Music Trade Review
Issue: 1919 Vol. 68 N. 5 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
FEBRUARY 1,
THE
1919
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
KEEPING MUSIC TO THE FOREFRONT
(Continued from page 3)
along that plan. The thought is to co-operate with other dealers and with manufacturers; to get in touch with
the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music to find out what is being done in an organized^way, and
to help in the work. The efforts of the individual dealer become twice as effective if they are carried out in
co-operation with hundreds or thousands of other dealers, and according to an organized program.
The booklet recently issued by the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music tells of the ^reat
accomplishments achieved by that organization, but there still remains much to be done. The time is KftDW,
not to-morrow. The opportunity of building for the future exists at the moment. Such favorable conditions
will probably never come again—at least in this generation. We should not lose the momentum, but rather
should profit by it. It is much easier to keep a movement going, and gathering power, than it is to let the
movement stop and then start all over again.
Music is now at the forefront, and it should be the personal business of everyone in the music profession,
or the music industry, to see to it that it is kept in that position, and not allowed to drop by the wayside. The
work of the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music offers at least one avenue for carrying on this
work.
Music Trade Associations Should Help Export Trade
A. V. W. Setley, Vice-President of the Estey Piano Co., New York,
Suggests That There Should Be Organized a Strong Export Information
Department, Under Association Auspices, for the Benefit of the Trade
While piano manufacturers are giving some
thought to the question of export trade, with
the exception of the individual efforts of a few,
there has been no work done of an organized
character to establish American-made pianos in
the foreign markets.
The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com-
merce of our Government is making preparations
to double its staff at Washington and its plans
for investigation abroad are to be greatly ex-
panded. Trade organizations the country over
are awake to the possibilities of the situation
and soon the tight will be on to control the for-
eign markets.
It is generally conceded that the fundamental
principles of all big business is active, united,
co-ordinated, co-operative efforts of the industry
working in the closest harmony. The piano in-
dustry as a whole has never done anything more
than skim the surface as far as export trade
is concerned, due, without doubt, to the fact
that Germany heretofore controlled the markets
and was so firmly intrenched as to make it diffi-
cult for the American manufacturer to obtain
a foot-hold. The situation is now completely
changed about, however, and experts who have
studied the situation agree that it will be many
years before Germany will be in a position to
transact business in these quarters. Instead of
the business of the manufacturers of this coun-
try being confined largely to forty-eight states,
we now have the entire world for our markets
with all the natural advantages in our favor to
enable us to control the trade.
Why then should we not take vigorous co-
operative measures to bring this about and why
is not our manufacturers' association the proper
organization through which to place the Amer-
ican-made pianos before the foreign dealers and
develop this trade?
A sort of an export clearing house department
could be opened and maintained for this purpose.
Its requirements would consist of:
1. Foreign Buyers' Service;
2. Translation Service;
3. Forwarding Service;
4. Banking Service.
The Foreign Buyers' Service would include a
complete list of the foreign piano dealers
throughout the world with their commercial
ratings and the facilities to secure detailed
reports.
The Translation Service would enable the
manufacturer to have properly translated all
correspondence, catalogs, circulars, etc., for the
purpose of promoting and handling his business
abroad.
The Forwarding Department would procure
shipping accommodations and attend to all mat-
ters pertaining to licenses, clearances, bills of
lading, insurance, etc.
The Banking Service would arrange" for
pioper banking connections to enable the marra-
facturer to negotiate acceptances and finance the
though he must understand the principles of the art, but the good,
practical tuner must be a man of technical knowledge. The recog-
nition of his actual status is due him and the first move in the direc-
tion of securing that recognition is for the tuners themselves through
their association title to adopt their rightful title of "Piano Tech-
nicians."
HE economic transition which is now in progress throughout
T
the country is not affecting the musical instrument industry un-
favorably. Retail business throughout the country is maintaining
quite a satisfactory volume, and piano merchants everywhere are
optimistic regarding the future.
