Music Trade Review

Issue: 1898 Vol. 27 N. 27

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
mil
VOL,
The Literature of the Year.
SOME
OF'' THE
WORTHY
HAVE BEEN
PUBLICATIONS
PRODUCTIVE
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS.
Published Every Saturday at 3 East Fourteenth Street. Mew York, Dec. 31,1898.
XXVII. No. 27.
WHICH
OF GOOD
RESULTS.
The present year has brought forth a
goodly array of literary products within
the realms of the music trades. There
have been few elaborate or costly publica-
tions issued, but the majority have been
tastefully prepared and contained much
effective reading matter.
" Laurel Winners," containing portraits
and silhouettes of American composers,
recently issued by the John Church Co.,
takes high rank among the year's books.
It is a model of conciseness, good editing
and careful preparation by engravers and
printers.
As usual, the ^2olian Co. have added to
their reputation in this department of their
general work. The several issues of the
" ^Eolian Quarterly"—notably the latest
—have doubtless contributed much toward
the general result aimed at, i.e., ^Eolian
progress.
From the same firm, the
"Pianola" catalogue shows ample evi-
dence of literary and editorial skill.
Many of the larger piano and organ
manufacturing firms have issued admir-
able catalogues and booklets during 1898.
There is a marked tendency toward taste-
ful elaboration in many of these publica-
tions. Members of the trade have reached
the rightful conclusion that money judi-
ciously invested in this direction is likely
to bring fair returns.
Without intending to discriminate, it
may fairly be noted that among the most
costly and ambitious catalogues this year
have been those of William Knabe & Co.,
J. &.C. Fischer, The Everett Piano Co.,
W. W. Kimball Co., Mason & Hamlin Co.,
Krell Piano Co., Pease Piano Co., Fort
Wayne Organ Co., Needham Piano & Or-
gan Co., Vose & Sons Co., Kroeger Co.,
the "G. & K.," the Chicago Cottage Organ
Co., B. Shoninger Co., Emerson Piano Co.,
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, Estey Organ Co.,
Regina Music Box Co., John Church Co.,
William Tonk & Bro., Story & Clark, Haz-
elton Bros., John C. Haynes & Co. and
Decker & Son.
This has been a year of booklets and
leaflets.
Entertaining little missionary
workers they are,, too, gaining many con-
verts.
Conspicuous among the booklets
of 1898 have been those issued by Chicker-
ing & Son, Knabe & Co., Krakauer Bros.,
Wilcox & White, Kranich & Bach, J. & C.
Fischer, Mason & Hamlin Co., Sohmer &
Co., and Ernest Gabler & Bros. Piano Co.
The Behning booklet "Words of Praise"
is well compiled and very valuable for ref-
erence.
Wants $2,000 for a $20 Piano.
[Special to The Review.]
Evansville, Ind., Dec. 27, 1898.
Elizabeth Miller, of 514 Harriet street,
is suing Harding & Miller for $2,000 dam-
ages because a $20 piano was taken from
her.
In the month of September last Mrs.
Miller went to Harding & Miller's music
store in Main street, and agreed to pay $20
for a second hand piano. She paid $5 in
cash and agreed to pay the other $15 in in-
stallments.
Time went on and Mrs. Miller did not
make any payments on the piano. A few
days ago Harding & Miller sent one of
their representatives to Mrs. Miller and he
returned the instrument to. the store.
Mrs. Miller filed suit in the superior
court Thursday afternoon. In her com-
plaint she says that when the agent came
to her house he rudely broke open the door
and roughly pushed her aside. She says
she has been humiliated in the eyes of her
neighbors who hold her up to ridicule.
She thinks $2,000 will be a reasonable
compensation for her loss.
Ludwig after Bondsman.
[Special to The Review.]
New Haven, Conn., Dec. 27, 1898.
Ludwig & Co., of New York, have sued
Constantine Simon of this city to recover
$2,212. It is alleged that a. year ago
Simon's son-in-law, Gustav A. Bolze, owed
the plaintiffs the sum mentioned and prom-
ised to liquidate within a year. Simon
went on Bolze's bonds as a guarantee to the
promise. It is alleged Bolze did not pay
and the bondsman is therefore sued. Bolze
used to be in the piano business.
