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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN
Editor and Proprietor
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
~~
3 East I4th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States,
Mexico and Canada, |a.oo per year; all other countries,
|joo.
ADVERTISEnENTS, $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 mhtter $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 Was* Matter.
NEW YORK, MAY 20, 1899.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, I745--EIOHTEENTH 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.
A STENCILIZING SUMMARY.
IT is oftentimes the custom among people
. who are long on vulgarity and short on
refinement to interpret abuse as consti-
tuting argiiment. They deliver a volley
of abuse and then listen for the echoing
plaudits, believing in their own churlish
minds that their object is attained beyond
a reasonable doubt. Such a belief is con-
spicuously apparent in our once formida-
ble contemporary which has become so
thoroughly imbued with the theory that
abuse constitutes argument that it appar-
ently resorts to nothing else to maintain
its position.
It occasionally emits little frothy ejacu-
lations of abuse of the "rotten stencil,"
and indulges in a few grandiloquent, mean-
ingless, declarations that "we have fought
the stencil for sixteen years, and so will
continue until we are extinguished," which
time, by the way does not seem far dis-
tant, if we may be permitted to judge from
present indications.
Our once formidable, now attenuated and
discredited contemporary cannot point to
one utterance, covering all this extended
period, wherein it has given one solid argu-
ment why the stencilling of pianos should
be discontinued.
It has not fought the stencil on logical
grounds, not for the reason that it has
never possessed ability, because that pecu-
liar ability which savors of intrigue we be-
lieve our contemporary possesses in large
and generous quantities. It has mouthed
and frothed of the stencil, and because of
these superficial, insincere and hypocritical
utterances, our once formidable editor
thought to be canonized at the recent meet-
There is an easier way to accomplish re-
ing in Washington. But, alas! how times
sults regarding the suppression of the
do differ!
There are men, however, in this trade stencil product, and that is by intelligent,
who can see entirely through the thin coat- non-abusive, comprehensive discussion and
ing of veneer which separates the genuine argument which may lead to a finality
article from the imitation, and they know beneficial to the entire trade.
that there has not been one official act or
It is not easy for a manufacturer to
declaration in the utterances of our once quickly abandon that which has grown to
formidable editor to entitle him to the be a part of his business structure. If he
slightest consideration at their hands. He, removes it suddenly, it weakens the edifice,
therefore, is now sulking in the inner res- but by gradual removal, and by the addi-
ervations of his office, issuing lurid ultima- tion of strengthening supports here and
tums and fierce pronunciamentos in true there, it can be satisfactorily accomplished.
Aguinaldian style. Like the leader of the
To our minds a point to carry well in
Filipinos, he imagines that men will bow mind is this: That manufacturers them-
to him when he blows his little silver selves are the greatest losers next to the
whistle.
dealers by the continuance of the stencil
The stencil problem for the first time in practice. We claim that every manufac-
the history of the trade, owing to the action turer who turns out from his establishment
of the National Association, is receiving reputable wares should himself have all
intelligent consideration at the hands of the advertising increment that goes with
them. If he makes three hundred pianos
the members of this industry.
That is precisely as it should be, because annually, we will say for illustration, for a
nothing can be accomplished by abuse of certain dealer, how much more is it worth
this or that member of the trade, but much to him to have his name even in a minor
good can be brought about by fairly con- position on every instrument than to have
sidering and carefully weighing arguments it totally excluded by the name of the
which may be made in favor of the discon- dealer ?
tinuance of that product which is known in
Again, the dealer himself is better off in
piano nomenclature as—the stencil.
handling wares made and stamped by the
There is nothing like publicity to kill an official insignia of the parent institution
evil, and now that the full light of public- than to be trading, oftentimes falsely, as a
ity, and fair and open discussion is being manufacturer when he has no more to do
continued all along the line of piano en- with the manufacture of pianos than a
trenchments we may rest assured that the baker has to do with the policy of the
Biscuit Trust. Time will come when his
matter will receive fair treatment.
Our own idea is that nothing can be competitors, some of whom will adhere
accomplished by legislation regarding this strictly to what we shall class as organized
matter. We mean by this that there will products, will inform his customers that
be so many ways of evading the law that there is no organized institution behind
no particular check can be placed upon the his instruments, therefore they lose, in a
movements by the enactment of state certain measure, that stamp of genuineness
laws, and as far as national consideration which should accompany every piano
goes we believe that all now upon the piano sale.
stage will have passed to that land where
It is by the agitation and discussion of
the stencillers cease from troubling and these matters from a broad standpoint that
the piano makers are at rest, ere the matter we shall accomplish results, and not in an
will have received serious consideration abusive way, and by accusing this and that
from the Congress of the United States.
man of fraud and deception, not by slur-
In support of our belief let us ask how ring the manufacturers of stencil pianos
long it was before the National Bankruptcy and damning dealers because they sell
them.
Law was passed?
It has been nearly half a century since
The question has resolved itself into an
the matter was first agitated, and compare industrial problem and it is not an easy
its importance to the whole people with the one to solve, inasmuch as there are many
importance of passing a piano anti-stencil men who will not be willing to trade fu-
law.
ture permanency for present gain. These
The stencilling of pianos stands in about changes, however, can be gradually accom-
the same ratio of importance to the National plished, and at the end of two or three
Bankruptcy Law that an ant-hill possesses years this matter by diplomatic handling
to the Himalayas, and yet it took a half- can be placed so that the stencil product
century of constant agitation to press the will have shrunk to such a point that it will
National Bankruptcy Law to a final con- cut no appreciable figure in the general
output.
clusion.