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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
282
of German pianofortes, which are constructed on the
American system and furnished with attractive ex-
teriors, and which are thrown upon the American
market in large quantities, and at prices far below
MESSRS. STEINWAY & SONS REFUSE THE even the wages which Steinway & Sons pay their
workmen for the same style of piano. The fact that
EIGHT HOUR DEMAND.
European pianos cannot withstand the effects of our
severe North American climate is unfortunately not
A STRAIGHTFORWARD AND MASTERLY sufficiently known to the public.
In consequence of the labor troubles throughout
DOCUMENT, GIVING THEIR REASONS.
the country and the uncertain trade prospects, the
piano business has been almost brought to a stand-
TO THE EMPLOYEES OP STEINWAY & SONS.
still, and the confldentally hoped for brisk spring
HE following communication was yesterday trade irretrievably lost. We have a large stock
handed to our Mr. Steinway by (to us unknown) of finished pianos on hand, and if we continue
members of the Executive Committee of the our operations it will only be for the purpose' of
United Piano-Makers, Messrs. George McVey and manufacturing stock in advance for the coming fall
Jos. Helback :
trade, and with the view of giving constant occupation
to our numerous employees—provided that the cost
NEW YORK, April 20, 1886.
of manufacturing be not increased. The advent of
WORTHY EMPLOYEES :
eight hours must necessiraily increase the cost of
Your employees have voluntarily voted that on and production, because it would demand the same exist-
after the 1st day of May, 1880, eight hours per day ing capital, plant, large accumulation of material,
shall constitute a day's labor, and that Saturday, and outlays for interest, taxes, insurance, advertise-
May 1, 188G, shall be a workingmen's holiday. Also, ment, salaries, rents, and other expenses. The in-
they have authorized the Executive Committee of the evitable consequence would be to render New York
United riano-Makers to wait upon their employers, piano-manufacturers unable to compete even with
and receive their reply, verbal or written. Should the piano firms of Boston, Philadelphia, or Balti-
you not be ready with your reply, you can send it up more ; their business would soon be ruined, and num-
to Wednesday, April 28, to 351 East Seventeenth bers of workmen thrown out of employment if the
street, where it will be received. With the hope that New York firms were compelled to raise the price of
you will consider thoso propositions favorably, we their piano-fortes. Workingmen should, therefore,
remain, respectfully,
not lose sight of the fact that the probabilities of an
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE TNITKD PIANO-
increase in the prices of piano-fortes depends neither
MAKERS.
upon their resolutions nor upon the will of the manu-
facturers, but is solely a question of demand and
In answer to Mr. Stelnway's inquiry regarding the sale, and prospects in that direction at increased
question of wages, the following additional declara- prices are at present hopeless.
In consequence of the decision of the majority of
tion was signed by the two members of the committee:
Steinway & Sons' employees in favor of retaining the
present system of ten hours daily labor (which agrees
In addition to the above we are authorized to state with our own views on the subject), and the further
that the question of wages is, by resolution of the salient reasons and facts mentionted above, the un-
mass-meeting, and direction of the Executive Com- dersigned declare as follows:
mittee of the United Piano-Makers, left to the agree-
1. Steinway & Sonss have no objection that Satur-
ment of employers and their employees in every day, May 1, 1880, shall be a workingman's holiday.
piano business.
GEORGE MCVEY,
2. Steinway & Sons hereby declare that in their
JOSEPH HELBACK.
establishments ten hours per day shall constitute a
NEW YOBK, April 20, 1880.
day's labor, as heretofore, and that the present sys-
We now desire to know whether or not the above tem of work shall be continued.
Respectfully,
communication was authorized by our workmen,
STEINWAY A SONS.
and if so, what is your intention regarding the ques-
New York, April 28, 1880.
tion of wages resulting therefrom. On receipt of
your written communication we shall transmit to
you a prompt answer.
Respectfully,
IT'S DECIDEDLY AFRICAN.
ft DECIDED
T
TIDINGS FROM THETRADE
STEINWAY & SONS.
NEW YOBK, April 27, 1880.
In consequence of the foregoing request, the ques-
tion was discussed and voted upon by the separate
branches in the three establishments of Steinway &
Sons, viz., Steinway Hall, Now York ; their finishing
factory, Fourth avenue, Fifty-second, Fifty-third
streets, New York, and their piano-works at Stein-
way, Astoria, N. Y. The result, certified to in wri-
ting, is that FULLY TWO-THIRDS OF ALL THE E1I-
TLOYEES of Steinway & Sons decided in favor of the
present system of ten hours, and barely one-third
for the introduction of the eight hours' labor per
working day.
Wt! now beg briefly to lay before our employees
existing facts for their own information and consid-
eration, which, in the desire for shorter hours of
diily labor, must be kept in view in the interests of
both employers and employees.
