Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1897 Vol. 24 N. 13

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EDWARD LVMAN
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St.. New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and
Canada, $3.00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
ertion. On quarterly
q
insertion.
or yearly contracts a special 1
count is allowec
ed.
REMITTANCES, to other than currency form, should
%• made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at th* New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, HARCH 27, 1897.
TELEPHONE NUMBER 1745. — EIQHTEENTH STREET.
The first week of each month, The Review
will contain a supplement embodying the liter-
ary and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
continue to remain, as before, essentially a trade
paper.
The Trade Directory, which is a feature of
The Review each month, is complete. In it ap-
pears the names and addresses of all firms en=
gaged in the manufacture of musical instruments
and the allied trades. The Review is sent to
the United States Consulates throughout the
world, and is on file in the reading rooms of the
principal hotels in America.
T
HE increased demand for mechanical
contrivances or attachments for musical
instruments which remove the difficulty of
learning or entirely replace the performer,
or afford a number of effects whereby the
tone is colored and the monotony relieved,
has been so pronounced during the past
year as to invite comment; and from all
reports, the demand is still growing.
With the growth in popularity of the
autoharps and other instruments of the
same class in the string family, it was pre-
dicted by some wiseacres that the small
goods trade in banjos, mandolins, and
other string instruments not so easily man-
ipulated would suffer. The contrary has
been the case, however.
Automatic attachments for instruments,
including pianos and organs, act largely as
educators, and are in a great measure pur-
chased by a class of people who never have
had or probably never would have a musi-
cal instrument in their home, were extra-
ordinary skill or pains necessary to manipu-
late it.
The many advantages of musical instru-
ments of the automatic family is that any
one can master them after a little practice,
while their repertoire is unlimited and the
effects delightful. Thus the automatic
age, now upon us, is not without its ad-
vantages. As far as it relates to musical
instruments, a great influence for good is
disseminated among the masses; a deeper
love for music is inculcated. The result
is an increased demand for musical pro-
ducts of all kinds. Those musically in-
clined will be prone, as heretofore, to bring
forth the charms of a musical instrument
without automatic aid; on the other hand,
a big army of people, not so patient, yet
not less appreciative, will bless their stars
that they are living in times when results
that are as satisfactor)' as they are wonder-
ful are possible without years of effort.
The main point which we wish to empha-
size in connection with these generaliza-
tions is that the number of automatic
improvements making their appearance
week after week are not or will not injure
the standard product in the trade field.
The automatic instruments have a mission,
and they are filling it to the advantage of
all the other musical instruments. In the
end all are benefited.
of our patrons. Occupied as we are in the
legitimate pursuit of journalism we have
little time and less inclination to criticise
the works of our contemporaries as long as
they are confined in the main to decency.
We are interested in the success of The
Review, and in order to maintain the pres-
tige which it has fairly won, we can hardly
see the necessity of criticizing the positions
held by our contemporaries. Judgment is
passed upon them according to the evidence
presented by their own deeds, and not
what we, who possibly would be influenced
by personal motives, may say of them.
+
+
The basis of profits is an interesting
question to every business man, particu-
larly so owing to the marked change during
the past few years in our commercial
methods. It is the general opinion held
to-day by a large portion of the community
that wealthy manufacturers acquire their
fortunes by charging exorbitant prices for
their products. This is a mistake, and it
is very cleverly shown herewith by The
Hardware Trade: Profits are made in two
ways: by economy of production and by
a profit on the sale. Economy of produc-
tion does not mean that low wages are paid
for labor, but it means that a sharp lookout
has been kept against waste. There has
been economy of shipment, economy of
service in the traveling field, economy and
good judgment in the purchase of supplies;
these are the factors that, carefully watched,
mean a profit to the maker of the goods,
without any trespass on good wages.
Then in the sale of goods only a small
profit is charged. Competition is too sharp
to permit of any other practice. The sur-
plus is not made up from a large profit on
a few articles sold, but from a small profit
on many articles sold. The consumer is
seldom wronged in the matter of profit on
merchandise of any class. The dealer who
sells 10,000 articles at a profit of ten cents
each has made more money than the dealer
who sold 3,000 articles at a profit of twenty-
five cents each. This is the principle on
which Vanderbilt laid the foundation of
his great fortune. When he opened his
freight line into Chicago, he cut freight
rates squarely in two to begin with. This
gave the shipper a big saving, but it at the
same time made very much more money
for Yanderbilt than if the old rate had
been maintained. More people could buy
goods because of the reduction this differ-
ence afforded.
