Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FREIGHT CONGESTION HAMPERING PIANO MANUFACTURERS.
NEW QUARTERS IN KANSAS CITY.
Heavy Foreign Shipments, Labor Troubles, the Closing of the Panama Canal, and the Lack of
Ocean Transports All Combine to Hamper the Shipment of Freight.
Piano manufacturers have been rather severely
It would seem that the fault lies equally with
hampered by the congestion of freight which the railroads and with the shippers themselves.
has existed on practically all the railroad lines In spite of the fact that this freight conges-
during the past four or five months, and which tion has existed for some six months, the Ameri-
has now reached a very acute stage. The causes can Railway Association has reported a surplus
of the situation are not hard to discover, and of freight cars on the railroad lines in the United
are due in the main to commercial conditions States and Canada each month for many years
arising out of the European war, combined with past, and it was not until the report for the
the era of prosperity and increased business month of February, 1916, was issued, that a
activity which has dawned in the last few net shortage of cars was shown for the first
months.
time, this net shortage amounting to 20,551 cars.
Shortly after war was declared a constantly
On March 1, 1915, the same railroad lines re-
increasing movement was noticeable due to the ported a net surplus of 321,747 idle cars. While
shipping of raw products which entered into the this surplus was materially reduced in the
manufacture of articles for foreign consumption, months following, due to the revival of com-
and due also to the shipping of these articles, mercial activity, nevertheless each month's re-
after manufacture, to Eastern seaports for trans- port showed a surplus of cars which demon-
portation abroad. Following this there came an strated that the railroads were not distributing
unusually heavy movement of agricultural prod- these cars to the greatest possible advantage.
ucts, due to the unprecedented harvest of crops.
On the other hand, the shippers have been
The trend of the movement was naturally east- much to blame for the present serious conges-
ward, with the result that the Eastern terminals tion because of the very careless manner with
became congested with the enormous amount of which they prepared their goods for shipment.
goods which they received.
Mixed cargoes, illy routed consignments and
The facilities for ocean shipment were prac- poorly prepared freight all tendered to hamper
tically abolished, due to the enormous number the quick movement of goods.
of ships which were pressed into service to
It will be sometime before these matters re-
transport munitions and army supplies. Then adjust themselves, and the situation requires the
came the strike at the terminals, an ill-advised earnest co-operation of the railroads and the
and unsuccessful labor movement, followed shippers alike. Piano manufacturers are among
in turn by the closing of the Panama Canal, the important shippers of goods on the trans-
which further delayed much important shipping. continental lines, and a closer attention to the
The rumor of a coal strike resulted in enormous detail connected with the freighting of their
orders being placed by Eastern manufacturers goods will not only assist the railroads to un-
for coal, and the rails were filled with long ravel the present tangled situation, but will also
trains of slow-moving coal cars, the net result save local dealers a great deal of unnecessary
being a serious setback to all concerned.
worry and serious delay in the receipt of pianos.
GREEN RETIRES FROM BUSINESS.
WINTER PLAYER BRINGS $1,200.
Lynn Piano Man Celebrates Eightieth Birthday
by Turning Business Over to Son.
Donated to German Bazaar by Winter & Co.—
Mrs. Winter Active in Conducting Fair and
Sells Many Chances to the Visitors.
LYNN, MASS., March 27.—Eugene A. Greene,
piano merchant of Market street, will retire from
One of the attractions at the German Bazaar
business on March 30, turning his business over which was held at Madison Square Garden, New
to his son, Eugene F. Green. Mr. Green will York, last week, and at which $750,000 was
celebrate his eightieth birthday on March 30, and raised for the widows and orphans of Germany.
has chosen that date as the proper time for his Austria and Turkey was a Winter Player-Piano
retirement from active business. Mr. Green was Style 4 which was donated by Winter & Co., 220
born in Ireland, and emigrated to America at an Southern Boulevard, New York, and which
early age, serving through the Civil War as a brought $1,200. A similar style was donated
member of Co. H., Twelfth New Jersey regi- last year and brought $200 more.
ment. His present piano business was estab-
Mrs. Winter, wife of Julius Winter, president
lished in 1870 and is among the best-known piano of the company, was very active during the en-
stores in the State. His son has been connected tire bazaar and sold a large number of chances
with the business for the past twenty-five years, on the player.
prior to which he spent seven years in piano fac-
tories, learning every branch of the business.
PIANOS GOING TO AUSTRALIA.
