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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
War Brings Prosperity to the Canadian Music Trade
Views of Canadian Music Trade Should Inspire the Industry in the United States
With Confidence As to Conditions Likely to Prevail Here During the Coming Year
Since the entrance of the United States into
the world war, and in fact some time before
that step was taken, American business men
generally were much interested in the probable
effect of the war upon the business of this coun-
try either directly or indirectly, and especially
its effect upon such business as was not con-
nected directly with the equipping and provision-
ing' of the army and navy or with feeding and
clothing the civilian population. So far as the
music trade is concerned, there has been much
to lend encouragement in the experiences of
the trade members in the countries of the bel-
ligerents. There has been a peculiar wartime
prosperity that has' served to bring about an
unusual demand for musical instruments of all
sorts, a demand that has swamped manufactur-
ing facilities from the fact that output in most
cases was cut down materially for many reasons.
Since shortly after the entrance of Canada
into the war, encouraging reports have come
across the border as to the conditions in the
music trade in the Dominion.
Many houses
reported great increases in the volume of busi-
ness, others stated that they were more than
holding their own, despite the more or less
serious shortage of labor and supply.
In an effort to provide members of the trade
in the United States with definite information
regarding the individual experiences of Cana-
dian manufacturers and merchants, The Review
addressed direct inquiries to prominent trade
members in that country, and the result is set
forth in the following opinions. The replies are
sufficiently comprehensive in most cases to war-
rant close study.
MAKE UP ALL THE PIANO STOCK POSSIBLE, SAYS W. N. MANNING
LONDON, ONT., July 28.—W. N. Manning, of
the Sherlock Manning Piano and Organ Co., of
this city, offered a most interesting and compre-
hensive description of the manner in which the
members of the Canadian music trade, and par-
ticularly his company, met and overcame the
business difficulties growing out of the war and
how the trade has expanded and prospered. In
an interview with The Music Trade Review, Mr.
Manning said:
"In outlining our experiences during the war
perhaps it is only fair to mention that trade
conditions at the present time in the U. S. are
altogether different to those which prevailed in
Canada at the commencement of the war three
years ago. You will remember in 1913 there
was a let up in the prosperous conditions which
had prevailed, and in 1914 the depression was
very evident and affected all lines of trade.
"Under these conditions it is not to be won-
dered that the war should intensify the depres-
sion, in fact no one knew what to expect, and
the firm who trimmed its sails and prepared
for further depression had just as much justi-
fication for doing it as the firm who decided to
push business in spite of conditions. Our firm
was one of the few who went right after busi-
ness harder than ever. In the fall of 1914 in-
stead of cutting off or reducing our advertising
appropriation we increased it. Instead of re-
ducing our factory staff we enlarged our selling
staff and pushed our business among the farm-
ers. We felt that no matter what might hap-
pen to the people in the cities and towns our
farmers were responsible and conditions should
be at least normal with them. We believe the
program as outlined above is perhaps respon-
sible for the fact that during 1914 and 1915,
when ordinary business conditions were not at
all normal, we were able to keep our full force
going and had a normal output.
"During the fall of 1914 and continuing
through 1915 many piano workers enlisted, but
it was not until the fall of 1915 that the scarcity
of labor became acute with the piano manufac-
turers. At this time conditions in Canada be-
gan to improve. The manufacture of munitions
became quite general and demand for labor was
good, in fact by this time anyone w.ho wanted
work had it, and by early in 1916 the demand
for pianos was greater than the supply.
"In addition to the regular pay of the soldier
of $1.10 per day, the Government paid to the
wife of every married private soldier a month-
ly separation allowance of $20, this amount be-
ing increased in accordance with the rank of
the soldier. To supplement this the Patriotic
Fund, which has been sustained by voluntary
subscriptions, pays to the wife of every soldier
who needs help a monthly amount of from $5
to $10 for self and $3 to $5 for each child under
fourteen. You will readily see that this placed
many of the soldiers' families in a better finan-
cial position than they had ever been. These
people are good spenders, and this is another
condition which helped to restore normal, and
in fact better than normal conditions.
The
Patriotic Fund payments for 1917 amount to
over $1,000,000 per month.
"Early in 1916 the militia authorities put on
a very energetic campaign for recruits, and all
manufacturing establishments, even to plants
making munitions, were very considerably in-
convenienced on account of men enlisting. This
meant that factories of Ontario were further
handicapped during 1916. The 1916 demand
was fully normal, and we are safe in saying the
output of every factory, especially in Ontario,
was much below normal on account of scarcity
of help.
