Music Trade Review
Issue: 1896 Vol. 22 N. 6 - Page 7
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From a Traveler's Note Book.
RUMORS EVERYWHERE REASONS WHY THE
MEMBERS OF THE MUSIC TRADE HAVE CAUSE
FOR SELF-CONGRATULATION THE WEBER-
WHEELOCK AFFAIR WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD
BY OUTSIDERS—THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE TRADE PAPERS—COMPARISON OF
1896 WITH 1 8 9 5 — I F PEOPLE WOULD
STOP CRYING DULL TIMES—C. H. W.
FOSTER SUMS UP THE CHICKERING
SITUATION UP TO DATE ORDERS
COMING STEADILY IN WM. E.
BOURNE & SON MAY CATER
MORE TO WHOLESALE TRADE
THE WILCOX & WHITE
ATTACHMENT—CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING BEAUTI-
FUL EFFECTS W. M.
BLIGHT.
T H E GUILD PIANO CO. T H E NEW COMPANY IN-
CLUDES SOME WELL KNOWN MEN OF LYNN,
A CHAT WITH HENRY F. MILLER
HE BE-
LIEVES IN T H E F U T U R E OF HIGH GRADE
WILLARD A. VOSE A PIANO
PIANOS
T H A T IS POPULAR
MEMBERS OF THE
T R A D E WHO ARE A B S E N T — T H E EMER-
SON PIANO C O . — P . H. POWERS ON
THE BUSINESS SITUATION
HAL-
LET & DAVIS GREAT BUSINESS
AT THEIR CHICAGO BRANCH
— D E A T H OF JOHN N. MER-
R I L L — A MAN WHOSE SUD-
DEN
DEMISE
WILL
BE
MOURNED
BY M A N Y —
MASON & HAMLIN MOVE-
MENTS— AT BROWN
& SIMPSON'S.
HE country is and has been rife
with rumors during the past
two or three weeks—rumors
some of which are truthful
and beneficial, but the major-
ity of which are detrimental
to trade interests.
There is one thing which must assuredly
impress itself upon the mind of everyone
interested in studying the music trade
situation as it is to-day, and that is the fact
that few failures have occurred in the
interests which are devoted to the manu-
facture of musical instruments.
What other trade in this country is there
with a total investment approximating fifty
millions which has shown as few failures
as have been noted in the music trade?
Indeed, the members of the trade have
cause for self-congratulation when they
cast a retrospective glance over the de-
pressed conditions of the past two years
and note how well their own special trade
has withstood the tremendous pressure
made upon it. It certainly must be reas-
suring to bank men t,p note the magnificent
way in which this trade has gone through
the dull times.
Aside from the Weber-Wheelock interests,
there has been but little to disturb the
settled conditions incident to musico-indus-
trial affairs. I say but little; there have
been rumors, ugly rumors, in motion, but
after all, rumors are often circulated by
people who have a special animosity toward
the parties whom they mention to you con-
fidentially as being in "such a position."
The facts in the case bear out the state-
ment that the music trades of this country
have made a magnificent showing through
the troublous times of the past few months.
into a lengthy statement bolstering up the
situation, but failing to make a single
point beyond the fact that it was not well
to dwell too strongly upon financial matters
at such times.
I believed then, and believe now, that it
was the prevailing ignorance among the
bank men of the true situation of the
Weber-Wheelock matter which would affect
seriously piano paper. They take the view
of the matter from their standpoint, that
a crash of six or seven firms simultaneously
really meant that the piano trade was shaky.
It was just here that the music trade
papers had an opportunity to turn light
upon the matter. The occasion was before
them to state that the number of failures
was really exaggerated, that it really
meant one combination operating in widely
separated points.
If they had taken half the pains to
enlighten financiers upon the matter, that
it was not several firms, but one firm prac-
tically, they would have shown more clearly
their ability to maintain trade interests at
an opportune time. The Weber-Wheelock
matter had an effect upon the trade which
it should not have had were the whole thing
clearly understood by those outside, as well
as those inside, the trade.
*
The statement made in THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW anent the Weber-Wheelock
matter was specially remarked upon
throughout the trade, but I notice now
that nearly all of our contemporaries have
at last arrived at the fact that THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW was right. It has taken
the editors several weeks to reach this
point, but they are there just now.
The Indicatjr, in attempting to criticise
this paper on the statement which we made
regarding the effect of the Weber-Wheel-
ock collapse upon piano paper, entered
* * *
After a sojourn of nearly a week in
Boston, I do not think that it can be truth-
fully said that Boston trade is in a large
degree better than trade in other sections
of the country.
Thus far in my travels since January 1st,
I have met men who have been perhaps
too apt to take a pessimistic view of matters
commercial and financial. While I do not
believe it pays to specially emphasize the
depressed condition of business, yet I feel
that it is only right to state matters as
nearly as they are, as lies within the possi-
bility of a newspaper man to deal with
them. I endeavor to faithfully picture the
condition of manufacturers and trade
throughout the country.
