Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 30 N. 10

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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
liable for the debts of the firm to the ex-
tent of his private fortune, his personal
property and real estate being attached to
double the amount of the debts, but in a
corporation the officers and stockholders
are not liable either individually or collec-
tively beyond the assets of the corpora-
tion. Right here the officers are per-
mitted to water the stock, mismanage the
business, vote themselves enormous sal-
aries, thus fleecing the public and ordinary
stockholders and finally escape unharmed
under the non-liability of the corporation
laws.
The laws of the several states are varied,
some enacting more or less restriction in
an attempt to protect the public, but none
have embodied a clause of individual lia-
bility. There is only one law of the land,
the United States Law of the National
Bank Act, which acts as a check upon the
dishonest officer and stockholder. This has
recently been enforced by assessing the
Globe National Bank stockholders one hun-
dred dollars per share, while punishment
awaits some of its officers who mismanaged
its affairs. The lesser corporations are to
a certain extent individual affairs, but
these vast organizations which offer stock
to the public should furnish some informa-
tion to that public, showing the nature of
the business together with the powers of
the various officers, which should be open
to inspection.
The Industrial Commission at Washing-
ton in its preliminary report of trusts and
industrial combination recommends that
promoters and organizers of corporations,
industrial combinations which look to the
public to purchase or deal in their stocks,
should be required to furnish full details
in regard to their business necessary for
safe and intelligent investment and that
any prospectus which fails to give such in-
formation, or which gives false information
shall carry legal responsibility. It is also
recommended that the larger corporations
be required to publish a properly audited
report annually, the audit report to be sub-
ject to government inspection. In other
words, publicity seems to be the keynote of
the industrial commission report.
If the States would repeal their corpora-
tion laws and adopt a law that could be
passed by Congress similar to the National
Bank act, which is operated in each State
alike, granting each State the power to
issue the charters received and turn into
the State Treasury all the fees and emolu-
ments the same as they do in making it a
universal, law giving both State and United
States courts jurisdiction over all cases, and
have a State examiner whose attitude it
will be to inspect the books and methods,
there would be less abuses of the corpora-
tion law than are now recorded.
A national corporation law with indi-
vidual liability is the key to the trust strong
box. There is nothing like publicity to
bring about better conditions, and if the
light of publicity were turned well on to
the formation and acts of the great combi-
nations it would speedily bring about ben-
eficial results.
THE QUALITY STANDARD.
I T has always been the policy of The Re-
view to do everything possible to en-
hance the value of the paper—to make it
a more practical and valuable aid to wide-
awake and progressive manufacturing and
retailing. To that end we have been ad-
vocating a stanch adherence to quality
rather than the price. In our opinion the
attitude of many dealers in failing to up
hold the standard of quality has done much
to retard their best interests. Almost
daily we are in receipt of letters commend-
ing The Review policy. F. A. Winter,
Altoona, Pa., writes:
"Right you are again in your issue of
the 17th inst. in 'quality against price.' It
has been demonstrated here that quality
will win against price. I uphold quality,
and the railroad agent tells me that I re-
ceive more pianos than all of my competi-
tors combined."
Then Mr. Winter goes on to state how a
well-known piano—we do not care to men-
tion the name for the reason that it could
be used against the same instrument in
other sections of the union—has deterio-
rated within his territory simply from the
fact that the representative has never held
up the quality. He has kept cutting, cut-
ting until it has no standing whatever, and
has been sold at ridiculous prices in and
near Altoona.
We have noticed that where the dealer
upholds quality he invariably succeeds.
In the first place it shows he has confi-
dence in the wares which he represents.
He places upon them a correct price and
sticks to it. His candor and enthusiasm
impress the customer. The man who will
forever bring up the question of price
against quality is always slipping down the
business hill. He holds but temporarily
one vantage point only to recede after a
fresh onslaught of argument from his cus-
tomer. Down he goes until he reaches
the bottom of the hill. There is no
stability to his business.
