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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
ANTICIPATING COMING CONDITIONS
(Continued from page 3)
What reason is there for not taking up now the introduction of women into all the lighter and more
dexterous branches of piano making?
Can anybody with sense fail to see that, in fact, women would make much better finishers and regulators
than men ever were? Such work is ideally women's work, for it depends upon deftness, meticulous skill in
'small measurements and persistent attention to detail.
Of course, tradition says no, but this is a war in which tradition is getting knock-out blows.
Then again, everybody knows that in piano factories many processes can be simplified and economized by
the elimination of duplicate operations, by the more generous use of machinery, and by a general effort to
simplify and standardize the various processes; all with a view to increase the output per man.
Industrial disturbance on account of such changes may perhaps be encountered during the carrying out
of the necessary readjustments; but the experience of Great Britain will no doubt be useful to guide us in this
as in other respects. "Dilution of labor" is a phrase that will no doubt become very familiar to us during
1918.
Would it not be possible for the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce to take some action in this crisis
so rapidly approaching?
Something must be done. We sound the warning, and shall sound it again. This is no time for selfish
individualism, no time for playing with the facts. We are facing a situation of extreme gravity; yet one
that can be met and treated successfully. Let us set to work!
yj£t
symptoms of disease and apply the remedy in time, disasters
may be expected.
"Thje laws of credit hygiene call for the utmost diligence
from the credit manager, the knowledge of his customer's con-
dition in order to apply the remedy when the symptoms of dis-
ease manifest themselves. Many a commercial loss can be saved
if the credit man is more than a mere dispenser of credits or col-
lector of accounts."
S has been evidenced for some time, Australians are appa-
A
rently more than willing to cement closer business relations
with the United States and to import an increasing volume of
goods of all kinds from this country, the products including
pianos and other musical instruments in considerable quantities.
Various members of the Australian music trade have paid per-
sonal visits to the markets of the United States for the purpose
of establishing new business connections to replace those broken
as a result of the war. American goods have been purchased to
replace those formerly bought from Germany, but it is natural
to assume that they have also replaced in some instances British
made goods, especially at a time when Australian dealers could-
not get musical instruments in quantities from Great Britain.
This new commercial relationship between Australia and the
United States, however, has already caused alarm to British
business men and to the distinctly pro-British Australians, the
sentiment apparently being that while the British are perfectly
willing to share the dangers of the battlefield with the citizens
of the United States, they do not desire in any sense to share
either peace or wartime trade. If commercial disagreements are
to develop, such disagreements cannot but have an effect upon
military enthusiasm.
The attitude of the British manufacturers is well set forth
in the following newspaper report from Melbourne, which says:
"Representatives in this country of all the leading British manu-
facturers view with the utmost alarm the present trend of the
Hughes Government's policy of encouraging the closest trade
relations with the United States. The latest proposal is to
appoint a special Australian representative at Washington.
American agents and official trade commissioners here are
eagerly taking advantage of every opportunity to press Amer-
ica's ability to capture the entire trade in manufactures which
Australian factories cannot supply, whereas the British trade-
commissioner is gravely hampered in meeting the attack through
the absurd Board of Trade restriction of his powers."
This new attitude calls for serious consideration by Amer-
ican business men generally in their new relations with Australia.
It Has Stood Up
for 60 Years
E have been making Pease Pianos since 1857, and
W selling
them in every state of the Union. Right here in
Be the Pease Agent
in Your Territory
New York—the most critical of all musical centers—we have
sold 50,000 Pease Pianos.
They give universal satisfaction everywhere—their reputation
for quality is established—they have stood the acid test of time.
Take advantage of this hard earned prestige. Be the Pease
agent in your territory.
T>
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LeggettAve. and Barry St.
rease riano Co., NEW
YORK