Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1895 Vol. 20 N. 5

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and
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ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or- yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second- Class Matter.
If OR tfo caase tot.
For the wrosg thai
Pot ih future in th« distance, ^ " iVi
ffgd lift good tljat we cut is"
N important meeting of manufac-
turers from all parts of the United
States was held in Cincinnati last week for
the purpose of forming a National Conven-
tion of Manufacturers. The avowed ob-
ject of the organization is to develop for-
eign trade, to have expositions in the South
American capitals, to urge control of the
Nicaraugua Canal by the United States and
to keep in touch with other matters affect-
ing the common interests of the manufac-
turers of this country from non-political,
non-partisan and non-sectional standpoints.
The meeting, we are pleased to say, was a
great success, but strange to say the piano
trade was not specially represented at such
an important conference.
A
HE national bankruptcy bill—a meas-
ure of considerable moment to the
business community, is now before the
United States Senate for final action, and
there is considerable prospect of its becom-
ing a law this session. It behooves every
business man who is in favor of having the
present complicated system of state bank-
ruptcy laws simplified and rendered uniform
to exert every influence with his represent-
ative in Congress to see that the bill re-
T
ceives fair treatment when it goes back to
the House for consideration of the amend-
ments made by the Senate. If this bill
becomes a law it will prevent dishonest
failures and compel impartial consideration
for all claims alike; it will punish the man
who makes a trade of fraudulent assign-
ments, or who sells out his assets for the
benefit of a favored few; it will, mean-
while, give the honest, but unfortunate
debtor, a chance to start afresh.
The absolute need of a national bank-
ruptcy system is more and more apparent
every day. To the music trade, as well as
other industries, it appeals with equal
force. For years strenuous efforts have
been made to secure legislation on this im-
portant matter, and now that the proposed
measure has reached its present stage, it is
hoped that every business man will put his
shoulder to the wheel and push it along
until it receives the President's signature.
THESTEINWAY CASE. •
ONSIDERABLE space has been oc-
cupied in the columns of the daily
papers in this city during the past week
regarding the case of Henry W. T. Stein-
way against the trustees of the corporation
of Steinway & Sons. The plaintiff alleges
that the corporation has engaged in other
enterprises than that for which it was orig-
inally formed, which he claims is detri-
mental to the interests of the stockholders.
Also he alleges many other things, which,
it seems to us, he has been unable to sub-
stantiate in the slightest degree. It occurs
to us that as the matter now stands it is
purely and simply an affair in which the
individual members of the corporation of
Steinway & Sons alone are directly inter-
ested, and it is of little consequence or in-
terest to the outside trade or public.
Therefore we must hold to our firmly es-
tablished principles of eschewing that
which relates directly to the personal affairs
of individuals in this trade. We may add,
however, that some of the plaintiff's claims
appear utterly absurd, and in the business
light of to-day have a decidedly ridiculous
tinge. To any one of even ordinary intel-
ligence the fact has long been apparent
that the European artists surely did not
work without compensation, and for Henry
Steinway to allege that expenditures relat-
ing to the employment of musicians were
unjust and did not properly belong to the
corporation of Steinway & Sons, seems
peculiarly absurd. Upon reading the re-
ports in the papers during the past week
we are much impressed with the idea that
the plaintiff in this matter has a long cher-
C
ished grudge against his uncle William,
and that he is using the court in this city
as a vehicle on which to parade his peculiar
allegations..
.
'
•
"
*
^
•
^
DOLGE'S IDEA OF NATIONALIZING THE
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
HE speech delivered by Mr. Alfred
Dolge at the twenty-sixth annual
reunion of his employees, in Dolgeville, N.
Y., was a notable one in every respect, and
we take much pleasure in presenting it in
full to our readers in this issue of THE
T
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Aside from an able review of the busi-
ness situation for the past twelve months,
and its bearing upon the industries of
Dolgeville, Mr. Dolge puts forth what we
consider a feasible plan for the ultimate
solution of the wage problem. Mr. Dolge
is not a theorist in any sense of the word.
He has had a wide and extensive experi-
ence—practical and thorough—and his opin-
ions upon economic questions are the re-
sult of earnest and conscientious study. In
fact, his views upon these subjects have
been received with the respect due an
authority by thinkers at home and abroad.
