Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SOME VIEWS OF BUSINESS MEN UPON THE TRADE SITUATION-(Continued from page 8).
A. L. JEWETT, President NationaJ Piano Co.,
Boston:
"Everyone should read your editorial 'Responsi-
bilities Which Rest Upon America,' appearing in
The Review of August 29. It is worth giving a
good deal of analytical attention.
"Personally I could not pretend to be a student
of history, yet I had no idea that such a condition
as now prevails in Europe could be possible, not-
withstanding actual reports that a war involving
most of Europe was only a question of time.
"Probably everyone, whether an immediate gainer
or loser, deplores the situation, and since it cannot
be helped, first looks to personal interests.
"The resources of the United States are so great
that its people could live pretty well for a long time,
or indefinitely, without imports or exports, yet be-
yond all doubt exports at least will not be reduced
to so large a point as so many have estimated at
first.
"The United States will find ways of producing
products which heretofore it has thought necessary
to import, and it will find ways of exporting prod-
ucts to places which have never been heretofore
opened largely to us. These benefits will be in-
estimable and permanent.
"The vital question of the moment before the
American people is how to conserve the best busi-
ness interests of all. General business has been
pretty nearly liquidated anyway. Nearly everyone
had been going carefully for one or two years.
This same carefulness should continue, yet every
business man should be alive to all opportunities
rather than to take the attitude that this is the time
to go on an indefinite vacation.
"Every uncertain enterprise should be delayed
for a time, for, first of all, the finances of this
country should be used for the safe, legitimate
needs of those who have honesty, ability and judg-
ment.
"Banks are sitting tight, so to speak, and it is
well that they are. Only in this way can they do
justice and care for the meritorious needs of all.
The observation seems to be that banks are doing
Jheir utmost to give favors wherever it is justified.
"The Government should put less theory into
operation than ever before, and do things for busi-
ness and not political reasons, for the good of the
whole people—not for bodies of individuals.
"It might be added that eminent men of affairs
suggest that it would be better were the stock ex-
changes to remain closed permanently. These men
say there is nothing in the general situation that
should give this country alarm—that it is just a
matter of handling things in a careful way."
HENRY CHRISTMAN, Christman Piano Co.,
New York:
"My views in regard to the present conditions
are that the United States is going to have ten
years of prosperity within a very short time. All
the material that has been imported heretofore will
have to be made in this country. My reasons in
regard to why they were not made here before are
that they could be purchased so cheap that it did
not pay the Americans to go into the manufactur-
ing of same, as it would take a certain length of
time experimenting to get these articles as perfect
and as good. Now the time is ripe and as it is
impossible to get these goods from any foreign
nations for a few years you will find a great many
men in this country manufacturing these articles,
which they will be able to perfect in time before
the European nations are again able to begin ship-
ments.
"At the present time it behooves every manufac-
turer to begin to clean house, clean up old debts,
and see that all collections are closely attended to,
and settlements made, and not to tanke any new
business, unless it can be done at reasonable terms,
and a fair profit. All those who will attend to this
will be financially stronger and able to handle the
enormous business which is bound to come in the
near future. I might state that, that is our policy,
and we have turned down a great many orders. In
doing so we may have lost some business; but, on
the other hand, it has been the means to help pro-
tect our regular people."
EUGENE REDEWILL, Manager
Redewill
Music Co., Phoenix, Ariz.:
"I take a rather optimistic view of the near future
of the piano industry. But our gain will come
through loss to our foreign neighbors. All of the
American musical industry should de dependent
solely upon America for its source of supply. Pro-
tective tariffs should be enacted as soon as possible
and factories erected for the manufacture of
thousands of articles now purchased abroad. Of
course this would raise the prices of musical instru-
ments from 10 to 25 per cent., but while everything
else has raised in recent years pianos have prac-
tically remained at old figures.
"This is the golden opportunity for perfecting
every branch of the American musical industry.
Manufacturers should get together in special ses-
sion and place their business on a sound basis, in-
cluding the adoption of the one-price system. The
piano business needs modernizing. The sewing ma-
chine business is probably one worse than the piano
business, but with right principles there is no reason
why every make of piano should not command the
same sale dignity as Victor talking machines or
National cash registers. I do not believe there is a
dealer in the United States who would object to
paying 10 to 25 per cent, higher for goods if his
competitor is paying the same, and the advance
would improve all musical conditions. But the one-
price system is necessary to accomplish much, and
if it cannot be adopted by all manufacturers now it
will have to wait for the younger blood to handle
it as they grow into the business. They will see
the advantage through existing examples, while the
'old fogey' will remain in the class of 'You can't
teach an old dog new tricks.'
"Piano materials, small instruments and trim-
mings can soon be manufactured in quantities suf-
ficient for local and even export trade right here in
America. Soon after the foreign difficulties are
over there will be a perfect hurricane of refugees
to America. Labor will be cheap and skilled work-
men to be had in any quantity. America has most
of her own raw materials necessary, and in a short
time foreign countries would need us far more
than we need them.
