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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
piano maker recently and referring to the
mystery of his art I said:
" Where do you get the old spruce which
you use for sounding boards."
"Oh! " he said, " w e do not make the
sounding boards, we buy them up in Ver-
mont."
" Well! " said I, " where do you get the
fine white wood which you use for your
actions."
"We do not make the actions, we buy
them of Roth & Engelhardt," he answered.
"Of course," I replied, " t h e action is
a mere mechanical contrivance. Where your
art is manifest, I suppose is in the ham-
mers which I am told is one of the most
important parts of the instrument."
"It is important of course," he said, "but
we do not make hammers, we buy them of
Dolge."
"And the keys," I asked.
"Oh! they come from Pratt, Read & Co."
"May I ask if you make the iron frame,"
said I.
"Oh! no," he responded cheerfully, "we
buy that from Davenport & Treacy."
"Well, certainly," said I, "you make
some of the bolts, screws, pedal guards,
pins, etc., do you not?"
" Not at all," said he, "we buy them of
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co."
" Then am I to understand," said I se-
verely, "that of all this wonderful instru-
ment you make only the outside shell."
" Hardly that," said he, "for we buy the
cases from F. G. Smith."
"Then in Heaven's name," I exclaimed,
"what do you make?"
"Well," said he, reflectively scratching
his head, "when we sell an instrument,
we—a—make out the bill."
If it be that we are so anxious to pro-
tect the poor innocent retail buyer and to
supply him with full information, so that
he need not be victimized by designing
dealers, let us make a complete job of the
matter and frame a law that shall require
that to every piano shall be attached a kind
of tombstone, on which shall be inscribed
the names and addresses of the various
makers, who have supplied the various
parts of the instrument, the whole in-
scription concluding with the words—
" T h e above assembled by John Blank,
Piano maker."
I am now filling a large contract for an
automatic musical instrument, which, al-
though somewhat similar to an organ in its
construction, is far more intricate. The de-
signs and specifications are furnished by
the inventor and when finished, the instru-
ments will bear engraved on the glass
front, the name of the company which
owns and controls them. Do you mean to
say that this business is disreputable be-
cause we do not refuse the contract, rather
than not have our names advertised as
makers ?
"But," you say, "these are neither
pianos or organs and therefore do not come
under the proposed law."
True—but the principle is precisely the
same.
Here, however, is an instance which does
come under the proposed law.
Some time ago a large foreign dealer
came to me with designs and specifications
for four styles of organs, for which he
wished to place a large contract. His de-
signs were not according to my taste and
his specifications were not the best, accord-
ing to my ideas, but the instruments were
to be his, not mine and were to bear his
name and guarantee. Do you mean to say
that it is disreputable to accept such a con-
tract as this?
I will not waste your time by arguing
further on the point of what constitutes
a legitimate stencil.
The original outcry against the stencil
arose when unprincipled persons first en-
deavored to so closely imitate well-known
names as to deceive the purchaser and the
"Steinlay," " Pickering " and other simi-
lar imitations appeared in the market. No
argument is necessary to prove the im-
morality of such business as this and no
additional legislation is necessary to pun-
ish it. The law as it stands to-day is fully
able to deal with attempts to defraud.
The cause of this sudden outburst of virtu-
ous indignation is easily understood.
You and I have been irritated and an-
noyed by the growing business in "thump
boxes." It is distressing, but there is no
legal means to suppress it. Any man in
this free country has a right to manufac-
ture and sell a poor article, and if he does
not misrepresent it, he can continue to do
business so long as idiots are willing to in-
vest their money in his products.
You cannot by act of legislature put
brains in the head of a d
d fool, and the
"thump box" business must run its course
until it works out its own condemnation,
which it will do with mathematical cer-
tainty.
All that is required is plenty of competi-
tion,—and constantly decreasing profit and
increasing credit will eventually wipe it
out.
In the meantime, what we require is pa-
tience and not legislation.
That the "Redington bill" is not only
unconstitutional, but ridiculously absurd
in its proposition, I need not argue at
length.
