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FEBRUARY 12, 1921
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Piano Industry in the Orient
George P. Bent, Now on Trip Around the World, Outlines Music Trade Conditions in China and Japan in Interesting
Report Written Specially for The Review—Has Interview With Thomas G. Baker and Visits Extensive
Plant of S. Moutrie & Co., Ltd., at Shanghai—Economic Depression Existing at Present
The Review has just received a letter from
"Tuesday, in midst of a fierce snowstorm, I
Geo. P. Bent, the veteran piano man, who is visited the piano, violin and phonograph factory
now on his tour around the world, which was of the Nishikawa Musical Instrument Mtg. Co.,
written from Kioto, Japan, and is dated De- Ltd., at Kanagawa, Yokohama, and was shown
cember 9, 1920. This letter, by the way, had a all around the tactory by Thos. G. Baker, the
most eventful trip, for after reaching this coun- new superintendent and manager. We knew of
try it was nearly destroyed in a mail car fire each other in America, but never met before.
at Luverne, North Dakota, on December 31, I was surprised to rind the factory well equipped
according to a notice stamped on the envelope with up-to-date machinery, making its own keys,
by the postal authorities. The letter itself is actions, strings, plates and cases. They have
charred but still readable and tells some in- about 200 employes. Wages range from 50
cents to $3 per day, the last for foremen and
teresting facts concerning the piano industry in
superintendents of departments. They make
Japan.
reed organs, also, and have one style of grand
Mr. Bent, when he stopped in Yokphama, had
piano.
The iirm was founded about thirty years
a visit with Thomas G. Baker, who is now gen-
eral superintendent
of the factory of the
Nishikawa Musical
Instrument Co., Ltd.
Mr. Baker, it will be
remerrtbered, sailed
from San Francisco
for Japan on the
"Korea Maru" on
November 5, 1920,
and arrived in Yoko-
hama on November
22. At that time it
was believed that
Mr. Bent would also
sail on the "Korea
Maru," but he finally
went by way of
Seattle and conse-
quently t h e t w o
piano men did not
cross the Pacific to-
gether. A letter has
Thos G. Baker in Plant of Nishikawa Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.
also been received
The photograph shows pictures of the founder of the company, T. Nishikawa (at left), and
from Mr. Baker tell-
his son, V, Nishikawa (.right). The small frame showing in the upper left corner contains
medals awarded the company's product. The plant has a capacity of fifty pianos a month
ing of Mr. Bent's
visit, the two missives arriving together. A pic- ago by the elder Nishikawa, whose widow still
ture of Mr. Baker at the factory of the Nishi- has stock in the recently reorganized company.
kawa Musical Instrument Co., Ltd., is shown After the founder's death his son had charge of
affairs until his death some years ago. The son
herewith.
Mr. Baker's arrival in Japan was a notable learned his trade with the Estey Piano Co.,
event in music trade circles there and he re- New York.
"I was impressed most of all by the finish
ceived many very complimentary notices in the
press of that country. Several of these notices
have been received at The Review office and
bear witness to the cordial reception given the
American piano man. The company with which Roehr Music Co. Provides Demonstration
Rooms for Pianos, Players and Talkers
he is now associated recently issued its yearly
report and is looking forward to an unusually
Toi'EKA, KAN., February 7.—The W. F. Roehr
good year in Japanese trade. J. R. Geary is
Music Co., this city, has recently remodeled its
president of the company and the Board of
Directors is composed of Y. Shinjo, T. Matsu-
mura and C. Nishikawa (the widow of the son
of the founder, T. Nishikawa). K. Tamura and
C. Tsukamoto are inspectors for the company.
Mr. and Mrs. Geary, according to Mr.
Baker's letter, were expected to sail for the
United States (by way of Vancouver) on Christ-
mas day and will doubtless soon be in New
York.
In his letter to the editor of The Review Mr.
Bent said:
"We landed safely on December 4 and spent
the fifth, sixth and seventh at Yokohama and
Tokyo. Reached here last evening and go on
to Osaka and Kobe to-morrow. Will rejoin the
'Korea Maru' at Kobe and sail for Nagasaki
Main Floor of Roehr Music Co. Store
and Shanghai Sunday. We are due at Hong
Kong December 20. My headquarters for all quarters in order to provide a series of individual
of February will be Sydney, Australia, care demonstrating rooms for Victor records and
music rolls on the main floor, and for piano
American Consulate.
IMPROVED OUARTERS IN TOPEKA
THE BEST KNOWN
MUSICAL NAME
IN THE WORLD.
PIANO CO ^ p | A N Q S flf* EW
used on the pianos and violins, a Japanese
lacquer. The polish is tine and never checks.
A good job can be done in a month, I am told.
It seems to me that it would be very nice for
our American manufacturers to investigate. All
colors can be had. In making cases here they
use solid oak—no veneers."
Observations on the piano industry in Shang-
hai, and particularly the factory of S. Moutrie
& Co., Ltd., manufacturers of pianos and organs
and importers of Cable, Mason & Hamlin and
other instruments, are contained in a later letter
received from Mr. Bent. This letter was mailed
from Manila, Philippine Islands, on January 6,
and describes the visit to the Moultrie factory
as follows:
"When I got over to Shanghai I was invited
(by Mr. Paine and Mr. Henry) to go through
the factory of S. Moutrie & Co., Ltd., to see
how they do things in China, and here I found
a factory absolutely devoid of all machinery.
Everything is done by hand, but they work the
saw and the plane just as we do in America.
The labor is even cheaper in China than it is
in Japan.
"Both in China and in Japan there is great
depression in a business way at the present
time. Nothing is being bought and very little
being sold. Nothing but the cheapest articles
seem to be in demand. Luxuries are taboo. I
was told in Japan that there were hundreds, and
perhaps thousands, of pianos still in warehouses
not taken from bond and not offered for sale—
instruments that were ordered during boom
times and which arrived after the bottom fell
out. I was also told that this was about the
same condition in China, and have been told
since I came here that it is much the same right
here in the Philippines.
"1 am sailing for Australia next Saturday, the
8th, and trust that I shall find a different con-
dition of affairs there, but am told that it is
much the same there as in these countries that
I -have visited."
Jt is expected that Mr. Bent will write about
conditions in the other countries of the Old
World as his journey progresses, and his letters
will be published in The Review.
and player demonstration on the second floor of
the establishment.
The business was established in 1901, and
the line has been built up until at the present
time it includes the Mehlin & Sons, Hallet &
Davis, Krell, Haddorff, Shoninger, Jesse French,
Cable-Nelson, Apollo, and other makes of
pianos and players, as well as Victor and Bruns-
wick talking machines and records and a full line
of player rolls.
The business of the company has increased
steadily, and has warranted the installation of
the new equipment. The accompanying photo-
graph gives sonic idea of the general layout of
the main floor of the store, with the musical
merchandise and sheet music department well in
front and the individual demonstrating booths
extending to the rear.
ATWOOD PIANO LOADER IN HOLLAND
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, February 7.—The Atwood
Piano Loader Co., of this city, has now ex-
tended the sphere of its distribution to foreign
climes. An Atwood piano loader was recently
shipped to the Bender Piano Co., of Rotterdam,
Holland.
THE BEST PROFIT
PRODUCER FOR THE
DEALER IN THE TRADE