Show us piano men who stand up and
exhibit a strong faith in the quality of
iheir instruments and we will show you
successful business men every time. The
advocacy of price rather than quality has
inflicted serious injury upon the business,
and, depend upon it, non-fixable prices
which exist in the retail trade will do more
to assist the department store, which will
become more and more a prominent factor,
than all other influences combined.
FREIGHT CLASSIFICATION.
T H E revisions of the classifications of
freight on the railroads of the country,
which has been going on for some months,
is now substantially completed, and that
of the trunk line division has been an-
nounced to take effect to-day, March 10.
It differs in many details from the West-
ern and Southern classifications, and it
is said that differing conditions of traffic
make uniformity impracticable. The trunk
line field may be defined in general as
that between the Atlantic Coast and
the Mississippi River north of the Po-
tomac and Ohio, though it does not in-
clude connections westward from Chicago.
The western area includes the lines from
Chicago to the Pacific Coast and west of
the Mississippi down to the Gulf, while
the Southern classification covers the field
south of the Potomac and Ohio and east of
the Mississippi. Traffic in the trunk line
field is relatively the heaviest, it includes
most of the general merchandise as dis-
tinguished from more bulky material, and
it covers the most populous territory, with
a large volume of local distribution. The
difference in variety and bulk of shipments,
length of haul, and relative cost of carriage,
is what justifies, or at least occasions, the
differences in classification and of rates,
and makes uniformity impracticable from
the business point of view of the railroads.
It is admitted that the main purpose of
the recent changes has been to increase the
revenues of the railroads, but it is claimed
that they were intended in the main to rec-
tify derangements caused by irregular
competition during a period of depression,
when classifications were changed. On
the part of the three Classification Com-
mittees that have been at work it is
claimed that they have aimed at reaching
the faire-t and most equitable results
practicable in so complex a problem, and
their final revision has been made after
hearing complaints and protests from re-
presentatives of shippers in different sec-
tions of the country.
The most important point of contention
has been the general difference in rates
between carload lots and less than carload
lots of the same articles of merchandise.
The difference previously existing was
widened in the revised classification, but
since the hearings some concessions have
been made to mitigate the complaints on
that score. Still, it is more than doubtful
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
whether a satisfactory basis had been
reached. The position of the railroad man-
agers is easy to understand, but it may be
determined too much by mere considerations
of "business" for the railroads themselves
and too little by the effect of their opera-
tions upon the business of others and upon
the interests of the public. The economy
of handling and transporting freight on a
large scale, by the carload and trainload
for single customers, over the comparative-
ly retail business of collecting and distrib-
uting small lots for many customers, often
with cars and trains but partly filled, is
sufficiently obvious, but to make a corre-
sponding difference in charges is to increase
the advantage of great concerns with large
capital and a powerful control over many
branches of production. It tends to crush
out the smaller manufacturers and traders
and to build up great centres of industry
and trade at the expense of outlying and
intermediate territory. As a writer in the
New York Times well says: Something
more than the business interests of char-
tered corporations is involved, and it is
not a mere question of the cost of trans-
acting that business in its various details.
It must be regarded with reference to aver-
age results and effects. Each car and train
and each section of the field of operation
cannot be expected to render its due pro-
portion of return for the expense of ser-
vice. There is a large question of private
rights and public policy to be considered.
Those actively concerned in organiza-
tions formed to promote and protect the
interests of the chief customers of rail-
roads, like the Merchants' Association of
this city, are strenuously in favor of reduc-
ing the inequality between the charges
made to shippers on a large scale and those
imposed upon the great mass of producers
and traders who do not deal in carloads and
trainloads at a time; but they say that the
most important thing, after all, is the main-
tenance of stable rates and open and above-
board schedules. Avowed differences in
favor of large customers, with special
rates, rebates, and secret discriminations
in time past, have helped to build up the
great consolidations and combinations
which are now said to tyrannize over the
railroad companies and coerce them into
granting low rates for large lines of busi-
ness. There is little faith now in the uni-
form and steady maintenance of the rates
established under any system of classifica-
tion, because no means has yet been found
for an effective control by the chief officers
and financiers of the companies over the
traffic managers and agents, who are con-
stantly engaged in the strenuous effort to
"get business" for their particular roads.
