Music Trade Review
Issue: 1904 Vol. 38 N. 3 - Page 8
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Editor and Proprietor.
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
J. ». SPILLANE. Mtn^in^ Editor.
EXECVTIVE STAFF:
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPBLAND,
A. EDMUND HANSON,
BOSTON OFFICE :
W. MURDOCH LIND. fen Tremont St.
GEO. B. KELLER,
A. J. NICKLIN,
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUERIPEL.
CHICAGO OFPICE:
E. P . VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St,
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
R. W . KAUFFMAir.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
REVIEW
ELDOM has there been a year in which so many contradictory
and perplexing conditions have been presented in the business
world. They have been so complex that to forecast the result of
the year with anything approaching accuracy was exceedingly diffi-
cult. In fact the view of industrial and commercial conditions
throughout our country has presented a constantly changing pano-
rama. There was the crumbling of many paper edifices reared by
financial magnates, which were formerly regarded as impregnable.
There was a consequent decline in values which not only compelled
the small investor and speculator to curtail, but it seriously reduced
the purchasing power of the wealthier classes and it is surprising
under these conditions that the selling of high grade pianos was
so large.
Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00; opposite reading
matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
MANUFACTURERS
directory
manufacturing firms and corporations
f o The
und o
n a e of piano
P * •» w i l 1 b e o f g r e a t v a l u e a s a « f erence for
dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
IN many of the prominent centers strikes and labor troubles further
* accentuated the business depression, and there was naturally a
considerable shrinkage of trade—a shrinkage which it was believed
would place the total figures considerably less than those of the
preceding year.
But while certain important centers have felt the stress of these
special conditions, prosperity has been general in other sections. The
magnificent crops of the great West brought a monetary harvest to
the farmers which resulted in good business for the piano men doing
business in those favored localities.
NEW YORK. JANUARY lt>. 19O4.
A VAST number of pianos were marketed in the central West
where the farmers were enjoying the fruits of a bountiful
EDITORIAL,
harvest. Then again, the Pacific slope, a country which is vastly in-
creasing by the wealth which it annually draws from ranch and
I T is interesting to note the changes which are constantly being
mine, contributed largely to the prosperity of piano men. The best
* wrought in this trade. It was not so many years ago when posted men are fully aware of these pleasing conditions in the far
Boston, which was the birthplace of the piano industry, was the West, and already many traveling men are on their way to the Coast
most dominant piano manufacturing center. It then changed to
to take orders for the early spring.
New York, which has since held the premier position as a piano
In the South, too, they are witnessing the dawn of a new era.
producing city.
The extraordinary rise in the price of cotton is flinging money with
According to Review estimates the number of pianos manufac-
a prodigal hand into the pockets of men formerly dependent upon
tured in Boston for 1903 falls a trifle short of twenty thousand,
credit for the bare necessaries of life.
while New York and the country closely adjacent reaches eighty
A S the central West was enabled to clear off its mortgages by
thousand. But the most remarkable of all is the growth of the in-
dustry in the West. Careful estimates place the piano output of
* *• a succession of bountiful crops accompanied by higher prices,
Chicago and the factories which are operated in the district adjoin-
so the South has reached a position of unexajnpled prosperity, and
ing and controlled by Chicago men, at nearly forty-eight thousand will not only buy more pianos, but is in a condition to buy better
instruments.
pianos than ever before.
Then to all other sections of the Union we will concede an out-
put of sixty-nine thousand, which places the total for 1903 above the
two hundred and seventeen thousand mark.
O some these figures may seem surprising, but nevertheless they
are based upon actual facts, and while we believed, according to
our early figures that the total number of pianos produced for the past
year would be a trifle below the two hundred thousand mark, yet
our revised figures show the actual output to be somewhat in excess
of the figures first named.
This estimate may be considered authentic and reliable and
shows really a magnificent condition of the industry during the
twelve months just closed.
Piano men have cause for a keen sense of satisfaction in the
figures reached for the past year—a year which was full of problems
alike for the manufacturer and distributor of musical wares.
The general condition of trade for the year is encouraging, and
as we stated in last week's Review, conservative optimism is a good
war cry for the new year. The different sections of the country
were never equipped as well as to-day for the production of pianos,
for during the last year considerable machinery has been added, and
piano making, as a whole, never has been run on as practical and
scientific a basis as to-day.
'"T"*HE figures which we name as representing the total output of
*
pianos from Boston, New York, Chicago, may not be ma-
terially changed for the new year.
The factories in Boston are
practically assured of as large an output, provided business condi-
tions are favorable up to the point of last year. New York manu-
facturers are in a better condition than ever to supply the needs of
their trade, and by no> possible argument can we believe that the
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Editor and Proprietor.
