Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
extent that varnish no longer is sold upon
its real merits."
If this condition obtains to the extent
that it is alleged in the industry, then tens
of thousands of dollars are paid annually
to varnish foremen to recommend certain
TWENTY-FIRST YEAR.
•EDWARD LYMAN BILL~t~^
brands of varnish. It is said that a well-
Editor and Proprietor
known varnish house recently paid to a
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
foreman in Boston the sum of $500 to rec-
~~
3 East 14th St., New York
ommend his varnish. Whether or not this
situation has reached the acute stage, it
SUBSCRiPTION (Including postage), United States,
Mexico and Canada, S 3.00 per year; all other countries,
$+00.
will be quite well for piano manufacturers
ADVERTISErtENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
to investigate, for, after all, they are the
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read-
ing matter $75 •«>•
ones who are paying the ten or twenty dol-
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
b« made payable to Edward Lyman Hill*
[
lars per barrel additional, which, it is said,
Entered at the New York Pott Office at Second Clou Matter.
goes to the varnish foremen.
NEW YORK, MARCH 10, 1900.
In view of these facts cannot many
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1743-EIGHTEENTH STREET.
manufacturers immediately comprehend
THE KEYNOTE.
the reasons for certain objections made by
The first week of each month, The Review will
contain a supplement embodying the literary
their varnish foremen regarding certain
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
varnishes? That it cracked or didn't dry or
will be effected without in any way trespassing
rub, or something else which condemned
on our regular news service. The Review wil!
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
it
in the estimation of the foreman. It is
trade paper.
easy to doctor varnish, and from reports it
A VARNISH TEST.
would
seem as if some of the varnish fore-
C O R many months there have been com-
plaints from the manufacturers of var- men have become adepts at this work.
It might not be amiss for certain manu-
nish regarding the present unprofitableness
of the varnish business. They claim that all facturers to look a trifle closer into the var-
other materials that are used in the manu- nish end of their business. If they are
facture of pianos have advanced in price, paying three dollars per gallon for, we will
but that varnish has remained practically say, a varnish that is only worth two and
a quarter, then they are the ones who are
stationary.
being
mulcted for the difference. How
There is another matter too that exists
in the varnish trade which is decidedly un- would it be to send a number of the var-
pleasant to a number of the varnish manu- nishes to a central testing station—the di-
facturers. It is stated upon excellent rector of which should in no way be ac-
authority that there is a system of bribing quainted with the real name of each var-
varnish foremen which has obtained in the nish which he received—designated by a
industry to an alarming extent and that key-letter known only to the manufacturer
varnish is not too often sold upon its real who sent the sample?
It is possible that some pertinent infor-
merits, but upon the denominational fig-
ures which are stamped upon the govern- mation regarding varnish might be the
ment paper handed to the foreman by some immediate outcome of this test. What an
interesting question would be raised if a
varnish representative.
Recently a varnish representative offered committee on varnish were appointed!
a substantial figure to the foreman of a Is it not certain that considerable light on
well-known Western piano plant to recom- the inner dealings of varnish foremen and
mend his varnish. This man was one of varnish manufacturers would be revealed?
the kind not easily purchased. Without It is necessary to have good varnish, but
showing any special resentment he asked it does not seem to us that it should be
the representative to accompany him to the necessary to bribe men in order to place
office of the proprietor. This he did and the right kind of varnish in the different
in plain words said before his employer, factories. Why not a little investigation
"This man has been trying to bribe me to along these lines?
five years this has been the subject of con-
stant political agitation, and it required
the expression of the people to bring about
some permanent understanding regarding
the finances which did not show purely the
action of financiers and legislators. Al-
though the popular verdict was given in
1896 politicians have been timid and only
now has the constant pressure of a growing
public sentiment forced Congress-to the
final step of making the law agree with the
fact that there should be but one measure
of values.
What now does the country gain? There
will still be seasons of bad business; there
may be panics; these things are insepar-
able from a business done largely on credit
and a good deal of which is done in a spirit
of speculation. But one great menace to
business is removed. That there can be
only one measure of value, and that the
word "dollar" can only mean one thing.
The value of that dollar may change;
everything changes. But changes in the
value of gold are extremely slow. The
value of the dollar will not be changed by
legislation, or by the redemption of legal
tender notes in cheap dollars, nor in any
other way, except by those slow, world-
wide movements to which business read-
justs itself unconsciously.
Not the Government of the United
States, but the people of the United States
have discussed the subject thoroughly and
have decided that the American dollar shall
have as definite a meaning as the pound
sterling. It is not a guarantee of unlimited
prosperity, but it is the permanent removal
of a great and at times a disastrous menace.
Piano manufacturers should not feel in
the least bit timid about planning extensive
business conquests for the present year,
although it is one in which the presidential
election takes place. The country is all
right and the piano manufacturers as well
as dealers should reap a great big harvest
during 1900.
NATIONAL CORPORATION LAW.
present lax corporation laws are in
our opinion directly responsible for
the reckless and almost criminal over-cap-
italization of business combinations which
nowadays are commonly termed trusts.
Under these laws most of the trusts are
use his varnish by offering me a certain
THE
BUSINESS
OUTLOOK.
given
birth, and any number of individ-
amount of money."
It is needless to add that the varnish '"THERE seems to be a universal opinion uals may combine to procure charters,
that business will suffer compara- issue stock, fleece the people and conduct
representative was hastily, if not cere-
tively little by reason of the presidential a regular Miller 520 per cent, gold brick
moniously, shown the door.
One varnish representative the other election which occurs this year. A dis- bunco game. The greatest injustice of
day, while discussing the condition of turbing element which has figured promi- the laws regarding the promotion of cor-
affairs, said to The Review: "There is ab- nently in political affairs of the country porations is the non-liability of its officers
solutely no use of denying that these con- will have been removed by the establish- and stockholders. In a co-partnership
ditions exist and exist to such an alarming ment of a gold standard bill. For twenty- each member of the firm is individually
i