Presto

PRESTO
May 8, 1920.
past twenty years could not at any time have been foretold. There
has been a fallacy concerning the cost of piano production through all
of that time. When the unprecedented increase in cost of materials
and labor began to be felt, the industry generally was not prepared
for it. The inadequate margin of profits to the manufacturers did
not permit of any other way than to increase in proportion to the
advance in first cost. As the prices of the various items advanced, the
only move for the manufacturers was to follow. And that the retailers
have found it difficult to become reconciled to conditions does not seem
strange.
There is another consideration—and we think a very large one—in
connection with the New York piano to which allusion is made in
this article—the piano which in fact suggested this article. It is that
the instrument is not today at all the same piano that it was twenty
of even ten, years ago. It belongs to the kind of American pianos in
which there is the quenchless determination to improve, to become
better, irrespective of the consideration which may influence pianos
of lesser merit whose makers see cost first and quality last, if at all.
A piano that was good twenty years ago and has been steadily im-
proving through all the intervening time, must be worth very much
more today than it was then—it must not only be worth more but,
even in normal times, it would cost much more to produce. The ex-
perience, added skill and accumulated capital that goes into such a
piano must present an indisputable argument in favor of a betterment
that can not easily be computed in dollars or pounds.
But, aside from that, it should not require great powers of dis-
crimination to recognize, by the homely means of conditions of first
cost of production today, that fine pianos must bring from three to
four times as much as they did twenty years ago. It's just a simple
problem in mathematics. And the importer abroad who has held
allegiance to any particular piano will certainly find it a mistake to
break associations of long standing until he looks closely into his
problems. He will find that all American pianos—especially fine ones
—have advanced, and some of them to a much greater extent, prob-
ably, then the one to which he may owe a share of his success and the
progress which has been mutually advantageous to himself and his
American source of supplies.
These are trying times in business—in the piano business as
others. And it has been our observation that when discontent arises
it is usually due to a condition by which the manufacturer is the suf-
ferer, and not the merchant.
REED ORGANS WANTED
When the famine in fundamentals ends, there will be larger oppor-
tunities for ambitious reed organ industries in this country. The whole
world wants the American organ. But no considerable part of the
world need apply for them just now, as the following, from one of the
few active industries in that line, clearly indicates:
Editor Presto:—We are in receipt of your valued favor dated April 16, in
which you have also enclosed communication which you received from M.
Witsenburg, Amsterdam.
We have noted contents of your subscriber's letter, and in reply we beg
to advise you that yesterday we received an inquiry from the party referred
to, and we answered that we were so situated that we could not accept any
business calling for export organs, on account of not being able to obtain
certain material that goes into the construction of reed organs, in large enough
quantities to take on any new buisenss. We also said that just as soon as
conditions would get better we would be very glad to open up further negotia-
tions with them and see if it would not be possible for us to make up a
line of export organs which would appeal to the party in question.
It is just as exasperating, of course, to the reed organ maker to
turn away good trade, because of shortage of supplies, as it is for the
piano manufacturer do the same thing. And just now it is a case of
"they're all doing it." The reasons for the condition are not so clear,
but that fact doesn't at all lessen the uncomfortable results to the
industries. The point is that even were supplies less hard to get, it is
probable that the Amsterdam house would find it difficult to secure
instruments in any considerable numbers. For the American reed
organ is fast becoming a remembrance of glories that are gone.
In last week's Presto a well-posted correspondent—in fact him-
self a reed organ manufacturer in the East—gave a complete list of
the industries in that line which are still existent. And the roll-call
contained only ten names, of which three were those of folding organs
while three more are "doubtful" or have announced their purpose to
discontinue reed organs in favor of pianos exclusively. That leaves
just four remaining of the once large array of makers of the American
organs which easily won first place, the world over, as models of their
kind.