In his speech Mr. Dolge advocates the
establishment of a National Labor Insur-
ance and Pension Fund—a broad applica-
tion of the insurance system which has
been in successful operation in the Dolge-
ville factories for twenty years, and which
has lately been adopted by the firms of
Daniel Green & Co., and the C. F. Zim-
mermann Co.
•
,.
He is of the opinion that if all employers
woiild set aside a fraction of i per cent, of
the wages they pay, just as they set aside
a much larger percentage for their profit
and loss or wear and tear accounts, a fund
would be created which, if paid to the
Federal Government, would insure workers
a guarantee that in the later days of their
life they would not become a public charge
•upon the State, or die of starvation.
When Mr. Dolge makes this statement,
he is not simply theorizing. He has the
advantage of being able to point to a prac-
tical application of the system. The na-
tionalizing of this plan would result in in-
suring wage-earners that degree of cer-
tainty as to their future, which the em-
ployees of the Dolgeville factories enjoy
to-day. As Mr. Dolge very clearly shows,
"the adoption of this system would effect-
ually disperse Socialism and Populism,
both standing menaces to progressive civ-
ilization," and would make better citizens
without in the least interfering with indi-
vidual development. It would, further-
more, in our opinion, engender a spirit of
patriotism among the working classes, and.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
act as'aiTinceutive to arf increased love of
our^institution's!
It would demonstrate
that the Republic of the United States is
not simply of the people, but for the peo-
ple.
A careful analysis of Mr. Dolge's speech
will show that the nationalization of the
present system in vogue at Dolgeville, is
based upon strictly logical and common
sense business principles.
fine-spun generalizations
There are no
or comparative
assumptions, but the clean-cut expressions
of a thoughtful, earnest mind, desirous of
benefiting his fellow man. It is true, it may
be a little in advance of the times, but as a
panacea for the growing discontent and un-
rest in the labor world, it has everything to
commend it.
It is neither paternal nor
philanthropic; it is simply a reward which
the wage earner is entitled to after his years
of toil.
It raises the standard of living and
brings us nearer that ideal republic which
the founders of this Government had in
mind at its inception.
It cannot be called
an experiment, for it has now been in ap-
plication—in a small way, it is true—for
An Evening
With Steinway.
T
O speak any words in praise of the
artistic and musical attributes of the
Steinway piano is virtually like trying
to gild refined gold. There are occasions,
however—whether it be due to mood,
environment or temperament—when the
wonderful musical qualities of a Stein-
way grand—which produce almost the
tone color characteristics of an orchestra—
impress one more forcibly than usual. This
was the case recently when it was our good
fortune to hear the Steinway played at a
pupils' concert and reception tendered Mr.
Xaver Scharwenka, the well-known teacher,
composer and pianist, at Steinway Hall,
and whether it be due, as before remarked,
to a special mood, it seemed to us that the
Steinway grand used on that occasion was
the ne plus ultra of piano mechanism.
Played as it was on that occasion by many
amateurs—and good ones at that—or by
Professor Scharwenka himself, it at all
times revealed itself as an instrument
worthy of its world-wide reputation.
The majority of people look for a trial or
proof of a piano only when it is played
upon by great artists. They are able to
It seems to us that this system advocated
bring forth all these nuances and features
by Mr. Dolge should commend itself to all
unknown to the average player.
But a
employers of labor. As Mr. Dolge in his piano like the Steinway that manifests its
closing remarks, says:
majesty and beauty at the hands of a
"Its probability and practicability can be player of average ability is sui generis. The
demonstrated beyond a doubt. I believe Steinway piano is indeed unsurpassed in
power and purity, and peculiarly sensitive
that this nation is destined to show the
and alive to the technic of the virtuoso or
world that the factory system, the utilizing the average interpreter.