In the domain of manufacturing the readjustment of labor is
a factor of importance. There is evident a steadily increasing num-
ber of men who are desirous of securing steady employment at fair
wages, and as soon as the men who have been in the camps here
ZZ/ie Pest/cnou)/!
rnufica/rmme
jnt/ie World.
PIANOS
•
**
transaction with the foreign buyer when so
desired.
An export department of this character_could
be developed with but small expense to our
trade organization and while the manufacturer
directly benefiting would naturally be subject to
a nominal assessment for the service received,
the department would be partly self-sustaining
by reason of brokerage and commissions usually
paid to the forwarding agent and insurance
broker not possible for the manufacturer to
secure as an individual.
Much could be said of the great benefits re-
sulting from such a department which could
handle the export trade as a unit and at the same
time preserve the individuality of the manu-
facturers.
It is a well-known fact that nothing helps
stabilize the business of a manufacturer more
than the export trade which tides over periods
of depression in the domestic markets and those
manufacturers presenting the most nearly un-
broken records of prosperity are those who have
been accustomed to exporting regularly a fair
percentage of their product. In view of these
facts, should we not all be alive to the situation
before us and get behind a movement for a
greater piano trade which will help uphold the
present standard of wages by increasing pro-
duction, cutting down overhead expenses and
thereby form a nucleus of prosperity for the
industry in general?
and in France are again habituated to civilian practices labor con-
ditions in the factories will rapidly improve.
In the business world generally there are a number of irregu-
larities and uncertainties, owing to "reconstruction," which has af-
forded some chronic pessimists a chance to "cry their wares." But
actually there is no reason for pessimism or uneasiness. The change
from war to peace in the commercial sphere must be attended by
certain disturbances which are inevitable, but to those who are
studying the situation there is no cause for uneasiness, or any de-
gree of pessimism—it is the time rather for optimism of the real
genuine kind—optimism that is based upon sound reasoning and
commonsense.
We are facing a period of great opportunities for America, and
to achieve our ends we must approach the future with confidence
and with the spirit of initiative predominant in order to advance the
interests of this industry and to insure the prosperity of the nation.
ORGANS
E5TEY PIAND COMPANY NEW YORK CITY
FEBRUARY 1,
THE
1919
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
KEEPING MUSIC TO THE FOREFRONT
(Continued from page 3)
along that plan. The thought is to co-operate with other dealers and with manufacturers; to get in touch with
the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music to find out what is being done in an organized^way, and
to help in the work. The efforts of the individual dealer become twice as effective if they are carried out in
co-operation with hundreds or thousands of other dealers, and according to an organized program.
The booklet recently issued by the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music tells of the ^reat
accomplishments achieved by that organization, but there still remains much to be done. The time is KftDW,
not to-morrow. The opportunity of building for the future exists at the moment. Such favorable conditions
will probably never come again—at least in this generation. We should not lose the momentum, but rather
should profit by it. It is much easier to keep a movement going, and gathering power, than it is to let the
movement stop and then start all over again.
Music is now at the forefront, and it should be the personal business of everyone in the music profession,
or the music industry, to see to it that it is kept in that position, and not allowed to drop by the wayside. The
work of the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music offers at least one avenue for carrying on this
work.
Music Trade Associations Should Help Export Trade
A. V. W. Setley, Vice-President of the Estey Piano Co., New York,
Suggests That There Should Be Organized a Strong Export Information
Department, Under Association Auspices, for the Benefit of the Trade
While piano manufacturers are giving some
thought to the question of export trade, with
the exception of the individual efforts of a few,
there has been no work done of an organized
character to establish American-made pianos in
the foreign markets.
The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com-
merce of our Government is making preparations
to double its staff at Washington and its plans
for investigation abroad are to be greatly ex-
panded. Trade organizations the country over
are awake to the possibilities of the situation
and soon the tight will be on to control the for-
eign markets.