+
+
One of our local contemporaries devotes
considerable space to alleged interviews
with manufacturers regarding the status of
the different trade papers. Of course it is
generally understood that the interviews
are purely a fake, but it reveals a peculiar
condition existing in the affairs of the paper
which may be interpreted as meaning that
it feels severely the competition of its con-
temporaries and seeks by every means to
belittle them.
Clouds of smoke usually denote the ex-
istence of fire.
It is a truth that no newspaper has ever
been injured by the malicious attacks of a
rival. It ceases to exist by reason of the
fact that it fails to produce that which meets
with popular approval.
We never have believed in devoting any
of our time or space in a general way to
the affairs of our contemporaries; in fact
we have believed that the trade cares very
little what our opinion may be of any of
the men who are engaged in the same
vocation as ourselves. What they do
care about is this—our ability to produce a
paper that has real merit—that is of value
—and whose utterances carry weight. We
are of the opinion that our policy is the
correct one, substantial evidence of which
may be seen in the steadily increasing ad-
vertising patronage placed with The Re-
view notwithstanding the general depres-
sion of the times. There is evidence ir-
refutable in that of the real esteem in which
a paper is held by its constituency.
The abuse of a contemporary is all tom-
myrot. A paper is weighed by the intelli-
Advocates of the National bankruptcy
gent class of readers who peruse it, and we law have been much encouraged by the in-
are always willing to abide by the decision terest manifested in the bankruptcy ques-
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
tion in the present special session of Con-
gress. No less than four bills were intro-
duced last week relating to this subject.
Senators Hoar and Lindsay presented the
Torrey bill without important modifica-
tions; a voluntary bill drawn somewhat on
the lines of the Bailey-George bill was in-
troduced by Senator Nelson of Minnesota,
and a bill embodying some of the provis-
ions of both the Torrey and Bailey-George
measures was offered by Senator Pettigrew
of South Dakota.
All of the bills were referred to the Sen-
ate Judiciary Committee and they will be
called up for consideration without much
delay. Owing to the non-appointment of
any but essential committees by Speaker
Reed, for the present session, it is general-
ly conceded that the prospects for action on
the bankruptcy question are favorable, and
there is every likelihood that an effective
law will be passed at the next regular ses-
sion of Congress.
Armstrong-Steinert Appeal.
The Armstrong-Steinert case came up
for hearing on appeal for a new trial before
the United States District Court, Judge Aid-
rich presiding, last Saturday. The Court
held that the jury unintentionally over-
looked certain evidence and ordered the
verdict set aside unless the plaintiff within
ten days files a remitter in the sum of $i,-
090 with interest from date of writ. Should
the Armstrong estate decide not to accept
the reduced amount a new trial will ensue.
In Town.
A New Retail House.
On Monday last, Albert G. Wigand and
L. C. Wegeforth bought out Taylor & Son,
who have been in the retail piano business
at 8 East Eighteenth street for the past
fourteen years. They will open up on
April 1st under the firm name of Wigand
& Wegeforth. The line of instruments
which they will handle has not yet been
decided upon. Both members of the firm
are thoroughly experienced, Mr. Wigand
having spent a considerable time on the
road with the firms of E. Gabler & Bro.,
the Sterling Co., the Braumuller Co., and
the Starr Piano Co., while Mr. Wegeforth
has made a splendid record as a retail sales-
man and manager with Horace Waters &
Co. and the Needham Piano and Organ Co.
There is something catchy about that
name, Wigand & Wegeforth: the allitera-
tion is pleasing. The "boys" (for Wigand
and Wegeforth are still boys, although
they have passed the two-hundred-pound
notch) have the best wishes of a host of
friends for their success, and we see no
reason why they should not do well in their
new field. They have the essentials for suc-
cess— intelligence, experience and energy.
Here's a health to Wigand & Wegeforth!
Accused by his Employer.
John C. Beaver, of 1,004 Hancock street,
Brooklyn, was remanded in the Jefferson
Market Police Court, Wednesday last, on
a charge of forgery in the third degree.
Beaver, who is a young married man,'has
been employed for the last year by Ber-
nard N. Smith, manufacturer of piano sup-
plies at 516 West Twenty-fourth street.
A few days ago the firm discovered that in
August last Beaver made an entry in the
cash-book of $2, when it is said he received
$7. An examination of the books shows a
shortage of $1,500, so the firm alleges.
Beaver denies the charge.
