January 5th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
TRADE CHAT.
CHEAPEE FREIGHTS TO EUROPE.—The French Republic proposes granting
a subsidy to all vessels carrying freights and passengers, and sailing under
the French flag. This will largely increase competition in the carrying trade
between this and foreign countries, and reduce freight rates correspondingly.
It should be welcome news to our organ manufacturers.
METZLER.—Messrs. Metzler, of London, are introducing to the trade in-
struments made on the new patent of M. Alexandra, combining the organ
pipe with the free reed. The new instrument has three sets of pipes and
one row of reeds. The same firm also has the Mustel organ, which produces
all the effects of the full orchestra, military band, stringed or wind instru-
ments. They have the last mechanical improvements, including double pro-
longment, double expression, metaphone and forte expressif.
WORLD'S FAIR.—The World's Fair Committee have been having a site of
trouble.
Music.—The ladies are wearing little gold tuning-forks for hair-pins,
which indicates that " There's music in the hair."
17
WM. SCHAEFFER.—Among the agents now handling the Schaeffer piano
are John A. Schenck, Dayton, O.; Jas. A. Guest, Burlington, la., and P. L.
Geissler & Co., Evansville, Ind.
A. DOLGE. —Mr. Alfred Dolge, of this city, shipped four cases of ham-
mer felts on Thursday, Dec. 23d, by steamer Suevia, to Germany. A healthy •
indication of the felt manufacturing industry in this country.
BANK CHECKS.—A bill has been introduced in Congress for the repeal of
the existing tax on bank checks.
JOHN F. STRATTON & Co.—Mr. John F. Stratton, of the firm of J. F.
Stratton & Co., 55 Maiden Lane, has gone to Italy to spend the winter.
MCTAMMANY.—The decision of the Commissioner of Patents in favor
of McTammany seems to have had an invigorating effect on the organette
trade.
G. W. INGALLS & Co.—Messrs. G. W. Ingalls & Co., of Worcester, Mass.,
have extended their manufacturing facilities to meet the increasing demand
for the McTammany organette.
JARDINE & SON.—The great organ manufactured by Messrs. Geo. Jardine
& Son, and lately on exhibition at the American Institute Fair, in this city,
HIMAN & WOODWARD.—This firm of music-publishers has dissolved.
Mr. Himan proposes going into business by himself. He announced to us has been sold to the Second Reformed Church of Somerville, N. J., and was
his intention of opening his establishment before the holidays. Himan & opened on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 9th, by a grand organ concert.
Woodward had, not long ago, a curious experience with the popular song of
" Grandfather's Clock." They came into possession of a certain amount of
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
the music publisher Cady's effects at the time of his recent failure. Among
PORT OF NEW YORK.
these effects were the plates of " Grandfather's Clock." They printed from
these plates, believing, they say, that they had a perfect right to do so.
Week ending Dec. 21st, 1880.
They were favored with large orders from numerous publishers, and every-
Exports.
thing was progressing healthifully when, one day, in walked a man, who
Value.
announced himself as
, the rightful owner of the piece. He demanded
Value.
. 81,683 Argentine Republic, 1 organ . $400
a large sum of money for the piece, and what is more, he made them pay it. Hamburg, 17 organs,
London, 1 organ,
. . . .
50
HAINES.—Messrs. Haines Bros, have transferred the Rhode Island British Honduras, 4 pianos, . . 1,100
60 Glasgow, 1 organ
100
agency for their pianos, from Correy Bros., Providence, to Ira M. Goff of Bremen, 17 organs 1 . organ,
. . . 1,200 Liverpool, 9 organettes. . . 1,013
that city. Mr. Millikin of Haines Bros., recently returned from a trip
N. American Colonies,
through the New England States, where he finds the demand for the Haines British
2 organs,
140
Total, $5,921
piano, and especially the upright, steadily increasing.
British N. American Colonies,
EXHIBITIONS.—An International Exhibition is to be held this year in
1 piano,
175
Japan, and it is reported that another International Exhibition will be held
Imports.
in Paris during this year or the following one.
Musical instruments, 133,
$17,381
GERMAN FOREIGN TRADE.—Germany exports about four times as much
Week ending Dec. 28th, 1880.
musical merchandise as it imports.
Exports.
GERMAN FACTORIES.—In 1878, when the figures were last collected, there
Value.
were in the whole of Germany 4,332 musical instrument factories, employing
Value.
altogether 15,904 hands. The larger number of these "so-called factories" Hamburg, 1 piano
$400 Mexico, 3 pianos, . . . . $1,250
were mere apartments in which people labored on piece-work. Out of the Liverpool, 2 pianos,
. . 3,015 U. S. of Colombia, 2 pianos, 1,650
entire number only 369 factories employed more than five hands, and at
30 organs, . . . 1,565
these factories only 9,406 men worked.
British Australia, 11 organs, .
596
$8,476
Imports.
STOLEN THUNDER.—It seems hardly fair to find in such a wide-awake
paper as the London and Provincial Music Trades Review a paragraph in Musical Instruments, 150,
$20,141
which credit is given to " Coward Lockwood's Fly Sheet" for an opinion in
PORT OF BOSTON.
regard to the organ trade in this country, in which all of the ideas, and even
much of the language, is stolen from an editorial published in the MUSICAL
Week
ending Dec. 17, 1880.
CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW some time last summer. We do not object to
furnishing brains for these little one-horse papers, but we are sorry to see
Exports.
that the English paper does not scan our files more closely, and thus avoid
Value.
Value.
publishing and wrongly crediting such rehashed matter. The stolen matter Danish West Indies, organs, . $190 British Possessions in Africa,
reappears as follows: " Notwithstanding the existence of a very large export England, organs, . . $7,735
$513
organs,
trade in organs and an unprecedented home demand, it is alleged that the
pianos, . . 1,700
price of these instruments remains so low as not to afford the manufacturers
9,435
Total,
$10,138
a moderate profit on their capital. The reason for this anomalous condition
Imports.
of the trade is to be found, of course, in the large number of persons in the
business of manufacturing and the eager desire of each to undersell the England, musical instruments,
$2,426
other. One result is inevitable—the weakest manufacturers will break down
Week ending Dec. 24th, 1880.
after a year or two and drop out of the business, and then those who remain
will reap larger profits for a time by way of compensation."
Exports.
British Possessions, in Aus-
England,
organs
$1,686
FORTY-FIVE-DOLLAR PIANO.—The London and Provincial Music Trades
tralia, organs, . . . . 6,652
1,575
organettes, .
Review queries an item in our list of exports in regard to a $45 piano
exported from Boston to the West Indies, and remarks: " T h e figures are
$9,913
either wrong, or American pianos must have considerably depreciated in
Total,
price." As far as we are concerned, the figures were official, and the instru-
Imports :
ment was probably a second-hand one.
England, musical instruments,
$2,491
TABER.—We have been told that a " Taber " organ was actually sold
within the last three months ; but we cannot believe it, even admitting that
POUT OF BALTIMORE.
" Taber " is not a myth like the alleged firm of Jewett & Goodman, of Cin-
Imports.
cinnati, Ohio.
SMITH AMERICAN ORGAN COMPANY.—The Smith American Organ Com- Musical Instruments, Dec. 13 to 18, inclusive, for immediate con-
pauy of Boston, one of the oldest and most solidly established concerns in
sumption,
$2,528
the country, is having a great success with the Smith American pianos. Musical Instruments, Dec. 13 to 18, inclusive, for transportation
Dealers can always rely upon the goods offered them by this firm.
inland, . . . -
984
B. SHONINGER ORGAN C O . — " I t is stated that the B. Shoninger Organ
Total,
$3,512
Company turns out 7,500 reed organs a year, or about twenty-five every
working day. It seems not, however, unlikely that recourse has been had to
Imports.
the multiplication table."—The London and Provincial Music Trades Review.
We do not wonder that these big figures astonish " John Bull," but they Musical instruments, Dec. 20 to 25, inclusive,
$389
are, nevertheless, correct, and the B. Shoninger Organ Company are about
building a new factory, which will increase their capacity by five organs per
PINAFORE'S RIVAL.—Mr. Edward E. Rice and R. D'Oyly Carte have
day, in order to insure their customers a regular supply.
arranged for the exclusive right to produce Messrs. Stephens and Solomon's
THE BALTIMORE PIANO WAR.—The combat which opened in such a nautical opera, " Billee Taylor," which is pronounced by the English press
vigorous manner between the Weber and Steinway pianos in Baltimore, has to be the rival of " Pinafore." Preparations are making for its immediate
apparently altogether subsided, no pronwiciamerdo having appeared from production in New York.
either side since our last issue. The conflict commenced as if business was
THE BROKEN MANAGER.—Signor Tagliapietra has joined the De Beauplan
meant on both sides, but soon developed into a game of bluff on Weber's
part, which looked well enough, but when Sutro "called " with his famous Opera Company which is giving opera at New Orleans.
" blanket letter," Albert could not respond, and had to allow the pot to be
MENDELSSOHN QUINTETTE.—The Mendelssohn Quintette Club, which has
taken. From the confident way in which Sutro played it looked as though been giving concerts through the South, has joined forces with Mme.
some one had given away young Albert's hand, and had told Sutro that the Camilla Urso, and that lady will be heard at the club's concerts for the
" little joker " was not in it. " For ways that are dark," etc.
present.