For several years past the American pianoforte
industry has suffered severely from adverse condi-
tions of trade, and has been nearly driven out of the
world's markets, more especially those of Europe,
Canada, Australia, Central and South America. Not
withstanding the superiority and greater durability
of American pianos, all the competition with the far
cheaper German products became well nigh impos-
sible. Careful investigation has established the fact
that the weekly wages of qualified piano-makers in
Germany range from 18 to 25 marks (about $4.50 to
$6), with ten to twelve hours' daily labor, this being
barely one-third of the wages paid to a journeyman
of the same class in York with steady employment.
A further result of this disparity in wages is the
large increase of the import into the United States
THE "BOYCOTT " OF STIEFF'S HAS NOT HURT THEM.
BALTIMORE, MD., April 20, 1880.
MESSRS. WELLES & BILL :
GENTS: Business is very fair with us, and we think
from what the business men say generally that we
are getting our share, and that we still manage to
live, although our strike goes on. In regard to our
strike, we made up our minds from the first to have
very little to say, and not to contradict anything, and
we fear they will come out at the end of the rope, as
as the " Boycott" has not had the effect they antici-
pated. It has not hurt us any so far.
Yours very resp'y,
CHAJ3. M . STIEFF,
HE following is an exact copy of a letter re-
ceived a few days ago by the Whitney Organ
Co., Detroit, Mich. :
T
CAPE COAST, AFRICA,
March 13, 18KG.
WHITNEY ORGAN CO.,
Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A.:
DEAR SIRS : I humbly be most respectfully
to
solicit your kind favor regarding my present medi-
tation bring me into a good sense of which I have or
just seen your name in a proof copy of the General
African Commercial Address Book. As you are a
merchant and trade upon which I beg congratulate
you and I tak the liberty to announce you to all
in haste that I shall be most happy to publiee your
name and address of your firm in the contemplation
and most important work. Please hear my interpre-
tation that you may experiment and send me your
price list and sample catalogue of your articles as
quick as possible. I have some produce to ship you,
but I am expectation of your samples before and
your respond as quick as possible, therefore if you
receives my letter, let me have reply in haste but
my produce all is ready to consign them to you.
I remain, dear sirs,
Yours truly,
R. R. HASSAN.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
EXPORTS.
WEEK ENDING APRIL 13, 1880.
Amsterdam,
Bremen,
London,
Nova Scotia,
"
New Zealand,
Brit. W. Indies,
"
Hayti,
Organs,
Organs,
Banjos,
Musical Instrnm'ts,
Pianos,
Organs,
Banjo,
Organ,
Piano,
$1,200
10
120
2
207
1 ease
100
1 "
1,272
4
9
570
10
1
86
1
168
1
IMPORTS.
WEEK ENDING APRIL !), 1880.
277 packages,
$1'.>,755
EXPORTS.
WEEK ENDING APRIL 20, 188G.
Hamburg,
Organs,
"
Amsterdam,
"
London,
"
Liverpool,
Hull,
Br. W. Indies,
Liberia,
"
U. S. Colombia,
14 caseB , $1,010
4 ".
l'.lO
2,14<>
5 "
Pianos,
8
'•
440
Organs,
7 "
425
Organ Matl.
350
2 "
Organ Stops,
186
0 "
Materials,
18 "
1,255
Organs,
2 "
111
Organs,
139
3 "
Organs,
36
1 "
Organs,
5!)
Musical Instrum'ts, 1 "
36
Musical Instrum'ts , 2 "
IMPORTS.
WEEK ENDING, APRIL 10, 1886.
130 packages,
$17,270
Per F. B. Stieff.
NOTICE OF REMOVAL.
NO SUCH MANUFACTURER.
DECORAH, IOWA, April 17, 1880.
CHARLES AVERY WELLES :
DEAR SIR : Will you please to let me know, if you
can, whether there is a piano manufacturer in New
York by the name of Geo. G. Hiller, or to what ex-
tent is Geo. G. Hiller interestel in the piano manu-
facturing, or dealing in them. Isn't the piano a
stencilled pianoV There is an upright piano in this
town by the name of "Geo. G. Hiller, New York,"
but I never heard of that name for a piano before.
Yours respectfully,
F. J. D. GREMM.
[We never heard of a piano called George G. Hil-
ler, and it is undoubtedly a stencilledj.
JAMES FRICKER, Danville, Va., has removed into
larger warerooms.
W
E take pleasure in informing our friends in
the trade that increasing business compels
us to lease a larger factory, and on May 1st
we shall remove to No. 528 West Forty third street,
to which address please send all your communica-
tions after that date.
In soliciting the favor of your continued patro-
nage, we are glad to be able to say that the increased
facilities will enable us to hereafter fill orders much
more promptly.
Yours respectfully,
NEWHY & EVANS.
472 WEST FORTY-THIRD STREET,
NEW YORK, April, 1886.
IRA N. GOFF, Providence, R. I., has taken the
agency of the Baus piano.