Scan 31
Musical Courier 1893-06-21: Vol 26 Iss 694, 1893
53 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 32. See the scan on archive.org.
1OVERPRODUCTION.
3Are We Building Too Many Cheap Pianos?
5"There never was a time when low priced piano manufacturers were willing to sell so cheap." This statement was recently made by a Chicago dealer in support of his theory that there was an over production of the cheaper grade of pianos. In regard to the statement it is absolutely correct, although no case has come under our notice where a manufacturer is making a sweeping reduction in values; but does this prove overproduction of cheap pianos?
7Losing sight of the fact that the busy low priced piano manufacturers have hardly a full line of instruments in their warehouse to show dealers, and who were unable to supply this same dealer during holiday time last year, we will meet the dealer on his own statement, and see if it proves overproduction.
9The people of a great nation in regard to wealth are divided into four classes: the rich, the man of moderate income, the salaried man and the poor or man of wages. Each of these classes have subdivisions, but the four enumerated are the basis of monetary calculation. The rich man always could buy pianos, hence that class need not enter into our thesis. The man of moderate income generally purchased pianos and can immediately be dismissed from argument. The average salaried man 30 years ago could not own a piano on account of its high money value.
11Instruments made then were built more for the two upper classes than the salaried man. That he should buy pianos was not thought of, and his trade was not catered to. The two upper classes are greatly in the minority; hence, when they were supplied, manufacturers were obliged to seek new fields. That those gentlemen gave much philosophical thought to the subject we doubt, the advent of new machinery being the true philosopher. Never in the history of the world has machinery been improved so much as in the last thirty years. This advancement in machinery and its subsequent adoption in piano factories, added to the better and closer business methods forced on the manufacturer by competition, reduced the cost of manufacture and enabled the maker to sell to the dealer for less money and still make a profit.
13Immediately the price of pianos was within the reach of the salaried man and he eagerly secured a good instrument. The salaried man's income had been improved by time, while the instrument's price had been brought down to the point where trade could be entered into. A great class of buyers had been added to the piano trade and business expanded accordingly. Shortly after this some genius discovered that the poor man was so far in the majority that the other classes were puny by comparison.
15A large subdivision of this class were so helplessly impoverished that nothing could be done for them, but the remainder of the class was so large in comparison to other classes that their trade was desirable. Then commenced the manufacture of low priced pianos and the marvelous growth of the industry testifies to the wisdom of the move. There was no great rush for instruments of this class, but a steady, healthy, growing demand showed that the poor man was willing and ready to exchange his savings for pianos when the price became commensurate with his purse.
17Heretofore he had contented himself with reed organs, and the wonderful growth of the manufacture of these goods shows how ready the poor are to purchase musical instruments of a low price. The advent of the low priced piano has been marked by no diminution in the volume of the organ business. Both have grown side by side. So far, so good. We have now followed the history of the cheap piano, and stated the causes leading to its manufacture. The piano is on the market, and because a few manufacturers are willing to make some slight concessions in prices does it argue an overproduction of these goods?
19This is the age of progress and of sharp business competition. All manufacturers are seeking to cheapen cost of production without hurting the grade of their instruments. All means that will attain this end are eagerly listened to, and if practical put into operation.
21The low priced piano is made on the same lines as the higher grades of instruments. The same general course of construction is gone through with. Recently there have been various improved methods of construction; a new system of varnishing has been put into force; the supplymen, particularly in the hardware line, have lowered their prices by sharp competition. If you can construct more economically, varnish cheaper and buy supplies for less money, you certainly can save money on manufacture. Then why should not low priced pianos be sold cheaper? Is not this a logical sequence of the development of the art of manufacture?
23The low priced piano manufacturer is seeking to better fit the pockets of his customers and to sell to a class just below his present clientele. By so doing he will greatly augment his business. Because a low priced piano manufacturer is willing to sell goods for less money does not signify overproduction, but it is a sign of progress and a forerunner of greater business. There is not an overproduction of low priced goods.
