Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
INCREASE REPORTED IN EXPORTS; IMPORTS DECREASE
Exports of Musical Instruments for Nine Months Ending March 31, $1,149,334 More Than Total
for Same Period in 1915—Imports Show Loss During Same Period of $607,529—Figures
Regarding Trade in Player-Pianos, Music Rolls, Piano Players and Small Goods
WASHINGTON, D. C, June 5.—The summary of
valued at $420,097, during the year of 1914.
exports and imports of the commerce of the
In March, 1915, we exported 1,022 pianos,
United States for the month of March, 1916, valued at $160,062, as compared with 336 pianos,
the latest period for which it has been compiled, valued at $60,947, for the same period of the
has just been issued by the Bureau of Statistics previous year. The nine months' total shows
of the Department of Commerce and Labor. 6,593 pianos, valued at $1,200,432, as compared
The figures relating to pianos, organs, piano with 2,871 pianos, valued at $552,692, exported
players and miscellaneous "small goods," duly in the same period in 1915, and 4,963 pianos,
collated, show a very satisfactory condition in valued at $1,085,507, sent abroad during the same
the trade, and are as follows:
period in 1914.
The dutiable imports of musical instruments
Of the aggregate exportation in March there
during March, 1916, amounted to $75,587, as were 29 piano players, valued at $7,107, as com-
compared with $164,299 worth which was im- pared with 21, valued at $7,225, in March, 1915.
ported the same month of 1915. The nine For the nine months' period 190 of these instru-
months' total ending March showed importa- ments, valued at $54,198, were sent abroad, as
tions valued at $443,886, against $1,051,415 compared with 187, valued at $44,085, in 1915,
worth of musical instruments imported during and 887, valued at $133,937, sent abroad in 1914.
the same period in 1915, and $1,584,463 in 1914. The exports of player-pianos show that 198
This gives a decrease in imports for the nine of these instruments, valued at $54,277, were ex-
months of $607,529.
ported during March, as compared with 86,
The total domestic exports of musical instru- valued at $27,878, exported in March, 1915.
ments for March, 1916, amounted to $326,616, The nine months' total shows that 882 player-
as compared with $164,340 for the same month pianos, valued at $273,831, were exported dur-
of the previous year. The nine months' expor- ing the year recently ended.
tation of musical instruments amounted to $2,- The exports of perforated music rolls for the
522,723, as against $1,373,389 for the same period month of March amounted in value to $5,997,
of 1915, and $2,529,552. in 1914. This shows an as compared to $5,137 in March, 1915. The
increase in exports for the nine months of nine months' total amounted in value to $41,-
$1,149,334.
106, as compared with $52,183 in exports for
Of the aggregate exportation in March there 1915.
were 216 organs, valued at $14,624, as compared
The value of all other instruments and parts
with 227 organs in 1915, valued at $14,872. The thereof sent abroad during March, 1916,
nine months' total showed that we exported amounted to $84,549. The total exports for the
2,752 organs, valued at $168,633, as against nine months under this heading foot up $784,-
2,603 organs, valued at $141,666, for the same 523, as against $345,559 exported during the
period in 1915, and 6,506 organs, which were same period of last year.
TRADE NEWS FROM TWIN CITIES
Farmers Unable to Plant Many Crops Owing
to Soggy Condition of Ground—Country
Business Highly Regarded by Piano Man
ST. PAUL and MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., June 5.—
All the piano dealers of St. Paul and Minneap-
olis are having better trade than a month ago,
but are not very much excited over the in-
creased volume. The outlook is good in all di-
rections, much better than in 1915 without ques-
tion. The agricultural prospects, particularly
as to corn and potatoes, are somewhat dubious
as the continued rains have delayed planting.
Both corn and potatoes should now be showing
above the ground, whereas many farmers have
not even plowed their fields, because they were
too heavy. Plenty of warm weather will cor-
rect this backward situation, and no one is
worrying yet about crop prospects. Industrial-
ly the Northwest is alive, very much so.
William A. Lindquist, advances the propo-
sition that there are too many retail stores in
Minneapolis in proportion to the population.
Twenty stores in the restricted business center
of Minneapolis, he regards, as too many.
"I confess frankly that I rely to a great ex-
tent on the country trade," he explained. "Of
course, we are not neglecting the local field,
not by any means, but if we relied upon it whol-
ly, we would have found it hard sledding in the
past year. But every piano man runs his busi-
ness in his own sweet way, I imagine, and it's
not for me to advise my colleagues."
R. O. Falk is the new manager of the P. A.
Starck Piano Co.'s store in Minneapolis and
has been succeeded by Conrad C. Krier, who
has been with the Starck Store for years as
salesman and tuner. Fred W. Beecher, manager
at the Minneapolis store, and his assistant, H.
