Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
•-7
HTHE editor of that interesting column in
I the Press, entitled "On the Tip of the
Tongue," writes as follows anent Mr. Stein-
way's sixtieth birthda)', which was referred
to in last week's issue: My old friend,
Baron Stein way, being the prince of good
fellows, should have been decorated as such
by the Imperial Court of Austria-Hungary,
instead of being put dewn as a mere cheva-
lier. But he does not care for titles. He
has more decorations than he can wear on
his broad chest. Sixty! That is a good
ripe age, though not so old as it looked to
me when in the dim and distant future. I
remember well the day when William Stein-
way wanted the $350 his old employer
owed him for wages, and went to get it.
Finding that the firm had failed, he never
asked for the money, but, instead, took it
upon himself to support the man who had
given him work. He kept this up till Nunns
— for it was he — died. The Steinways
got hold of Nunn's factory, moved up
therefrom their little shop in Varick street,
and began making pianos on a larger scale.
William has done pretty well. He is re-
garded as our foremost German-American
citizen. He has laid up riches, and has led
many successful political fights. He has
had conferred on him the honor of an au-
dience with the German Emperor and Em-
press at the marble palace in Potsdam.
And now his friends all gather around to
celebrate his sixtieth birthday.
Van Cullen Jones, editor of the Dolge-
ville Herald, honored our sanctum with a
visit during the week. Mr. Jones is turn-
ing out one of the best weekty papers to be
found throughout the State. It is a leader
in economic thought, and in its editorials
are discussed the leading questions of the
day in a broad and dignified style which is
convincing. Mr. Jones is an experienced
journalist, a fluent and able writer, and is
personally much esteemed by Dolgevil-
leans.,
* *
*
Some years ago an "Anti-Piano League"
was formed in Vienna, the object of which
was the suppression of the so-called "piano-
epidemic" or "piano plague." A mass
meeting was called in the Blumensaal, and
the company consisted of about one thou-
sand gentlemen moving in the best society.
A well-known banker was chosen chair-
man. The first speaker, a respected mer-
chant, condemned the visitation called
piano, and thundered in the strongest terms
against the innocent instrument. A pro-
fessor at one of the academies found con-
siderable to say against it, and finally a
resolution was read by which all members
of the league bound themselves to use their
best efforts to battle against the epidemic.
Before a vote.was taken the editor of a fa-
vorite paper arose and spoke to this effect:
"Before we vote upon the resolution, I
would request that all not owning a piano
rise." Forty-nine of those present arose,
and more than nine hundred remained
seated. Smilingly the editor looked
around, and, having counted those with-
out a piano, continued as follows:
"Next, I would recommend the follow-
ing clause to the resolution: 'In proof of
our good faith in battling against the
piano, and to show that we are sincere, we
hereby bind ourselves to sell the pianos
now in our possession within eight days to
some second-hand dealer, or other person
not a member of the league, for whatever
price may be obtained, and we declare on
the words of gentlemen that we will in-
duce others to join the league and to agree
to this obligation.'" The effect of this
short speech can be imagined. Only three
of the owners of pianos were willing to ful-
fill this obligation, while the others would
not join the league on such terms. The
league dissolved, and the piano remained
victorious.
* *
*
Adding the imports and exports of the
twenty-one leading nations of the world to-
gether, the striking preponderance of Great
Britain in foreign commerce is evident, but
the further fact of her decline in trade is
shown. A decline in France is also evi-
dent, which passes it from the second place
in 1883 to the fourth in 1893. German)', in
1893, was second to Great Britain, and the
United States occupied the third place.
The largest percentage of gain shown by
any country is by Japan. The next largest
Mexico, and the next Holland.
* *
*
ii
WASHINGTON, D. C , Mar.
11,
1896.
HE official figures bearing on the im-
ports and exports of musical instru-
ments for January, which appear herewith,
have been specially prepared for THE
MUSIC TRADK REVIEW. This is the latest
period for which statistics have been
compiled:
The dutiable imports of musical instru-
ments for the month amounted to $86,319,
as compared with $79,803 worth imported
in January, 1895. The seven months total
footed up $824,703, as against $483,992
worth imported during the same period of
the previous year.
The exports of musical instruments show
970 organs exported in January, valued at
$54,260, against 1,007 exported in January,
1895, valued at $55,979. The seven
months total footed up 8,037 organs ex-
ported, valued at $446,261, against 6,949
organs, valued at $428,750, exported during
the same period of the previous year.
The number of pianos exported in Janu-
ary amounted to 70, valued at $20,643, as
compared with 51, valued at $15,203, ex-
ported in January, 1895. The total for the
seven months shows exports of pianos to
the number of 512, valued at $135,005,
against 557, valued at $155,197, exported
during the same period of the preceding
year.
All other musical instruments and parts
thereof exported during the month of Janu-
ary were valued at $18,039, against $23,466
worth exported in January, 1894. The
seven months total footed up $175,217
worth exported, as against $136,528 worth
the previous year.
The dutiable re-exports of musical in-
struments amounted in January to $1,295,
against the re-exports of January, 18Q5,
which were valued at $370. The seven
months total exports footed up $5,647, as
compared with $6,845 worth re-exported
during the same period of the year before.
Musical instruments to the value of
$75,700 remained in customs warehouse
in January, as compared with $80,753 for
the same period last year.
T
As William Steinway, president of the
Rapid Transit Commission in this city, has
maintained right along, the underground
railroad will be built underneath Broad-
way, and will be built for the sum planned
out by the Commissioners. The report of
the Special Committee to the Supreme
Court last Saturday decided this matter
definitely. The Commissioners had to
fight a great battle in the face of deter-
mined opposition, but the people have been
with them right along, and the great vic-
The "flatchless" Shaw.
tory achieved by this favorable report
means that rapid transit is a certainty—it
RAVEL where you will through this
means that upper New York will be devel-
broad land of ours, and you find deal-
oped, and the basis laid for a transit system
ers
acclaiming
the merits and selling quali-
which will be in keeping with the destiny
ties
of
the
"matchless"
Shaw piano. This
of this city as the second largest in the
splendid
reputation
is
truly fame nobly
world. Rapid transit insures a "Greater
New York." Mr. Steinway and his fellow won.
Commissioners are to be congratulated on
the outcome of their labors.
FRANK SCRIBNER, importer of musicalin-
*
struments, has just returned from a very
AMONG recent subscribers to the Root successful Western trip. He will leave on
Monument Fund were the White-Smith his annual European trip on April loth.
Music Publishing Co., of Boston.
T