25In the case of the dealer whose utterances serve as a text for this editorial there are additional reasons why the low priced manufacturers are seeking to sell to him cheaply. The dealer has a name and a reputation and a way of pushing goods that brings much trade to a house as well as adding prestige to the instruments of its manufacturers. The manufacturer is selling very low to this dealer for the sake of the prestige it will bring him. If the manufacturer is selling below producing cost he is charging the difference to advertising account, hoping that by so doing his goods will be more widely known, thus adding to the volume of his business. To secure the prestige of a great house many manufacturers will make great concessions, and the rivalry between manufacturers to secure the prize is very intense. That this dealer should be sought after and offered low prices is not a sign that low priced manufacturers have reached a point of overproduction, but that they are after him as an advertising medium. The place to look for overproduction is in the dealer's wareroom. If he has any pianos of low grade that do not sell there is something the matter.
27If on investigation it is found that the goods are all right, advertising on right lines and no fault to be found in the salesmen, the buying public can be looked to for reasons why the instruments do not sell, and conclusions of overproduction drawn. This is not the case in the dealers' warerooms. Because manufacturers are seeking him for the purpose of advertising their wares, the dealer is concluding there is an overproduction of low priced pianos. There is no ground for so concluding.
29In showing the fallacious conclusions of this dealer, we have thrown aside the stronger argument of the busy running factories (all behind on orders) throughout the country; neither have we resorted to figures which readily prove that there is no overproduction. But simply to let those inclined that way do a little figuring, we state that there are 12,000,000 families in the United States, which are all started over again during the period of 25 years, and the trade produced about 80,000 pianos of all grades last year.
31Figure the percentage of families that buy pianos and no overproduction will be apparent; in fact the investigator will wonder how we get along with so few instruments. But enough; we purposely chose the weaker side of argument and have shown the fallacy of the statement that opened this article as to its being a sign of overproduction.
33FRENCH DISCOURTESY.
35Somewhere in France, not down in any geography printed in the United States, there must be a town where the discourteous Frenchman congregates. From that remote and mythical city have been imported all the booth attendants in the French section of the Electricity Building. To put a mercurial Frenchman in conjunction with the electrical fluid is in better keeping than we at first supposed. It keeps his spirits up and makes him as frisky as a colt. But its effect on his temper is deplorable.
37If France desires to get any good out of the Exposition her commissioners should remove these piano booth attendants away from electrical contact. The lightning that plays around columns, writes names in letters of fire, and does a thousand and one marvelous things, is in its nature so much akin to the average Frenchman's temperament that it intensifies his usual organization, and he flies off the handle and makes a first-class fool of himself on the slightest provocation. In fact the French piano booth attendants can be trusted to make fools of themselves on each and every occasion.
39Last week a couple of piano men from Section "I," in the Manufactures Building, determined to visit the French piano exhibit. The gentlemen arrived, and as there was no one to show them courtesies sat down to the pianos and began to test them. This aroused the ire of the attendants, who swarmed from unexpected quarters and demanded to know by what right the piano men dared touch their instruments. They accused the gentlemen of coming over to laugh at France's productions in the piano line, and called on a Columbian Guard to arrest them. For once the Guard was outdone in foolishness, and by a Frenchman! He hung his head and blushed at the consciousness of disgracing the record of the troops of asses he represented, but some traces of sense were left in his composition and he refused to obey. The piano men indignantly left at once.
41Had it been their object to laugh at the French pianos, they would have found plenty of opportunity for indulging their desire. Of all the pianos on exhibition the French are the poorest in tone quality. The pianist that can get any wail from these instruments that does not resemble a pig's whistle is entitled to great credit, and the Frenchman should hunt him up (if alive) and present him with the former throne of the Napoleons. It is well that the French pianos were so numerous that the section assigned them on the ground floor of the Manufactures Building was considered too small. The exhibit would have disgraced France, as it would have been surrounded on three sides by excellent musical instruments. The French pianos on exhibition are like the Irishman's family, "too numerous to be first class."
43MALCOLM LOVE PIANOS.
44A High Grade Piano, equal to any!
45MANUFACTURED BY
46WATERLOO ORGAN CO., Waterloo, N. Y.
47We invite correspondence from Dealers in localities where we are not represented.
48FOR SPRUCE SOUNDING BOARD LUMBER
49ADDRESS
50IRVING SNELL, Little Falls, N. Y.,
51Manufacturer of first quality quartered spruce for pianos, and also dimension lumber for violins and other instruments.
52MILLAS T. HARRISVILLE, N. Y.
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