Music Trade Review
Issue: 1917 Vol. 65 N. 23 - Page 11
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
Music Trade Situation in the Celestial Empire
Lionel Jupp, of the S. Moutrie Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China, Now Visiting the
United States, Offers Some Interesting Facts Regarding Business Methods and
Possibilities in the Far East—Upsets Some Popular Impressions of Chinese
Quite the most interesting of trade visitors
to New York for a long period is Lionel Jupp,
of the S. Moutrie Co., Ltd., of Shanghai, China,
and with n u m e r o u s
branches in the various
cities of that country.
Mr. Jupp, who is a native
of England and received
h i s training in piano
building in t h e Broad-
wood factory, went to
China twenty-two years
ago and since that time
has only once visited his
native heath. He has,
however, paid frequent
visits to the U n i t e d
States and is particularly
familiar with the West
Coast. He talks and acts
like an American, a n d
has a quickness of wit
Lionel Jupp
that might be envied by
many of the natives of this country.
The Moutrie Co. operate a large piano and
reed organ factory in Shanghai, and employ Chi-
nese labor under white foremen in all depart-
ments except that of tuning, where it is found
that the Chinaman cannot fit. The Chinese, it is
said, are good workmen provided they are
shown carefully what they are expected to do
and are closely watched by white foremen.
They have little initiative and refuse to mix
brains with their work.
The company use American piano hardware
and supplies, from plates down, exclusively at
this time, although before the war some Ger-
man material was used. "American piano hard-
ware and supplies is far superior to the Ger-
man," declared Mr. Jupp. "The finish is better
and the quality runs truer and higher without
exception, and if American manufacturers of
piano supplies can so manage their prices as to
Scene in the Native City, Tsin-Tsin
meet European competition on some sort of
basis after the war, they should have no diffi-
culty in holding the market in the Far East."
Although Mr. Jupp is in the United States at
present on a long vacation he found time in-
cidentally to place some substantial orders for
supplies. The company secures its hardwoods
from Singapore and the Malay States and its
spruce and fir from the West Coast of the
United States.
In addition to manufacturing, the Moutrie Co.
are also representatives in China for the Aeolian
Co., in the territory covered by their branches,
which are located in Pekin, Tsin-Tsin, Hong
Kong, in China, Singapore, India, and Kauala
Lumpur in the Federated Malay States and other
points. The company are also distributors for
the Victor Talking Machine Co. and handle
some British lines of pianos and musical goods.
According to Mr. Jupp the field for the sale
of pianos and musical instruments in China is
limited and confined for the most part to the
foreign population and to a very few of the
better class of Chinese. To the natives instru-
ments are sold only for cash, for the average
Chinaman's credit is declared not to be over
good. "We cannot understand where the China-
man gets credit all over the world for his
word being as good as his bond. Twenty-two
years of business experience with them has
proven that the average Chinaman's word is as
good as his bond only when the bond itself
is no good."
In connection with the question of the China-
man as a business man, Mr. Jupp declares that
although some of them do well as small mer-
chants they are seldom able to handle any large
business enterprises, even when they have been
trained in business by Europeans. The China-
man who writes for prices or orders goods from
American houses in a well worded letter and in
fine English should be watched, said Mr. Jupp,
for such men were usually employes of estab-
lished houses, ambitious but without capital.
The moneyed man usually transacts his corre-
spondence regarding imports through a bank or
business house of standing and reputation.
"Although China covers an immense territory
and has a population of close on to 400,000,000,
it is almost completely lacking in development
and the natives are very poor," said Mr. Jupp.
"They live in hovels and work for a standard
wage of practically 10 to 15 cents a day which
Russian Municipal Building in the Russian
Concession, Tsin-Tsin
naturally gives them no buying power whatever.
The business possibilities in China are generally
overestimated by those who are guided only by
the large area and big population. I remember
when a German landed in Tsin-Tsin with a large
stock of spectacles and started out to dispose
of them to the Chinamen. He was asked why
his hopes were so high. 'There are 400,000,000
people in the country, which means possible
sales of 400,000,000 pairs of spectacles. Why
not?"
A few weeks after the German went
home disgusted. He had come into the country
an optimist, and went out like a credit man—a
pessimist."
As an indication of the undeveloped condi-
tion of the interior of China Mr. Jupp stated
that although Pekin, the capital, is only eighty-
five miles from Tsin-Tsin, on the sea, there was
not a single railroad connecting the two cities
and until the Chinese would allow outside capi-
tal not only to build but to operate such a rail-
road there would be no development.
"What native business is carried on," remarked
Typical Chinese Gentleman's House
Mr. Jupp, "is invariably handled through a
middleman known as a 'compradore,' a China-
man who acts as a sort of selling agent among
native merchants, guarantees their accounts and
otherwise handles their department as a separate
business. In no case do the Europeans attempt
to do business direct."
