Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL-
Editor and Proprietor
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage). United States,
Mexico and Canada, f^-oo per year; all other countries,
$300.
AOVERTISEn r NTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read-
ing matter $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at Vie New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, JANUARY^ 29,11898.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745--E1GHTEENTH STREET.
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review wil)
contain a supplement embodying the literary
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.
FROM OUR VANTAGE GROUND.
T H E present tendency of manufacturers
towards combination is one of the striking
evidences of the unsatisfactory condition of
the manufacturing business in its present
state. Reorganizations will occur, adjust-
ments will take place, but we shall not hear
in the future that cry of over production.
We have not reached that point, nor will we
in this day and generation.
The present position which music occupies
in the educational institutions of our land
demonstrates that the future American will
be necessarily musical. His environments are
becoming more and more musical. If we go
back to that period of our own youth, and
compare the musical accessories of those
times with the present, we will see that a
marvelous change has taken place—a change
which means an almost phenomenal develop-
ment of musical America—Seidl and others
to the contrary notwithstanding.
When the century began a few cities in the
United States had their operatic representa-
tions, but they were representations of trifling
operatic operas of England and English sing-
ers, and had generally to be paid for before
they could be heard. The boys of the Char-
ity School sang in the choir of Trinity Church.
Music was there in New York, but not much.
It was during those early days that pleasure
parties drove out to Harlem to dance to the
fiddle of a negro slave.
What New York enjoys now need not be
enlarged on. Her instrumental forces vie in
number and skill with those of the capitals of
Europe. Her opera belongs to the noblest
institutions of its kind in the world, and is
not supported by subvention from royal ex-
chequers wrung in the shape of taxes from
the people, but one-half by those who go to
enjoy its pleasures and one-half by the gifts of
a body of public-spirited citizens. In very
truth the goddess of music has come down
from the austere heights where once she
could only be approached by the elect among
her devotees.
Limiting the piano production of such a
country.
Nonsense.
Effusiveness which shows ignorance of the
conditions underlying America's industrial
strata and the musical possibilities of^. her
people.
f-{AlNES BROS, have taken the proper
course by bringing suit against the Courier,
announcement of which is made in another
part of this paper.
This action on their part will demonstrate
to the trade the honesty of their intent in se-
curing the signatures displayed in the author-
ized announcement, and will justify the cor-
rectness of their position in not permitting
such an act of baseness on the part of a pub-
lication to pass without using all the legal
means which the laws of this country afford
to place the stamp of condemnation upon it.
They do not propose to have their name
used in a manner which reflects discredit
upon their actions, and which, without doubt,
is avast injury to their business as well, with-
out calling to their aid legal means. Their
course has been both dignified and generous.
After the publication of the advertisement
which was calculated to throw discredit upon
their actions, they at once wired every con-
cern whose name was displayed in the adver-
tisement and followed it up by letter immedi-
ately stating that the matter was used without
their knowledge or sanction.
After this, through their attorneys, a letter
was sent to the Courier Annex, requiring that
paper to print in its editorial columns a state-
ment to the effect that the advertisement was
not caused to be inserted by any one con-
nected with the Haines Bros, corporation.
Few concerns would have given an oppor-
tunity for explanation and retraction. But
the position of the Annex was peculiar in
this, as an explanation on its part would have
placed it in a questionable light before the
trade, and would virtually have amounted to
an open acknowledgment of the attitude of the
Courier in inserting an unauthorized adver-
tisement which was calculated to have a det-
rimental .effect upon the future of Haines
Bros.
Haines Bros, were not to be trifled with in
this matter, nor did they resort to that sort
of bluff which is so well known to the Annex
editor.
Haines Bros, claim that the advertisement
was not only a breach of faith on the part of
the Courier, but was a misrepresentation of
the purposes for which the manufacturers'
affidavits were given, and that the publication
of the advertisement and the unauthorized use
of the names of the manufacturers was a di-
rect injury to their business.
In reviewing this matter it should be re-
membered that last Monday the Courier An-
nex containing the two page advertisement
was used in open court by Haines & Co.'s at-
torney to support his allegation that the suit
of Haines Bros, had its origin in an advertis-
ing scheme. The Courier Annex was filed
with the court as part of the defendant's
papers on that motion.
It looks as if there was a deeper scheme
involved in this advertisement than appears
on the surface. All of the plans concocted in
the publication of this dishonest advertise-
ment will be fully brought out by the attor-
neys of Haines Bros.
Haines Bros, in bringing this suit deserve
the hearty commendation of the trade. They
are the first manufacturers to bring a damage
suit against Marc Blumenberg. While others
have fumed, threatened, chafed and smarted
under the Courier lash, Haines Bros, have
acted.
Morris Steinert was the first member of
this trade to bring Blumenberg to his knees,
and now Haines Bros, prove that they do not
propose to be unjustly assailed without sum-
moning the law to their aid.
It is rumored that a number of men whom
Mr. Blumenberg has maligned in the past will
be subpoenaed to appear at the trial. His
character will be clearly shown up in the
Court room.
It is also rumored now
that Haines Bros, have taken a determined
stand to protect their rights and for trade
honor, that also others who have been the ob-
ject of Courier abuse in days past will im-
mediately form a line of attack on the breast
works of the enemy.
P\OWN South the cotton growers have en-
• tered into an arrangement to the effect that
only a limited number of acres shall be
planted with cotton.
A correspondent suggests to us the ad-
visability of the piano manufacturers of
America operating on the same lines, agree-
ing to limit the number of pianos manu-
factured annually to a specified number.
This man does not understand that the
tiny, tinkling instrument of a century ago to
which George Washington, like his great ad-
mirer, Frederick the Great, played an accom-
paniment on the flute in his sentimental
moods, has developed into an instrument that
asserts itself in an orchestra of one hundred