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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
CHICAGO.
THE TRADE DINNER.
A COMPETE REPORT OF T H ^ SIXTH REGULAR
TRADE; DINNER OP CHICAGO MUSIC TRADE
ASSOCIATION — PRESIDENT CONWAY'S
ADDRESS—I. N. CAMP REMARKS ON
THE MUSIC TRADE AND ITS
RELATION
TO THE
WORLD'S FAIR.
P. J. HEALY MAKES SOME CLEVER POINTS ON
FREIGHT DISCRIMINATION—OTHER POINTS
DISCUSSED—WHO WERE THERE.
CHICAGO, I I I . , NOV. 23, 1892.
EDITOR MUSIC TRADE REVIEW:
The Music Trade Association of Chicago held
its sixth regular trade dinner at the Union
League Club this evening, and a great sympo-
sium it was. The largest crowd ever in attend-
ance was the verdict of the officers, and the
spread enjoyed and the subjects discussed com-
bined to make a most agreeable and profitable
session. In addition to the large local attend-
ance there were several distinguished members
of the trade from St. Iyouis, Boston and New
York present. T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
representative was favored with an invitation
from Mr. Chas. H. MacDonald, the Secretary,
and here is the result of his brief note-taking :
The banquet was spread in the splendid din-
ing hall of the Club at 6.30 P.M., and every man
was in his allotted place punctually. The
tables were beautifully decorated with our most
popular flower chrysanthemums, greens and
roses, with a boutonniere for each guest. The
menu consisted of twelve courses, from caviar
and Blue Points to coffee, cheese and cigars,
with the interregnums filled in with Burgundy
of the choicest vintage. The meal appreciatively
discussed, the President, Mr. E. S. Conway,
rapped for order. He began by congratulating
the Association on the success thus far attend-
ing it and the great good to the trade that these
social gatherings had brought. He felicitated
all on the harmony and brotherly love prevail-
ing, and the fact that the Association's work
had not only yielded good fruit, in the increased
attendance and kindly interest in its future
evinced, but that faith was shown in its future
by the further fact that there was in the treasury
$600.
The topic of the evening, '' The Music Trade
and its Relation to the World's Fair," was then
announced. Mr. I. N. Camp, for the past two
years the trade's representative in the World's
Fair Directory, was first called. He gave a
succinct account of his stewardship as such. He
said that few or none had a proper conception
of the importance of the music industry until
properly acquainted therewith. It had been his
province to bring it convincingly to the atten-
tion of the World's Fair officials, and he thought
results would demonstrate the wisdom of his
course. First of all, more space, a better and
more prominent location had been granted it on
the World's Fair grounds than almost any other
industry. Space had been allotted sixty-five
piano and nineteen organ manufacturers, all, in
fact, that had applied, and of that large number
only one had failed to accept. One Cincinnati
piano firm declined to exhibit, for what reason
is not given out. Mr. Camp was warm in his
praises of the chief of the department in which
the music trades will be represented. He had,
under very trying circumstances, after being
made fully conversant with the needs of the
trade, solved the whole question remarkably
well, and every firm and every individual was
treated with marked courtesy and consideration.
Mr. Camp said the music trade exhibit here
next year would be the largest and most credit-
able ever made in any country. It will be in
such a conspicuous place that every visitor must
needs see it. Of the Exposition as a whole, he
said its immensity grew every month, and a
faint estimate of it might be gained by the fact
that three times more space than was comprised
in all the buildings had already been solicited.
At this time it was, he said, hardly possible to
calculate the proportions of the Exposition and
its far reaching possibilities. The trade will
provide on the grounds a bureau of information,
and arrange for living accommodations for all
persons identified with its interests who may
seek its aid. Returning to local affairs, Mr.
Camp advised his confreres to make all neces-
sary arrangements for the largest output of
goods ever made in Chicago, as he had no doubt
that our capacity in all directions would be
taxed to its very utmost limit next year.
Mr. P. J. Healy, on being called, said that
others had embodied so much of what he thought
and might otherwise have said there was little
left for him to do. He thought the first and
most important work for the Association was to
begin preparations to again have a representa-
tive of the trade on the World's Fair Directory.
He was daily solicited for proxies, the belief
being general that the two years of hard work
would be succeeded by one of play and feasting.
For one, he wanted to see those who had borne
the heat and burden of the day partake of what-
ever pleasure and honor the next year might
bring. To that end he moved that Mr. Camp
be declared the choice of the trade for World's
Fair Director. He had served the interests of
the music trade faithfully and well, and they
owed it to him, but work to the end of electing
him should begin at once, in and out of the
trade. By a rising vote Mr. Camp was unani-
mously declared the choice of the trade.
