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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
sharing system whereby all workman em-
ployed by Mr. Steger will receive a three
The extent of the Steger interests in the per cent, dividend of the annual earnings,
pretty little town of Steger, 111., is set forth the first dividend to be paid Feb. 20th next
very comprehensively in the illustration of on wages for the months of October, No-
the great Steger factories which appears on vember, December and January. After
the opposite page. This vast plant under that date the dividends will be paid yearly.
At the meeting of the Steger workmen
the competent management of that cap-
held
when this plan was proposed and
tain of industry, John V. Steger, has
which
by the way was approved in the
grown in proportions that testify in a most
most
enthusiastic
manner by all assembled,
potent and convincing form, to the suc-
Mr.
Steger
said
in
the course of his ad-
cess which he has achieved by patient and
dress:
"
This
is
a
day
and age of combina-
earnest endeavor.
tions,
and
I
believe
that
the best kind of a
To a person who has watched the growth
combination
for
a
manufacturer
to form is
of this industry at Steger, it is quite nat-
a
combination
with
his
employees,
thus pro-
ural that the mind should travel back
moting
a
feeling
of
mutual
interest
and a
some eight or nine years to the little shop
realizing
sense
in
every
mind
that
what
is
from which this great manufacturing in-
to
the
interest
and
benefit
of
the
firm
is
also
dustry has sprung. Back in the year '90-
'91 the Steger Co. were located in a small to the interest of those employed by that
three-story brick building, which is now firm. The time has come when employer
designated as A on the picture. At that and employed should work hand in hand. I
time they were working some twenty-five have always taken an interest in each of you
or thirty hands, and turning out about and desire that you should take the same
interest in the firm for which you work, for
eight or ten pianos per week.
Through careful management and good in so doing you have everything to gain and
financiering the company's business in- nothing to lose. With our increasing busi-
creased, and in the Fall of '95 they in- ness I need your assistance; the Superin-
creased their force and consequently more tendent of the case factory as well as the
floor space was necessary; and in order to Superintendent of the finishing factory
meet the demand a brick addition of forty needs your help. Believing, as I do, that
feet was built onto the west end of the old the employees as well as the firm are en-
shop, and also a three-story frame biiilding titled to a share in the profits which accrue
40x120 feet was erected fifty feet south of from the firm's investment and the em-
the brick building, the two being connected ployees' labor, I to this end have presented
by a bridge reaching from the third story of you this profit-sharing system."
' one to the same story of the other. This
Fire in Des floines, la.
gave the firm very comfortable quarters for
[Special to The Review.]
a time, not only for the finishing of pianos,
Des
Moines, la., Oct. 9, 1899.
but for the manufacture of their own cases,
In
the
complete
destruction by fire of
which, up to this time, had been purchased
the
big
Harris
&
Emery
Building this week
from other firms. During the past two
as
well
as
two
smaller
buildings,
the Risser
years the capacity of the factory has been
Music
Co.'s
establishment
and
stock
were
crowded to its utmost: the working force
was increased daily, and it was with diffi- badly damaged. The flames did not reach
culty that the company was able to fill its the interior of the music store, but the
orders. During the winter of '98-*99 it splendid line of pianos is damaged by water
became evident to the management that to such an extent as to render them almost
something must be done to alleviate the a total loss. The manager of the company
crowded condition of their factory, and states that the loss would aggregate rot less
Mr. J. V. Steger, President of the Com- than $2,000, all of which was fully covered
pany, at once began preparations for the by insurance. The interior of the store
construction of a large addition, which, room is also, badly damaged by water.
during the past summer, has been erected
Brings Suit for $5,000.
and is now being used.
[Special to The Review.]
Aside from this addition the company
Rochester,
N. Y., Oct. 10, 1899.
has expended an enormous sum of money
An
artist
and
the
manager of a piano
in extending and enlarging its steam-heat-
store
will
appear
in
supreme
court to-mor-
ing and drying systems, as well as its fire
row
as
principals
in
an
action
to recover
protection system. New boilers have been
$5,000
for
an
alleged
assault
committed
added, increasing the motive power to
upon
the
former
by
the
latter.
The title
nearly five hundred horse power. The
of
the
action
is
Edward
E.
Kaufer,
vs. G.
electric fire-alarm system has been extend-
Clay
Coxe.
Mr.
Kaufer
is
an
artist
with
a
ed and improved, as well as other minor
studio
in
East
avenue.
Mr.
Coxe
is
busi-
appliances having been introduced for the
convenience and safety of employees and ness manager for the J. W. Martin Piano
others. The firm has built comfortable Company of State street.
Artist Kaufer asserts that Mr. Coxe
homes for a large number of its employees,
came
into his studio about a year ago, and
which rent at remarkably low figures, in
after
a brief argument trounced him
fact much below the rental asked for houses
rather
severely. Mr. Coxe retorts that he
owned by private individuals, and which
acted
in
self-defense.
can also be bought on the installment plan.
The latest Steger move, to which we re-
L. L. Doud, secretary of the A. B. Chase
ferred in a recent issue of The Review, is Co., has been much benefitted by his short
the founding of a co-operative interest- vacation, which he spent at Catawba Island.
The Steger Advance.
Patents and Trade Names
IN GERMANY PROPER METHODS OF PROCED-
URE NAMES MUST BE REGISTERED.
Dresden, Ger., Sept. 13, 1S99.
I have made considerable inquiry in re-
lation to the practice of the German Pat-
ent Office in allowing patents, and I am
satisfied that part of the dissatisfaction
among our people in relation to securing
patents on American inventions is due
largely to our own or our attorney's ignor-
ance in relation to the methods employed
here.
In our country we may make claims for
as many improvements on different parts
of the same machine as we like; for our
Patent Office would consider it as "im-
provements on
," whatever the machine
might be; but here in Germany the im-
provement or improvements on each part
would be considered as a separate inven-
tion, and, therefore, call for a separate
patent. For instance, if an inventor im-
proved a sewing machine and one im-
provement was on the crank, one on the
shuttle, one on the tension, etc., etc., he
could make a claim or claims on each of
these parts and secure them in one patent
in^the United States, but in Germany he
could only secure a claim or claims on each
separate part in one patent.
Now, generally, when our people apply
for patents in Germany we send over copies
of our United States applications to be
translated here, with the result that they
are almost always returned form the Pat-
ent Office more or less times for correc-
tion. What should be done is:
1. Draw up new specifications, having
only one improvement in each specification
and having every claim relate to that im-
provement.
2. Have some one who is thoroughly con-
versant with German and German techni-
cal terms translate the specifications and
send both English and translated specifica-
tions to the German attorney who is to
make your applications, and he is then in
a position to make intelligently any alter-
ations that are necessary. I believe this
method will greatly lessen the expense and
vexatious delays.
There is one thing about which I should
like particularly to caution manufacturers
who are doing business in this and some
other countries, and that is to protect their
business or firm names and brands with
trade-marks. Any firm name or any brand
may be trade-marked here by any one
whether they have any moral right to it or
not, provided it is not already trade-marked
here or of such common use as to be known
to the examiner; and once it has been
trade-marked it is very difficult, almost
impossible, to get it set aside, and if not*
set aside, no one can import or manufac-
ture goods here under it but the party who
owns it, and even colorable imitations will
not be tolerated. This same law in effect
exists in many of the other countries, and
our manufacturers should look to it that
their marks and names are registered if
their trade in the country is worth protect-
ing.
P. W. Gates.