"To overcome this scarcity we are in our case
employing women in several departments. They
are succeeding beyond our expectations, and
we expect by fall to have many more wome'n at
work.
"It seems to us under present conditions there
should be no letup in the piano business in the
U. S-, in fact our advice to your manufacturers
is to make up all the stock they can as they will
likely find it difficult to get sufficient men as
soon as your Government calls out the men
for the army.
"We had no particular difficulty in getting
supplies. We had to pay more money for them
and carry much heavier stock as particularly
during the past year freight transportation has
been very uncertain. Under the circumstances
we have had to carry practically double the
stock of raw material and parts we would in
normal times.
"We cannot give any definite information as
to percentage of increases in regard to ordinary
commodities. The increases have been prin-
cipally in foodstuffs of all kinds, in a great many
cases more than double, but outside of that we
do not think ordinary living expenses have in-
creased to any great extent. Our people are
being urged by the Government to exercise every
economy not only in the matter of foodstuffs
but wearing apparel and luxuries. It does not
appear that this advice has been taken to any
great extent, but with the campaign which is
now being put on in both the United States
and Canada we believe our people are taking 1
the matter more seriously. The food production
campaign of last spring resulted in the people
in the cities and towns entering into a very
vigorous garden production, and the writer, who
has just returned from a trip through the Cana-
dian Northwest, saw evidence of this increased
production right through from London to the
Rockies. The fact that our people are this year
very generally growing their own vegetables
will make a very considerable difference in the
cost of living.
"There is no question that the people of
Canada were becoming hardened to the war con-
ditions as we have them. It is perhaps unfortu-
nate that it is so but the sight of the returned
soldiers, many without legs or arms or other-
wise maimed, is now giving us another view of
the situation, but it does not seem to us that
people of either the United States or Canada
will come to realize just what this war means
as the people of Europe must realize it.
"We would not close without congratulating
your Government and your people on the busi-
ness-like manner in which they are preparing.
Of course, you have had the experience of the
E-uropean nations to guide you, but it isn't every
nation that will be guided by the experience of
others, and in this matter you have shown your
wisdom. While the people of Canada all along
would have liked the United States as an ally,
they have felt that you had conditions which
necessitated your going carefully and we, as we
believe you are, are proud of your President for
the manly position he has taken right through
this affair.
"The first business of your people as well
as our people is to win this war and we as
piano men of both countries may find it neces-
sary to sacrifice organizations and profits in
order that the Government may properly pre-
pare for and prosecute the war. However, there
will be many men who cannot do anything for
the war and it is only right that the piano con-
cerns should continue to the fullest possible
extent. We have no hesitation in recommending
to your manufacturers that they will be wise
in introducing women into their plants just as
soon as they feel the necessity of labor to re-
place what they may have lost through war
conditions."
PURCHASING POWER HAS SHIFTED FROM ONE CLASS TO ANOTHER
WINNIPEG, MAN., July 27.—The effect of the
war upon the musical trade in the Canadian
Northwest is set forth by J. W. Kelly, president
of J. J. H. McLean & Co., Ltd., dealers in
pianos, organs, talking machines and other kinds
of musical instruments in this city, who said:
"Immediately after the declaration of war—
August 4, 1914—business in our line became
paralyzed. This condition continued for some
months when signs of improvement were notice-
able. This improvement continued until the fall
of 1915. This, you will remember, was our
bountiful harvest. The yield of wheat, as well
as other grains, in Western Canada was un-
precedented. This gave a great stimulus to busi-
ness, and since that time business has been
gradually increasing up to the present. The
first six months of this year have been the best
in our existence.
"The increase in prices from time to time
in the lines of pianos and organs that we handle
has averaged 20 per cent. This is since the
outbreak of the war.
"W r e have been fortunate in securing sufficient
goods from the manufacturers with whom we
deal, although there is a decided shortage of
goods, and we think that the shortage from now
on will be more accentuated.
"We might also mention that the purchasing
power of the public has shifted materially from
one class to another and this has been the direct
outcome of the war caused by abnormal condi-
tions and the crippling of certain lines of trade.
"We are inclined to think that your trade will
not feel the shock that was felt in the trade
in Canada, as the excitement caused by the dec-
laration of war by Great Britain and her allies
was greater, more pronounced, and more unex-
pected than the excitement caused by the sever-
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