Infringement Alleged.
The American Graphophone Co. has
entered suit in the United States Circuit
Court against Messrs. Hawthorne & Sheble,
of 604-6 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, to
enjoin an alleged infringement of the
graphophone patents. .
The proposition to locate a piano factory
in Holiday sburg, Pa., is under consider-
ation by the Board of Trade of that place.
Fred. W. Zeidler.
Paul M. Zeidler, of Strich & Zeidler, has
suffered a great affliction this week in the
loss of his father, Fred.W. Zeidler, who died
on Tuesday, at his residence in this city,
688 E. 158th street. Mr. Fred. W. Zeidler
was in his sixty sixth year. He was a
practical piano-maker and had been with
Steinway & Sons for thirty years, by whom
he was highly esteemed. He leaves a
widow and a large family of sons and
daughters. The Review extends sincerest
condolences to Mr. Zeidler and the family
of the deceased.
"Trusts" Can't Collect.
A MISSOURI
DECISION
:MA MEMBER
OF
THAT
MAKES
A TRUST
DEISTS TO
INVALID.
A despatch from Joplin, Mo., under date
of Dec. 28th, says: A decision rendered in
the Jasper County Circuit Court is of interest
to mercantile combinations operating in
this State. Baker and Johnson were agents
for the ^Etna Powder Co., and owed that
concern $600.
Johnson, it is said, ac-
knowledged the debt, but Baker refused to
do so. Johnson allowed the powder com-
pany to bring suit.
The attorney for
Baker cited the State laws to the effect
that a company or individual being a
member of a trust for controlling the price
of a commodity could not recover any sum
by law in this State. The iEtna Powder
Company does business through the Mis-
souri Supply Company, which is supposed
to handle the business of all powder com-
panies in this region. The powder com-
pany's attorney contended that the combi-
nation was not for controlling prices. The
Judge's instructions to the jury were that
if they found that the plaintiff was a mem-
ber of a trust formed for controlling the
price of a commodity they should find for
the defendant, and the jury so found.
Painter & Ewing.
Painter & Ewing, the enterprising piano
manufacturers of Philadelphia, have just
closed a year's business which, taking into
consideration the unsettled conditions due
to the war, has been in every way excel-
lent. Their efforts to give good values
have been appreciated and they are fast
building up a strong clientele of discrim-
inating trade supporters, who will work
loyally and enthusiastically toward the
augmentation of Painter & Ewing business
during the new year.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
¥ HE MUSIC ¥ RADE REVIEW
3—+-EDWARD LYMAN BILL-* •< •
Editor and Proprietor
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States,
Mexico and Canada, |i.oo per year ; all other countries,
$300.
ADVERTISE/IE 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 the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 31, 1898.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review will
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.
SPEAKING OF TRUSTS.
** 'TRUSTS and department stores," and
what in the world are departmen t
stores but limited trusts ? The absorbent
power of trusts is phenomenal, likewise that
of the department store.
A kind of a miniature trust is the depart-
ment store and it is that miniature trust
that the piano merchants of America must
grapple with and in the end one must be
defeated, for the trade cannot exist half
free, half trust bound.
One great factor which is on the side of
the piano merchant—a factor which has
decided every great contest — a factor
which has swept away thrones and demol-
ished dynasties—a factor which the poles
do not cool, or the equator diminish—pub-
lic opinion.
Public opinion, in the case of the depart-
ment store against the piano merchant,
will be of that peculiar consistency that
will cause purchasers to gravitate to the
regular stores rather than the department
stores when they wish to purchase such an
important auxiliary to home comfort as a
piano.
The impelling power will not be as much
a question of price as of pride, and therein
lies the key to the department store com-
petition and the reason why the regular
dealer will have the support of public
opinion. Not because the average citizen
is averse to buying from a department
store, for he is not, but because he is averse
to having all his friends acquainted with
the fact that he dropped into Racy's and
bought one of their Red Star pianos.
