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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE STENCILLING OF PIANOS." . .
THE WORK ISSUED BY THE STENCIL COMMITTEE A DISCUSSION DESIRED
A STRONG LETTER.
Accompanying the charmingly prepared
brochure, "The Stencilling- of Pianos," the
Committee on Stencil of the National Piano
Manufacturers' Association has sent the
subjoined letter to all piano manufacturers,
under date of July 27 :
'' Ori the part of the National Piano
Manufacturers' Association of America we
desire respectfully to invite your attention
to and co-operation, if agreeable, with its
efforts, through the committee now ad-
dressing you, to bring about a cessa-
tion or a proper regulation of the prac-
tice of stencilling as now existing.
Doubtless the proceedings of the Asso-
ciation at Washington, on April 12th
and 13th last, in connection with the
subject, are familiar to you, but in order
that the history of the matter may be clear-
ly brought before you we send herewith a
pamphlet giving an exposition of the sub-
ject, together with opinions and comments
of certain newspapers. We would respect-
fully ask that a careful study of this pam-
phlet be made, as the information therein
contained, we believe, will be of practical
business interest to every piano-maker.
Briefly stated the conckisions of the Com-
mittee are as follows:—
"First: That while certain forms of sten-
cilling, from a business point of view,
cannot be regarded as illegitimate,
other forms are entirely so, and from
the use of the latter, promiscuous sten-
cilling has become so general a prac-
tice that innumerable frauds are per-
petrated upon the public, the adverse
influence of which acts ultimately upon
the manufacturer.
"Second: That it is more profitable for
the manufacturer invariably to place
his, the firm, corporate or legitimate
trade-mark name upon the plate as
that of the maker of the instrument,
no matter what other name may be
printed on the fall-board at the plea-
sure of the dealer or manufacturer. A
stencilled piano without the name of
the maker is simply sold as an article
of merchandise, without giving the
maker any permanent benefit as an
advertisement, whereas his name in
the plate insures publicity and thereby
reputation during the entire life of the
instrument. The dealer whose name
is on the fall-board is also benefitted
by the presence of the maker's name
in the plate, as it fully legitimatizes
the instrument and furnishes a val-
uable guaranty of its quality.
"By establishing and maintaining the
practice on the part of the majority of the
reputable piano-makers of the country of
the invariable placing of their names as
makers upon some portion of the instru-
ment, preferably the plate, in a short time
the dealers and, ultimately, the general
public would be so fully informed as to the
risk of buying pianos without such makers'
OPINIONS SOUGHT-
names being upon them that all manufac-
turers would find it to their interest tocon-
form to the general custom. This would,
therefore, put an end to the stencil abuse.
"It is not desired by the Association nor
by this Committee to assume or speak with
the slightest authority, however, in this
matter. Notwithstanding the fact that the
Association has put itself on record as op-
posed in principle to stencilling, its desire
as well as that of the Committee is to ob-
tain the views of every manufacturer and
to study with him, fraternally, the best
method of effecting a satisfactory solution
of the difficulty confronting the trade.
The Committee, therefore, asks your ad-
vice and assistance, and will deem it a
favor if you will express your opinion,
confidentially if you do not wish to go on
record, stating what you consider best to
be done under the circumstances. The
Committee asks that as far as is agree-
able you would state, not only what action
you think would be advisable for the trade
to take, but also, what you would be will-
ing to do in the matter in connection with
your own business, provided the plan sug-
gested is adopted by the National Associa-
tion. It is intended that copies of this
letter shall reach all manufacturers; those
who never stencil and those who do, in
order that no discrimination may be
made. Consequently a frank statement
of your position will be of great service
to the Association in mapping out a
course of action for the general good.
The Committee will say that at an early
date the Association may be called to-
gether at New York to again consider the
subject and, if deemed advisable, to act
upon it. It is, therefore, hoped that
with the assistance of all manufacturers
throughout the country the Committee
may so place the subject before the Associ-
ation as to aid it in dealing intelligently and
jiistly with what all deem to be one of the
important matters now affecting the in-
dustry.
' 'As the replies will be considered at a
meeting to be held by this Committee on
Thursday, the 24th of August, it would be
regarded as a great favor if you would
carefully consider your reply and send it
to the Committee, care of H. Paul Mehlin,
Secretary, 27 Union Square, New York, in
time to reach him before the meeting.
Yours very truly,
"Wm. Dalliba Dutton, for Hardman, Peck
& Co., New York, Chairman. (Signed)
Chas. H. Parsons, of Needham Piano &
Organ Co., New York. R. Proddow, of
Estey Piano Co., New York. H. Paul
Mehlin, of Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, New
York. P. H. Powers, of Emerson Piano
Co., Boston. E. S. Conway, of W. W.
Kimball Co., Chicago. A. H. Fischer, (Ex-
Officio), of J. & C. Fischer, New York.
Robt. A. Widenmann, Committee on
Stencilling.
"(Although Mr. Widenmann has re-
signed from the Committee through his
retirement from the firm of Messrs. Strich
& Zeidler, at the invitation of the mem-
bers of the Committee he has consented to
continue the valuable assistance which he
has given to its work from the beginning of
the movement.)"
"What is Stencilling?"
Under the above caption a definition is
made of stencilling in the booklet—just
issued by the Stencil Committee of the
National Piano Manufacturers'Association.
All piano manufacturers and most deal-
ers understand the subject fully; but, as
this pamphlet appeals to the general buyer
as well as to the seller, and will be read
more or less by the public, a short expla-
nation seems necessary.
A piano stencil, primarily, is a piece
of parchment, or has become, more
recently, a decalcomania impression
which is used in applying the name
of the manufacturer or of the piano, or
both, to the fall-board of the instrument.
Originally, this stencil always gave the
name of the manufacturer or his trade-
name, and his location on both the fall-
board and the iron plate, and thus told not
only who made the piano, but furnished a
guarantee of its genuineness. Some years
since, when competition became more
active among piano manufacturers and
the use of machinery had greatly increased
the facilities for manufacturing^ pianos, it
was suggested by certain makers of
lower grade that the names of dealers
in various localities might be stencilled
on the instruments in place of the names
of the manufacturers themselves, such
dealers being better known where they
transacted bnsiness, and there being also
other reasons why such a course was con-
sidered favorable to both dealer and manu-
facturer. This form of stencilling became
quite popular as it enabled the dealer to
have his own imprint on the pianos and
benefit by the consequent advertisement.
The customer knowing the dealer in most
cases, was quite content with the meth-
od. Many abuses, however, crept into the
business, among them being the misrepre-
sentations of some dealers as to the real
makers of the instruments, as they stated
to their customers that they, themselves,
manufactured the pianos bearing their
names. But this was not the worst part of
the matter. With the tendency to cheapen
articles of every sort, and the constantly
increasing competition, poorer and poorer
grades of pianos were manufactured and
placed upon the market, and as the makers
had no reputation to lose, and, in fact, in
many cases were only too glad to sink
their own personality, the names of imag-
inary firms were placed upon the pianos,
which were sold at low prices to dealers all
over the country. The honest dealer, of
course, in selling such an instrument was
careful to indicate its value, but the dis-
honest one frequently stated that the piano
was as good as anything made, and the in-
strument was sold at a large price to an
unsuspicious or confiding customer. As