Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1898 Vol. 27 N. 15

Page 5 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ists among- the cheap makers is bound to end
in disaster unless their course is changed
materially.
Trade paper work has advanced beyond
DEPARTMENT STORES.
T H E R E are three department stores in
Trade is worth nothing unless
New York which
to-day
advertise
little, petty, narrow, spiteful, cranky, ig-
norant statements.
It has advanced to a
These instruments are in
dignified position, and men who edit trade
reached such a point that there is but little
every case what is commonly known as
papers should show that the evolutionary
or no money in certain lines of pianos man-
"stencil" pianos—that is, they do not bear
stage has reached them.
ufactured, and still manufacturers will con-
upon the fall board the name of the manu-
this
facturer.
must be sincere, and when they pose as
it pays a profit.
Affairs, however, have
tinue to adhere to this destructive policy.
The price-cutting evil has existed in the
bicycle trade, and has to a large degree
undermined the process of manufacture in
pianos for sale.
They are offered at retail from
If the editors in
trade hope to have weight, they
$125 to $160, and are made by manu-
teachers
facturers in this city.
upon the elementary conditions which sur-
It
is true
a number of instruments
they should at least be posted
round trade matters, in order that they
may be retailed from department stores,
may make a truthful
tended to the retail trade, a notable illus-
but we do not believe that they will ever
same.
tration of which is the Wanamaker-Seigel-
reach an output which will cut important
The trade press is essential to trade
Cooper affair over the Humber bicycle.
figures in the distribution of pianos and
greatness, and successful publications are
organs.
endowed with worthy ideals and exert a
wheels.
Ruinous competition has also ex-
These wheels were retailed
by John
Wanamaker last fall at $100, and sold by
the same concern in the spring at $75.
There has been in
this State and in
others, a strong desire on the part of the
It seems that, according to Wanamaker,
people to curtail the business of the de-
the Humber Co. broke its contract and
partment stores by imposing upon them a
sold wheels to the Seigel-Cooper Co. Then
special tax for each line of goods offered.
the war began which ended
in
Seigel-
Out in Denver the aldermen have voted
Cooper offering Humber wheels for $25,
practically to prohibit
and as Wanamaker plainly says in his ad-
cerns.
vertisement, "A price-cutting war, child-
measure taxing department
ish and absurd,
continuous effort
for
portrayal
of
the
the realization of
their mission.
T H I N G S have brightened materially in
a business sense during the first week
of October.
Reports from all sections of
con-
the country show that there is a hearty re-
This they have done by passing a
vival of business which portends an ex-
department
stores to a
cellent condition of affairs from this time on.
has compromised
the
prohibitive point.
There are now two al-
It was during the summer that The Re-
best bicycle reputation in the world."
He
ternatives forced upon the merchants of
view, after carefully weighing the condi-
further propounds the very pertinent in-
Denver by the bill.
Prices must be raised
tions, and receiving personal opinions from
quiry, "May not the quality of bicyles be
to a high figure or every individual de-
tradesmen in every city in the land, gave
also compromised by the same influences
partment must stand disassociated
with
its note of warning to manufacturers to
that have destroyed
any other.
It is not believed that this
have finished stock on hand to supply the
bill will be upheld in the courts, still its
demand which was bound to be made upon
future
very passage shows that the people of
them.
Humber bicycle qualities rests in a degrad-
Denver are not in favor of department
counsels of this paper are wise, heeded our
ed policy to meet a degraded price."
stores.
warning.
says
"the
avoided
the market?" and
conclusion
that
can
scarcely be
the only hope for
This incident is full of lessons for both
piano manufacturer and dealer.
What is true of Denver is true of the
virgins.
Some, who have learned that the
In this case" they are the wise
Their business lamps are full and
It had its
great West, for in no part of our country
origin in the failure of the Humber Co. to
exists that intense antagonism to depart-
The others are now hustling to meet the
live up to a contract made with Wana-
ment stores that is apparent in the West. In
orders, and some of our concerns cannot
maker, hence it emphasizes very strongly
New York we have become accustomed to
begin to supply the trade which is now
the advantages to be derived from what
their existence and there is really no an-
reaching them.
nowadays is sometimes considered an old-
tagonism to them, but outside of this city
fashioned standard of business morality.
in the smaller towns of the State, there is
are giving forth a splendid illumination.
