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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
EXPORT TRADE WILL TAKE TIME.
JOINS MELVILLE CLARK FORCE.
ANNUAL MEET OF GRINNELL STAFF.
Capturing of Export Markets for Pianos For-
merly Held by Europeans Not the Work of a
Moment, Declares E. M. Eastman—Mistake
to Compete on Cheap Instruments
Otto A. Gressing Recovers from Illness and
Will Leave for Chicago Shortly—Happy to
Return to Apollo Ranks, He Says.
Managers and Department Heads of Big Detroit
Concern to Hold Convention in February—C.
A. Grinned Discusses Conditions.
Otto A. Gressing, who is up and about again
after a two weeks' illness in a hospital in New
York, joined the forces of the Melville Clark
Piano Co., Chicago, this week and will leave within
a few days for the company's headquarters. Mr.
Gressing was formerly connected with the sales
(Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., January 12.—The annual con-
-' "
(Special to The Review.) /";£/"_
"\*> v •
MILWAUKEE, WIS., January 12.—E. M: Eastman,
vice-president of the Smith, Barnes.- & Strohber
Co. and general manager of the company's North
Milwaukee factory, is one of those piano manu-
facturers who believes that ..it is. going to take
some time before the export trade can be placed
on a basis where it will be profitable to American
piano manufacturers. Mr. Eastman says :
"It will mean that we must educate the people
of South America, Australia and the other coun-
tries, now open for the export of American-made
pianos, up to the point where they will appreciate
and demand our higher grade goods before we
can expect to accomplish much in the way of an
export business. These people have become ac-
customed to the light, cheap pianos turned ouf by
the Germans and sold at low prices, and it is
going to require considerable time to create a de-
mand for our class of goods.
t
''I am convinced that it would be a mistake for
American piano manufacturers to make an at-
tempt to turn out a cheap instrument, similar to
the goods exported by Germany. With our wage
scale and general cost of production it would be
next to impossible to manufacture a piano to sell
at the figure which German manufacturers have
been selling their goods in South America and
other countries. If the United States succeeds in
building up branch banks and a credit system in
South America and Australia, as well as in other
cuuntries, and if the people there can be induced
to buy our class of instruments, then the situation
will be different and the export trade may become
a substantial factor in the piano business of this
country."
An optimistic view of the coming year is taken
by Mr. Eastman, who is confident that there will
lie general business improvement, providing there
is no more disquieting national legislation brought
up. He believes that the recent decision of the
Interstate Commerce Commission in granting the
Eastern railroads the 5 per cent, increase in freight
rates will be an important factor in boosting gen-
eral business, the piano trade included, but he be-
lieves that the commission should go further and
grant the Western roads an advance in rates. This
will also help. -•
The force at the North Milwaukee plant is in
the midst of the annual inventory work. The
new Strohber grand, recently placed on the mar-
ket, is proving a decidedly popular seller with
dealers and the grand department at the plant is
operating overtime".
SECURES CHICKERING AGENCY.
The Price *.Mu£ie Ca. successor to the Morrison-
Price Piaflfo "Co. tfi fdaho Falls, Idaho, has secured
the agejfcy for the Chkkering & Sons piano in
that territory.
The Williams Piano Co. has finished moving
from temporary quarters into its new and spaciou-
building at 218-220 South Main street, Sioux Falls,
S. D.
Otto Gressing.
force of this company in New York, and has also
been with the Aeolian Co., and later with the
Bchning Piano Co., for whom during the last year
he traveled tc the Pacific Coas;. He is well known
throughout the trade and has a host of friends.
\ i c has had wide experience in Lhe player-piano field
and will devote his efforts to exploiting the merits
of the Apollo.
When seen this week in New York he stated:
"I am happy to be returning to the first house
with which I had player-piano experience, as I
have always had the highest regard for the Apollo
and that confidence in the instrument which war-
rants success."
PLANS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
Full Attendance of Officers and Committeemen
of N. P. M. A. Expected in New York This
Month—No Fixed Program Laid Down.
The present prospects are that there will be a
full attendance of the officers and members of the
executive committee of the National Piano Manu-
facturers' Association at the mid-winter meeting
of the governing body of the association, to be
held at the Hotel Astor, New York, on January 25
•and 26. Although no fixed program has yet been
decided upon, a number of important matters will
come up for discussion at the meeting.
J. H. TROUP HOUSEJ3INES EMPLOYES
The employes of the store of the J. H. Troup
Music House in Harrisburg, Pa., and of the branch
store of the company in Carlisle were the guests
of the management at an elaborate banquet at the
Senate Hotel, Harrisburg. The piano men enjoyed
a gay evening, and the party did not break up until
the new year had been ushered in with due cere-
mony.
Onlyorie
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vention of the fifty managers and heads of de-
partments of Grinnell Bros, will be held in Detroit
about February 1 to talk over the year just closed
and map out a campaign for 1915. Planning for
the future will not be as easy as it was last year,
according to C. A. Grinnell. When asked of the
outlook for the coming spring and summer, he re-
plied : "Really, it's hard to say. Possibly good,
possibly not so good. The conditions are different
from any that piano dealers ever before have con-
fronted. It is hard to tell what will happen. For
this reason we are not doing anything further jtist
now with our plans to enter the wholesale trade
with the Grinnell piano. We are waiting to see
how things will settle down."
Two reasons have contributed to the somewhat
light buying from manufacturers, according to Mr.
Grinnell. One is that the dealers have tightened
their credits considerably, and have brought in a
good many instruments upon which payments were
delinquent. These were so nearly new that they
made good stock at attractive prices. The other
reason is that the demand has averaged about one-
third less, for the last six months, than it ought to
have been, and the stocks on hand were sufficient
to meet it. 'lhat is why the traveling men have not
turned in more orders.
These things have worked for the betterment of
the piano business, on the whole. It has placed the
dealers on a better financial foundation and the
result will be that wlun the business picks up in
earnest they will be in position to go ahead to the
utmost.
Mrs. Richard W. Lawrence, wife of Richard W.
Lawrence, president of the Autopiano Co., was
last week appointed a member of the Bronx County
School Board by Borough President Douglas
Mathewson, to succeed Mrs. George V. Mullen,
recently made a Commissioner of Education.
Est. 1849
Pianos
One of the few really
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The New Hazelton Upright,
Style 30, represents the cul-
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dealer in developing high-
class trade.
Write for illustrated
folder.
HAZELTON BROS.
66-68 University Place
NEW YORK