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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Cooperation Invited by the N. P. M. A.
TO THE END THAT CERTAIN ABUSES WHICH DEBAUCH AND DEGRADE THE MUSIC TRADE IN-
DUSTRY SHOULD BE STAMPED OUT AN IMPORTANT LETTER SETTING FORTH
RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE LAST ANNUAL MEETING.
The executive committee of the National
Piano Manufacturers' Association of Amer-
ica, composed of Chas. H. Steinway, Louis
P. Bach, R. A. Widenmann, New York,
Theodore B. Brown, Worcester, Mass.,
Geo. F. Blake, Boston, Mass., and Fred P.
Stieff, Baltimore, has favored us with the
following communication which we com-
mend to the serious consideration of
dealers and the trade at large:
New York, February 22, 1899.
To the Trade :
The National Piano Manufacturers' As-
sociation of America, cognizant of the ex-
istence of certain trade conditions and
abuses which are a disgrace and a decided
detriment to the whole trade and tend to
its debauchment and degradation, and de-
sirous of assisting in the correction of such
abuses, the improvement of trade con-
ditions and the elevation of general trade
interests throughout the country and believ-
ing that its endeavors in this direction will
meet with the hearty co-operation of all
the reputable members of the trade,
dealers as well as manufacturers, at its
first annual meeting, in Boston, Massachu-
setts, passed the following resolutions:
"Resolved, that we respectfully recom-
mend to reputable dealers in the larger
cities to form local organizations, lay out
plans to meet the objectionable features
confronting them and comprehensively
cover conditions which they have to face,
with a view to sending delegates to our
next annual meeting, so that all sections
may be hear ft d and move in accord with the
one object of elevating and dignifying the
standard of our trade and ridding it of
pernicious practices; and
" Resolved, that, if desired by any local
organization, a member of the Executive
Committee shall confer with them at their
meeting and assist in accomplishing the
result desired."
"Whereas, The past years of depression
and the consequent excessive competition
have brought into the trade many unscru-
pulous persons, with the result.that many
of our fellow-members have been forced to
suffer serious losses through the rascality
of such parties, and
"Whereas, the individual manufacturer
has, in consideration of the great cost and
loss of time connected with the bringing of
these persons to justice, refrained from
criminal prosecutions of such cases, not
only to the injury of the manufacturers,
but honorable competitors and dealers as
well, and believing that this class of crim-
inal business can be most promptly brought
to an end by the united action of the Asso-
ciation, aided, if need be, by the reputable
dealers, in prosecuting all such cases,
therefore be it
"Resolved, That the President be, and
he is hereby, directed to appoint a Com-
mittee on Complaints and Grievances, to
consist of three members residing in or
near one city, for the investigation of all
complaints that may be made to it by the
members of the Association, this Commit-
tee to report its conclusions, with all the
evidence, to the Executive Committee, and
its members individually to have the full
right to vote with the members of the Ex-
ecutive Committee to determine the final
action of the Executive Committee in each
separate case; that each member or any
reputable dealer be requested to bring
cases of this kind to the attention of the
Committee on Complaints and Grievances.
Such information shall be given to the
Committee on Complaints and Grievances
in writing, and this Committee shall be
furnished with all the evidence in the pos-
session of the complainant. Upon the re-
port of this Committee to the Executive
Committee, that there exists an absolute
case of fraudulent or criminal practice by
the party complained of, the Executive
Committee is hereby authorized to begin
criminal action against the said party or
parties, and to carry the same to its legal
conclusion, the cost of such legal action to
be at the expense of the Association."
Among the numerous evils known to
exist in the trade special attention was
called to
Parties guilty of nefarious or criminal
practices injurious to the trade, and to
Parties known to have shown wholesale
prices or invoices to customers, prospective
buyers or other dealers.
The following gentlemen were appointed
members of the Committee on Complaints
and Grievances:
N. Stetson, chairman, 109 East Four-
teenth street, New York, N. Y.
