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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
prosperity
Continuance.
The most emphatic testimony anent the
improving condition of the times and the
prosperity of the people of this State has
just come to hand in the form of a report
made by State Factory Inspector O'Leary,
in which it is shown that 52,000 more
people were employed in the manufac-
tories of the State during the past year than
in the year 1897. It is a document like
this that proves clearly and forcibly that
McKinley was in very truth the "advance
agent of prosperity."
Reports from all over the nation are to
the effect that conditions in this State have
been duplicated elsewhere. It is clearly
the duty of the business men of the coun-
try at large to see to it that the present
conditions are maintained by returning a
substantial majority of sound money con-
gressmen to Washington at the coming
election. It is as important now as it was
during the sound money campaign to vote
to that end, so that the financial heresy of
free silver shall be buried good and deep.
Hallet & Davis Changes.
The Hallet & Davis Co., located at
Wabash Avenue and Jackson street, Chi-
cago, have made important changes in
their business. Raymond K. Maynard,
who has managed the business since its
establishment, has interested a capitalist
who has purchased the pianos which the
concern carried in stock, furniture, fix-
tures as well as rented stock, and will
continue the business under the name of
the Hallet & Davis Warerooms.
The American Felt flfg. Co.
The American Felt Mfg. Co. is the cor-
porate title of the institution which suc-
ceeds Alfred Dolge & Son. The entire
interests of the new concern are controlled
by the American Exhange Bank of this
city, S. R. Ingham, of Little Falls and the
Little Falls Bank.
The new concern
retains in important positions a number of
the old Dolge guard. Karl Fink will
attend to the Eastern trade while Herman
Leonard takes his old field in the West and
Canada as well. A. L. Ebbels will traverse
the central section of the Union. Edmund
R. Wankel, who was Mr. Dolge's confi-
dential man for years will have charge of
the New York end of the business, and
will attend to the finances of the concern.
Hundred of Thousands in Leases
May be vitiated by a new law which gives to the proprietor of a hotel, boarding or apartment
house the right to seize a piano, whether sold or rented, for the debt
of a boarder—The saving clause.
Manufacturers and dealers will be amazed to learn through The Review that there
are perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of piano leases in. the State of New
York which, according to the law, may at any moment become practically valueless to
the real owners of the instruments.
Under the title of New Lien Law, in chapter 48 of the laws of 1897, N. Y. State,
section 3, appears a clause which, applied to pianos, places all instruments which are
rented or sold on the installment plan to parties who may reside in hotels, apartment or
boarding houses at the mercy of the hotel proprietor at any time the people who have
purchased the instruments become in arrears to him and he desires to take legal action
against them.
In other words the inn-keeper's claim assumes priority over that of the real owner
of the instrument which can be seized and sold under the hotel man's lien.
There has been but one test case thus far which has proved the supremacy of the
hotel man. In fact there is no misinterpreting the letter of the law in regard to this.
The inn-keeper's claims are paramount, and no matter whether the piano is leased or
bought on installments, the inn-keeper can seize it for the payment of a debt due him
by the boarder.
This will be startling news, and the only way to prevent great losses is for all those
who deliver pianos to hotels, boarding or apartment houses to give notice, written or
verbal, to the proprietor of same that they hold ownership of the instruments. When
such notice is given the hotel man can have no claim beyond such equity as the pur-
chaser might have in the instrument.
This is an inn-keepers' law and passed in their interests, and it will cause conster-
nation among piano and furniture men when they learn that their property may be
seized by the hotel man for debt of boarders and that their rights are secondary.
Mr. Geo. Nichols, vice-president of Chickering & Sons, and member of the law firm
of Masten & Nichols, 49 Wall Street, said yesterday: "The law is plain upon this sub-
ject. But if notification is given the inn-keepers of the individual ownership of instru-
ments at the time they are placed at the disposition of their guests, then they can have
no possible lien on the instruments for the guest's debts, but if the inn-keeper asserts
that he was in ignorance regarding the ownership of the property, he then, according to
the law, has first claim upon it. The only argument that might be made would be the
constitutionality of the law, which could only be settled upon appeal."
It will be seen that the property rights of individuals are seriously affected by the
law, but law it is.
In New York City alone the number of instruments which may be lost to their
owners is great.
Sale of Everett Concert Grands.
The Everett new scale Concert Grand,
concerning the conspicuous merits of which
the Review has always something to say,
is rapidly making its way into favor. Two
of these beautiful instruments have been
sold during the present week at the Everett
warerooms to prominent musicians of this
city.
Busy Times at Knabe Factory.
A New Piano Player.
Advices now at hand from the Knabe
factory tell of busy times in the Monumen-
tal City. The Knabe force is working
under heavy pressure to meet actual calls
for Knabe grands and uprights.
So urgent has been the demand, that a
second extra supply of expert workmen
has been necessary. These being unavail-
able from local sources, a draft has been
made on New York, the factory superin-
tendent being sent here on this special
duty.
This week's budget of news at the Wilcox
& White warerooms is interesting. Edna
Wallace Hopper has purchased an Angelus
Orchestral for presentation to her mother.
The instrument has been shipped to her
home in California. Several other im-
portant shipments have been made since
Monday, including one to Chicago.
A new Piano-Player has been perfected
by this firm and is now on exhibition.
Unlike its predecessor, it is without reeds.
The action is so easy to manipulate that a
child can play without difficulty. The
piano-tone is fully brought out. This im-
proved appliance will be noted at greater
length in a future issue.
Ordered 12 Gabler Grands.
Among the callers this week at the
Gabler factory was Albert Steinert, of the
M. Steinert & Sons Co., Providence, R. I.
He left an order for twelve Gabler grands.
Mr. Bareuther, traveling representative
of the Gabler firm, left town on Sunday
on a brief tour.
W. W. Kimball In Town.
Among the visitors tarrying within our
gates this week was W. W. Kimball, pres-
ident of the W. W. Kimball Co., Chicago.
Mr. Kimball is feeling in good health and
spirits and made many calls of a social
nature during his visit. He did not, how-
ever, giving out any page interviews.