Comparing notes which I made in my
travels during the first months of 1895
with the present year, I find that many
more encouraging conditions prevail in
the opening months of '96 over those of
the year so recently ended.
There are so many manufacturers who
are emphatic in their belief that we are
going to have a much better year notwith-
standing the Presidential election, and
generally along the line there are evidences
of great improvement.
It must be understood that the people of
this country for a long time have been
economizing and pinching in many ways,
and the result is a great many of the old
debts have been long since liquidated and
the purchasing power of the people greatly
increased. We saw evidence of that in the
spontaneous bid for Government bonds,
which did more to restore confidence than
anything which has occurred in many years.
If people would stop talking and crying
dull times, and show confidence in the
country by turning their undivided atten-
tion toward the up-building of business
instead of comparing notes as to the chances
of failures, etc., things would be much
better.
* *
Mr. C. H. W. Foster, of Chickering &
Sons, is a member of the trade who makes
an intelligent analyzation of the business
situation up to date; and I may add,
furthermore, that his intelligent methods
adopted in the Chickering business have
produced a steady augmentation of the
Chickering name and fame in all parts.
When I asked Mr. Foster how the general
condition of the country affects the Chick-
ering business at the present time, he
answered:
"We are steadily producing a certain
number of pianos a week. Of course, if
orders come in slowly the number of
instruments accumulate, but at the present
time I can say that this month thus far has
been in many respects an agreeable surprise
to me. We have not only a steady number
of orders from our regular trade, but almost
daily we have communications from men
who are anxious to assume the Chickering
agency. Now, this state of affairs would
not exist were it not for the fact that the
trade appreciate the instrument we are
manufacturing to-day. Regarding the
future of the year, perhaps I am as much
at sea as anyone else, but we have started
in, as I have stated, to manufacture a cer-
tain number of pianos; perhaps the busi-
ness of the country may require greater
energy on our part to dispose of all of them,
but at least we shall try."
If one is a careful student of the Chick-
ering affairs all over the country, they will
readily understand that while Mr. Foster
does not count on an absolute certainty in
disposing of the number of pianos which
he named to me, yet it is as near a cer-
tainty as anything can be in these variable
days of our country's history. The Chick-
ering plan of operation is so well perfected
in different parts of the country it would
seem to me as though it would require
considerable to disarrange their plans ma-
terially.
• *
It is possible that Wm. Bourne & Son
may cater in a greater way toward whole-
sale trade this year than ever before. In a
conversation with Mr. Chas E. Bourne, he
said:
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From a Traveler's Note Book.
RUMORS EVERYWHERE REASONS WHY THE
MEMBERS OF THE MUSIC TRADE HAVE CAUSE
FOR SELF-CONGRATULATION THE WEBER-
WHEELOCK AFFAIR WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD
BY OUTSIDERS—THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE TRADE PAPERS—COMPARISON OF
1896 WITH 1 8 9 5 — I F PEOPLE WOULD
STOP CRYING DULL TIMES—C. H. W.
FOSTER SUMS UP THE CHICKERING
SITUATION UP TO DATE ORDERS
COMING STEADILY IN WM. E.
BOURNE & SON MAY CATER
MORE TO WHOLESALE TRADE
THE WILCOX & WHITE
ATTACHMENT—CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING BEAUTI-
FUL EFFECTS W. M.
BLIGHT.
T H E GUILD PIANO CO. T H E NEW COMPANY IN-
CLUDES SOME WELL KNOWN MEN OF LYNN,
A CHAT WITH HENRY F. MILLER
HE BE-
LIEVES IN T H E F U T U R E OF HIGH GRADE
WILLARD A. VOSE A PIANO
PIANOS
T H A T IS POPULAR
MEMBERS OF THE
T R A D E WHO ARE A B S E N T — T H E EMER-
SON PIANO C O . — P . H. POWERS ON
THE BUSINESS SITUATION
HAL-
LET & DAVIS GREAT BUSINESS
AT THEIR CHICAGO BRANCH
— D E A T H OF JOHN N. MER-
R I L L — A MAN WHOSE SUD-
DEN
DEMISE
WILL
BE
MOURNED
BY M A N Y —
MASON & HAMLIN MOVE-
MENTS— AT BROWN
& SIMPSON'S.
HE country is and has been rife
with rumors during the past
two or three weeks—rumors
some of which are truthful
and beneficial, but the major-
ity of which are detrimental
to trade interests.
There is one thing which must assuredly
impress itself upon the mind of everyone
interested in studying the music trade
situation as it is to-day, and that is the fact
that few failures have occurred in the
interests which are devoted to the manu-
facture of musical instruments.
What other trade in this country is there
with a total investment approximating fifty
millions which has shown as few failures
as have been noted in the music trade?
Indeed, the members of the trade have
cause for self-congratulation when they
cast a retrospective glance over the de-
pressed conditions of the past two years
and note how well their own special trade
has withstood the tremendous pressure
made upon it. It certainly must be reas-
suring to bank men t,p note the magnificent
way in which this trade has gone through
the dull times.
