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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
July 20th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
Carpentry and Building for July is at hand, and, as usual, contains an
assortment of articles, both with and without illustrations, which are not only
interesting but valuable. For example, the interior finish and decoration of
a dining-room in a moderate-priced house is described and illustrated by
eleven engravings, in a way to enable any good mechanic to execute the work
•without further assistance. An illustrated article on Stair Building explains
problems in hand railing, while an article entitled " Finishing Wood-work,"
shows by means of sections of wood, engraved under the microscope, just
what must be done to make a smooth and glossy surface. An article on
" Modeling in Clay," the third in a series, is handsomely illustrated, as is
also one entitled, "Novelties," which describes recent improvements in tools,
&c. The leading article of this issue is a general survey of the present con-
dition of the building trades, being a carefully prepared digest of replies
to nearly three thousand circulars of inquiry sent into every State of the
Union. The wages which carpenters, masons and house painters are earning
are presented in a way to be of the greatest interest to mechanics gener-
ally. An article on " Builders' Sheet Metal Work," and the usual depart-
ment of correspondence complete the number. Published by David
Williams, 83 Reade street, at one dollar per year.
Among the Commissioners of the Boston World's Fair we notice the
names of Mr. Woodward, of Woodward & Brown, Mr George H. Chickering,
Mr. Oliver Ditson, Mr. Henry F. Miller, jr., (of the great Miller Family with
a capital F), and Mr. Henry Mason.
Mr. Ludden, of Ludden & Bates, of Savannah, who is sojourning in this
city, suffers from our torrid climate ; he says we have hotter weather in
New York city than they do in Savannah.
It is reported that a company has been organized for the manufacture of
celluloid piano keys in Belleville, N. J., to be known as the American-Lon-
don Celluloid Piano Key Co.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
PORT OF NEW YOEK.
Beet-hoven Organ" advertisement, which has become famous, and also
reprints our editorial entitled the " Act of a Desperate Man."
A NATIONAL BANKRUPT LAW.
A LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN SUB-COMMITTEE OP THE COMMITTEE ON THE
JUDICIARY.
fT^HE Hon. John J. Ingalls, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Com-
L mittee on the Judiciary, recently addressed the following letter to the
editor of the MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW:
U. S. SENATE, WASHINGTON, D. C.
Editor Musical Critic and Trade Review :
Sir:—The Senate has authorized its Committee on the Judiciary to sit
during the recess of Congress for the purpose of considering the question of
establishing uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcy throughout the
United States.
To aid them in their report to the Senate, the Committee desire to ascer-
tain whether, in the opinion of those most interested and most competent to
judge, the commerce and business of the country require the early enact-
ment of a permanent national Bankrupt Act.
In any measure that may be adopted hereafter, as compared with the
law of 1867:
•
1. Should the officers be compensated by fixed salaries, or by fees?
2. Should the powers of Registers be increased or diminished?
3. Should the amount of indebtedness authorizing the filing of a petition
in voluntary bankruptcy exceed three hundred dollars?
4. Should composition settlements be continued?
5. Should the discretionary powers of the Court relative to the granting
of discharges be enlarged?
Your views upon these points, together with practical suggestions upon
such others as may occur to you, bearing upon the speedy and economical
distribution of "the estates of insolvents, will be received with pleasure by
the Committee.
Respectfully,
Week ending July 5th, 1881.
JOHN J. INGALLS,
Exports.
Chairman Sub-Committee of Com. on the Judiciary.
Hamburg, 4 pianos, .
$1,000
British N. American Colonies,
Since the above communication was printed, the MUSICAL CRITIC AND
. 220 TRADE REVIEW has, in accordance with the promise made in our last issiie,
2 organs
$ 120 Hamburg, 3 organs, .
. 500 gathered the views of certain members of the music trades concerning the
Liverpool, 1 piano, .
British N. American Colonies,
. 2,516 questions submitted by the ehairman of the Judiciary Committee. We find
2 pianos,
542 Liverpool, 60 organs, .
. 390 the parties interviewed unanimously in favor of an immediate enactment of
British West Indies, 6 musical,
84 Bristol, 5 organs, .
British Australia, 19 organs, . 704 Rotterdam, 7 piano materials, . 1,668 a National Bankrupt Law, but in regard to the provisions of such a law or
Cuba, 3 pianos,
715
any suggestions in regard to it, they seemed to think that it is the province
09,619 of lawyers to suggest. I n a measure they are right, for there are so many
Mexico, 2 pianos,
1,160
Total,
conflicting interests that the proper framing of a bill of this nature involves
Imports.
the exercise of legislative and judicial ability.