Constructively
of natural forces, the combination of brain and musically it stands pre-eminent. This
and brawn as exemplified in our great rail- has long been conceded, but like re-reading
road, commercial and industrial enterprises, ,a book which has afforded us a great deal
does not mean the degradation of the wage- of pleasure and profit, a new hearing of
the Steinway piano serves to impress one
earners, but on the contrary that our great
with a new sense of its greatness. Cease-
industrial progress inevitably leads to high- less research and experiment has culmi-
er social development for wage-earners, and nated in the perfection of tone illustrated
higher civilization for the nation. "
in the Steinway piano. The musical world
This shot of Dolge's will be "heard round will ever feel under deep obligations to this
noted house for their labors in this special
the world.''
field.
The keen sympathy existing between the
Steinway piano, the performer and an au-
In Favor of Bent.
dience, can be accounted for on the scien-
tific basis of all those essentials which enter
CHICAGO, 111., Jan. 31, 1891.
into its construction—more especially the
Music TRADE REVIEW,
wonderful perfection of the duplex scale,
3 East i4thstreet, New York.
Court to-day refuses to dissolve my in- bridge and sound-board. This brings to
junction against Everett. If any are vio- mind Prof. Helmholtz's remarks no these
features of the Steinway piano. He said:
lating injunction, please notify.
' ' Points that interest me agree as they do
GEORGE P. BENT.
with the results of my acoustic studies,"
adding that: " In the ear, on the tympanic
membrane, there exists the identical appa-
The Seaverns Company.
ratus for the transmission of the air vi-
HE condition of business with the brations" to the structural parts of the
Seaverns Piano Action Company, Cam- organs of hearing—namely, hammer, anvil
bridgeport, Mass., is such as to lead them and stirrup, with a similar arching of the
to hope for a prosperous spring trade. They surface—that you have applied so success-
experienced the usual quiet during the hol- fully to your pianos.'' This criticism of
idays, but report a marked improvement in Helmholtz's is a valuable and • weighty
estimate, and it goes to demonstrate that
business nowadays.
almost twenty years.
T
7
grand pianos, which are worthy of that
signification, cannot be turned out like
folding-beds. They must have a scientific
basis if they hope to win reputation and
fame.
As a conclusion to this causcric we would
recommend would-be critics to be on watch
for their "moods," and they will be amazed
to realize a new appreciation of the purity,
sweetness and power of the renowned
Steinway piano. •
A Novel Parade.
A
NOVEL parade was seen on our streets
yesterday afternoon, says the Dallas
News. It consisted of eight wagons,bearing
banners, starting on their rounds delivering
pianos and organs sold for Christmas pres-
ents by the Will A.Watkin Music Company.
There were two Steinway and two Fischer
pianos sold in Dallas. There were du-
plicates representing instruments sold for
Christmas presents outside of Dallas as fol-
lows: One Fischer piano sold in Fort
Worth, one Newby & Evans piano sold in
Denton, and one in Chapel Hill; one Far-
rand & Votey organ sold in Denton and one
near Dallas. Such a number of Christmas
sales strongly indicate the superiority of
these celebrated instruments, and also the
enterprise of the Will A. Watkin Music
Company.
•
•
Steinert in Worcester.
M
STEINERT & SONS' warerooms
at Worcester, Mass., were formally
opened Tuesday of last week. They are
under the management of A. B. Allison.
There was a large number of musicians
and society people present at the opening,
and the apartments were handsomely deco-
rated. A splendid showing was made of
Steinway, Hardman and other makes of
pianos.
A Narrow Escape.
W
HAT might have been a very serious
accident occurred recently at the
Wilcox & White organ factory, Meriden,
Conn. While Mr. Howard White, the su-
perintendent, Frank N. Hastings, the en-
gineer, and E. E. Hughes, the foreman of
the factory, were in the act of charging
several fire extinguishers in the mill room,
the jug of vitriol, which contained about
two quarts, fell out of Mr. Hastings' hands,
and the fiery liquid spattered all over the
place, on the clothing and faces of the men.
The results are that Mr. Hastings' face is
covered with scars, while Mr. Hughes is
.also pretty badly burned about the face.
Mr. White's eyes were, fortunately, saved
from serious injury by his spectacles. We
are pleased to learn that the three gentle-
men are recovering from the effects of the
accident.
E. WITZMANN, Memphis, Tenn., sus-
tained a loss of $1,000 by damage done his
stcie through a fire next door.
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