TT was some two years ago that Marc Blu-
The price-cutting evil is childish and ab-
that same deep-rooted feeling against de-
menberg made the ridiculous and bom-
surd, and it means ruin to a name and
partment stores that is becoming strongly
bastic boast that he would annihilate all of
ruin to a business.
emphasized in the West.
the other papers.
Another incident
which
He referred to them in
endearing terms, applying
illustrates a
such
loving
suicidal business policy was evidenced in
TT seems a pity that some editors of trade
epithets as "fools," "asses," etc., and told
this trade last week by an auction sale of
papers do not keep in close touch with
in soft, sinuous terms how he would meta-
pianos which have borne a reputation for
trade environment.
honesty and reliability.
phorically wipe the
earth
with them—
crush them—annihilate them.
that
that the editor of one of our western con-
these pianos netted at auction about $60.00
temporaries gave our locality a roasting- on
It is interesting to note that the annihi-
to the manufacturer shows that the cost of
the state of trade which exists here in Van
lation process has been largely confined to
manufacture was not covered by a great
Wyckville.
the Courier precincts, and it is believed by
many dollars.
The fact
It was only last week
In other words, by this
The statement shows extreme lack of
move the manufacturer himself not only
courtesy on the part of our visiting editor,
lost money on every instrument that was
many that Mr. Blumenberg, owing to the
enormous demands
made
upon his re-
a total ignorance of the real conditions
sources, has become rather tired of pour-
sold, but the figures at which these instru-
and a cranky desire to do harm.
ing money into the thin, little Annex.
ments were sold have gone forth to the
If the
The
editor of the paper had any knowledge of
Annex was marasmic from birth, and now
trade and must forever act to his disad-
mercantile conditions as they exist with
he is attempting to pump into it a sem-
vantage.
are
us, he would know that banks have not
blance
suicidal policies in business which it is well
closed down on piano paper; on the con-
patronage at almost any price.
to avoid, that is, if the concern has a future
trary, piano paper—that is reputable paper
in mind.
—is sought for eagerly by banking men.
In
other words,
there
of life by soliciting
advertising
The very fact of the enormous sweeping
reductions and special offers made to get

Page 6 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
6
a show of patronage in the Annex at any
price, shows more plainly than explanatory
columns the straits to which it is driven.
How can a man who places no valuation
on his own advertising space expect others
to do so? Space which costs nothing usu-
ally is worth about the price asked.
Corn Buys Pianos.
KANSAS FARMERS INTEND TO
THIS WINTER.
HAVE
MUSIC
LSpecial to The Review.]
Topeka, Kan., Oct. 3, 1898.
The dealers in musical instruments in
Franklin County say this has been the big-
gest year they have ever enjoyed. Prob-
ably one hundred new pianos, with double
that number of new organs, have been sold
in Franklin County to the farmers within
the past twelve months. No stronger proof
of the prosperity of the farmers could be
given. A farmer does not buy musical
things for his home until the mortgage is
paid and there is a surplus in the treasury.
The Behning Piano Co.
In common with their neighbors, the
Behning Piano Co. are enjoying a whole-
some run of active business. The firm's
traveling representatives are making ex-
cellent records on the road, and Behning
agencies generally are sending in good
reports and orders.
Henry Behning has been seriously ill
with dysentery and malaria. For several
weeks he was confined to his bed and un-
der close medical supervision. This week
finds him at the factory again as alert as
ever and rapidly gaining strength.
A New Style " Crown."
Geo. P. Bent has just placed on the
market a new style " Crown " piano which
excels in attractiveness anything which he
has heretofore produced. It is a style C
and the model is Colonial. It is an archi-
tectural gem, the proportion in all its
lines being perfect.
Business at the
" Crown " factory is excellent; the demand
for "Crown" -p'anos and organs is so
active as to break all previous records.
Will Hurt Business.
Henry F. Miller, Alex. Steinert, and
other prominent music trade men of Bos-
ton, are protesting, according to the Boston
papers, against the removal of the car
tracks from Boylston street. It is stated
that the removal of the cars will hurt busi-
ness in that section, and as a compromise
it is suggested that there should be more
subway stations, particularly, that one near
the Common should be built.
R. W. Gertz, the Mason & Hamlin piano
expert and factory superintendent, who
has been spending his vacation in Germany,
sails to-morrow, the 9th, by the " Penn-
sylvania," arriving in New York on the
20th. He will resume his labors at the
Mason & Hamlin factories a day or two
later.
Busy Harlem Factories.
