Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
caught the tide at its flood. The past is
gone, an energetic future is before us. A
future in which the demarcation between
sentiment and business will be more and
more clearly defined.
*
*
*
*
It occurs to me while writing in this
vein that my esteemed contemporary, the
Musical Courier, has failed to correctly
interpret the trend of events towards con-
solidation. It may be that the Courier
believes in division, addition and silence.
The division of its musical and trade
departments at this time is certainly sur-
prising, to say the least.
From a business standpoint it can be
construed as an admission of weakness, and
from a newspaper standpoint it has fla-
grantly violated the ethics of journalism
by an open admission of a distribution of
copies on the same basis as programs at
the theatre are passed around to whomso-
ever may read.
The Courier in the past has posed as a
great trade publication. Is not such action
as it has now taken an open confession of
its weakness?
And pray, if so weak after the past alle-
gations made concerning its circulation,
what guarantee has an advertiser of its
circulation on a free basis?
If, with its unquestionably great musi-
cal prestige behind it, it failed, how can it
hope to succeed on a free basis?
Again, it claims to publish 7,000 or
8,000 copies fortnightly free, flinging the
malicious and damnably false lie that in
this it eclipses all other trade papers com-
bined in point of circulation. I have
proved by my printed certificate that over
3,000 copies of The Review were printed
weekly. I have shown by my printer's
certificate that single editions have ex-
ceeded 10,000 copies. I have proved by
my printer's certificate the last edition of
The Keynote before consolidation with The
Review exceeded 5,000 copies. Therefore
I fling back into the teeth of the Courier
its false, lying statement. By deliberate
falsehood the trade edition of the Courier
is doomed.
Further, as a man who has devoted some
years of his life to special study, I claim
that the free distribution of copies will
never win. I hold that a man who receives
something for nothing values it according-
ly. Therefore no man, with of course
some exceptions, receives The Review reg-
ularly unless he pays or agrees to pay for
it, and I make the open statement that a
newspaper institution working on opposite
lines is fast digging a pit into which it will
be plunged.
I express my sentiments without preju-
dice. I have in the past, in some respects,
found the Courier a fair business competi-
tor, but as a journalist, I would not permit
the occasion to pass without condemning it
for its free-program-circular scheme, nor
would I fail to denounce its false accusa-
tion concerning other publications.
And the band played on.
*
*
#
*
As I wired you last week, Platt P. Gibbs
seems to have overcome the obstacles
which temporarily threatened to engulf
him. He is running his business as re-
ceiver and everyone with whom I have
talked has implicit faith in Mr. Gibbs to
effectually extricate himself from his finan-
cial difficulties. He has the sympathy and
good wishes of the trade and I question if
he ever realized so fully before how many
friends he had up and down the great mu-
sic trade artery of Chicago.
*
#
*
*
Traveling as I have for nearly two
months from the Atlantic sea board to the
Queen of the inland seas, I must say that I
think Chicago appears to have become the
storm center of low pressure of the com-
mercial atmosphere. The business depres-
sion began in the East and while there I
discovered unmistakable signs that the
corrosive lethargy, which has so long
shackled effort, was steadily being thrown
off. Business conditions are certainly
brighter in the East, but the clearing at-
mosphere will extend^ere shortly. I learn
too that it is very dull on the Pacific coast.
Next week I shall send in some comments
on trade conditions in the Northwest.
In course of a conversation yesterday
with Edmund V. Church, I learned that
the John Church Co., through their attor-
neys, have addressed a number of manu-
facturers who are now using in their
instruments attachments similar to those
covered by the Church and Bent patents,
advising them to desist under penalty of
legal procedure. A number have already
replied, asking that the Church Co. send
an expert to examine their attachments and
to state ^wherein an infringement, if any,
occurred. Thus far, I believe the expert
has declared that all that he has examined
are infringements on the plectraphone
patents.
The John Church Co. do not propose to
permit manufacturers to use the attach-
ments on a royalty basis. What there is in
the attachment they propose to utilize
exclusively in their own business. This
action on their part will not affect the
manufacture and sale of Geo. P. Bent's
orchestral attachment.
My advice to any manufacturer using
devices similar to the plectraphone order
is to at once examine the patents granted
to the John Church Co.
Such a course may save much annoyance
and considerable expense later. It never
pays to monkey with the buzz saw when it
is in motion.
*
*
*
*
Edwin A. Potter has been prominently
mentioned as a candidate for mayoralty
honors. I noticed in yesterday's Inter-
ocearr a very excellent likeness of Mr. Pot-
ter, together with a biographical sketch.
When I asked Mr. Potter if he would con-
sent to run in case he received the nomina-
tion, he replied:
"Mr. Bill, I have no time to devote to
politics; my business is worth more to me
than political honors."
"But, Mr. Potter," I replied, " don't you
think that the time has arisen in our politi-
cal affairs when it is imperative that the
business man should devote more of his
time to politics? Would it not be far bet-
ter if all of our great municipalities were
governed by business men, rather than by
politicians?" Mr. Potter thoughtfully
tapped his desk with his penholder.
If the result of the next municipal vote
in Chicago should place Edwin A. Potter
in the mayor's chair, the position would be
filled with dignity and honor.
*
*
*
*
Omie Houghton |folded his tent, swathed
his rheumatic toe in bandages and silently
stole away from Chicago, just when his
friends thought he was in for a siege.
Case manufacturers have been in town
in blocks of three during the week. Wed-
nesday, I ran across Richardson, of Leo-
minster, Ducey, of Grand Rapids, and
Lyddon, of Rochester.
Henry B. Fischer, stalwart and fairly
exuding good nature, reached town yester-
day on his way back from the Pacific
coast.* He leaves to-day for the East. While
here he met R. S. Howard.
*
*
*
*
Here is an advertisement cut from to-
day's paper which impresses me as being
unique and forceful.
"The present and preceding generations
have bought pianos, organs, other musical
instruments and 'Everything Known in
Music' from Lyon & Healy to the extent of
over Twenty-seven Million Dollars, ($27,-
000,000.)
"Now, in buying dry goods, clothing,
footwear, or other every-day articles, you
become a judge, almost an expert, and you
are pretty safe in depending largely upon
your own judgment. Not so when it
comes to purchasing a piano. Many pi-
anos are not worth anything like the price
asked for them, yet, being made expressly
to sell, the detection of their shortcomings
is difficult to the average 'purchaser, who
buys but once in a lifetime. Hence the
absolute necessity of buying from a house
in which you can have the fullest confi-
dence. Our sales of over twenty-seven
million dollars right here in Chicago is
the ground upon which we ask your con-
fidence. "
While in Lyon & Healy's yesterday, I
learned of the death of Henry Kleber, the
veteran music de'aler of Pittsburg, which
occurred early yesterday morning.
P. J. Healy leaves to-day to be present
at the final obsequies, which occur to-
morrow afternoon.
By the way, I learn that Dr. Zeigfeld is
an applicant for a consular appointment at
Hamburg. He has influential backing and
his chances are very favorable for securing
the official plum.
*
*
*
*
To tell of the thousands of pianos which
the great Kimball company will build this
year, the ever increasing business of the
Chicago Cottage Organ Co., and the Cables
three, the expanding enterprises of Steger
of Steger, the architectural beauties of the
Story & Clark pianos, and the numberless
other musico-industrial enterprises which
find firm root here, requires more time
than I now have at my disposal. I shall
return to the subject later. Time presses
and I must arrange my "fixings" for a
northwestern jaunt.
Chicago, Sunday, Feb. 21, 1897.