Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
DECEMBER 14,
1918
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE INDUSTRY
By MARK P. CAMPBELL, President, New York Piano Manufacturers' Association
With the signing of the armistice recently, the
thoughts of business men have turned from
ways and means for carrying on the war to a
successful issue to the equally important ques-
tion of meeting after-war conditions, whatever
they may be. This after-war time is described
by the majority as being the period of recon-
struction, but I am frank to say that I do not
think that term fits the case, for, in my mind,
it will be rather a period of readjustment—of
reallocation—the shifting of men and materials
from war to peace purposes. We can recon-
struct only that which has been torn down or
wrecked, and America's industrial fabric has
suffered neither disaster. It simply has been
shifted temporarily from one basis to another—
from peace to war. The idea now is to shift
it back again to normal pursuits, as intelli-
gently and with as little friction as possible.
The first thing to my mind is to show a full
appreciation of the many beneficial influences
that have come into the industry along with its
problems during the war period. We have seen
a readjustment of business methods generally
and a growing appreciation of the quick turn-
over; of short terms, and of the importance of
solid credit. These lessons have been learned
by some members of the trade at the expense
of considerable sacrifice, and having been
learned at such expense must not be thrown
overboard to permit of the return to careless
and less satisfactory pre-war methods, for the
piano merchant has found that his greatest asset
has been a substantial cash balance.
Not only the manufacturers but the dealers
have learned their lessons in this particular, and
with their appreciation of the advantages that
accrue to them through the adoption of cleaner,
more solid and safer business policies, the chief
efforts should be made to continue those policies
right into the future.
Incidentally, it is to be said that the piano
industry, in addition to learning its war lessons,
has hung up a notable record in support of the
nation's war program. Even in the face of de-
creased income and curtailed production, mem-
bers of the industry subscribed most generously
and far above their quotas for all of the Lib-
erty Loan drives, and hung up totals never
thought possible. They not only turned their
cash over to Uncle Sam for bonds, but likewise
placed their credit at his command. Then, too,
in support of the Red Cross and Allied War
Funds, the members of the industry contributed
thousands of dollars, hard cash, without the
prospect of a return of the capital with inter-
est. In other words, they gave a literal trans-
lation to the slogan, "Loan or Give to the Ut-
most."
The coming of peace will see millions of men
turning from non-producers into producers. A
standing army has always been recognized as a
drain upon any nation, for two, three or four
million men in the service means that they have
not only ceased to be producers from an eco-
nomic standpoint, but actually have been con-
sumers, and, in the stress of war, wasters; but
even consumers must have something to con-
sume, and, therefore, the burden has been placed
on those at home to provide for these fighting
men, through the medium of direct taxation, im-
port tariffs and bond sales. The return of these
millions of men to civilian occupations will mean
that as producers they will be able to absorb a
part of the. war burden in an economic sense,
and permit those who have remained at home to
feel freer to advance along their chosen path-
ways.
America is not in any sense a warlike na-
tion. Our policy is the policy of peace until
the necessity arises for the defense of our rights
and interests, in which case we become, as has
been proven, an offensive force to be reckoned
with. The thought is, however, that the mili-
tary establishment will soon be demobilized to
a great degree, not only as a matter of Gov-
ernmental policy, but because the personnel is
made up of workers who look upon soldiering
as a necessity and not as a permanent occupa-
tion. That the millions of young men are anx-
ious to get back into civilian fields is indicated
by the fact that in at least one Officers' Train-
Mark P. Campbell
ing Camp it is estimated that only 40 per cent.
of the men have expressed the desire to stay
and finish the training course, in preference to
returning to peace time occupations.
The replacing of these erstwhile soldiers into
the industrial fabric is a question that is re-
ceiving the earnest attention of thinking busi-
ness men to-day. In our factory, for instance,
we have a place prepared for everyone of our
former employes who has been in the service.
This means that when he comes back, whether
whole or crippled, he will be taken care of and
given a position.