The exclusive agency for the Aeolian Vocalion
in this city is controlled by the Green store, and
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., March 27.—When the
a high-class line of pianos and players is car- liner "Venture" sailed from this port last wee'k
ried.
several hundred pianos were stored in the hold,
all consigned to the trade in Australia. The de-
CARLTON CO. SELLS SHARES.
mand for pianos in Australia has been enormous
The State Corporation Commissioner recently of late, and is ascribed to the fact that the young
issued a permit to the Carlton Music Co., of women there are devoting to music the hours
Long Beach, Cal., to issue 3,425 shares to W. R. formerly spent in the company of their suitors,
Carlton in exchange for the property and assets who are at the front. The war has been blamed
of his business, and to sell 5,000 shares to F. S. for almost every condition existing in our pres-
Moore, 500 shares to C. T. Hillary and 1,575 ent economic life, but this is the first time that
shares to W. R. Carlton at par, $1 per share, to it has been held responsible for an increase in
net the company the full amount of the selling the thirst for a musical education.
price.
Otto J. Diehl, a piano tuner of Bridgeport,
Smith & Heidy, music dealers of 209 North Conn., and formerly connected with Otto Wiss-
Sandusky avenue, Bucyrus, O., have opened a ner, of that city, has arranged to go into business
new branch store at Cardington, O., with Geo. on his own account in that city as a tuner and
Frau as manager.
repairman.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Co. Leases Store in
Kansas City—T. E. Johnson in Charge.
KANSAS CITY, MO., March 27.—The Smith,
Barnes & Strohber Piano Co., of Chicago, closed
a long-term lease last week for over 15,000
square feet of space in the building at 917 Grand
avenue, which will be entirely remodeled at once
at a cost of $10,000. The new store will be
used by the concern as a retail store and a dis-
tributing point as well, and will be managed by
T. E. Johnson, former district manager of
Chicago. He will have entire charge of the
Southwest territory, and will move to Kansas
City at once with his family. The Smith, Barnes
& Strohber Co. is well known as one of the
largest piano manufacturers in the United States,
the main offices and factory being located in
Chicago. The Smith & Barnes, the Strohber,
the Hoffman, the Williard and the Lessing
pianos are manufactured by the concern, as well
as several styles of player-pianos.
THOS. GOGGAN & BR0., 50 YEARS OLD.
Semi-Centennial of the Prominent Texas Music
House Celebrated in Fitting Style—Enjoys a
Half Century of Steady Growth.
SAN ANTONIO, TEX., March 25.—Thomas Goggan
& Bro., one of the pioneer piano and music
houses of Texas and well-known throughout
the trade, celebrated this week the fiftieth anni-
versary of its establishment, although the busi-
ness was really started in Galveston on Febru-
ary 19, 1866. The local store was established
as a branch in 1881.
Thomas Goggan was at first in sole control
of the business, but was soon joined by his
brothers John and Mike and the name of the
concern was changed to Thos. Goggan & Bro.
Although in the beginning Texas was a State of
large ranches and small towns of smaller popu-
lation, the Goggans had faith in the music-lovers
of the State, offered only high-class instruments
to them and began to prosper. The career of the
company has been a story of steady growth and
expansion, new branches being opened and larg-
er stores secured as the business grew.
Thomas Goggan, Sr., the founder of the busi-
ness, died in 1903 and three years later the sur-
viving partners incorporated the business with
the members of the Goggan family as stockhold-
ers, Thomas Goggan president and William Gog-
gan secretary.
The Goggan house has been proud of its line
of musical instruments which has for years been
headed by the famous Steinway piano and which,
as the field developed, was made to include the
Victor talking machine. In order properly to
celebrate the semi-centennial of the house a spe-
cial sale of pianos, player-pianos and other mu-
sical goods is now being held.
The Goggan anniversary was marked by a
long, enthusiastic and appreciative editorial in
the San Antonio Express, one of the leading
local papers.
LINK PIANO CO. INCORPORATED.
The Link Piano Co., of Binghamton, N. Y.,
was incorporated last week with a capitalization
of $75,000. The concern will deal in automatic
pianos, organs and musical instruments, the in-
corporators being K. M. and E. A. Link, and G.
R. Thaver, of Binghamton, N. Y.
The Hilmer Piano Co., Springfield, 111., will
move on April 15 from its present quarters at
409 South Fifth street, to a larger store at 510
East Monroe street. The new quarters have been
elaborately remodeled for the use of the company.
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos