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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
July 5th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
HUE, ETELEA GEESTER'S LAST INVESTMENT.
LIBEL.
SELECT committee of the House of Commons in England has under To Messrs. Steinway <& Sons, Dew York:
consideration the law of libel. It has agreed to recommend that in
DEAR SIRS :—During the period of my various engagements ,in America
future no criminal proceedings for libel be allowed to commence without the with Her Majesty's Opera Company, and in the Theodore Thomas concerts,
fiat of the Attorney-General first obtained.
I have used your unrivaled piano-fortes in public and also in private, and on
This is a most important provision, and one that should be adopted in previous occasions I have expressed to you my high appreciation and undis-
this country. There are some libels of so gross a character that they seri- guised admiration of their sterling qualities.
ously affect the public, and when false they should be criminally punished.
I regard the " Steinway " as the beau ideal of all pianos, and with their
But to permit every individual who thinks some newspaper statement has essentially noble and poetic tone quality, these instruments are wonderfully
injured him to set in motion the wheels of criminal justice, is a greater out- sympathetic to me. I admire the easy, elastic and agreeable touch, the
rage upon the taxpayers than the libel is upon him.
evenness, richness, and surprising duration of tone, blending so effectively
Very few libels justify the infliction of criminal penalties. No better with and supporting the human voice, and all these qualities render, in my
proof of this can be desired than the fact that libels are so seldom prosecuted opinion, the Steinway piano the most desirable instruments of all—certainly
to conviction. It is not that Grand Juries are slow to indict; they frequently the best to accompany the voice.
indict. Nor that prosecuting attorneys hesitate to push such cases to trial
I sail for Europe within a few days, and as a precious souvenir of my
they are always ready to do all that is required of them when cases that pre- American tournee I desire to purchase one of your concert grands for my
sent reasonable hopes of success present themselves. Nor that the law is salon at Bologna, Italy.
difficult or uncertain of application; it is well settled and thoroughly under-
Be kind enough to name the artist's price to me, which I will transmit
stood by the judges. Nor that petit juries are slow to convict; conviction is to you with the necessary shipping directions.
certain to follow the trial of a gross libel. But there are very few such pub-
I remain, respectfully yours,
lished. The casual reader will hardly accept this; but if he investigates NEW YORK, June 1, 1881.
ETELKA GKRSTBR GABDINI.
what he is disposed to regard as a gross libel, he will almost certainly dis-
cover its supposed outrageously false statements to be true.
BOSTON'S WORLD'S FAIR PROJECT.
The law of libel in criminal cases, therefore, as at present administered, r T^HE world's fair enterprise is encountering some tempestuous weather.
serves only to gratify the desire of complainants to annoy. They can cause A. When first broached, the site suggested was on the Back bay, and the
an arrest, perhaps a hearing before a magistrate, possibly an indictment by two exhibition buildings were to be utilized, and there is no doubt this
a grand jury. And there the matter ends, simply because there is not helped
the idea very much, since the outlay was to be saved and work done
euough in the false statement to justify a conviction or criminal punishment, to be utilized.
There appears to be very little doubt now that the Back bay
or because the supposed libel is really true.
is to be given up on account of non-availability, high costs, and the
Tlje proposition of the House of Commons Committee is a wise one, and site
difficulty to secure enough land. A sub-committee has this matter of site
if our Legislature would require the sanction of district attorneys as a con- in
They have been examining sites, and, from the number claimed
dition precedent to prosecutions for libel, the use of our criminal machinery to charge.
be available, Boston could, it would seem, accommodate several exhibi-
simply to serve the ends of personal spleen would be greatly curtailed.
tions of this character. The East Boston people want it in the Island Ward,
The Committee also suggest anothor wise amendment of the present as it is called, and elaborate plans and arguments have been prepared to
laws. It is that fair and accurate reports of proceedings of public meetings, show off the site. The New York and New England and the Old Colony
published without malice, shall be privileged. To understand the force of railroads want it upon tiie South Boston flats, and the South Boston people
this proposed change it must be remembered that under the common law of want it there also. Then the people of the Highlands want the exhibition to
libel now in force in England and this State, the proceedings of a public be held there, and, while their plans have not been very much agitated, they
meeting, no matter how honestly reported, are in no wise privileged. If are at work to get the exhibition located there. Another site is that of a
anything is said by a speaker, or any statement made in a set of resolutions, trotting park at Brighton, which is now Boston proper. Of all the site sug-
the newspaper ptiblishing it is made responsible, civilly and criminally, for gested, it is, in the opinion of some, the best. It is understood that it can
any false and injurious allegations it may contain.
be secured at the nominal price of $5,000 a year, with taxes, which is a
It is palpably unjust to make nswspapers thus responsible. The alter- small expense The land is all graded, and the adjoining land also is quite
native is left them to omit an account of the proceedings, or to take the risk i level, and would be available for hotels and tests of agricultural machinery.
of a prosecution for libel. This is especially unjust when all reputable The last point is quite important, and could not be accomplished on the
newspapers are at all times perfectly willing to give a fair hearing to the Back bay or South Boston flats.
party who may suppose himself injured by the report of the proceedings.