THE
REVIEW NOTES
UNUSUAL ACTIVITY
EVERYWHERE MANY CONCERNS ARE
WORKING OVERTIME TO FILL
ORDERS.
The Review, visiting the piano factories
on both sides of the Harlem this week,
noted healthy activity in every instance.
Orders are evidently arriving in a steady
stream from out-of-town representatives.
In several factories there is sufficient
pressure in the order department to justify
overtime work for many of the employees.
This condition of affairs is a welcome one.
That there is no actual rush makes it none
the less acceptable. Masters and men
alike are content to be kept busy, moving
at something like an even pace.
The general feeling seems to be one of
contentment, the outlook being decidedly
auspicious in all sections of the country.
Advices from the East, West, Northwest
and South show the present commercial
status to be most encouraging.
T H E first Chickering invitation musicale
* of the season took place last Tuesday
afternoon in the presence of a fashionable
audience that crowded Chickering Hall to
the doors. The program, which was pub-
lished in last week's Review, was splen-
didly interpreted. Mrs. Eloise Morgan
was enthusiastically applauded for her
artistic singing, while Miss Kuhr displayed
the beauties of the Chickering grand with
the authority and finish of a master.
Franz Listemann was, as usual, admirable
in his numbers on the 'cello. All in all, it
was a significant and appropriate premier
of a musical season that promises much
for the augmentation of Chickering fame.
Will Sue If Not Paid.
*
*
*
*
[Special to The Review.]
A N English piano manufacturer, who has
Albany, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1898.
**• recently spent some time in Peking,
The finance committee of the board of brings news of the recently deposed Em-
education at Cohoes, is struggling over the peror's fondness for music and his interest
pr6blem of who purchased the piano now in pianos and other instruments of West-
in use in the high school and whether it ern make. He is even said to perform
was .^ever purchased at all or not. J. himself upon the pianos of the palace, but
& C. "Fischer of New York, who were assign- as the privilege of listening to the imperial
ed the old accounts of the Piercy Company, recitals is reserved for only the most ex-
which went out of business recently, have alted of the Celestial Kingdom the manu-
presented a bill of $428 for the piano which facturer did not have an opportunity of cri-
has been used since March, 1895, in the ticising the Emperor's technique. Kwang-
high school. They threaten to sue the city Su, however, hearing of the presence in
if the piano is not paid for. The board the capital of an English piano expert,
has no record that the piano was ever pur- desired him to look at the palace instru-
chased or its purchase even agreed to. ments and see if he could put them into
J. & C. Fischer have been asked to produce better order. Several high officials, bear-
their order or contract.
ing an ancient and evidently much-thumped
piano, arrived at the Englishman's house
and deposited their precious charge. It
On a Flying Trip.
was, says the manufacturer, in horrible
Aug. Palle, the popular representative condition. The keys, besides being brown
of Schwander piano actions, sailed for with dirt, were covered with queer Chinese
Paris by the La Gascogne last Saturday. characters which had been stamped on.
His trip is a flying one, and undertaken The instrument had not been tuned in many
for business only. He will be at his post years, if, indeed, it had ever had that ex-
again the last day of October. Since Mr. perience since it was new. The piano-
Palle took charge of the Herberger & Co. maker went to work thoroughly, and finally
business he has built up a very excellent got the keys clean and the instrument re-
trade, which he has been able to augment paired and in fairly good tone again. It
steadily. This is a reward well merited, was returned, and the Emperor expressed
because Mr. Palle is a tireless worker in his general satisfaction, but criticised the
the interest of the institution he so ably removal of the Chinese writing from the
represents.
keys. That was not necessary, he said,
and the characters irmst be replaced im-
The "flajestic" Advance.
mediately. The manufacturer wondered
During a talk with Mr. Spies, of the Spies if this meant that he was henceforth to be
Piano Co., on Wednesday, with reference to in disfavor as a repairer, but he was soon
the ' 'Majestic," he said that each succeeding assured to the contrary by receiving seve-
twelve months since its introduction, five ral more pianos, an orchestrion and one or
years ago, shows a marked advance in the two other queer instruments, upon which
number of sales made. To-day he is will- he was requested to exercise his skill. For
ing to place the "Majestic," for tone, qual- all these services Kwang-Su sent his thanks,
ity of material and style, against any in- through an officer of the imperial guard.
But the end of the work had not come
strument now on the market at the same
yet.
What was the Englishman's astonish-
figures. Mr. Spies says he would like
ment
to
receive, a few days later, a dilap-
dealers to note this and make inquiries.

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