If a law could be passed by Congress ap-
plying to all articles of manufacture it
would probably stand, but for a single
state to pass a law which is applicable to
only a single line of goods would mean an-
nihilation in the Supreme Court, even if it
managed to slip unnoticed through the leg-
islature. The fact that this bill makes it
necessary for the maker to have his name
and address "cast in the iron frame" of an
organ is, of course, laughable, and the ad-
ditional fact that it would prevent the sale,
not only of second-hand pianos, but of all
new pianos which happen to be in the mar-
ket when the bill passes, is somewhat
alarming.
May I say a word in conclusion in the
way of pointing a moral.
Business men who belong to some of the
more prosaic branches of trade are some-
times inclined to look down on the makers
of musical instruments as men who know
more of artistic than of business affairs
and the fact that we have openly proposed,
published and discussed such an im-
practical thing as the "Redington Bill"
may somewhat strengthen that impression
and yet I am glad that it has occurred for
it emphasizes an important necessity in
our trade.
Permit me to quote the following item
from a local paper of last week.
"With
respectful intent toward the local and the
National Associations, isn't it remarkable
that the first serious question forced upon
it for action—a question that absolutely
demands action—should come from a
source entirely outside of both organiza-
tions? "
In dealing with questions of this kind
what we need is Strength and Wisdom. "In
union there is strength." " I n the multi-
tudes of counselors there is Wisdom."
The Local and National Associations are
formed for the purpose of taking up ques-
tions of this kind and discussing them
quietly among ourselves before making
them public property.
It has been asserted that all our Associ-
ations do is to dine together. If this were
true (and it is not) it would in itself be a
sufficient recommendation, for I know of
no place where the interchange of bright.
U
interesting and valuable ideas takes place
more readily than at the dinner table.
The Associations afford the opportunity
for careful consideration, earnest discus-
sion and united action and I am confident
that if this matter had been first brought
before either our local or National Associ-
ation, we would have developed some-
thing practical and not have subjected
ourselves to amusing comment by this
wild and hysterical demand for impossible
legislation. The moral is evident.
Judging from several expressions of
opinion given by Association members
during the meeting subsequent to the read-
ing of Mr. Parsons' views, it became evi-
dent that his attitude in the matter met
with their hearty approval.
Mr. Baus reasserted his position and was
followed by Mr. Dutton who declared that
manufacturers must look at the matter
from the stand-point of practical business
men. He said that he felt sure members
of the Association were quite as antagonis-
tic as the supporters of the Redington
measure to all fraudulent practices. " We
aim," said he, " t o do business in a busi-
ness like way, and honestly. We are all
aiming to do right. Personally, I believe
that the effect of this bill or any State
measure of similar import will be to en-
courage Western enterprise in stencil
making. We find in the West already a
strong and increasing competition along
legitimate lines. If to this competition we
add to their trade in another branch
then those who have undertaken to put this
Bill through without careful deliberation
and the aid of advice from manufacturers
of great experience, are bound to regret
their action.
I agree with Mr. Parsons
in his views and think he has covered the
ground so well that extended remarks are
superfluous. Mr. Baus has spoken about
the public and the public interests. True,
the people are ofttimes misguided but it is
too much to ask from the manufacturers
that they shall be held responsible. Nor
can the manufacturers be called to account
for the wickedness of small dealers who
adopt questionable methods.
There is
nothing inherently wrong in stenciling.
Only when fraud is intended is a crime
committed. Everything depends upon the
manner in which the article is sold. If a
dealer wishes to make misrepresentations
in order to further his own interests he
will make them just as freely with refer-
ence to good instruments as bad ones. New
laws will not prevent mischief of this kind."
Mr. Baus here created a sensation in the
meeting by accusing the Association mem-
bers of assembling at stated periods os-
tensibly for business but actually for the
purpose of "throwing bouquets at each
other" and having a pleasant time when
serious business interests should, prefer-
ably, occupy their attentions. "If the
measure," he exclaimed, "is not in accord-
ance with the views of the Association, are
you willing to have it amended ? We will
accept, or at any rate consider an amended
bill, but we will not consent to delay re-
form. Our minds are firmly made up and,
if, as is surmised, the Association decides
to take steps against the passage of the
Bill, we on our parts, will go to A-lbany