Chas. H. Parsons, Fifth avenue and
Fifteenth street, New York, N. Y.
Robert Proddow, Southern Boulevard
and Alexander avenue, New York, N. Y.,
and this Committee is prepared to give
most prompt, careful and energetic atten-
tion to any and all complaints placed be-
fore it and, through it, before the Execu-
tive Committee.
The members of this Association believe
that a fearless and scathing exposure of
any party or parties found guilty, after a
fair and impartial investigation, such as
the character and standing of the members
of the Committee on Complaints and Griev-
ances guarantees, of any one of the nefari-
ous practices which have heretofore and
which do now disgrace our trade, will not
only be a powerful deterrent to unscrupul-
ous and unprincipled dealers who should
be ruthlessly exposed, but will also be an
extremely effective weapon in the hands of
reputable dealers.
The interests of manufacturer and dealer
are, in more respects than is generally ap-
preciated, mutual. The candid recogni-
tion of this inter-dependence and unpre-
judiced co-operation will tend to produce
mutually beneficial results, and this, with
the formation of local organizations in close
touch with and represented at the next
meeting of this Association, will greatly
assist in the elevation of the trade from
its present ethically and in many other
respects unsatisfactory condition to the
position among the art industries which it
should rightfully occupy.
This Association fully appreciates the
importance of joint action by dealer and
manufacturer for the purpose of receiving
definite and telling results, and most
heartily invites the cordial co-operation of
all reputable members of the trade.
Very respectfully,
The Executive Committee.
Roth & Engelhardt Purchase
HALF INTEREST IN THE " AUTONO " PIANO
ATTACHMENT AND WILL MANUFACTURE
UNDER NAME OF "PEERLESS PIANO
PLAYER " AT ST. JOHNSVILLE
NEW YORK SHOWROOMS TO BE
OPENED CHAT WITH
MR. ROTH.
Roth & Engelhardt have acquired a half
interest in the business and patents of the
well-known " Autono " Pneumatic Piano
Co., and will move the business, which
at present is located at Hazelton, Pa., to
St. Johnsville, N. Y. A quarter interest
in the "Autono" has also been acquired
by Charles Whyland, of Whyland & Handy,
St. Johnsville.
The manufacture of the " Autono " at-
tachment will be commenced in the near
future. A suitable building, located near
the site of the Roth & Engelhardt action
factory, is being fitted up for the purpose
and will soon be completed.
Fred, and John Goolman, of Los An-
geles, Cal., who are the inventors, will be
engaged in the new factory, their services
being retained as experts. At first, the
force will be limited in number, but there
is promise of rapid development under
the energetic guidance of Mr. Roth and
his partner, Mr. Engelhardt. Mr. Engel-
hardt, as a practical mechanic, will be able
to render invaluable assistance in this
work.
It is understood that the "Autono" will
henceforth be known as the "Peerless"
Piano Player. "Our aim," said Mr. Roth
to The Review on Tuesday, "will be to
arrange the mechanism of the 'Autono' so
that a player can operate it under any con-
ditions, either by electricity, with alternat-
ing or direct current, power, or water
motor. To our mind, the merits and pos-
sibilities of this attachment are sufficiently
great to promise very satisfactory results
under favorable conditions.
"With ample mechanical and other
resources at our command, we shall en-
deavor to create such conditions. The
headquarters for business purposes will be
New York City. In due course, we shall
open offices of adequate size, with sufficient
space to provide a suitable exhibit. For
manufacturing, we shall occupy the Melo-
harp building, giving three floors, each
100x40 feet. Electrical connections will
be made from our action factory. We
shall be prepared to take orders almost
immediately."
At the recital given in the St. Cecilia
Club Rooms, Dallas, Tex., Feb. 16th, the
Fischer grand piano, which is sold by the
Will A. Watkin Music Co., in that city,
was played by Mrs. Estelle Roy Schmitz,
her numbers being MacDowell's Serenata
and Polonaise.