Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1897 Vol. 24 N. 3

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
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
Canada, $3-00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts ;• special dis-
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
t» made payable to Edward Lyraan Bill.
Bnttred at th* New York Post Offic* as Second Class Mmhtr.
NEW YORK, JANUARY 16, 1897.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745.--EIGHTEENTH STREET.
THE BOSTON DINNER.
The dinner given by the Boston Music
Trade Association last Saturday, at the Hotel
Brunswick, in that city, was not only a notable
event in the annals of the Boston trade, but
bids fair to leave its impress upon trade life
in all parts of the country.
No one could sit at the board and listen
to the sentiments expressed at that banquet
without being impressed with the seriousness
and intense earnestness with which Boston's
leading merchants and financiers regard the
advantages of organized trade bodies.
It was really the first event that has ever
occurred in this trade in which the matter of
trade associations and their influence has been
the one dominating subject of the different
speakers' remarks.
The committee who had the matter in
charge evidently used discriminating taste in
their selection of speakers, in order that they
might furnish their guests with an opportu-
nity to hear from experts the benefits result-
ing from organized commercial bodies. Mr.
Jones and Mr. Sayward made speeches which
were not only interesting, but remarkable for
the force and strength of their sentiment.
Here is a sentence cut at random from Mr.
Jones's remarks:
" If you cultivate that camaraderie in your
trade, forbidding salesmen to speak ill of their
competitors and of the goods they produce,
and insist upon truth-telling, you will not only
get higher results at the end of the year, but
you will get a pleasure out of business life,
and might make life better worth living."
Solid chunks of wisdom in that, is there not?
Let us cull a sentence from Mr. Sayward's
speech:
" We are not waiting for burning questions.
It is better to handle them, deal with them,
solve them before they begin to burn."
Food for thought, surely.
There is no doubt but that every man who of the new year, The Review feels that it is an
was present at the banquet, whether manu- appropriate time to assure its friends that the
facturer or dealer, was impressed with the pos- work which it proposes to do in behalf of clean
sible advantages which he might derive from journalism during the present year will surpass
a perfected trade organization.
any of its previous efforts which our friends
The subject is of peculiar interest to us, have been kind enough to applaud.
inasmuch as we have been for years persist-
Clean, forceful work, an unimpaired news
ently advocating the advantage of a national service, continuous travelling in all parts of the
music trade association. It was years ago country. All of that means something.
when we took the inceptive move in this mat-
At the rate regular work is steadily coming
ter, and we have carefully watched the growth in upon us we shall be forced to make still fur-
of that sentiment which is tending toward na- ther additions to the size of the paper.
tional organization.
r *—*
The great trouble is men hold aloof from
To-day at 1 p. m., as announced in a previous
these matters because they think they can run
issue of The Review, Rudolf Dolge sails for
their business alone, without any outside inter-
Venezuela.
During his tarry in Latin Amer-
ference of any nature whatsoever.
ica Mr. Dolge will act as special envoy for the
That is true, neither are they relinquishing
National Association of Manufacturers—an
one iota of their business independence when
Association which was formed primarily for
they join an association. But in an association
the extension of the foreign trade of the United
there is unquestionably great strength, as a
body of men—well-organized men—always ac- States.
: * — *
complish much which is far beyond the limits
Robert B. Gregory, of Lyon & Healy, Chi-
of disorganization.
Another trouble is that men expect too cago, has been before the tariff committee,
much. They seem to think that immediate and now holding session in Washington, this week,
startling results should be the direct outcome in reference to the tariff upon musical instru-
of an association's doings. They forget often- ments. Mr. Gregory represented the majority
times that, in order to make a success of any- of the musical manufacturing interests of
thing, it is necessary that they should give America, and it was his request that the tariff
to the furtherance of their ideas in any partic- be allowed to remain unchanged.
After leaving Washington, Mr. Gregory
ular line considerable of their time, and cer-
visited New York, where he met a number of
tainly much of their influence.
The answer to the cry of " What's the use? " the musical instrument manufacturers Thurs-
may be found in Mr. Sayward's reply to Mr. day.
Wheelock's " burning questions ": Don't wait
for them to burn.
Our esteemed contemporary, " The Indi-
If they would put aside, as has been wisely cator," has of late been giving some severe
suggested, a certain amount of money annually reprimands to the publishers of trade papers
and devote a certain time to the aims and ob- who carry that form of advertisements, termed
jects of associations, they would, in our opin- in the vernacular of the day as " dead ads."
ion, derive greater benefit.
