Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
of the highest or lowest grade instruments
it was practically the same piano, with a
change of the name, as it is made by one
syndicate.
Of course, we all know that there would
be different grades of pianos made, possi-
bly the entire combination might make
four different grades of instruments, but
the very fact that different grades were
made would not lessen the argument in
the hands of a skillful salesman, that all
were made practically by the same work-
men, using the same materials and with
only a slight change of name.
It was difficult for a well-known concern
to overcomethis impression, and it would be
difficult for a trust to eliminate it.
It is claimed that one of the arguments
in favor of the trust is that there would be
a tremendous saving in manufacturing and
marketing of pianos.
CONCENTRATION OF HANUFACTURINQ.
Unquestionably that is true, as the ten-
dency of the combination, when once in
operation, would be to concentrate the en-
tire industry in a few factories manufac-
turing and selling under conditions which
would necessarily mean the reduction of
high-salaried labor. There would be nec-
essarily a cutting down of the traveling
salesmen, as a few men could perform the
entire task where it now takes hundreds.
This alone would mean a vast saving in
traveling expenses and salaries.
Again the floor salesman would neces-
sarily be tremendously reduced in num-
bers and in salaries, according to the
wishes of the syndicate; and instead of
paying two hundred superintendents the
number would be materially reduced, in
fact in all the high-salaried positions there
would be a great reduction made.
This is to our minds the strongest argu-
ment which could be made in favor of
trusts, from the money standpoint. If
this trust element is to obtain in all indus-
tries it means the gradual removal of all
the smaller men fFom every industrial
field, and it is upon the small men, the
healthy independent manufacturer and
dealer,that the future of the republic rests.
It is, after all, the man of moderate means
who is the backbone of the purchasing ele-
ment of this country, and one thing has
been clearly demonstrated, that trusts do
not raise salaries.
So much from the economic standpoint.
7
piano trade, for in no other field can the begets a love for power, and oftentimes
"antis" have a better opportunity to win men lose all of their finer instincts in their
than in the piano trade.
wild scramble for gold.
Suppose, purely for illustration, that
Men who are to-day running small fac-
Chickering & Sons, the oldest manufac- tories—making a fair income and preserv-
turers in America,should join the combina- ing their individuality as men, as factors
tion, would not then their instruments be in their community in business and social
classed by their competitors in the same circles, should understand one thing—that
rank as many of the cheaper grades ? Would men who are anxious for a consolidation
not this grand and historic institution be re- in the various industrial fields, for a con-
duced rather than elevated? Would there centration as it were, usually aim at the
not then be a magnificent opportunity for destruction of competition rather than an
the men who manufacture the other high equal adjustment of economic conditions.
grade instruments to win in a distinctly
REDUCTION OF FACTORIES.
independent anti-trust field ?
Now it is not apparent for a moment in
WHAT FREE TRADE WOULD DO.
considering the proposed trust belief that
There would be vast expenses incurred there would be more than twenty-five fac-
on both sides for two or three years, then tories in operation should the trust become
if in the end the trust became supreme it an established fact. This number would
would stand in imminent danger of anni- become steadily diminished as the years
hilation should the free trade sentiment, rolled by. The whole history of trusts is
which is rapidly growing in America, win to reduce expenses, and the men who to-
at the polls in 1900.
day are proprietors of small factories
While we may talk about the great vic- would have, in our opinion, as a sole re-
tory of protection, yet carefully figured minder of their associations in the piano
down it means that twenty-two thousand trade, should they join, a block of stock in
votes if distributed in six States of the the piano trust.
As to its value, that
Union according to the peculiar conditions would entirely depend upon conditions.
on which our Presidential election is
To go into a blind pool without carefully
based, would have changed the election.
weighing just what the possibilities might
Twenty-two thousand votes, the popula- be as to the outcome of such a move, is
tion of Mt. Vernon, N. Y., would have wrong, and we would be false to our posi-
placed Wm. J. Bryan with his free trade tion, false to our principles, false to the
and free silver theories in the Presidential trade which supports us, did we fail at this
Chair.
juncture to make a fair, impartial and can-
CANADIAN MAKERS WOULD FIGURE.
WOULD MEAN A BITTER FIQHT.
The talk of foreign-made pianos not
standing in this climate would be ex-
ploded. They would be built to stand,
and foreign capital would, if necessary,
become interested in factories here.
The Canadian manufacturers know how
to turn out pianos and are only waiting to
have the tariff barrier removed. English
capital in Canadian factories would remove
the trust monopoly of the American piano
market should Bryan win.
These are things to consider, and we do
not propose to mince matters in the slight-
est when we lay these matters open for the
consideration of the trade to which The
Review directly appeals.
Furthermore,
we do not hesitate to say, in our opinion,
that this cry of cheapness, this reducing of
men to mere machines, this triumph for
plutocracy in all the various industrial
fields, is an injury rather than a benefit to
the future of America.
From its very inception there would be
a bitter fight between the trust and the
"antis," and there never could be any bet-
ter test of the trust element controlling
the country than could be found in the
If, in this country, a government by the
people is to triumph in the end, it must be
by maintaining a contented and prosper-
ous people. Behind every great money
organization is a selfish motive. Power
did statement to our friends as to what a
piano trust means to them as we inter-
pret it.
*
PRIDE IN A NAME.
The trust idea is gradually removing
from all lines of manufacture the pride
which one takes in a family name. It re-
moves from a man personal ambition to
create for his posterity the heritage of a
great name, because it is all lost in the
great trust maelstrom.
It was some time after the formation of
the safe trust that Mr. Herring was credited
with the statement that there was one ac-
tion in his life which he extremely regret-
ted, and that was the time when he entered
the safe trust, because he said, not only had
it proved a failure in one way, but it also
robbed his life of its individuality. He
felt no longer a pride in his business.
The success of the cracker trust was im-
paired not so much by reason of the com-
petition of its chief competitor, the New
York Biscuit Co., as from the fact evidenced
that dealers everywhere in our city were
complaining bitterly of the competition of
the small basement baker, who, with light
expenses, undersold the trust, and it was