Regarding the political situation, Mr. Jupp
declared that conditions were still badly upset.
Every few days the Governor of some province
declares for secession from the Republic and
takes things in his own hands. Then there is
a comic opera civil war until the Governor ad-
mits he has been naughty and comes back into
the fold.
The chief bad effect of the revolution has been
How the Moutrie Co. Delivers Pianos
an upsetting of the monetary system. There is
no federal coinage, but each province coins its
own money on the dollar or decimal system.
The coinage of one province is invariably dis-
counted in another and it is quite possible for
a traveler to carry a dollar from province to
province, exchanging it in each one until it
finally disappears without any value in return.
The fact that coinage is on a silver basis adds
to the difficulties.
The question of freight rates between America
and China is one that can not be discussed with
certainty, for they have reached an enormous
figure and are apparently still going up. The
Chinese tariff on musical instruments, however,
is only 5 per cent., which should prove no barrier
to Americans getting firmly entrenched in the
field, especially when freight rates get back to
normal. Straight pianos are sold practically ex-
clusively and there is little demand for grands
or player-pianos. The instruments%most in de-
mand range in prices from $220 to $250 retail.
Mr. Jupp's l o n g
years of residence in
China h a v e given
him an insight into
Chinese customs and
methods that prove
most interesting in
the r e c i t a l .
He
speaks Chinese flu-
ently and has also a
wonderful command
of "Pidgin English,"
which is u s e d al-
most exclusively in
Hj
communicating with
m m
m
Mr. Jupp's Card
the natives. Pidgin
English to Americans is almost as puzzling as
the Chinese language itself.
Mr. Jupp's card, in Chinese, shown herewith,
is most interesting. The two characters at the
top mean literally "eminent origin" and indicate
that the company is an English house.
The
right-hand column reads "Middle Kingdom
Ford," Middle Kingdom being China, and Ford
signifying Tsin-Tsin. The center column rep-
resents the Chinese equivalent for the Moutrie
Co., Ltd., and the left-hand column is Mr. Jupp's
name.
Mr. Jupp left China in May and spent some
time on the Pacific Coast and in Chicago and
other Western points before coming to New
York, where he will remain for a short period.
There is a chance that he may visit England be-
fore taking the homeward trail. He is en-
listed in the military service at home and states
that a well-trained military force is maintained
by the Europeans as a matter of precaution, al-
though since the first few months the European
war has been little felt in China.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
Music Trade Situation in the Celestial Empire
Lionel Jupp, of the S. Moutrie Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China, Now Visiting the
United States, Offers Some Interesting Facts Regarding Business Methods and
Possibilities in the Far East—Upsets Some Popular Impressions of Chinese
Quite the most interesting of trade visitors
to New York for a long period is Lionel Jupp,
of the S. Moutrie Co., Ltd., of Shanghai, China,
and with n u m e r o u s
branches in the various
cities of that country.
Mr. Jupp, who is a native
of England and received
h i s training in piano
building in t h e Broad-
wood factory, went to
China twenty-two years
ago and since that time
has only once visited his
native heath. He has,
however, paid frequent
visits to the U n i t e d
States and is particularly
familiar with the West
Coast. He talks and acts
like an American, a n d
has a quickness of wit
Lionel Jupp
that might be envied by
many of the natives of this country.
The Moutrie Co. operate a large piano and
reed organ factory in Shanghai, and employ Chi-
nese labor under white foremen in all depart-
ments except that of tuning, where it is found
that the Chinaman cannot fit. The Chinese, it is
said, are good workmen provided they are
shown carefully what they are expected to do
and are closely watched by white foremen.
They have little initiative and refuse to mix
brains with their work.
The company use American piano hardware
and supplies, from plates down, exclusively at
this time, although before the war some Ger-
man material was used. "American piano hard-
ware and supplies is far superior to the Ger-
man," declared Mr. Jupp. "The finish is better
and the quality runs truer and higher without
exception, and if American manufacturers of
piano supplies can so manage their prices as to
Scene in the Native City, Tsin-Tsin
meet European competition on some sort of
basis after the war, they should have no diffi-
culty in holding the market in the Far East."
Although Mr. Jupp is in the United States at
present on a long vacation he found time in-
cidentally to place some substantial orders for
supplies. The company secures its hardwoods
from Singapore and the Malay States and its
spruce and fir from the West Coast of the
United States.
In addition to manufacturing, the Moutrie Co.
are also representatives in China for the Aeolian
Co., in the territory covered by their branches,
which are located in Pekin, Tsin-Tsin, Hong
Kong, in China, Singapore, India, and Kauala
Lumpur in the Federated Malay States and other
points. The company are also distributors for
the Victor Talking Machine Co. and handle
some British lines of pianos and musical goods.