Among the members of the trade in town
this week were O. A. Kimball, of the Em-
erson Piano Co., Boston; Ernest Knabe of
Wm. Knabe & Co., Baltimore, Md. ; J.
H. White of the Wilcox & White Organ Blumner with the Brockport Co.
Co., Meriden, Conn.; W. C. Taylor of the
The Brockport Piano Co. have made
Taylor Music Co., Springfield, Mass.; W. arrangements with Mr. George Blumner,
F. Conkling, Newburgh, N. Y.; A. Bab- recently with Geo. P. Bent, to represent
cock of L. & A. Babcock, Norwich, N. Y. ; the " Capen " piano on the road. With the
Mr. Denton of Denton, Cottier & Daniels, aid of his well-known ability as a salesman
Buffalo, N. Y. ; D. Ashton of Maddensville, and the excellent qualities of the Capen
Pa.; Alex, and Albert Steinert, Boston, piano, good results are certain to accrue
and W. P. Smith, Portchester, N. Y.
from the deal just effected.
Mr. Blumner left on his initial trip in the
New Style Haines.
interest of the Brockport Co. the early days
The Haines Bros, incor. will have their of the week. He will make a thorough
new style 17 piano—which is a beauty— canvass of the Western and Northwestern
ready for the trade the early part of April. trade.
Weber-Wheelock News.
THE PITTSBURG AGENCY GENERAL OUTLOOK
SATISFACTORY.
The news from the Weber-Wheelock
offices this week is interesting, and will be
pleasantreading for the new firm'sadmirers,
rapidly growing as they evidently are in
numbers and influence. Mr. Wheelock
and Mr. Lawson are both proverbially busy
men. Occasionally, however, the Review
intercepts one of them "on the fly" and
secures some good items.
"How about the new Pittsbnrg agency ?"
was the first question fired at Mr. Whee-
lock yesterday morning, when he was seen
for a few seconds.
" W e have decided the whole matter,"
was the ready response. "An entire build-
ing has been secured, at 511 Wood street,
for the use of the firm. We will endeavor
to do good business in Pittsburg, but on a
conservative basis. The building is a four
story one, with modern equipments. Im-
portant changes are now in progress. We
shall open between April 10 and 15. Mr.
Charles Logan, Jr., who has been for many
years a tried and true worker in our inter-
ests, will have charge. The stock will be
large and will contain some of our choi-
cest instruments."
"What is the general outlook for the
Weber-Wheelock products?" was the next
question.
"We have been, from the start, ver)'
much encouraged," replied Mr. Wheelock,
"and now, particularly, we have good
reason to be thankful to our friends and
supporters. They are coming well to the
front. Old agencies are working hard and
effectively for us. New first-class agencies
are taking a firm hold. Orders are coming
in steadily from responsible and highly
reputable firms, including the M. Sonnen-
berg Piano Co., of New Haven, Sanders &
Stayman, of Baltimore and Washington,
Junius Hart, of New Orleans, and French
& Bassett, of Duluth, Minn. The new
High School of Willimantic, Conn., through
our agent, Mr. A. C. Andrew, has just pur-
chased a Weber new-scale concert grand
and a Wheelock upright, style 8, for imme-
diate delivery. The general outlook, there-
fore, all along the line, is good, with every
indication of enduring prosperity."
Another Piano Factory for
Saginaw.
Saginaw, Mich., bids fair to have a name
and fnme as a manufacturing center for pi-
See No Prospects for Work.
anos. The Erd piano factory has for some
A dispatch from Monroeville, O., says: years been one of the recognized industries
The employees of the Edna Piano and of the city, and another large plant is to be
Organ Co., who have been out of employ- put in operation shortly. For some time
Kimball Takes Possession.
ment the greater part of the past year, Ed. Germain has been making preparations
The general agent of the W. W. Kimball waited upon the officers of the company in to engage in the manufacture of pianos at
Co., Chicago, has taken possession of the a body and demanded to know their chances his plant on Genesee avenue. It is under-
piano and organ store of T. N. Magru- for securing work. They received no satis- stood that these arrangements are now
der, Jefferson City, Mo. It is alleged that faction at the handsof their employers, and nearly complete, that expert piano mer-
Mr. Magruder has not been punctual in his came away much disappointed. Fifteen or chanics have been secured and the work of
manufacturing will begin shortly.
settlements.
twenty families are affected.
It is a magnificent instrument, and like
their style 20 will, we are certain, make a
big hit with the trade.

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