Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
AUGUST 2, 1919
THE
MUSIC TRADE
11
REVIEW
M. P. CAMPBELL TALKS ON EXPORT VS. DOMESTIC TRADE
"With these things in mind where will the
American export business be in five or ten years,
President of Brambach Piano Co. Realizes That While There Are Possibilities for a Tremendous when the world is settled once more?
Export Piano Business, Yet It Is Wise to Analyze Conditions and Prospects and Be Gov- "The American piano industry was built by
the retail dealers as much as it was built by the
erned Accordingly—Tells of Our Duty to the Retail Dealer of America at the Present Time piano manufacturers themselves, • and it is
Discussing the subject of export versus do- cepted by a German firm on terms much below through their hard work and good graces that
mestic trade with The Review this week Mark those of a British tender. The business, which the industry was built to a great size. The
manufacturer to-day has the whip hand and can
P. Campbell, president of the Brambach Piano amounts in the aggregate to a very large sum,
either supply the American wants or he can sup-
has
been
accepted
by
the
German
firm
at
about
Co., said: "In the immediate past we have
ply the foreign wants. As a result of the pub-
heard considerable about the necessity of ob- 20 pounds per ton less than the figure tendered
licity and advertising and the work of the dealer
taining a large export of musical instruments by a leading British company. The price quoted
there never was such a demand for American-
for America—the present time being held out in the German tender for the fabricated construc-
made pianos as there is to-day. It is only
as the psychological moment for us to capture tional work to be supplied is actually below the fair that the American manufacturers support
the world's trade in pianos and small musical price quoted for the raw material as delivered by domestic needs in this time of the great demand,
merchandise. Judging by the way orders are the rolling mills in this country. Costs of trans- as the American dealers supported the manu-
received by every manufacturer this is correct. port, therefore, do not account for the discrep- facturers in the past. There has been practically
Without the slightest trouble every manufac- ancy. How the German firm was able to offer no importation into America of musical mer-
turer could develop a phenomenally large export such low terms is a mystery to the British com- chandise in spite of the very low price at which
trade to every country in the world (with a pany. The willingness of the German house to foreign goods could be obtained.
possible exception of the Central Powers of undertake work on such conditions indicates the
"The dealer has been faithful to the Ameri-
Europe).
can industn r —now let the manufacturer be
"A matter that must not be overlooked is the
faithful to the American demand."
permanency of such a business. There are a
number of things—we must look out to see what
they will develop into in five years from now. A
product that is made entirely by machinery,
Official Instrument of New York Military Band
that draws no salary on Saturday night, knows
Concerts at Columbia University
nothing about piece-work, etc., is a proposition
that enables American manufacturers to export
At the concerts which have been given during
to a degree that will be permanent, but with
the summer on the green at Columbia University,
the degree of increase of manual labor in the
New York, by the New York Military Band,
manufacture of an article, and the uncertainty of
Edwin Franko Goldman, conductor, the Knabe
that wage, the risk of permanency increases in a
piano has been the official instrument. These
corresponding manner. In the manufacture of
concerts have been attended by a large number
pianos and kindred articles the employment of
of people, the attendance of some concerts be-
machinery is almost negligible.
ing over 20,000.
"The fact'that the world is starving for musi-
cal instruments and the old source of supply has
DEATH OF MRS. ELIZABETH HAVAS
been shut off for years, aggravating this de-
Friends of Fred Doll, of Doll & Sons, New
mand, so that when the barriers were lifted
York, extend to him their sympathy over the
a tremendous business resulted caused by an
death last Saturday of his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth
uncontrollable appetite for music and not be-
Havas, daughter of the late Jacob Doll. The
cause of a competitive low price, elected Ameri-
funeral was held on Monday and the retail store
can-made merchandise the winner.
at 116 West Forty-second street was closed on
"Will competition destroy the possibility of a
Tuesday.
permanent piano export business?
Mark P. Campbell
"It is a known fact that in Germany, before
nature of the industrial competition which is
the war, some of the so-called commercial pianos
INCORPORATED
now to be expected.'
were made by boys from fourteen to eighteen,
"Our economists, speaking of high wages,
The Standard Music Printing Co., Chicago,
who were bound out on the apprentice system
invariably report as the dominating cause the 111., has been incorporated with a capital stock
by their parents to learn the trade. This enabled
increase in the amount of gold in the country. of $5,000 by William R. Bullock, Anna Bullock
Germany to produce pianos almost with no
The medium of exchange having become plenti- and Samuel Laurie.
labor cost; America could not possibly compete
ful and the product that is consumed remaining
with this before the war.
stable necessarily increases the price, as meas-
"Going over the statistics of war losses to
ured in gold—measured in commodities it has
the Central and Allied Powers and comparing
perhaps remained the same.
the casualties with the total population it will
"For the same reason labor in other manu-
be found that it is a comparatively small per-
facturing European countries will be necessarily
centage.
lower, because of the decrease in the amount of
With 3 sounding boards
Germany's intentions regarding foreign com-
gold available.
in each (Patented) have the
petition in the future are pretty well illustrated
"Reports show that the French Bank was the
by the following article, under the caption "Re-
greatest talking points in
only one that did not increase its supply of gold
vival of German Competition—British Engineer-
the trade.
during the war. The National Bank of Germany
ing Firm Outbid," taken from the London
doubled its supply of gold and the Bank of Eng-
Times in the issue of June 20, 1919:
land made an enormous increase; however, this
" 'We learn that a large contract for construc-
must not be confused with the national supply
tional engineering in Holland has just been ac-
of gold, which is the money changing hands
among the people. This has necessarily de-
creased by the large importation to the United
States, and in itself would tend to make wages
lower in Europe and higher in America.
"Let us look at the proposition from the view-
point of the importer in South America:
"Two pianos of equal merit, one obtainable
from New York and one from London. The New
York piano may cost him $150, which money
has less actual purchasing power in the United
The Auto Grand
States than the $100 he would have to pay for
The Krell Auto Grand
the British product would have in Great Britain.
Obviously, he is paying a high price in England
The Krell Player
We fix " o n e p r i c e d -
for the piano and a low price in New York for
Quality product* that will enable the dealer to close
the piano. This, however, is no concern of his.
wholesale and retail.
a qnality business at a substantial profit.
The medium of exchange is gold and he natur-
ally buys where it is costing him the least
Write for Catalog
amount.
"There are piano factories in China and Japan
THE. WERNER INDUSTRIES CO.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
making a very fine, satisfactory piano at a
9th and Harriet Sts.,
CINCINNATI, O.
trifling cost, as wages go in the Far East.
KNABE AT COLUMBIA CONCERTS
3 Great Pianos
Krell
Duchess, Mervyn
Royal
The Heppe Piano Co.