The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-06-02
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE
FOREIGN TRADE.

during the last 20 years, of which
value % million dollars represented
imports and AZ million, exports. I'm
ports during the 20-year period show
a decline, the value for 1910 being
about 20 per cent less than in 1890;
while exports show marked increase.
the figures for 1910 being nearly three
times as great as those 20 years
earlier. This statement epitomizes
the results of a compilation regarding
imports and exports of musical instru-
ments recently made by the bureau of
statistics, department of commerce
and labor.
Twenty years ago our foreign trade
in musical instruments was character
lied by a large excess of imports over
exports; at present exports largely
lexceed imports. The total importa-
tion of musical instruments in the fis-
cal year 1890 was S1.7O3.129, against
exports of 81, ,105, ,134, the excess of i'm
ports being thus over $500, 900. BY
1900 imports had decreased to $780,
I541, while exports had risen to 81 $685.
| l779 making an excess of exports over
imports of nearly 100000 By 1910
imports had increased to s1.347 1862,
while exports had advanced in even
greater proportion to $9,1S2,349, the
excess of exports being thus nearly
So 900 600 The 10 months ending
with April, 1911, for which figures are
available show imports of musical in
lstruments valued at $1,34S,545 and ex-
ports of like character valued at ST.
I823,471, indicating that the complete
| fiscal year which ends with next
month will record total of $1.600,000
on the import side and of $3,300,000
on the export side, an excess of ex-
ports of $1,7OO,000 If this estimate
should be actually realized it would
still leave the imports of musical in
struments 100000 less than the fig
ures of 1890, while the exports under
that head would be $2,20O,O00 above
the total of 20 years ago and 1,400,-
900 above that of 1900
Pianos, organs, and piano-players
are the only classes of musical instru-
ments separately enumerated in the
export records of the bureau of sta
tistics. OF these, exports of pianos
are increasing, those of organs are de-
ereasing, and those of piano-players
are barely holding their own. In 1890
the domestic exports of pianos amount
led to $219,369; in 1900, $S55,665; in
1905, $513,725, and in 1910, $1,163,46
while a record of $1,066,337 already
made by the 10 months ending with
April, 1911, indicates that the total for
the year will be about $1,300,000 Ex-
ports of organs, on the other hand,
while advancing from $750.583 in 1890
to $993309 in 1900, have since declin-
ed to 1921 ,919 in 1910, while the fig
lures for the 10 months of 1911, $534,-
I141, are considerably below those for
the like period of 1910, suggesting that
the total for the fiscal year 1911 will |
be but little over 100000, or 20 per
cent below the figures of 1890. Of
piano players the export record began
with the fiscal year 1904, the total for
that year, $SS9951, being the largest
yet shown In 1905 the total was $842,-
Sf7; in 1907, $685., 1853; in 1909, $463,-
1853; and in 1910, $739, ,265; while the
10 months total to April 30, 1911, |
$695,9SS is sufficiently in advance of
the corresponding 1910 figures to just
ify an estimate of 100000 for the
complete fiscal year which ends with
next month.
All the grand divisions and practi-
cally all the civilized communities are
represented in the list of countries to
which pianos, organs and other mus
ical instruments of American manu-
facture are exported. OF the 1896
pianos exported last year, 1880, or
one-third of the total export, went to
Canada S3S to England, 4S0 to Mexico,
305 to Australia, 800 to Cuba, 293 to
Argentina, 1877 to Germany, 76 to Italy,
and 81 to France. OF the $3.50 Amer
ican-made organs exported in 1910,
3 ,297, or one-third of the total export,
went to England, 1902 to Australia.
S99 to Netherlands, 791 to British
Africa, GA to Germany, 327 to Scot
land, 922 to Canada, 1S9 to the British
West Indies, 1855 to New Zealand, $50
to Mexico, 122 to the Chinese Empire,
10S to Norway, and 100 to Denmark.
OF the 2,735 piano-players exported
last year, England is credited with
1,407, or more than one-half of the
entire number, compared with 454 ex-
ported to Germany 242 to Australia,
169 to Canda, 126 to Argentina, and
121 to Brazil. In addition to the ex-
ppr-fc ahOva apurnorotod -bfvp,arte 80 ,