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VOL. XXVI. No.
Published Every Saturday at 3 East Fourteenth Street New York, March 12,1898.
fir. Fischer's Lawyers Explain
ANENT THE PERPETUAL INJUNCTION GRANTED
THIS WEEK TO BESSON & CO.
The following statement appeared in-the
New York Commercial of March 8:
Judge Lacombe, in the United States Circuit
Court for the Southern District of New York, has
granted to Besson & Co., of this city, a perpetual
injunction restraining Carl Fischer and his em-
ployes from using the company's trade-mark,
"Prototype," and the trade name. "Besson & Co."
as applied to brass wind musical instruments."
When The Review called at the Fischer
warerooms on Thursday, Carl Fischer's at-
tention was drawn to the above and his views
asked for concerning its accuracy. "•'
Mr, Fischer declared it to be entirely
erroneous, and referred The Review to his
attorneys. Seymour & Harmon, of 27 Pine
street, for the facts.
Referring to the statement in the Commer-
cial, above quoted, a member of the firm of
Seymour & Harmon, speaking for the firm,
said yesterday:
"This is an error and does Mr. Fischer an
injustice. Fontaine Besson of Paris per-
suaded Mr. Fischer to take a quantity of in-
ferior French-made wind instruments marked
'Prototype,' that they might be sold in this
country as the genuine 'Prototype' wind in-
struments made by the well-known firm of
Besson & Co. Ltd., of London.
"The injunction forbids the sale of these
inferior French-made instruments in this
country in degradation of the well-known
grade of Besson instruments manufactured
and sold by Besson & Co., Ltd., of London.
"Mr. Fischer has long been and is now the
sole agent of Besson & Co., Ltd., of London,
for the sale of the well-known Besson instru-
ments in this market. And it was to prevent
an alleged fraud upon this trade that the in-
junction was granted.
"You are at liberty to use our names in
correction of the paragraph referred to."
Embezzlement Alleged.
[Special to The Review.]
Chicago, 111., March 7, 1898.
Joseph Bernalak, formerly manager of the
United States Guitar and Zither Co., of
Baltimore, was arrested in this city to-day
and will be taken to Baltimore to answer the
charge of the alleged embezzlement of sev-
eral thousand dollars from his firm. Mary
VVesterham, formerly Bernalak's stenographer,
was arrested with him as an accessory.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS
Edward P. Mason on the Busi- ** New York Piano Manufacturers'
ness Outlook.
Association."
Edward P. Mason, president of the Mason
& Hamlin Co., Boston, has been tarrying
within our gates for the past few days. In
the course of a chat with The Review yester-
day he expressed himself as most enthusias-
tic regarding the business outlook as far as it
affected the Mason & Hamlin Co.
"Never before in the history of our house,"
said Mr. Mason, "have prospects looked so
bright.
Our new scales pianos, both
upright and grand, are universally admired
and better still, they are being purchased.
Representatives are sending in substantial
and frequent orders, accompanied by state-
ments that the tonal quality, superb finish
and artistic casings of our instruments are
compelling most favorable criticism.
Of
course this is pleasing to us, as the policy of
the firm has ever been to make only the best.
If this war talk doesn't have a deterring influ-
ence, I am confident that 1898 will be one of
the most successful business years in the his-
tory of our institution."
It was indeed a great pleasure to The Re-
view to find Mr. Mason looking so well and
in such splendid spirits. A keen student of
the trend of affairs in the business world; and
a cultured gentleman who is largely interested
in the artistic side of the piano business, Ed-
ward P Mason is exerting no small in-
fluence in the sphere of his own Business,
and on the industry at large.
AT A MEETING HELD THIS WEEK THE ABOVE WAS
ADOPTED AS THE TITLE OF THE
LOCAL ORGANIZATION.
The American Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation, formerly the Piano Manufacturers'
Association of New York and Vicinity, met
on Tuesday at the Union Square Hotel.
There was a good attendance of members.
In the absence of President Hazelton, un-
avoidably detained, Robert C. Kammerer
occupied the chair. The Secretary, H. Paul
Mehlin, was at his post, the remainder of the
officers also being present.
The only business of importance to the
trade generally was the adoption of a resolu-
tion whereby the name of the association
again becomes local, in order that no confu-
sion may arise in correspondence, etc. Since
the formation of the National Association,
the name •'American" has been confounded
with "National."
To avoid this in future, the local associa-
tion has resolved that its name henceforth
shall be the "New York Piano Manufacturers'
Association." The by-laws will be changed
accordingly.
Won by the Importers.
DINGLEY BILL DECIDED NOT OPERATIVE UN-
TIL THE MOMENT IT WAS SIGNED BY
THE PRESIDENT.
[Special to The Review.!
Gaining in Membership.
The National Piano Manufacturers' Associ-
ation is branching out slowly but surely.
Accessions are being made to its ranks week
after week. Since the last roster of members
was printed, which contained fifty names if
we remember rightly, the following firms have
joined the Association: The W. W. Kimball
Co., Chicago, 111.; Mason & Hamlin Co.,
Boston, Mass.; Emerson Piano Co., Boston,
Mass.; A. B. Chase Co., Norwalk, O.; Jew-
ett Piano Co., Leominster, Mass.; New Eng-
land Piano Co., Boston, Mass.; Webster
Piano Co., New York, N. Y.; Hazelton Bros.,
New York, N. Y.; Weser Bros., New York,
N. Y.
The J. & C. Fischer products are being
made and shipped at a lively rate. The re-
cent trips of the firm members have brought
forth excellent results.
New Haven, Conn., March 10, 1898.
Judge William K. Townsend, of the United
States Circuit Court, gave an important de-
cision to-day regarding imports received
about noon on July 24, 1897, the Dingley
bill being signed that afternoon.
It was ruled by the Collector of New York
that duties should be imposed under the
Dingley bill, asserting it applied to all goods
received that day. The Board of Appraisers
upheld the importers, who appealed from the
Collector's decision. Now, on appeal by the
government, Judge Townsend upholds the ap-
praisers.
Hustling Frank Burns.
Frank B. Burns reached town again on
Wednesday. It is unnecessary to remark
that his trip was successful. Some of his
friends suspect that he has a rabbit's foot—
and other charms—with him when he travels.