Aside from the Weber-Wheelock interests,
there has been but little to disturb the
settled conditions incident to musico-indus-
trial affairs. I say but little; there have
been rumors, ugly rumors, in motion, but
after all, rumors are often circulated by
people who have a special animosity toward
the parties whom they mention to you con-
fidentially as being in "such a position."
The facts in the case bear out the state-
ment that the music trades of this country
have made a magnificent showing through
the troublous times of the past few months.
into a lengthy statement bolstering up the
situation, but failing to make a single
point beyond the fact that it was not well
to dwell too strongly upon financial matters
at such times.
I believed then, and believe now, that it
was the prevailing ignorance among the
bank men of the true situation of the
Weber-Wheelock matter which would affect
seriously piano paper. They take the view
of the matter from their standpoint, that
a crash of six or seven firms simultaneously
really meant that the piano trade was shaky.
It was just here that the music trade
papers had an opportunity to turn light
upon the matter. The occasion was before
them to state that the number of failures
was really exaggerated, that it really
meant one combination operating in widely
separated points.
If they had taken half the pains to
enlighten financiers upon the matter, that
it was not several firms, but one firm prac-
tically, they would have shown more clearly
their ability to maintain trade interests at
an opportune time. The Weber-Wheelock
matter had an effect upon the trade which
it should not have had were the whole thing
clearly understood by those outside, as well
as those inside, the trade.
*
The statement made in THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW anent the Weber-Wheelock
matter was specially remarked upon
throughout the trade, but I notice now
that nearly all of our contemporaries have
at last arrived at the fact that THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW was right. It has taken
the editors several weeks to reach this
point, but they are there just now.
The Indicatjr, in attempting to criticise
this paper on the statement which we made
regarding the effect of the Weber-Wheel-
ock collapse upon piano paper, entered
* * *
After a sojourn of nearly a week in
Boston, I do not think that it can be truth-
fully said that Boston trade is in a large
degree better than trade in other sections
of the country.
Thus far in my travels since January 1st,
I have met men who have been perhaps
too apt to take a pessimistic view of matters
commercial and financial. While I do not
believe it pays to specially emphasize the
depressed condition of business, yet I feel
that it is only right to state matters as
nearly as they are, as lies within the possi-
bility of a newspaper man to deal with
them. I endeavor to faithfully picture the
condition of manufacturers and trade
throughout the country.
Comparing notes which I made in my
travels during the first months of 1895
with the present year, I find that many
more encouraging conditions prevail in
the opening months of '96 over those of
the year so recently ended.
There are so many manufacturers who
are emphatic in their belief that we are
going to have a much better year notwith-
standing the Presidential election, and
generally along the line there are evidences
of great improvement.
It must be understood that the people of
this country for a long time have been
economizing and pinching in many ways,
and the result is a great many of the old
debts have been long since liquidated and
the purchasing power of the people greatly
increased. We saw evidence of that in the
spontaneous bid for Government bonds,
which did more to restore confidence than
anything which has occurred in many years.
If people would stop talking and crying
dull times, and show confidence in the
country by turning their undivided atten-
tion toward the up-building of business
instead of comparing notes as to the chances
of failures, etc., things would be much
better.
* *
Mr. C. H. W. Foster, of Chickering &
Sons, is a member of the trade who makes
an intelligent analyzation of the business
situation up to date; and I may add,
furthermore, that his intelligent methods
adopted in the Chickering business have
produced a steady augmentation of the
Chickering name and fame in all parts.
When I asked Mr. Foster how the general
condition of the country affects the Chick-
ering business at the present time, he
answered:
"We are steadily producing a certain
number of pianos a week. Of course, if
orders come in slowly the number of
instruments accumulate, but at the present
time I can say that this month thus far has
been in many respects an agreeable surprise
to me. We have not only a steady number
of orders from our regular trade, but almost
daily we have communications from men
who are anxious to assume the Chickering
agency. Now, this state of affairs would
not exist were it not for the fact that the
trade appreciate the instrument we are
manufacturing to-day. Regarding the
future of the year, perhaps I am as much
at sea as anyone else, but we have started
in, as I have stated, to manufacture a cer-
tain number of pianos; perhaps the busi-
ness of the country may require greater
energy on our part to dispose of all of them,
but at least we shall try."
If one is a careful student of the Chick-
ering affairs all over the country, they will
readily understand that while Mr. Foster
does not count on an absolute certainty in
disposing of the number of pianos which
he named to me, yet it is as near a cer-
tainty as anything can be in these variable
days of our country's history. The Chick-
ering plan of operation is so well perfected
in different parts of the country it would
seem to me as though it would require
considerable to disarrange their plans ma-
terially.
• *
It is possible that Wm. Bourne & Son
may cater in a greater way toward whole-
sale trade this year than ever before. In a
conversation with Mr. Chas E. Bourne, he
said:
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