Mr. Marc A. Blumenberg, of New York, the
next speaker, drew some comparisons between
New York and Chicago that put his own city in
a rather unenviable light. He said the sight
before him constituted a music trade editor's
dream. There was a study involved in watch-
ing the proceedings of the evening in contrast
with similar affairs in his own city. There such
gatherings as this were held in secret—there
was nothing open or social about it. Only piano
manufacturers could join, and only those could
attend ; sheet music and musical merchandise
dealers, organ manufacturers, music trade edit-
ors and visitors were simply '' not in it.'' Their
meetings there were confined to the piano guild
solely, while their dinners and their conduct
were alike cold and unsympathetic—in fact,
purely commercial, just the opposite of Chicago's
trade gatherings. The New York Association
was a close corporation, and its secret proceed-
ings created suspicion, and all the work being
submitted to committees smacked of intrigue.
This difference in the Eastern and Western
methods indicated a difference likewise in busi-
ness methods. In Boston or New York no
music trade journal representative would, or
could, be invited to a trade dinner, as in Chicago,
He would, he said, like to see some reforms in-
stituted in the attitude of those cities towards
his guild. The great trouble in New York was
1
' their constitution limits them to purely, not
pure, piano manufacturers.''
353
Ten years ago, said the speaker, Chicago be-
gan the manufacture of organs and to-day it
makes half of all produced in the United States.
Boston made 22,000 pianos last year and will
make 24,000 this year, while Chicago will make
a trifle over half as many. Ten years ago New
York made sixty per cent, of all the pianos
made in the United States, while this year it
will fall as low as forty per cent.
Mr. Henry Reed, one of the pioneers in the
trade in Chicago, gave some pleasing reminis-
cences of the old days when he and P. J. Healy,
and one or two others, could visit two or three
times a day and still attend to all customers.
He was now pleased to see nearly one hundred
active, bustling men at one table representing a
large, respected and prosperous trade.
Mr. Emil Liebling said all the artists were
now trying to get into the music trade, and it
was really due to the liberality and progressive-
ness of the latter that we had had the opportu*
nity of hearing some of the world-renowned
artists.
Mr. C. N. Post said he could neither be senti*
mental nor eloquent,but could give some figures.
As late as seven years ago the firm of Lyon &
Healy imported all the small instruments they
sold, but found most of them so poorly made
that they had, in self-defence, either to make
them here or else humbug their customers. A
factory was started which now turns out 15,000
guitars, 75,000 mandolins, 12,000 drums and
10,000 banjos, yearly.
Major Howes, of Hallet & Davis, of Boston,
responded to the toast to the ladies. He said
he was unfamiliar with the subject and could
not do it justice, but thanked Providence and
Chicago that he was able to be present on such
an auspicious occasion.
On motion of Mr. C. C. Curtis, a vote of thanks
was tendered Mr. I. N. Camp for his efforts in
behalf of the trade in the World's Fair Board.
Mr. P. J. Healy brought up the subject of the
inequality of freight rates between New York
and Chicago and points in the South and West.
He claimed that great wrong was being done
Chicago both in matter of time and rates. For
some reason the transformation lines could not
be made to see how important a factor in trade
Chicago had grown to be. It took, he said,
three times as long for Chicago shipments to -
reach Portland, Oregon; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta,
Ga., and other points as from New York to the
same places. Moreover Chicago had to pay from
twenty-five to one-hundred per cent, more in
rates than New York. Omaha he cited as one
flagrant instance. It is 1,460 miles from New
York and 500 miles from Chicago. The rate
thereto from the former is $1.37, while from the
latter it is 75 cents. On motion a committee of
five was appointed to confer with southern,
western and southwestern steamship and rail-
road lines, to the end that better and more equit*
able rates may be obtained. The following
gentlemen were named as such committee: P.
J. Healy, I. N. Rice, I. N. Camp, H. D. Cable
and E. S. Conway. A further committee of
three was appointed to collect subscriptions to
aid the first committee, as follows : J. P. Byrne,
P. P. Gibbs and Geo. P. Bent.
The following gentlemen were present and
shared in the dinner and the proceedings : Chas.
W. Newman, Jno. A. Newman, F.D. Abbot, L,. B.
Folkes, C. B. Harger, Jno. E. Hall, H. C. Dickin-
son, W. C. Howland, E. M. Eastman, August
Newell, C. S.Brainerd, W. A. Dodge, R. B. Greg-
ory, F. S. Cable, W. W. Griggs, W. A. Vanmatre,
F. F. Mulhaney, J. P. Byrne, A. Schneider, C. H.
MacDonald, J. M. Hawkeshurst, H. W. Fair-
bank, J. N. Brown, J. H. Reardon, Chas. W.
Wright, Iy. B. Safford, Phil. A. Stark, M. E.
Strack, L. H. Marston, Geo. D. Wighton, W.