It is generally conceded that the fundamental
principles of all big business is active, united,
co-ordinated, co-operative efforts of the industry
working in the closest harmony. The piano in-
dustry as a whole has never done anything more
than skim the surface as far as export trade
is concerned, due, without doubt, to the fact
that Germany heretofore controlled the markets
and was so firmly intrenched as to make it diffi-
cult for the American manufacturer to obtain
a foot-hold. The situation is now completely
changed about, however, and experts who have
studied the situation agree that it will be many
years before Germany will be in a position to
transact business in these quarters. Instead of
the business of the manufacturers of this coun-
try being confined largely to forty-eight states,
we now have the entire world for our markets
with all the natural advantages in our favor to
enable us to control the trade.
Why then should we not take vigorous co-
operative measures to bring this about and why
is not our manufacturers' association the proper
organization through which to place the Amer-
ican-made pianos before the foreign dealers and
develop this trade?
A sort of an export clearing house department
could be opened and maintained for this purpose.
Its requirements would consist of:
1. Foreign Buyers' Service;
2. Translation Service;
3. Forwarding Service;
4. Banking Service.
The Foreign Buyers' Service would include a
complete list of the foreign piano dealers
throughout the world with their commercial
ratings and the facilities to secure detailed
reports.
The Translation Service would enable the
manufacturer to have properly translated all
correspondence, catalogs, circulars, etc., for the
purpose of promoting and handling his business
abroad.
The Forwarding Department would procure
shipping accommodations and attend to all mat-
ters pertaining to licenses, clearances, bills of
lading, insurance, etc.
The Banking Service would arrange" for
pioper banking connections to enable the marra-
facturer to negotiate acceptances and finance the
though he must understand the principles of the art, but the good,
practical tuner must be a man of technical knowledge. The recog-
nition of his actual status is due him and the first move in the direc-
tion of securing that recognition is for the tuners themselves through
their association title to adopt their rightful title of "Piano Tech-
nicians."
HE economic transition which is now in progress throughout
T
the country is not affecting the musical instrument industry un-
favorably. Retail business throughout the country is maintaining
quite a satisfactory volume, and piano merchants everywhere are
optimistic regarding the future.
In the domain of manufacturing the readjustment of labor is
a factor of importance. There is evident a steadily increasing num-
ber of men who are desirous of securing steady employment at fair
wages, and as soon as the men who have been in the camps here
ZZ/ie Pest/cnou)/!
rnufica/rmme
jnt/ie World.
PIANOS
•
**
transaction with the foreign buyer when so
desired.
An export department of this character_could
be developed with but small expense to our
trade organization and while the manufacturer
directly benefiting would naturally be subject to
a nominal assessment for the service received,
the department would be partly self-sustaining
by reason of brokerage and commissions usually
paid to the forwarding agent and insurance
broker not possible for the manufacturer to
secure as an individual.
Much could be said of the great benefits re-
sulting from such a department which could
handle the export trade as a unit and at the same
time preserve the individuality of the manu-
facturers.
It is a well-known fact that nothing helps
stabilize the business of a manufacturer more
than the export trade which tides over periods
of depression in the domestic markets and those
manufacturers presenting the most nearly un-
broken records of prosperity are those who have
been accustomed to exporting regularly a fair
percentage of their product. In view of these
facts, should we not all be alive to the situation
before us and get behind a movement for a
greater piano trade which will help uphold the
present standard of wages by increasing pro-
duction, cutting down overhead expenses and
thereby form a nucleus of prosperity for the
industry in general?
and in France are again habituated to civilian practices labor con-
ditions in the factories will rapidly improve.
In the business world generally there are a number of irregu-
larities and uncertainties, owing to "reconstruction," which has af-
forded some chronic pessimists a chance to "cry their wares." But
actually there is no reason for pessimism or uneasiness. The change
from war to peace in the commercial sphere must be attended by
certain disturbances which are inevitable, but to those who are
studying the situation there is no cause for uneasiness, or any de-
gree of pessimism—it is the time rather for optimism of the real
genuine kind—optimism that is based upon sound reasoning and
commonsense.
We are facing a period of great opportunities for America, and
to achieve our ends we must approach the future with confidence
and with the spirit of initiative predominant in order to advance the
interests of this industry and to insure the prosperity of the nation.
ORGANS
E5TEY PIAND COMPANY NEW YORK CITY
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