MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 20 May 1933, Page 4

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

EVOLUTION OF TRADE. SOME STRIKING CHANGES. FROM PIANOS TO RADIO. The trade in musical instruments has undergone very considerable changes in recent years, with alterations in social habits aud requirements. The '"Mercantile Gazette" has prepared the following interesting comparisons showing the changes that have taken place:— Prior to 1914 a home was hardly complete without a piano, and for a tew years before the war imports were some 5000 a year, with strong competition between English and German instruments. In the five years 1910 to 1914 imports totalled 24,381 pianos, but in the hvu years 1927 to 1931 the total was only 6384. and in the last three years only 691 pianos came in. , . The war interfered with this business, though there was some revival in largely in pianolas. Pianos and Pianolas. Following are the imports of pianos and pianolas for the-past six years, compared with 1912: — GerU.K. Canada, many. U.S.A. Total. 1932 . 22 — 2 — -4 1931 . 54 7 J <> SI 302 I.>S 4.» -4 .)o.J 19"9 " 822 800 01 107 1 ,S.»O 0-"s ' 555 475 83 386 1,010 l')"'? 1 V"J 543 130 321 2,1;>4 1912 * — 2,743 29 5,690 The 1912 figures do not include pianolas. The total value of 1932 imports was £1000. United Kingdom has got just over hair the trade in these years. The gramophone largely superseded_the piano, and imports rose from £34,5f0 in 1914 to £373,036 in 1929, but shows a falling off in the last three years. Gramophones and Records. Following are the imports of gramophones, etc., «mcl records £or the past six years, compared with 1914:— U.K. A list. Canada. U.S.A. Total. 10°,° 10 809 41,448 — 1.598 54.316 1931 17.940 691436 171 10.112 98.756 1930 83.727 148,259 925 24,893 257,034 1929 144.300 191,169 OiO 34,u.il 373.036 1928 115,450 150,033 1,005 17,584 j.87,0.» : 1927 120,479 94,124 4,31.) 24,28;) 249,030 1914 19.836 1,193 12 9,871 34,07,> Australia has a big hold on the trade in records. . Following are fuller details of the last two year's imports: — Gramophones and parts. Records. 1932. 1931. 1932. 1931. Frmn. £ U. Kingdom 6,9.15 16,061 3,894 1,8. J Australia" 98 000 41.350 08.830 Germany .. 170 52*5 104 Jo t Switzurl'd . 13 197 — U.S. A 1,325 7,670 -)3 -.44Total .. . 8.017 25,204 45,099 73,49To— £ £ £ Aucklund . 1,989 5,506 12,011 Wellington . 5,036 1.J.755 21,175 44,404 Lyttelton ... 003 1.930 8.320 II.J Dunedin .. 189 1.551 918 -09 Other 140 450 269 200 United Kingdom gets a good share of the trade in machines, with the aid ot' the preferential duty, but Australia secures the bulk of the business in records. The wireless has now come in as a serious competitor to the gramophone or any other form of music. Ior l an outlay of about the price of a good gramophone, and a yearly license fee of 30/ in place of buyine records, one can stay comfortably by one's fireside and listen-in- to concerts, church services, and the latest daily news. Radio Sets Come In. Following are the imports of radio sets and appliances for the past two years:— Receiving Sots. Other appliances. 1932. 1931. 1932. 1931. £ £ £ £ U.K. .. . 8,844 1.550 24,594 19,544 Canada . 7,495 10,178 4,008 4,107 Australia 10,704 14,374 37,114 4,136 Germany . 42 590 953 2,141 Holland . 495 1,080 4.SSO 9,407 U.S.A. .. 70,851! 119,895 79,327 71,199 Total . 95.492 148,350 151,188 111,773 To— Auckland 28,242 41,019 53,031 34,627 Well'g't'n 47,037" 77,923 82,478 60,836 Lyttelton 12,208 19,834 8,264 9,103 Dunedin . 10,091- 8,304 5,997 6,224 Other ... 914 670 1,418 983

The total value of sets only in 1929 was £85,958, and in 1928 £34,214. Other appliances are not given prior to 1930. America has a good hold on this business so far. We see from these figures that the piano has given way to the gramophone, which in turn is giving way to the radio, and the drift is a somewhat lazy one, the present generation being disinclined to devote time and energy to learning to perform on the piano, and the latest gramophones save even the trouble of changing records, while the wireless has only to be switched on to go all the evening.