lasts
a period of ninety days will not be in evidence this year. Our people will take no chances
on European travel under the present war conditions.
That means that all of the millions which we expend annually in doing Europe will
remain in this country where, presumably, they will be doing active duty for the benefit of the people
of this country.
It is estimated that over one quarter of a billion dollars of good American money will be kept
in this country during 1915 on account of the war.
Last year the steamship companies received in fares alone approximately eighty-three million
dollars, carrying eastward and westward more than one million two hundred thousand passengers.
A conservative estimate fixes the amount spent by this traveling army at close to one hundred
and ninety-two millions, making the money expended abroad for European travel two hundred and
seventy-five million dollars.
This summer there will be no exodus to Europe, and the great greenway of the Atlantic will be
as lonely as New York's Great White Way on a summer Sunday night.
The tide of travel sweeps Europeward across the Atlantic from May until August and back
again from August until the middle of October, but this year the tide has not set in; neither will it.
Seeing America is to-day a popular cry, as evidenced by the steady trend of the travel tide in the
direction of California.
Already the summer resorts are completing bookings for the summer period. This condition
presages unusual activity at the summer places of amusement and rest.
All of these conditions must be contributory in a large sense to good business, and the enter-
taining features for the season must be materially increased. There will be a greater demand for
musical instruments of all kinds, and there is no reason why the piano trade should not receive some
tangible evidence of the returning business tide, as well as other industries.
These good old United States will be a pretty good place to sojourn in for the next few months.
Our people were never niggardly in their expenditures which, interpreted, means moving dollars.
Then, again, there is another factor which is bound to help out conditions in this country. From
the rich cities of South America annually journey thousands of the wealthiest people of those
nations.
The Old World has always had a magnetic power of attraction for them, and annually they have
spent fabulous sums in different parts of Europe, reaping a harvest of pleasure. But this year Paris,
their favorite objective point, holds as few attractions for them as for us.
Even Italy and Spain are under the baleful shadow of a world war.
One of the most prominent residents of Buenos Aires, who was a recent visitor to New York,
remarked that many of his countrymen were coming to visit this country, not purely on business, but
on pleasure bent to view the Panama-Pacific Exposition and other special features of attraction which
this great country possesses.
Where else can they turn in their restless wanderings for their festivities—their adventures—
the civilized accommodations associated with their usual foreign travel?
The directors of the Exposition showed commendable foresight when they refused to abandon
T
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