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
J. ». SPILLANE. Mtn^in^ Editor.
EXECVTIVE STAFF:
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPBLAND,
A. EDMUND HANSON,
BOSTON OFFICE :
W. MURDOCH LIND. fen Tremont St.
GEO. B. KELLER,
A. J. NICKLIN,
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUERIPEL.
CHICAGO OFPICE:
E. P . VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St,
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
R. W . KAUFFMAir.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
REVIEW
ELDOM has there been a year in which so many contradictory
and perplexing conditions have been presented in the business
world. They have been so complex that to forecast the result of
the year with anything approaching accuracy was exceedingly diffi-
cult. In fact the view of industrial and commercial conditions
throughout our country has presented a constantly changing pano-
rama. There was the crumbling of many paper edifices reared by
financial magnates, which were formerly regarded as impregnable.
There was a consequent decline in values which not only compelled
the small investor and speculator to curtail, but it seriously reduced
the purchasing power of the wealthier classes and it is surprising
under these conditions that the selling of high grade pianos was
so large.
Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00; opposite reading
matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
MANUFACTURERS
directory
manufacturing firms and corporations
f o The
und o
n a e of piano
P * •» w i l 1 b e o f g r e a t v a l u e a s a « f erence for
dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
IN many of the prominent centers strikes and labor troubles further
* accentuated the business depression, and there was naturally a
considerable shrinkage of trade—a shrinkage which it was believed
would place the total figures considerably less than those of the
preceding year.
But while certain important centers have felt the stress of these
special conditions, prosperity has been general in other sections. The
magnificent crops of the great West brought a monetary harvest to
the farmers which resulted in good business for the piano men doing
business in those favored localities.
NEW YORK. JANUARY lt>. 19O4.
A VAST number of pianos were marketed in the central West
where the farmers were enjoying the fruits of a bountiful
EDITORIAL,
harvest. Then again, the Pacific slope, a country which is vastly in-
creasing by the wealth which it annually draws from ranch and
I T is interesting to note the changes which are constantly being
mine, contributed largely to the prosperity of piano men. The best
* wrought in this trade. It was not so many years ago when posted men are fully aware of these pleasing conditions in the far
Boston, which was the birthplace of the piano industry, was the West, and already many traveling men are on their way to the Coast
most dominant piano manufacturing center. It then changed to
to take orders for the early spring.
New York, which has since held the premier position as a piano
In the South, too, they are witnessing the dawn of a new era.
producing city.
The extraordinary rise in the price of cotton is flinging money with
According to Review estimates the number of pianos manufac-
a prodigal hand into the pockets of men formerly dependent upon
tured in Boston for 1903 falls a trifle short of twenty thousand,
credit for the bare necessaries of life.
while New York and the country closely adjacent reaches eighty
A S the central West was enabled to clear off its mortgages by
thousand. But the most remarkable of all is the growth of the in-
dustry in the West. Careful estimates place the piano output of
* *• a succession of bountiful crops accompanied by higher prices,
Chicago and the factories which are operated in the district adjoin-
so the South has reached a position of unexajnpled prosperity, and
ing and controlled by Chicago men, at nearly forty-eight thousand will not only buy more pianos, but is in a condition to buy better
instruments.
pianos than ever before.
Then to all other sections of the Union we will concede an out-
put of sixty-nine thousand, which places the total for 1903 above the
two hundred and seventeen thousand mark.
O some these figures may seem surprising, but nevertheless they
are based upon actual facts, and while we believed, according to
our early figures that the total number of pianos produced for the past
year would be a trifle below the two hundred thousand mark, yet
our revised figures show the actual output to be somewhat in excess
of the figures first named.
This estimate may be considered authentic and reliable and
shows really a magnificent condition of the industry during the
twelve months just closed.
Piano men have cause for a keen sense of satisfaction in the
figures reached for the past year—a year which was full of problems
alike for the manufacturer and distributor of musical wares.
The general condition of trade for the year is encouraging, and
as we stated in last week's Review, conservative optimism is a good
war cry for the new year. The different sections of the country
were never equipped as well as to-day for the production of pianos,
for during the last year considerable machinery has been added, and
piano making, as a whole, never has been run on as practical and
scientific a basis as to-day.
'"T"*HE figures which we name as representing the total output of
*
pianos from Boston, New York, Chicago, may not be ma-
terially changed for the new year.
The factories in Boston are
practically assured of as large an output, provided business condi-
tions are favorable up to the point of last year. New York manu-
facturers are in a better condition than ever to supply the needs of
their trade, and by no> possible argument can we believe that the
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