To secure this protection the Committee referred to recommend that in
An old swindling dodge to which the piano and organ trade seems
such a case the plea of privilege shall not be allowed when the newspaper specially
from the nature of the goods, came to the surface again in
refuses to insert a reasonable letter or statement in explanation or contradic- Baltimore liable
recently. A'* manufacturer in that city receives a letter from some
tion of the report.
making inquiries about prices of pianos, and asking for cat-
These suggestions, coming as they do from the most conservative legis- western ; town
after a few days another letter is received offering the price asked
lative body in the world, deserve the best consideration of our Legslature. alogue
on 30 days' time, and giving names of references ; this being
Any one to whom the subject is at all familiar will at once recognize the for the piano
another letter comes along containing check dated 10 days ahead
advantage to the community of securing newspapers against the liability to refused
many plausible reasons for so dating it and requesting immediate ship-
which they are now exposed of prosecutions for fair and accurate reports of with
ment
as a customer is waiting. There is a chance of the last proposal being
the news of the day, and prohibiting all criminal proceedings whatever for accepted,
and if it is accepted a claim is made, before the date on the check
libel except such as are first approved by the prosecuting officer.
arrives, for some defect in the piano, payment of the check is stopped on this
pretext, and after considerable correspondence, unless the manufacturer
Mr. Edmund C. Bailey, of Chicago, 111., has patented a toy piano, No. is a man of backbone, a compromise is affected and the western man gets
what he has been working for.
of Patent 213,096. Application filed Jan. 11th, 1881.
A
—j.
JiianO
o r\
BELLAK'S
TTT
WarerOOITlS,
Messrs. Christie & Co., of 213 West 36th street,
ew
n ^ e s s
DIB.ECTOH.Y
York, have had an exceptionally good busi-
OF THE
during the past month, in fact better than
ever before in the history of the concern. Their MUSICAL PROFESSION
shipments of pianos have averaged four per day,
AND THE
during the whole month, and the instruments
Philadelphia, Penn.
_ _ w _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ^ _ _ ^ ^ _ _ _ ^ _ _ _ _ ^ _ _ _ _ have all been sold for cash at satisfactory prices.
MUSIC TRADES.
i The junior partner felt so good about it that he
GRAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC went to Niagara last week with his family for a
BOSTON, MASS.
OF THE CITY OP NEW YORK.
vacation.
MANUFACTURERS.
21 East 14th Street. 21
Mr. Emile Berliner, of Boston, Mass., has UTOMATIC MU8ICAL PAPER CO. Music Paper for Mechan
This RENOWNED MUSIC SCHOOL offers the accumulated advan- patented a new violin.
No. of Patent 242,585. A ical Musical Instruments. 227 to 2U3 Cambridge Street.
tages of years of successful operation. Instruction in all branches Application filed Feb. 26.
PIANO CO., manufacturers of Grand, Square and
of Vocal* and Instrumental Music, Harmony and Composition,
&
No. 1 1 2 9 C H E S T N U T S T R E E T ,
etc , by the most eminent Masters and Professors of the land, at
MODEBATE BATES.
For farther particulars, address,
K. E B E R H A R D , D i r e c t o r .
FELTON, POMEROY & CROSS,
Sole Agents for Chickering & Sons,' Hazel ton Brothers',
Ernst Gabler's, Decker & Sons,' C. Kurtzmann's, and
Pelton, Pomeroy & Cross' Pianos ; and Wilcox & White's,
Taylor & Farley's, Aeolian Organ Co's, and Pelten, Pome-
roy & Cross' Organs,
150 & 152 State St., CHICAGO, ILL.
Upright Pianos, 595 Washington Street.
ENERGETIC PIANO TRAVELER
WORCESTER, MASS.
Wants situation with First-class House, well acquainted with
business. Best of references.
Address,
C. R I C H T E R , Care of O. NEWCOMBE & Co., TORONTO.
MANUFACTURERS.
/'"I
SALESMAN. I desire to engage with some good
_J_
pianoforte or organ manufactory as a wholesale Traveling
Salesman for the State of Ohio and neighboring territory. Wil 1
engage on salary, commission, or the two combined. Territory
must be absolutely protected. Ability guaranteed. Best reference
given. Acquaintance large. Address,
MUSICAL CBITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, 853 Broadway, N. Y. City.
D.
W. INGALLS & CO., , Organ
g Reed Boards, , Parker Tremolos
and Octave Couplers, 25 Hercuon Street.
G. KETTELL, Piano Punchinga, 6 Lincoln Square.
AGENTS AND DEALERS.
S
K. LELAND k CO., Checkering. Kna.be, Hallett. Davis &
» Co., and Fischer Pianos ; Peloubet & Co. and Smith
American Organs, Sho-t Music and Bsiul Iustruments.
BEHR BROS. & CO.,
MANUFACTURERS OF
Patent Cylinder Top Upright Pianos,
292 to 298 ELEVENTH AVE., NEW YORK CITY.