"The immediate outlook for the winter trade is
good. People spend more money for entertainment
in times of excitement and trouble than any other
time. They want the diversion of mind and will
almost spend their last cent to get it. Money de-
pression has no alarm for sound business houses
and there is endless capital for sound business en-
terprises. But I must confess that those who have
been living in that extravagant aroma of gasoline
are in rather tight circumstances, and they must
suffer a little until they get caught up."
B. H. JANSSEN, New York:
"I certainly do take an optimistic view of the
effect of the great war upon the varied interests in
America, but not immediately, and neither, can I
think, with a rush. Just as sure as the sun rises,
however, we here in this country will feel the many
wants of Europe; slowly at first as the stocks on
the other side are depleted, and increasing in de-
mand from day to day. There can be no other
way. And our whole country will feel the effect.
I think our people are doing wonderfully well under
the circumstances. Everyone and everything, as far
as can be judged, are normal, all quietly preparing
for the benefit that must come to all of us through
a revival of business, so long suffering under a de-
pression that can never be explained, or else ex-
plained in all kinds of ways.
"This war will not be over in sixty days, or
ninety, but will only cease when either one side or
the other is exhausted. It is a fight to a finish.
The only cause for anxiety will be the financial
situation, but if we all try and help one another we
will meet the problems as they come up and solve
them
"I predict an improvement from now on, and
good business in a few months from now."
A. HOSPE, of the A. Hospe Co., Omaha, Neb.:
"There is nothing to add to your business views
on quality piano sales. The point is well taken.
The war news hurts business. Readers get their
fill of reading when done with the details of the
European carnage, and are impressed so much with
the horrors of the war that it is impossible to get
them down to present surroundings, therefore piano
advertising is money wasted and the piano business
suffers because the foreign element is so largely
represented in the armies of the contending forces
through family relationship that it is a nervous
strain, which spreads to those not directly inter-
ested, making a situation hard to combat, everyone
hoping that, no matter who wins, it will soon be
over with. We refrain from discussing the war
news in our establishment as much as possible, but
the cloud is over us and in the atmosphere. How-
ever, we bend our energies to our task and look
forward for business, which should be highly pros-
perous with the big grain yield and big prices. '• My
opinion is that the war game will block itself and
they will trade Paris for Berlin."
H. EDGAR FRENCH, The Jesse French &
Sons Piano Co., New Castle, Ind.:
"Answering your inquiry of the 3d, regarding
business conditions, will say that beyond any ques-
tion of doubt the fearful disasters which Europe
now suffers will at least temporarily affect all inter-
ests in this part of the world. However, as they
must live while they fight, and cannot produce the
necessities of life while they are all engaged in the
business of war, it therefore devolves upon the
Western Hemisphere to feed them.
"To our way of thinking this means that, at the
close of the war, North and South America will
have a tremendous balance in their favor. The
increase in the cost of foodstuffs will be hard upon
some of our own people, but when the demand for
our manufactures sets in from South America and
Australia, which it is bound to do, we will reap a
rich harvest, and we should be prepared to take
care of it.
"American manufacturers are not going to get
this business by simply sitting down and waiting for
it; they must hustle for it, which of course requires
a certain amount of time, but if the war drags out
for one, two or three years New York should be
the center of the business universe.
"There is no tremendous boom really visible in
business right now, but nevertheless we feel so cer-
tain of a big trade this fall that our production de-
partment is now manufacturing 50 per cent, more
goods than we are shipping out, in preparation for
the fall business; and furthermore, we do not pro-
pose slackening our manufacturing so long as we
have any space at all available for storage.
"At such times as these it behooves labor and
capital to work in harmony and gather all of the
harvest they can possibly garner, instead of fighting
amongst themselves, and legislation which interferes
with business and makes it harder for large institu-
tions to get the benefit of their magnitude ought to
be postponed until we really settle down to a good
solid working basis.
"The piano trade for some time past has been
expanded beyond what it really should be by scare-
head methods which have robbed the business of a
great deal of its dignity, and done a lot to bring it
down below a good mercantile basis, when, accord-
ing to every ideal, it should be on an artistic plane.
I firmly believe that if it were not for the 'mud-
flinging' ads which characterize every competitor as
a 'high price' robber the entire industry would be
in better condition to-day."
J. G. CORLEY, The Corley Co., Richmond, Va.:
"I quite agree with you that we have no time
to waste regarding the events which have thrown
Europe into a horrible state of war. We have
work ahead of us that will require our best judg-
ment in conducting our own affairs. The music
trade throughout the United States must naturally
feel the effects of the war—if not now, later. So,
with this undisputable fact before us, we can fol-
low no better plan than the one outlined in your
paper, urging the piano merchants to follow their
collections closely, and cater for business that will
produce better first payments and better terms.
"While war will disturb conditions, people gen-
erally will exaggerate the effect, and they are dis-
(Continued on page 10.)