Why?
Because there is an unmistakable odor of
cheapness about them, that he is not de-
sirous of having scent up his parlor.
What an awful slump, too,his pride would
take should he happen to overhear one of
his guests remark, " S o Cheaplots bought
one of those ' Red Star ' pianos at Racy's?
I have seen them advertised for weeks for
a hundred and ten dollars."
Or if his friend Mr. Highnobs invites
a few intimates around to spend the even-
ing and one of the ladies should happen to
notice the name upon his piano and should
gushingly remark, "And so that is one of
those bargain ' Werven' pianos that
Gloomydalehas been offering."
How painful the pause would be.
Did you ever know a man to buy a pres-
ent in a department store, remove the
wrapper bearing the stamp of the store
and substitute another before sending?
We have, and what caused him to do it ?
Why, naturally he did not wish the one
for whom the present was intended to
know that he was patronizing the bargain
counters of a department store.
He could secure bargains at Tiffany's or
any other standard regular store without
laying himself open to the charge of secur-
ing cheap or unreliable wares, but once the
threshold of the department store is crossed
there is at once a taint of cheapness which
is most desirable to have disassociated with
an important purchase.
Now it is at this point the pride comes
in in a determining sense.
The one article in the average home that
its owner does not wish to smack of depart-
ment store cheapness is a piano. It is the
piece de resistance of home adornment.
No matter how old it is, he likes it to be
of reputable make, and there is an atmos-
phere of distrust about articles of a certain
class, purchased from a department store.
The name upon the fall board of a piano
has a value in the estimation of the public
and while there may be quantities of
pianos of a certain class sold from depart-
ment stores, that portion of the purchasing
public which we may designate as the
intermediate class will naturally gravitate
to the regular depots of supply.
The name upon the fall-board of a piano
is to a large degree an index of the charac-
ter of the instrument, and it is that name
that is hard to obliterate.
There are other factors which militate
against department store success.
Suppose the agency of a reputable piano
was placed with a department store.
The department stores presumably will
offer the instruments at cut rates.
Then the other agents will object and
probably will drop the instrument from
their lists.
Suppose the department store does not
cut prices?
Then it does no business or least not
enough to warrant devoting to a display of
musical instruments so much space, which
could be better utilized in other ways.
The department store, like its elder
brother the trust, is in business for money,
sells cheap, true, but in the main its stock is
cheap—people are beginning to learn it.
They are not all fools, neither are they
wholly ignorant of mercantile methods.
The thinking portion know full well that
business cannot be done without profit,
neither can large and elaborately equipped
establishments be conducted wholly on
glory and philanthropy. They have their
doubts about the numerous and stupendous
cut prices, they question the specialty of
the special sale.
They know that if a department store
offers a piano for one hundred and twenty
dollars the management of that institution
is losing no money on the transaction.
They know that no man in business can
afford to do away with a profit.
They know that while a merchant can
afford to place a few gross of gloves upon
a bargain counter at a profit of a few cents
per pair he cannot afford to place a large
number of pianos on sale at a price that
does not insure him a profit.
In the first case the handling is rapid,
the amount involved in the individual sale
is small and the sale is repeated in some
cases several times a year.
In the second case the handling is ex-
pensive and laborious, the amount involved
is considerable and the sale is not repeated;
hence a restricted distribution which is not
at all to the liking of the department store
magnate.
That pianos will always be on sale in
department stores is an assured fact.
That the department store will become
the dominant factor in the distribution of
pianos is the veriest fancy which will not
bear an analytical examination.
A TRADE PHANTOM.
'THE whole scheme of department store
dominancy has its origin in the schem-
ing brain of a trade editor who for years has
ridden rough shod over manufacturers at
will and who now seeks to frighten piano
men by asserting that the department
store means the destruction of the legiti-
mate trade. That the piano dealers are
doomed — that the manufacturers them-
selves are now upon their last legs, as it
were, and that the only panacea is a
TRUST ! !
Mark you, a trust will save everything—a
trust is the sheet anchor—the shining light.

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