S. Krossin, are out of the game temporarily.
Four fine grand pianos were sold last week
by the Brooks-Evans Piano Co., with the usual
run of players and uprights added.
DUDLEY FIELD MAL0NE TO SPEAK
Collector of Port of New York to Address
Piano Merchants at Annual Banquet
ANNUAL TRAVELERS' MEETING
Business Session to be Held at 2.30 p. m. Thurs-
day, June 22, at the Hotel Astor—Members
Only Can Attend the Beefsteak Dinner
Herbert W. Hill, assistant secretary of the
National Piano Travelers' Association has noti-
fied the members of that association that the
annual convention will be held at the Hotel
Astor on Thursday afternoon, June 22, at 2.30
p. in. The prospects are that there will be an
unusually large attendance at the meeting, for
each member of the association has been re-
quested to bring in at least one new member
in time for the meeting. With the member-
ship cost only $3 annually, there should be no
trouble in that respect.
The annual beefsteak dinner of the Travelers'
Association will, as announced, be held at the
Hotel Astor on the evening of the same day.
Admittance to the dinner will be confined to the
members of the association, who must show
their membership cards in order to obtain din-
ner tickets at $2 each.
DERIVAS & HARRIS EXHIBIT
Dealers Are Invited to Make Their Business
Headquarters at Suite 502, Yates Hotel,
Where There Will be Stenographer Service
The DeRivas & Harris Piano Manufacturing
Co., 135th street and Willow avenue, New York,
will hold a special exhibit of a full line of pianos
and player-pianos during convention week in
suite 502 and 503 Hotel Yates, 147-151 West
Forty-third street, New York. The hotel is
conveniently located, being near Broadway and
the Hotel Astor, and G. M. Soule, general sales
manager of the company, will be in charge.
"Besides having an exhibit of pianos and player-
pianos," he said this week, "we will also have
facilities whereby the dealer may make his
headquarters at our exhibition rooms and feel
perfectly at liberty to use our stenographers
for his correspondence."
Dr. Soule returned the latter part of last week
from a successful trip through Pennsylvania,
New York State and Ohio.
CLEVER DEALERJEVADES EMBARGO
NEW LONDON, CONN., June 5.—Silas Maxson,
piano dealer of Bank street, recently overcame
a seemingly serious obstacle, caused by the
freight embargo which the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad has placed on ship-
ments of pianos and like bulky goods, by hav-
ing a Chickering piano delivered to him by ex-
press. The delivery of the piano, which was
ordered from the Boston headquarters of Chick-
ering & Sons, was promised to the customer for
a certain day, but when the shippers endeavored
WEGMAN CO. SUES HOLLENBACH
AUBURN, N. Y., June 5.—Justice A. P. Rich to deliver the instrument, they found that the
heard argument by counsel in the case of the freight embargo would prevent the delivery of
Wegman Piano Co., bankrupt, against Charles the same on the day promised. Mr. Maxson
and Lawrence Hollenbach, for alleged infringe- was immediately made aware of the circum-
ment of the Wegman name, the plaintiff con- stances, and realizing that he had given his
tending that the defendants had injured the word as to the prompt delivery of the piano, he
Wegman Piano Co. to the extent of $25,000 immediately instructed the shippers to send
through using the Wegman name ©n pianos the piano to him by express, which was done,
made by the defendants here. At the close of the customer receiving his piano a day before
the argument the justice took the papers in the the time promised.
case under advisement.
It is announced by the banquet committee
of the National Association of Piano Mer-
chants that the speakers at the annual banquet
of the association at the Hotel Astor on June
21 will include, besides Major-General Leonard
A. Wood, U. S. A., and Rev. E. Warren Giles,
Dudley Field Malone, Collector of the Port of
New York, who is noted as an orator.
NEW BRANCH F0Rj:HARR0N & SON
LAFFARGUE OUTING SATURDAY
WORCESTER, MASS., June 5.—A new branch store
has
been opened at 80 Hamilton street, South-
The employes of the Laffargue Co., number-
ing over 100 strong, will enjoy an outing at bridge, Mass., by F. J.- Charron & Son, of 58
Port Washington, L. I., Saturday, going from Franklin street, this city. This firm is well known
the foot of Cypress avenue, in the Bronx, by throughout New England, and carries the Hard-
motor boat. The flagship of the fleet has been man, Harrington, Hensel, Weser Bros. Billings,
loaned by H,. J. Keefer, superintendent of the McPhail and DeRivas & Harris pianos and
plant, who possesses one of the finest motor players. A full line of these different makes
will be carried in the branch store.
yachts on the Sound.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos