Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
T
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPHJLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
Uno. B. KSLLBB.
W. IT. DIKES.
F. II. THOMPSON.
BKILIU FEANCBS BACBB.
L. B. BOWERS. B. BRITTAIN WILSON, Wir. B. WHITB. L.. J. CHAMBKBLIN. A. J. NICK-IN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
B. P. VAN HABLINGBN, 105-107 Wabasb Ave.
TELEPHONES : Central 414 ; Automatic 8645
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
L. WAITT, 278A Tremont S t
PHILADELPHIA :
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
A. W. SHAW.
CHAS. N. VAN BURBN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI. O.: NINA PUGH-SMITH.
BALTIMORE, MD.: PAUL T. LOCKWOOD.
LONDON, ENGLAND:
69 Kasinghall St., B. C.
W. Lionel Sturdy, Manager.
Pabllshed Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per yeai 1 ;
Canada, $3.50 ; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterij or
yearly contracts a special discount Is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, In other tban currency form, should be made payable to Bdward
tyman Bill.
Directory of Plaao The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
.1
I Z
found on another page will be of great value, as a reference
M a n u f a c t u r e r s ! f o r d e a i e r s and others.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
(tfand Prim
Paris Exposition, 1000 Silver Medal.Charleston Exposition, 1002
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal. .St. Louis exposition, 1004
Gold Medal.Lewls-Clark Exposition, 1005
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE—NUMBER 1748 GRAMERCY
Cable address: "Elblll N e w York."
NEW YORK,
MAY 25, 1907
EDITORIAL
T
RADE for the first half of May has been a trifle slow. There
is no use of denying the fact that business has been affected
by weather conditions, by crop reports, and by the conditions which
have existed in the financial market. Collections, too, have been
slow. It is perhaps but reasonable to expect such a condition as
the outcome of the continued cold and unseasonable weather which
affected a large part of the country up to the middle of the month.
There is evidence that conservatism is being exhibited in placing
orders for future deliveries in all kinds of products. While there
is no slump anticipated, yet some of the best posted men believe that
it is a good time to go a trifle slow.
Certainly when we study the trade situation as a whole there
is an absence of purchases of a speculative character. It may be
a good thing for the country to have a little slowing up; we have
been going at a pretty rapid pace, and while there is no particular
danger as we view the trade horizon, yet it is a good time to trim
ship.
R
EPORTS from our various representatives in cities through-
out the country show that there is activity going on in the
retail trade, music trade stocks are being reduced, but the dealers
are buying somewhat sparingly, and there is a growing belief that
orders to supply immediate requirements will be the rule which
most business men will observe during the next few months. There
is, thus far, no cause for complaint at the slackening pace. Some
manufacturers express decided satisfaction at experiencing some
relief from the strain to which they have been subjected, and wel-
come the opportunity to clean up old orders which have long been
side-tracked. Then, too, a little slowing up will give an oppor-
tunity to investigate factory systems.
Some piano manufacturers tell us that while they have con-
ducted enormous operations during the past few years, the total
profits of their business have not been commensurate with the
volume of trade which they have transacted. They have been
handicapped by the fact that their productive costs have increased
more rapidly than could be reflected in the prices secured for their
output.
HE backward spring has hurt retail trade in all lines, and just
what effect this will have later on when there are big matur-
ing obligations, it is difficult to tell. Some trouble is being experi-
enced in labor lines. The transportation facilities of this great city
have been seriously interrupted by reason of the longshoremen's
strike. Notwithstanding the generally unsatisfactory climatic con-
ditions, many piano merchants advise us that their trade for the
first three'months of the year exceeded that of the corresponding
months of 1906.
T
HE piano player continues to be a powerful factor in the music
trade output. It is estimated that last year ten per cent, pf
all the pianos manufactured contained some form of player mech-
anism, and that this year the percentage will advance to at least
fifteen per cent. Some predict that within three years at least one-
third of the output from the piano factories will contain player
mechanism. Whether the estimate will prove true or not, it is
conceded that the piano player is a factor which cannot *be lightly
disregarded in the retail department of this industry.
This is the best evidence in the number of exchanges of com-
paratively new pianos that are made for new instruments which
contain player mechanism. That fact alone shows the strength
which the interior player has with the public to-day. No owner
of a new piano is going to exchange that instrument for another
and make a substantial cash payment for the exchange unless the
attraction is a strong one, and it is the inside player which is
causing a great many piano exchanges throughout the land to-day.
T
HAT virile, ubiquitous and enterprising member of the trade,
William Lincoln Bush, of Chicago, says to The Review that
he' believes that the National Association of Piano Manufacturers
should establish a national conservatory of music which should have
the influence and backing of the organization. Mr. Bush says that
he proposes to bring this up at the June convention in Chicago, and
he invites criticism from The Review regarding the proposition.
He says that several of those who were first impressed with the
proposition as being impossible have approached him with volun-
tary and original ideas regarding the carrying out of such a project.
I
T certainly is a novel plan indeed, but it is full of problems, some
of which will not unravel easily. Mr. Bush's main contention
in the matter is that manufacturers are interested in stimulating
musical education on the ground that it will assist them to enjoy
the excellent business conditions which have come to many during
the past few years. He says "that there may come a time unless
there is an inspired demand for pianos when many of these same
manufacturers may have considerable trouble in marketing their
wares, and I claim that if you increase the percentage of musical
knowledge and education, you thereby increase the demand for
instruments. If you double the number of piano studios in the
country by enlisting more effort and interest in music and its culture
on the part of the manufacturers you certainly increase the per-
centage of those who will buy pianos."
N
O one can disagree with Mr. Bush regarding the latter part
of his argument, but it will require all of the eloquence
which he can command to convince piano manufacturers that it
would be well for them to join as a body in supporting a national
school of music, although according to the Bush plan every con-
tributer should have his pianos represented in the conservatory.
The more that one goes into the subject the more problems
come bubbling to the surface. It would be difficult to establish
rules which would be satisfactory to all regarding the use of pianos
in such a conservatory, and while we agree with Mr. Bush in the
statement that the greater the musical education of the country,
the greater the demand for instruments, yet we believe that manu-
facturers would rather prefer to move along individual lines than to
act collectively in the support of a musical conservatory. It is one
of the matters which will perhaps arouse considerable interest when
introduced for discussion by Mr. Bush, but we do not incline to the
belief that it will be favorably received by the piano manufacturers
during the Chicago Convention.
If Mr. Bush comes out with his national conservatory plan.
President Blackmore with his national bank plan, another member
with a national price plan, and another with a national insurance
scheme for piano manufacturers, there will be certainly enough
nationalization ideas to keep things active for some time.