Music Trade Review

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MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
Conducted By Thomas W. Bresnahan
Dr. Will Hohner Tells
Impressions of America
Head of Famous Harmonica andAccordion Factory of M. Hohner
at Trossingen, Germany, Sums Up World Conditions in
Music Trade and Sees America Leading All
dustry, inasmuch as these instruments were all
laboriously made by hand, where to-day in the
Hohner factories the present types are made
by the most skilled artisans and the most up-to-
date and finest machinery that modern in-
genuity has been able to devise. Mr. Ford
stated that each year at Christmas time in the
woods on his estate a Christmas party was
held for thousands of children, and a very large
number of Hohner harmonicas were always in-
cluded in the gifts that Santa Claus presented
to Mr. Ford's little guests.
In order to convey some idea of these fes-
tivities Mr. Ford showed Dr. Hohner a large
album showing the joyous occasion in full
swing. After this most interesting volume had
been admired by the party Mr. Ford said it
would gratify him if Dr. Hohner would accept
this book as a memento of his visit to the Ford
plant.
He also presented to Dr. Hohner a valuable
set of Ford-Johansson gauge blocks, made in
the Ford laboratory, under the personal super-
vision of Carl E. Johansson. So great is the
skill of Mr. Johansson and so accurate are
these instruments that they are able to meas-
ure within millionths of an inch. They arc the
standards accepted by the United States Gov-
ernment, and from English and French records
that were shown the party it can be confidently
stated that in this respect the United States
leads the world. The appreciation and pleasure
that Dr. Hohner felt on receipt of these tokens
of friendship can be better imagined than ex-
pressed. The doctor said that they would be
a highly valued addition to the factory equip-
ment, and would be used to the utmost advan-
tage. However, he was very emphatic that
they would remain as a prized possession.
After an extended inspection of the experi-
mental plant the party continued as the guest
ol Mr. Ford, and in one of the new Model A
cars were driven to the Fordson plant. That
the new car indeed is a marvel and amply jus-
tifies its advance reputation, was the unanimous
opinion of the entire party, when they discov-
ered they were covering the ground at sixty
miles an hour with the greatest of ease and
comfort. Dr. Hohner purchased one for his
daughter.
The magnitude and scope of the plant were
amazing to Dr. Hohner, who said that nothing
of a similar character was to be seen abroad,
and that the tremendous proportions of the in-
dustry filled him with awe and astonishment.
He further said that the pleasure and education
he had received at beholding such a colossal
undertaking had more than repaid him for the
effort and time taken to leave his own factory
and make the trip from Germany to this coun-
trv.
MERICA has become the musical country of the world, according to Dr. Will Hohner,
head of the famous harmonica and accordion factory in Trossingen, Germany, who is
making his first visit to America and who has spent about a month in this country
observing conditions. He further reports that America uses nearly half of the entire number
of harmonicas made every year.
The vast Hohner factories employ 5,000 hands, and they turn out over twenty-five million
harmonicas a year which are sold in every
country in the world, In addition the Hohner
factories manufacture a large number of ac-
tordions.
According to Dr. Hohner, in Germany the ex-
port of mouth organs increased about a million
in 1927. German manufacturers shipped 21,-
800,000 harmonicas to the United States. Great
Britain and Argentina were other countries
which showed an increased demand for mouth
organs.
Dr. Hohner announced that harmonica play-
ing is now a recognized official part of the
school curriculum in Germany, and in most
cases the study of the harmonica comes during
regular school hours, and in other schools har-
monica playing has a recognized part in the
outside activities of the school. Another musi-
cal development in Germany is the formation
Dr. Will Hohner, S. J. Winfield, I. E. Hough
of accordion bands.
Financial and economic conditions have be- features, when they were taken to the Dearborn
come fairly stable in Germany and are improv- Country Club on Mr. Ford's estate for lunch-
ing all the time, is Dr. Hohner's report. He eon. They returned to the experimental plant
has devoted a great deal of his time during where they met Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford spent half
the past few years to traveling on the Conti- an hour with them and evinced a great interest
nent in the development of European sales of in the rehabilitation of industrial Germany, and
Hohner products. He pointed out an interest- particularly in the growth of Hohner produc-
ing thing in the case of Poland, which has been tion, making several suggestions to Dr. Hohner.
participating in a tariff war which has resulted Mr. Ford expressed a very great fondness for
in exorbitant tariff increases on certain commod- music, and spoke of his collection of musical
ities, the rate on harmonicas increased 7,000 instruments which has already three Stradi-
per cent. So great has been the demand for varius and Guarnerius violins and a carload of
Hohner harmonicas in Poland, however, that brass instruments. One of the musical instru-
the Hohner exports to Poland are still as big ments which he most highly prizes is an old
as ever. Dr. Hohner added with a smile that accordion that he had when a boy, and a Hoh-
the only effect has been that sales to Polish iier harmonica that he played in 1870.
importers are now cash in advance rather than
He asked if there were any early types of
on credits.
Hohner harmonicas or accordions that it would
Dr. Hohner considers Russia a tremendous be possible for him to acquire for his museum,
potential market for Hohner products, for the and expressed his happiness and pleasure when
Russians are hungry for Hohner harmonicas, Dr. Hohner offered several styles of an ancient
but the harmonica is still on the Soviets' luxury vintage which show the evolution of the in-
ban. There is no predicting when this will be
lifted, but Dr. Hohner points out that when
the Russian market is opened it will create a
real problem in maintaining production to the
present point for American and other markets.
Among the high lights of Dr. Hohner's
American visit was a very delightful day spent
last week as the guest of Henry Ford at the
Ford plant in Dearborn, Mich. The doctor was
accompanied by Ira E. Hough, of the firm of
Hough & Kohler, of Toronto, Canadian Hohner
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
distributors, and Sydney J. Winfield, Eastern
SINCE 1883
representative of M. Hohner, Inc.
The party arrived at the Dearborn experi-
mental plant in the morning, and Mr. Liebold,
Mr. Ford's secretary, placed one of the new
Ford cars at their disposal, and their first stop
was the Highland Park plant. A very interest-
ing hour was spent inspecting the important
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