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Census Figures on
instrument
Production in 1929
In considering any decrease in piano produc-
reproducing baby grands fell off only twenty-
ASHINGTON, D. C—The Bureau
tion, it must be considered also that there has
four per cent and the production of repro-
of the Census announces that, ac-
been a marked dropping off in the number of
ducing parlor grands showed an increase of
cording to data collected in the
manufacturing establishments.
According to
nearly 1,000 instruments, or approximately 100
Census of Manufactures, taken in
census figures there were only eighty-one es-
per cent, representing the only item on the list
1930, the total shipments or deliveries of musi-
tablishments, with 10,270 employes, engaged
that showed an increase during the period.
cal instruments by manufacturers in 1929 were
in the manufacturing of pianos and materials
The public appreciation of the grand piano
valued at $60,901,137 (at f.o.b. factory prices),
in 1929, as compared to 124 establishments,
and the efforts made by the trade to place that
a decrease of 38.9 per cent, as compared with
employing 16,582 workers in 1927. This rep-
type of piano in the homes in the country, is
$99,689,293 reported for 1927, the last preced-
resents a decrease of 34.7 per cent in the num-
reflected by the fact that despite unfavorable
ing census year. In addition, perforated music
ber of establishments and 38.1 per cent in the
conditions throughout the country at large, the
rolls and musical-instrument parts and mater-
number of employes. Although this decrease
production of grand pianos of all types
ials for sale as such, valued at $14,825,423, were
in the number of producing units and workers
dropped off only about sixteen per cent be-
reported.
The total for 1929 for complete
may not be taken as representing a corre-
tween 1927 and 1929, while during the corre-
musical instruments is made up as follows:
sponding proportion of the decrease in piano
sponding period uprights of all types, straight
Pianos, $38,079,827; organs, $11,289,533; wind
output, there is no question whatever but
and players, showed a decrease of 54 per cent.
instruments, $5,527,180; stringed instruments,
that the lower produc-
$3,019,504; percussion in-
tion
figures
are di-
s t r u m e n t s , $2,234,832;
rectly traceable in many
other instruments, $750,-
TAltLE 5
cases to this cause, and
261.
Musical Instruments, Part* and Materials—Production by Kind, Number and Value:
that, therefore, the ac-
The census figures show
1929 and 1937
The differences between the values of the several classes of products in this table and
tive establishments of to-
that there were 130,012
in Tables li, 2, 3 and 4 are due to the fact that in this table the statistics for each class of
instruments or materials cover the entire output of such commodities, regardless of the industry-
day have not suffered as
pianos produced in 1929,
reporting them, whereas the statistics in the preceding tables relate, respectively, to the tstab-
much as a quick glance
valued at $38,079,827, as
lishments whose principal prodvicts are the ose from which the industries derive their titles.
at the figures would seem
compared
with
218,140
1929-
— 1927
Number
Valu'e
Number
Value
to indicate. Those in a
pianos produced in 1927,
Musical instruments, parts and materials made
position to judge are of
and valued at $67,210,-
in all industries, aggregate value
$127,350,987
$75,726,560
the opinion that the num-
775.
These 1929 figures,
Made in the "musical instruments, parts and
ber of establishments that
as a matter of fact, are
materials" industries
$125,900,802
$73,070,9-03
went out of business be-
somewhat
higher
than
Made as secondary products in other indus-
tween 1927 and 1929 pro-
the estimates made by
$1,450,185
tries
$2,655,657
Complete instruments, total value
$99,689,293
$60,901,137
duced only between fif-
various factors in the in-
teen and twenty per cent
dustry itself, which would
$67,210,775
Pianos, total
130,012
$38,079,827
218,140
$12,261,827
Upright
48,686
$7,797,670
69,864
of the pianos on the
indicate either that the
$20,027,574
Upright, player
19,022
$4 836,747
76,447
market.
industry's estimate was
Upright, player, reproducing type
1,427
$1,419,933
4,096
$485,718
The production of pipe
ovcrconservative, or that
Grand:
organs during the two-
some manufacturers re-
43,772
$17,540,842
$12,510,980
Baby
•
35,538
306,025
$173,417
403
490
year
period
1927-1929
Baby, player
ported
plant
capacity
2,631,377
$5,550,097
5 565
7,223
Baby, player, reproducing type. . .
decreased in number from
rather than actual out-
$4,046,310
$5,319,799
7,703
8,757
Parlor
2,471 in the former year
put.
$30,422
40
42
$27,229
Parlor, player
to 1,695 in 1929, while
The
outstanding
de-
$1,695,631
$2,109i,269
1,182
2,123
Parlor, player, reproducing type.
$290,034
247
$160 421
293
Concert
their
value
decreased
crease in the matter of
$2,768,591
9,258
$3,300,689
5,974
Automatic and electric
from $17,167,408 to $11,-
piano production was in
$17,167,408
Organs, total
$11,289,533
289,533, or a total of $5,-
upright player pianos, the
$16 782,128
li,69S
$10,914,249
2,471
Pipe
877,875. In the case of
output
dropping
from
2,703
$385,280
$375,284
3,091
Reed
pipe owners the decrease
76,447 in 1927 to 19,022 in
Wind instruments, total
$5,527,180
$8 394,785
is almost directly trace-
1929, o r a net loss of
Cup-mouthpiece instruments . .•
74, 726
$2,662,696}
able to the development
57,425 instruments during
$6,550,097
Saxophones
33,021
$2,077,910)
of talking pictures which,
the two-year
period.
$1,844,688
Woodwinds
19,656
$786,574
$4,201,013
Stringed instruments, total
$3,019,504
providing full musical ac-
When it is considered
Banjos
80,154
$1,191,773
companiment for the pic-
that in 1925 an output of
Guitars
162,621
$1,033,968
tures as well as music for
143,831 upright player-pi-
Mandolins
27,760
$238,,750
the intermission periods,
anos was reported, it is
Ukuleles
139,996
$304.9(11
Violins
3 677
$190,735
have cut down the de-
not hard to put a finger
Other
$59,377
mand for the expensive
on the outstanding point
Percussion instruments
$2,234,832}
pipe
organs which for a
of weakness in the piano
$2,715,312
Other instruments
$750,261)
time were quite the rage.
trade so far as production
I'arts and materials for musical instruments
The pipe organ business
is concerned, for in this
other than pianos and organs, for sale as
in 1929 was comparable
one classification
alone
$2,179,529
$2,717,111
such
with that of 1925, there
we have over the four-
Pneumatic player actions for installation in
b $6,607,914
$2,959,198
player pianos for sale as such
53,752
being a sudden rise to a
year period a decrease of
Other piano parts and materials, for sale as
peak in 1927 and as sharp
124,809 instruments, ac-
$13,847
267
$5,694,586
such
a decline in the two fol-
cording to census figures.
c
$1,810,024
$878,017
Organ parts and material, for sale as such
$3,216,960
$2,576,511
lowing years. It is in-
It is significant that, al-
Perforated music rolls
teresting that reed organs
though the production of
held their own the value,
upright reproducing pi-
of the production in 1929,
anos fell off some sixty
namely, $375,284, being
per cent between 1927
(Please
turn to par/e 10)
and 1929, the output of
W