Musical, 207,
$21,572
In the course of the conversations of our reporters with members of the
July 12th, J 1881.
trade, opinions have been encountered which showed a lack of practicality ;
for instance, one member of the trade advanced the idea that continuance in
Exports.
business after a man knew himself to be insolvent, should be regarded as a
Africa, 1 organ,
$80 Bremen, 1 organ,
criminal offence. This would be an excellent provision, if there were any
. . .
600 method of determining a man's guilt in the matter; but a merchant's assets
Bristol, 1 organ,
150 Havre, 1 piano,
U.
S.
of
Colombia,
1
musical
H a m b u r g , 4 pianos, . . . .
860
may consist largely of bills payable, which he may think are worth one
instrument,
105 hundred cents on the dollar, and these assets when realized may not prove to be
S t e t t i n , 2 organs, . . . . .
150
Liverpool, 7 organ materials, . 228 U. S. of Colombia, 4 pianos, . 2,230 worth five cents on the dollar. I t is difficult to decide what a man's inten-
Mexico, 1 musical box, . . .
38 U. S. of Colombia, 12 organettes, 86 tions are, and to attempt to decide whether a man know himself to be insolv-
Mexico, 1 piano
200
ent or not, would in the great majority of cases prove a failure and might
Brazil, 5 organs,
311
Total
$6,636 possibly be the means (as courts and juries are not infallible) of working
Brazil, 4 pianos,
1,348
injustice to innocent parties.
Imports.
Thinking that a legal opinion on these questions would be of service to
Musical instruments, etc., 127,
$18,410 our readers, as well as to the Judiciary Committee, one of our reporters called
on Hon. Orlando L. Stewart at his office in the Boreel Building in this city,
POET OF BOSTON.
when the following conversation occurred :
Reporter—Mr. Stewart, I have called upon you in the interest of the
Week ending July 1, 1881.
MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW for an expression of opinion on the ques-
Exports.
from the Hon. John J. Ingalls, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of
$4,610 Australasia (Br. Poss.), organs, $3,669 tions
England, organs, . . ,
the Committee on the Judiciary, which questions were contained in a com-
350
Nova Scotia, etc., piano,
225
pianos,
munication to the editor of this paper, and were printed in our last issue.
40
Nova Scotia, piano keys,
Mr. Stewart—There can be no question in the mind of any lawyer, or
Total,
even in the mind of any business man with common sense, in regard to the
great necessity existing for the passage of such an act regulating bankrupt-
Imports.
England, pianos,
$874 cies, for the only laws on the subject now are those of the several States
applying only to debts contracted in their territory, and any business man
England, miscellaneous musical instruments,
1,442 can see how badly the thing works when a discharge in the State of New
Total,
$2,316 York is no discharge in any other State in the Union.
Reporter—In regard to the first question Mr. Stewart, what are your
Week ending July 8; 1881.
views about that ?
Exports.
Mr. Steioart—Well I think the officers should be compensated by fixed
Brit. Poss. in Africa, organs, $2,346 fees and not by salaries, in order to facilitate the transaction of business,
England, organs-
for under a salary system the chances are that matters would drag terribly.
220
Reporter Do you see any way in which abuses might arise from the
$3,548
Total,
34
Nova Scotia, etc., organettes,
adoption of the fee system ?
Imports.
Mr. Stewart—No, I cannot see that there would be any more danger of
England, miscellaneous musical instruments,
$1,769 that than under a system of salaries.
Reporter—How about the second question?
KIND WORDS.
Mr. Steward—I am strongly of the opinion that the powers of the regis-
ters should be increased, and that they should have right to grant dis-
ABOUT THE DEAD BEAT-HOVEN ORGAN.
T OOMIS' Musical and Masonic Journal says, as follows, under the charges. The registers under the act of 1867 had very little power, and they
had to consult a judge on almost every point involved, which almost
I J heading,
amounted to going over the whole case a second time. Give the registers
WELL PUT.
the right to grant discharges, and do not appoint any person to that office
THE MUSICAL CBITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, always a well edited and inter- except a competent lawyer in such standing as to warrant such an appoint-
esting paper, contains in its number of June 20th an excellent attack on the
As to the amount of indebtedness I do not think it should be less than
fraudulent system of selling instruments conducted so largely at present by $300, perhaps not less than $500; it would not be worth while for any one
various cheap manufacturers. The public is always benefited by exposures to go into bankruptcy for such a small amount as the charges would eat it
of swindling, and the more the musical press repeat the story and impress it
In regard to the fourth question whether composition settlements
the less will be the number of victims who suffer. We quote from the should
be continued, I am in favor of their continuance, and I think that
REVIEW the following burlesque advertisement which puts the matter the decision
of a majority of two-thirds of the creditors in amount, viz.,
effectively:
creditors
representing
66 per cent of the liabilities, should be sufficient to
And then the Musical and Masonic Journal quotes our " Great Dead