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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
NOVEMBER 9, 1918,
tunities not only in the development of an immense domestic
business, but that the possibilities for a large export trade will
be taken advantage of in full measure. Meanwhile with the in-
creasing disappearance of the influenza epidemic throughout the
country retail business is resuming its normal sway, and the
past week has shown a much better feeling, not only in music
trade circles, but in all lines of business.
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• l a j C l - 1 laUU dUU
of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
t j ons
T p p t i n i f i l l f l P m i F t m P n t C regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
I C H l U H a l I / v | l a l (lllvUIS a r e dealt with, will be found in another section of
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Vol. LXVII
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 9, 1918
No. 19
EDITORIAL
HE report of the present situation in Washington, presented
T
by George W. Pound, general counsel of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce, in The Review last week, should be
studied carefully by every member of the industry, and par-
ticularly those engaged in manufacturing, in whose hands the
report was placed directly by mail. The trade for the most part
knows what has happened to date, but the warnings offered by
Mr. Pound regarding existing and coming shortages in felts,
leather, tin and other metals should not go unheeded.
We are divulging no secrets in saying that the felt situation
is really most serious, in view of the fact that the Government
has practically commandeered all felt-making machinery for
the fabrication of materials entering into the construction of gas
masks for the troops. Government orders should come first, as
everyone knows, and therefore it cannot be said when any relief
will be offered to civilian industries. Governmental demands
are also responsible in a large measure for the shortage of skins
and leathers such as are used by piano makers.
By combing the markets, and through conservation in every
possible manner, the piano industry should be able to keep
things going at the present rate and under existing curtailment
orders until such time as some relief comes. Meanwhile, it is
said that the coming year will bring with it a lightening of trade
problems to some extent at least, and it is to be hoped that the
report is correct.
prospects throughout the country are being favor-
B USINESS
ably affected by the developments of the European war,
which now indicate a speedy collapse of the Central Powers, and a
much earlier return to peace than was expected some months
ago. Manufacturers and dealers whose business has been in a
measure retarded or suspended, and who have given much of their
attention to war needs, are now giving consideration to trade
plans after the war, and in this connection a most optimistic feel-
ing prevails that the country will arouse itself to its many oppor-
HE urgent suggestion of Edward N. Hurley, Chairman of
T
the United States Shipping Board, that steps be taken im-
mediately to build up the Consular service of the United States
on a basis that would enable the service to take proper care of
the great volume of export trade that is expected to develop
after the war, should have the earnest support of every busi-
ness man in the country who hopes to see America take her
proper place among the nations of the world in the foreign trade
field. For years the cry has been for the rehabilitation of the
United States Merchant Marine. But as a result of the war,
we will have at the end of two years a Merchant Marine of
approximately 25,000,000 tons. Much of that tonnage is already
in service, for the transportation of troops and supplies to
Europe, but at the end of the war it will be released for mer-
chandise transport purposes. It means that there will be avail-
able more than enough tonnage to take care of all immediate
export plans of American manufacturers, and that the facilities
of handling this immense tonnage through the United States
Consulates in foreign ports will be greatly inadequate unless
steps are taken to meet the situation immediately.
The success of England and Germany in the export field,
it has long been acknowledged, has been due to the excellence of
their Consulate service, which has been made attractive enough
to appeal to men of intelligence and ability. The Consular serv-
ice of these nations has surveyed the business fields of the vari-
ous countries and kept the home offices fully informed of the
trade situation, and the opportunities. The American Consular
service, on the other hand, has in many respects been treated
as the proverbial stepchild. The force has been inadequate,
and the men of ability who have given their loyal service to the
cause have done so at great personal and financial sacrifice in
many instances.
The Consular service, it may be said, has improved, but
not fast enough. Steps to place it on a more attractive basis for
the average man of ability have been considered too long with-
out action. It may be considerable time before the great ship-
ping tonnage now in war service can be diverted to peace routes,
but the time will be all too short for a building up of a Consular
service that will really give adequate support to the plans of
the country for the development of export business.
HE trade throughout the country, both manufacturing and
T
retailing, is viewing with concern, and rightly, the possible
effects of the working of the "work or fight" clause in the new
draft law. The experience with the work and fight edict as it
formerly applied to the men in the first draft, those from twenty-
one to thirty years old, has been distinctly unpleasant for more
than one concern in the music trade, and such concerns naturally
view with apprehension the application of the same rule to men
from eighteen to forty-five.
The trouble appears to be that there is too much latitude
allowed to the local boards in the matter of deciding what are,
and what are not, essential occupations. The Provost-Marshal
General has already fixed several trades and professions as not
being amenable to the work or fight provision, and it is hoped
that before the new law is put into effect generally there will be
some general ruling applied to all industries. As the situation
exists at the present time, a piano merchant on one street may
have his entire force of employes ordered into war industries,
while his competitor in the next block, and with his employes
under the jurisdiction of other local boards, may, through a lib-
eral interpretation of the law, get off scot free.
It is, of course, recognized that the work or fight provision
is very necessary for the successful carrying on of the war, but
its interpretation by the draft boards should be standardized in
some measure at least, so that the piano man need not be kept
in the dark as to his status or the status of his men.