Twenty-five years ago there were at least as many reed organ
factories as piano industries. Many of the large piano plants sustained
reed organ departments where the little "parlor" and "chapel" instru-
ments were turned out in numbers so large as to seem incredible
today. In the East there were many giant reed organ plants. In Wor-
cester, Mass., there was a nest of them, though but a single piano
factory existed there. Boston possessed a number of them, also, and
close to New York were many more. In Chicago some of the biggest
musical industries were devoted to the reed organ. The energies of
the Kimball Co., The Cable Company, Story & Clark, Newman Bros.
Co., and others, were examples. And of the big ones now wholly ex-
tinct, the Tryber Piano Co., Geo. P. Bent, the Western Cottage, and
others were energetic specimens.
The story of the reed organ is an interesting one. At one time,
and for many years, it was a profitable industry and inventive genius
found wide field there. Will the reed organ come back? There are
some in the trade who believe it will. The demand has never shown
any sign of dying out. There are sections of the country in which the
dealers still find opportunities of sale and profit in the reed organ.
But they can not get the goods! Nothing so quickly kills demand as
the lack of response to calls for any special kind of thing. No matter
how insistent the cry for reed organs today, if it receives no satisfac-
tory response for a considerable period, the call will cease, some other
sound-producing product will supplant it, and the reed organ will die.
No doubt a share of the success of the phonograph is due to the decline
of the reed organ. Or possibly it may be reversed and said that the
decline of the reed organ is due to the phonograph. But we doubt it.
In any event, the reed organ remains in brisk demand abroad.
And we have little doubt that in time—after things become settled in
the world's social and industrial life—the reed organ will return and
its makers once more show the kind of activity that never fails to win.
OUT SOME SHOWS
Speaking about shows, the automobile men have introduced a new
one. It is the "Used Automobile Show." Nothing new is displayed.
No brand new cars are to be seen. The point just now is that, inas-
much as some piano men like to compare pianos with autos, in their
relations to the exposition idea, the "Used Show" presents still an-
other difference between these two industries.
Of course such a thing as a used piano show has never been sug-
gested or thought of. The nearest thing to it was when some genius
proposed a big bonfire of second-hand squares at one of the annual
conventions. The idea was to set the example of destruction for
the benefit of the dealers who had a habit of slicking up their trade-ins
and selling them again. It was someone's dream that, by burning
the old ones, more new pianos might be sold. The more useful and
rational method of the Philadelphia house of Heppe had not yet
been introduced. The Heppes give away their old squares to the
deserving poor who may possess a longing for the higher things of
life.
But, to return to the show business, as we have said, there is no
place for a used piano show anywhere. The automobile is so differ-
ent that it may easily attract crowds to a display of second hands—in
fact that may have been second hand for a long time, and have been
painted, slicked up, oiled and loaded with the juice of propulsion to a
degree that makes them seem salable.
Nor is that all. The Used Automobile Show announces that "all
exhibits are changed twice daily." Think of any display of pianos
that could be changed once daily, or even once a week. It couldn't
be done. There are not enough presentable used pianos to make a
decent show anywhere. And if there were, the people who crowd the
used automobile show wouldn't cross the street to go to the used piano
show. It is true, probably, that more people love music than care to
ride in automobiles, and do the steering themselves. There are more of
them that like the sound of the piano than of those who care for the
honk of the automobile, especially if they happen to be just ahead
crossing the road. But for some reason people who rush to the used
automobile show, and seem to be proud of it, would feel ashamed to be
seen going into a used piano show. They couldn't think of being sus-
pected of wanting to buy a used piano! Mercy, no! If they were to do
such a thing, they would go to a fine piano store and select the old
one from the stock of trade-ins on the upper floor. But a used auto-
mobile is different. And if the exhibition is changed twice daily there
is reason to go to the show often.
Here is one of the differences between pianos and automobiles
as articles for exposition purposes. And there are many more. The
car presents so large a variety of novelties. The piano is beautiful,
more appealing to the intellectualities, more conducive to home hap-
piness. And yet—well, it isn't a show thing. The player piano and
the automatic instruments contribute greatly to the possibilities of a
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