We heartily agree with " The Indicator " in its
On the whole, we are a nervous, sensitive expressions in this matter. The dead ad. editor
people, prone to anticipate immediate results, cannot be shown up in too strong a light.
and the association idea has not yet reached
a point where it is acceptable to all. It is grow-
The Everett Building, 141 Fifth Avenue,
ing, and the Boston Music Trade dinner has,
this
city, is fast approaching completion. It is
in our opinion, helped largely to encourage
evident that it will be ready within the next ten
the idea of a national music trade association.
days for occupancy; at least the first floor will
It will come, sure as fate, and a few years hence be out of the hands of the contractors.
many will be wondering why the idea was not
"The Steck piano received a royal send-off in
carried to a successful issue long before.
some recent advertising literature issued by
Nordheimer's of Montreal. The pianos manu-
'*
*
factured by Geo. Steck & Co. are such admir-
The number of new advertisements which able instruments that their very best friends
appear in this week's Review will show that the can be found among the intelligent and dis-
policy of this paper is appreciated by a large criminating dealers and purchasers.
and growing constituency. After all, there is
T. Linton Floyd-Jones is meeting with good
no more eloquent way in which to show the
success on his maiden road trip for Haines
appreciation of good journalistic work than Bros., incorporated, this city. Orders have al-
patronage. It is the sincerest form of compli- ready come in from Buffalo, Detroit, and Chi-
ment that can be paid to one's work.
cago, and, as the saying goes, " there are more
in
sight."
Standing as we are almost on the threshold
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Now a Piano Dealers' " Trust. 1
STARTLING NEWS FROM THE WEST PROMINENT
DEALERS HAVK LITTLE FAITH IN IT
THINK SOME MANUFACTURER
IS BEHIND THE SCHEME.
A dispatch from the West conveys the start-
ling information that there is being formed a
big combination of piano dealers of the United
States for the purpose of organizing a stock
company or piano trust, with Henry Acker-
man, of Marion, O., as president.
It seems that the company is to be composed
of twenty-four dealers, and of these eight are
residents of Ohio. A member of the contem-
plated " trust " has been interviewed on this
matter, and from him it was learned that a
company was to be formed by the dealers for
the manufacture of their own pianos. He
states that all the stock has been paid in and
all of it taken. The company has not been
organized yet, but will be in a short time. It
is proposed to manufacture pianos on a much
more economical plan for the buyer and it will
be a benefit as well to the dealers. The pianos
manufactured for each dealer are to have a
different name, while the instruments will be
practically the same.
Prominent piano dealers of the western
cities are of the opinion that the proposed
combine will not amount to much. A Toledo,
C , dealer suggested that some manufacturing
concern was back of the association. He said
it was likely that the concern had offered to
turn out pianos for the dealers and stamp the
name of each dealer on the piano. This
scheme would, in a way, give a dealer some
prestige, enabling him to sell a piano of his
own " special make." All the members of the
association would get the same make of piano,
but the instrument would be stamped in the
name of the dealer ordering it.
J. W. Green, of Toledo, says that about six
months ago he was asked to go into such an
association, but declined. He did not give the
man who called on him any encouragement,
and the individual left.
Mr. Currier, of Whitnev & Currier, when
interviewed, said he was not a member of the
association, and placed but little faith in it, if
there was such an organization. The only
combine that paid was one with money be-
hind it, and he knew that the association now
talked of had no capital, if composed of small
dealers as stated. The only combine in the
piano business, if combine it could be called,
is the John Church Company, organized in
Cincinnati years ago. They make their pianos
in Boston, and control Cincinnati, New York,
and Chicago houses. This concern has several
million dollars behind it,.and, as Mr. Currier
said, is the kind of combine that pays.
It is amazing how this news about a " piano
trust " crops up periodically. No doubt this
combine will end as many other rumors of this
kind have ended—in talk.
WeberJfMeeting.
The creditors of the Weber Piano Co. were
to hold a meeting at TO8 Fifth Avenue, this
city, yesterday afternoon, when all the accounts
for and against the corporation, and all of its
open and subsisting contracts, were ascertained
and adjusted, and the amount of money in the
hands of the receiver of the company declared.
The meeting did not take place before The Re-
view went to press, hence we are unable to give
details.
Annual Meeting of the A. P. M. A.
The American Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation of New York held its annual meeting
for the election of officers and other business
at the Union Square Hotel, last Tuesday. A
goodly attendance of members was present,
and a lively interest was shown in the proceed-
ings.