We have already experi-
mented with crippled Canadian soldiers in our
factory, and find that they have not only been
most willing and capable workers, but are fully
appreciative of the opportunity to support them-
selves satisfactorily and be independent. This
provision for the crippled soldier is not an act
of charity in any sense, it is simply a matter
of good business to enable every man lacking in
some of his faculties to become economically
independent.
There is nothing to be more
strongly condemned than the delivery of money
to men to encourage idleness.
At the present time I have the honor of being
a member of a committee of bankers, manufac-
turers and other classes of business men, formed
by the Y. M. C. A., under the direction of the
secretary, Harold P. Chaffee, which committee is
now working on the reconstruction problem as
it applies to war cripples.
It is with a deep feeling of thankfulness that
we realize that the number of those of the
American forces who return from the war per-
manently crippled is far less than was antici-
pated by even the optimistic, but it is a goodly
number nevertheless, and it goes without say-
ing that this work of enabling the crippled to
become economically independent through spe-
cial training and a special study of his classifi-
cations, coupled with the desire and willingness
of manufacturers to give him an opportunity to
take up work for which he is fitted, will be ex-
tended to cripples of all types, whether injured
in the army or civil life. For the healthy men
there are also great industrial opportunities
waiting.
What must be developed, however, is a closer
relation between capital and labor. This ques-
tion will have much to do with the success of
the piano business, as well as other industries,
and should be given much careful thought. The
piano field to-day offers many attractions to the
average young man who is looking for perma-
nent, pleasant work, with fair remuneration.
Increases in wages as a result of the war and
other things will enable the piano factory to
offer income to prospective workers commen-
surate with the money they have earned in other
fields. It would, therefore, seem that the labor
question will be chiefly one of developing a
stronger interest in the worker and encouraging
him to put forth his best efforts.
NEW PHASES OF THE EXPORT PIANO TRADE
An Interview With J O H N L. STOWERS, Havana, Cuba
John L. Stowers, the prominent piano mer-
chant of Havana, Cuba, who for a number of
years has handled American instruments with
great success on that island, is of the opinion
that there are going to be some interesting de-
velopments in the South American field during
the next few years.
"I think the export business to South Amer-
ica during the next twelve months will be very
good, and show a marked increase," declared
Mr. Stowers, "but after that time I expect to
see many piano factories started in South Ameri-
can countries by Spanish and German merchants
in business there, provided they can get a law
passed placing a very high duty on pianos im-
ported in complete form, and a very small duty
on parts that are imported for manufacturing
pianos. They can get labor irom Europe for
about half the?price that the American piano
manufacturers pay and operate under such con-
ditions that the American piano manufacturer
could not compete with them.
"There was a piano factory started in Cuba
last year, and now there is a proposed bill to
be brought up the first part of next year to in-
crease the duty on imported pianos and de-
crease the duty on parts that are imported for
manufacturing pianos in Cuba. I don't think
this bill will become a law, but in the event that
it should, the only thing for me to do, for in-
stance, is to start a piano factory or go out of
business.
"I would start a factory, and it would only be
a matter of time until I would be building more
pianos than I could use in my retail business. I
would then go into the export business. Other
factories that started up would do the same, so
in the near future
the American piano
manufacturers w i l l
probably have com-
petition f r o m fac-
tories that will be
started not only in
C u b a but o t h e r
South A m e r i c a n
countries.
"If t h e proposed
law passes in Cuba
I will be forced into
t h e m a k i n g of
pianos, and there are
John L. Stowers
many small dealers
without the necessary resources to enter the
manufacturing field, who will be forced to quit
business, thereby restricting the market for im-
ported instruments."
The opinions expressed above by Mr. Stowers
should prove of much interest to American piano
manufacturers, as they indicate one of the many
problems which will confront those who are
planning to engage in the export trade. A high
protective tariff on pianos and parts will, of
course, hamper the exportation of American-
made musical instruments to some appreciable
extent at least.