The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-08-04
Island Makers Must improve
Methods Declares Letter From
Sherman Clay q Co. 4 .
COAST MUSIC DEALERS a..
az WRITE OF THEIR NEEDS
American Manufacturers Said To
Be Turning Out Superior +.
Article Of Koa l..

| The Hawaiian ukulele has been pla.
eed on the defensive in the mainland
market by the vast output Of American.
made ukuleles, according TO state.
ment made by one of the most promi.
nent musical firms upon the mainland
Sherman Clay 3 Company, of San
Francisco. 70 ID
| This firm intimates that unless the
Hawaiian.made ukulele is constructed
by the most modern methods, with due
regard to tone and finish, it is doomed
to retirement in favor of the more
cheaply made American instrument. -
| The promotion committee for several
years has given much publicity to the
unique Hawaiian ukulele, following
up with stories Of its peculiar birth,
and surrounding it with the halo OF
I romance and linking its name with
accounts Of moonlight nights and luaus
and the atmosphere Of the Paradise
of the Pacihc.'' This publicity, com:
bined with the fact that many tourists
take away from Hawaii genuine Ha-
waiian ukulele has made this instru.
ment popular from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, and created demand which
the local manufacturers have difficulty
in filing.
Secretary Taylor of the promotion
committee has made every effort
through correspondence and otherwise
to have mainland dealers use only the
Hawaiian n made ukuklele, and was one
Of the original advocates to favor a
Made in Hawai-" label specifically
for ukulele use.
Wants Hawaiian Ukuleles
Recently, the Promotion Committee
noticed an" advertisement of Sherman
Clay's with reference to "ukulelesD
and suggested that the firm use the
name Hawaiian before ukuleles. . In
a letter to Taylor the firm replied that
three-fourths of the ukuleles sold are
of American manufacture and not Hak
waiian. Following up this matter alld
making further suggestions, Secretary
Taylor received another letter in tho
last mail in which il was stated that
unless different manufacturing methods
were pursued by the Hawaii. makers,
the American product would soon have
the supremacy. p
''rhe promotion committee, in co
operation with the Pan .Pacific Club,
has made, is making and will continue
to make strong fght in favor of the
haWalia n mnde instrument ~ against
the American counterfeit, and efforts
will be made to get a collection Of
Roth Hawaiian,m made and American
made ukuleIes here, 30 that whatever
differences Of make in favor Of the
| American made instrument may be
taken advantage Of" said Mr.. Taylor
yesterday.
In sherman Clay'S letter appears the
following:
Better Local Makes
cit Is true that there are some
cheap limitations of Hawaiian ukuleles
being made in this country of mahog
any, of cedar wood and OF soft woods
such as birch and poplar, but it is
equally true that there are many thou
sands of ukuleles being made in this
country of genuine Hawaiian kOa, and
of infinitely better construction than
any that are being tnrned out In the
Islands, and were genuine Hawaiian
labels placed in these inst ruments IL
would be extremely hattering to the
Hawaiian manufacturers. (, ,.,"
ave wonEd really like to have You
see few Of the better grade genuine
koa ukuleles that are being made here,
as We are confident that even the most
superficial examination would convince
you that in every detail of construc-
ton and finish there IL no morn com
psrison between the best instrument
turned out in Hawaii and these than
there is between the cheapest stencil
piano sold for $3.50 and the finest
Steinway. 1t would be an eye-opener
TO Island makers if they could have
the privilege of examining such in
struments, and il might lead to efforts
on their part to improve their product.
Want Island Instruments -
awe do not wish you 10 get the
impression from the above remarks that
We are in any way antagonistic to the
we are doing our level best to sell
genuine Hawaiian ukuleles in prefer
ence to American made ukuleles, wheth-
| - S"Shi uS'eu VI Noh VI VI inc Othoi
| woods,
1--WE do not claim any idealistic prin.
cipies IN this; 1t is simply a matter of
dollars and cents with us. We recog-
nize the fact that when the atmos.
phere and giamor are removed from
the article, it will be commercialized
to an extent that will materially cut
down the pToRts, and it IL for that
reason solely that we are doing every
thing in our power TO convince the
public that the genuine Hawaiian uku.
leie is the only article of the kind
worth consideration. 49,
"We must tell you frankly, however,
that the time Ii not far distant when
the American article win, in very
large measure, supplant the Hawaiian,
unless the Hawaiian manufacturers
take steps to place their product on