Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Eastern piano manufacturers are not
built on such narrow lines, neither would
they seriously consider for one instant of
entering into negotiations with the labor
delegates to cripple the Chicago piano fac-
tories.
This rumor is of that peculiar consistency
that leads one to believe that it originated
in the fertile brain of the Journalistic Judas
who has worked assiduously for years to
set the East against the West. In other
words, he has peddled little petty, jealous
schemes which emanated in his own brain
from one manufacturer to another in order
that he might gain a monetary point for
himself. By fanning continually the em-
bers of jealousy he has been able to work
such little side issues in the way of private
emoluments which have been at times,
large, fat and specially remunerative.
To our minds this little story of sectional
feeling of the East against the West ema-
nated from no other source. It has the
unmistakable earmarks of the piano broker
who has tried to stampede the trade to de-
partment stores. We shall watch carefully
to see what other developments occur along
this line, so that we may more readily trace
the source of this infamous rumor.
Eastern manufacturers, while recogniz-
ing the strong competition which comes
from the West, would not attempt to stifle
that competition by any other but fair
business methods. To attribute to them
such principles as dealing with the labor
element in order that they might be the
instruments which would beat against the
Chicago manufacturers is to say that which
is false, unreliable and wholly untruthful
down to the minutest particular. There
are not many Benedict Arnolds in this
trade. There is only one in journalism
who has ever been accused of prostituting
every noble interest, every moral prin-
ciple, to selfish vulgar greed. It would
appear that the earmarks of this individual
are discernible on the striking as well as
on the trust and department store horizon.
He evidently never read the words of
Tom Paine, who said: "The world is my
country, to do good is my religion."
Personalities are one thing, gentlemen of
this trade, and nursing a viper quite another.
You have now the opportunity to feel
his venom.
TRADE CONDITIONS.
'"TRADE for the past week has been ac-
tive with a small lessening of the de-
mand, owing to the recent elections.
There is a slight increase of the demand
as the season advances, and many dealers
are trying to accumulate stock in order to
meet the demand which is sure to be
largely augmented next month.
The business of the retail merchants in They are growling so much about the fear
small towns has been excellent, in fact we of filling orders, the raise of prices, and all
may say that we have noted from personal that sort of thing, and still claim that they
observation that in the scores of towns in are willing to "do the fair thing."
Why not, then, do it? Why not write to
the East and central West which we have
visited, retail trade has shown very much their manufacturer and say that they are will-
greater activity than in the larger cities. ing to pay an advance of from ten to twenty-
It is from the smaller towns that the great five dollars on a piano? The manufacturers
demand upon the manufacturers has come. in turn could grant the labor element some
Just what the dealers are going to do next concessions, and in the end all would be
month for stock is problematical, particu- happy. The dealer wants the long end of
larly if many of the factories should be the piano rope, and he comes pretty nearly
temporarily closed on account of labor getting it at the present time.
troubles. The wide-awake dealers realize
THE SITUATION IN CHICAGO.
the importance of having stock on hand to
T H E Piano Manufacturers of Chicago
meet the demand which surely will come,
concluded to stand together in the
and to that end they have been urging threatened labor troubles and last Monday
manufacturers to send along goods. They morning a dozen factories closed their
are quite willing to take anything in the doors, locking out a great number of work-
way of pianos, and some of them will not men. The piano manufacturers deter-
even object to paying a trifle more. They mined to take the union bull by the horns
know, too, that the manufacturers will be and have the struggle out instead of quiet-
compelled to raise their prices in the near ly acceding to the union demands. The
future.
list of the establishments closed will be
found in another portion of The Review.
GETTING TOGETHER.
This condition of affairs just at this time
\ I 7HEN business men are brought face
when all the factories were rushed with
to face with serious complications
orders is a serious blow to trade, and one
they are quite apt to lay aside little petty
which will be immediately felt in the retail
jealousies and get together for serious con-
channels throughout the country. During
sideration.
the week we have had a number of West-
There is no question but that the ominous
ern dealers in town seeking pianos, and
mutterings and the open threats which
they expressed themselves as being serious-
have already reached the very citadels of
ly inconvenienced by the condition of af-
piano manufacturing will act as an onward
fairs which now prevails in Chicago.
spur to bring manufacturers into more of
If the lockout continues the dearth of
a compact union than has heretofore existed
pianos will become more and more accen-
in this industry.
tuated, because at no time during recent
It is possible that the labor problems
years have retail stocks been so depleted
which now confront the industry may be
in the various warerooms throughout the
the means of broadening the National
trade, and never has the demand been so
Piano Manufacturers' Association so that
strong during the early fall months.
its scope will be materially extended by
The manufacturers, however, seem de-
bringing manufacturers together as a unit
termined to hold out against the unreason-
where they would stand together for the
able demands of their men, and whether a
good of the industry.
compromise will be made at an early date
is purely conjectural.
THE LONG END.
The workmen must now realize that
\ X 7 E have heard many complaints from
dealers over their inability to secure they have encountered a pretty strong
pianos. We have heard, too, a number of proposition, the easiest solution of which is
complaints and criticisms anent some man- to receive amicably what concessions manu-
ufacturers who have had the courage to ad- facturers feel inclined to grant. In this
here to business rules and raise their prices way much inconvenience as well as oceans
to correspond in a slight way with the ad- of trouble may be avoided.
Whether the men will temper their ac-
vance in materials. We have heard none,
however, come out and say that they tions with the light of reason remains to
would gladly pay more for pianos, know- be seen. The greatest houses in the West
ing that the manufacturer has troubles of are involved in this struggle—there are
his own in the advance of all kinds of ma- multitudes of interests concerned and tre-
terials and on the top of which come the de- mendous pressure will be brought to bear
all along the line to render an early adjust-
mands of labor.
Now, the dealers themselves could exer- ment of the perplexing conditions which
cise material influence just at this particu- now exist in piano making circles in the,
lar juncture of trade affairs, if they would. metropolis of the West.