The following officers were elected for the
ensuing year: President, Adolpho H. Fischer;
First Vice-president, Samuel Hazelton; Sec-
ond Vice-president, Nahum Stetson; Third
Vice-president, there was no selection for this
office—it will be rilled by some member out-
side of New York and vicinity; Secretary,
Robert C. Kammerer; Treasurer, John Evans.
Executive Committee: Chas. H. Steinway,
chairman; Robt. A. Widenmann, secretary;
Wm. E. Wheelock, Louis P. Bach.
Nominating and Membership Committee:
H. Paul Mehlin, John D. Pease, Chas. H.
Parsons.
The Weber Piano Co. and Wm. E. Wheel-
ock & Co. having gone out of existence were
dropped from the roll. The application for ad-
mission to membership of the new Weber-
Wheelock Co. was referred to the membership
committee.
The following resolution was adopted: That
a committee of three be appointed, names to be
selected by the chairman, to confer with other
associations and outside manufacturers in the
piano trade, to devise some plan whereby
the members can be protected against fraud in
the trade.
At the close of the meeting, a very gracious
event was the presentation by the Association
of beautifully engrossed resolutions on the
death of William Steinway, to the firm of
Steinway & Sons.
La Grassa with Doll.
Salvadore La Grassa has made an arrange-
ment with Jacob Doll, whereby he will assume
the duties of factory superintendent on an
after January 18th.
Mr. La Grassa has arranged to have th
La Grassa piano placed on the market; the
instrument will be built on his own lines and
entirely under his personal supervision.
Chickering Musicale.
Messrs. Chickering & Sons have issued in-
vitations for the next matinee musical, which
will take place Tuesday next, January 19, as
usual, at Chickering Hall, this city.
The programme, which is of unusual ex-
cellence, will be interpreted by the following
artists: Adelina Hibbard, Soprano; Anton
Hegner, Cello; Emile Levy, Accompanist;
and Hortense Hibbard, Pianoforte. Tht
opening number will be Brahm's Sonata, op.
38, for piano and cello.
The ^olian in Minnesota.
Among the latest accessions to the /Eolian
staff of representatives are the New England
Furniture & Carpet Co., of Minneapolis and
St. Paul, Minn., who are going to push the
,ZEolian energetically in that section of the
country. Special ^Eolian recital rooms will be
fitted up, and those progressive methods in-
augurated which have made the yEolian so
well known throughout the country.
Meeting of the Estey Corporations.
The annual meeting of the Estey Piano Co.
was held in this city, Friday, January 8th, when
the following officers were elected for the ensu-
ing year: President, Julius J. Estey; Vice-
president, J. B. Simpson; Treasurer, Robert
B. Proddow; Secretary, Stephen Brambach.
The above officers and J. Gray Estey constitute
the board of directors.
The Estey Organ Co. held their annual
meeting at Brattleboro, Vt., on Tuesday last,
January 12th; the following officers were
elected for 1897: President, Julius J. Estey;
Vice-president, J. Gray Estey; Secretary and
Treasurer, J. Harry Estey. The board of di-
rectors remains unchanged.
What Mr. Poole Says.
Chatting this week with W. H. Poole, of the
Poole Piano Co., Boston, he said: " The pub-
lished reports of the incorporation of the Kis-
ner Piano Co. are incorrect. While it is true
I am considering the incorporation of another
piano company, yet I wish it distinctly under-
stood that it will in no way affect or interfere
with the manufacture of the Poole piano,
neither will there be any change in the Poole
name. The -Poole Piano Co. will continue.
The other matter is a business arrangement
which I shall be prepared to talk about later."
Chickering Changes.
Among the important transfers of agencies
for the week, we may mention that Chickering
& Sons have transferred their agency in New
Haven, Conn., from C. M. Loomis & Sons to
the Sonnenberg Piano Co. The Loomises have
held the Chickering agency, we believe, next
longest of any concern in the trade, the term
of years which they have handled the Chicker-
ing being only exceeded by S. R. Lcland,
Worcester.
In Philadelphia, we understand that they
have also transferred the agency for their
pianos, in that city, from James Bellak's Sons
to Henry Steinert, who, it will be remembered,
bought the good will for a term of years of
W. D. Dutton & Co., and conducts his busi-
ness under that name.
The Staib Piano Action.
The Staib Piano Action Co., East 134th
Street and Brook Avenue, received some
heavy orders during the past week; one in
particular, from Story & Clark, of Chicago,
was for seventy-two actions. The Staib con-
cern are building up a very satisfactory busi-
ness, and everything points to a steady prog-
ress during the present year.

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