According to Mr. Jupp the field for the sale
of pianos and musical instruments in China is
limited and confined for the most part to the
foreign population and to a very few of the
better class of Chinese. To the natives instru-
ments are sold only for cash, for the average
Chinaman's credit is declared not to be over
good. "We cannot understand where the China-
man gets credit all over the world for his
word being as good as his bond. Twenty-two
years of business experience with them has
proven that the average Chinaman's word is as
good as his bond only when the bond itself
is no good."
In connection with the question of the China-
man as a business man, Mr. Jupp declares that
although some of them do well as small mer-
chants they are seldom able to handle any large
business enterprises, even when they have been
trained in business by Europeans. The China-
man who writes for prices or orders goods from
American houses in a well worded letter and in
fine English should be watched, said Mr. Jupp,
for such men were usually employes of estab-
lished houses, ambitious but without capital.
The moneyed man usually transacts his corre-
spondence regarding imports through a bank or
business house of standing and reputation.
"Although China covers an immense territory
and has a population of close on to 400,000,000,
it is almost completely lacking in development
and the natives are very poor," said Mr. Jupp.
"They live in hovels and work for a standard
wage of practically 10 to 15 cents a day which
Russian Municipal Building in the Russian
Concession, Tsin-Tsin
naturally gives them no buying power whatever.
The business possibilities in China are generally
overestimated by those who are guided only by
the large area and big population. I remember
when a German landed in Tsin-Tsin with a large
stock of spectacles and started out to dispose
of them to the Chinamen. He was asked why
his hopes were so high. 'There are 400,000,000
people in the country, which means possible
sales of 400,000,000 pairs of spectacles. Why
not?"
A few weeks after the German went
home disgusted. He had come into the country
an optimist, and went out like a credit man—a
pessimist."
As an indication of the undeveloped condi-
tion of the interior of China Mr. Jupp stated
that although Pekin, the capital, is only eighty-
five miles from Tsin-Tsin, on the sea, there was
not a single railroad connecting the two cities
and until the Chinese would allow outside capi-
tal not only to build but to operate such a rail-
road there would be no development.
"What native business is carried on," remarked
Typical Chinese Gentleman's House
Mr. Jupp, "is invariably handled through a
middleman known as a 'compradore,' a China-
man who acts as a sort of selling agent among
native merchants, guarantees their accounts and
otherwise handles their department as a separate
business. In no case do the Europeans attempt
to do business direct."
Regarding the political situation, Mr. Jupp
declared that conditions were still badly upset.
Every few days the Governor of some province
declares for secession from the Republic and
takes things in his own hands. Then there is
a comic opera civil war until the Governor ad-
mits he has been naughty and comes back into
the fold.
The chief bad effect of the revolution has been
How the Moutrie Co. Delivers Pianos
an upsetting of the monetary system. There is
no federal coinage, but each province coins its
own money on the dollar or decimal system.
The coinage of one province is invariably dis-
counted in another and it is quite possible for
a traveler to carry a dollar from province to
province, exchanging it in each one until it
finally disappears without any value in return.
The fact that coinage is on a silver basis adds
to the difficulties.
The question of freight rates between America
and China is one that can not be discussed with
certainty, for they have reached an enormous
figure and are apparently still going up. The
Chinese tariff on musical instruments, however,
is only 5 per cent., which should prove no barrier
to Americans getting firmly entrenched in the
field, especially when freight rates get back to
normal. Straight pianos are sold practically ex-
clusively and there is little demand for grands
or player-pianos. The instruments%most in de-
mand range in prices from $220 to $250 retail.
Mr. Jupp's l o n g
years of residence in
China h a v e given
him an insight into
Chinese customs and
methods that prove
most interesting in
the r e c i t a l .
He
speaks Chinese flu-
ently and has also a
wonderful command
of "Pidgin English,"
which is u s e d al-
most exclusively in
Hj
communicating with
m m
m
Mr. Jupp's Card
the natives. Pidgin
English to Americans is almost as puzzling as
the Chinese language itself.
Mr. Jupp's card, in Chinese, shown herewith,
is most interesting. The two characters at the
top mean literally "eminent origin" and indicate
that the company is an English house.
The
right-hand column reads "Middle Kingdom
Ford," Middle Kingdom being China, and Ford
signifying Tsin-Tsin. The center column rep-
resents the Chinese equivalent for the Moutrie
Co., Ltd., and the left-hand column is Mr. Jupp's
name.
Mr. Jupp left China in May and spent some
time on the Pacific Coast and in Chicago and
other Western points before coming to New
York, where he will remain for a short period.
There is a chance that he may visit England be-
fore taking the homeward trail. He is en-
listed in the military service at home and states
that a well-trained military force is maintained
by the Europeans as a matter of precaution, al-
though since the first few months the European
war has been little felt in China.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).