There seem to be but two ways in which a
reasonable uniformity and stability of rates,
fairly adjusted to the rights and interests
of the public and the railroads, can be per-
manently maintained. One is effective
co-operation in management and the other
effective supervision and control by public
authority. At present we have neither of
these.
ages done to the music beyond ordinary
wear and tear.
The Consul says: " I do not know
whether or not an enterprise of this char-
acter exists in the United States. If not,
it seems to me that it might be generally
and advantageously put into use in our
larger cities. It might even be made a
feature of circulating libraries."
OBITUARY.
\ 1 7 H I L E chatting the other day with a
Frederick C. Marry.
well-known hardware man relative
The death is announced of Frederick C.
to associations he remarked that he became Marry, a prominent architect of this city,
convinced years ago of the beneficial ef- which occurred at his home, 219 W. 135th
fects that might accrue, that acquaintance street, last Sunday evening. Among the
and even friendship might be consistently important buildings erected by him in
and judiciously combined with business, this city is the famous Chickermg Hall,
and that Association work did much to which has ever been noted for the beauty
and correctness of its architectural lines.
bring about these results. He stated that
C. Byron Hunt.
now in the hardware trade organizations
C. Byron Hunt, formerly president of
existed in almost every city, and that there the Bay State Organ Co., died last week in
was a National Hardware Association as Weymouth, Mass., in his sixty-eighth year.
Mr. Hunt was one of the prominent and
well.
wealthy citizens of that town and was
highly respected. He was an original
Krell Closes Contract.
"forty-niner" and leaves a widow and one
[Special to The Review.]
child.
Cincinnati, O., March 6, 1900.
Jarvis S. Peloubet.
The Krell Piano Co. has closed a con-
Word was received Monday night of the
tract to erect an addition to its present fac-
death of Jarvis S. Peloubet, the old-time
tory in Harriet street.. The new addition
organ manufacturer, and formerly of the
v i 1 have a frontage of 185 feet in Carr
firm of Peloubet, Pelton & Co., of Bloom-
street by 50 feet in Richmond street. The
field, N. J. Mr. Peloubet was sixty-six
building will be five stories high, brick,
years old. He died at the home of his
and, when completed, will double the com-
son, Louis S. Peloubet, in Jackson Boule-
pany's working force. The work on the
vard, Chicago, from pleuro-pneumonia.
building will be pushed, as the company
He leaves two sons and one daughter.
is badly in need of room.
Wm. T. Henderson.
William Thomas Henderson, sixty years
Music Library in Geneva.
old, a veteran member of the Stock Ex-
A rather unique enterprise of certain
change, died at his home, No. 59 West
music dealers in Geneva is mentioned by
130th street, this city, Wednesday. He
Consul Ridgely in a recent report to the
was the son of Thomas Henderson, a
Government at Washington.
Scotchman, who came to New York in 1830
The dealers in question keep very large
and was one of the pioneer piano makers
stocks of all sorts of classical and popular
of the country. He leave's a wife, son
music, both instrumental and vocal, to all
and daughter.
of which access may be had by students
and others for a subscription fee of from
A Sundberg Judgment.
50 cents a month up. In other words,
these dealers in this particular operate
Judgment for $9,492 was entered Mon-
their music stores on the plan of a circulat- day against Andrew P. Sundberg and
ing library. Subscribers may take from Henry T. Malcomson, who compost d the
three to twelve pieces of music at a time, firm of Sundberg & Co., manufacturers of
and may change as often as they please. musical instruments at 528 West Forty-
To students who desire to have access to a third street, in favor of Emily B. Malcom-
large and varied repertoire of music and son on four demand notes. A receiver
who cannot afford to buy at will, this ad- was appointed for the firm in August last.
mirable plan comes as a benison, and the
dealers who have inaugurated it in Geneva
Next!
are being well repaid for their enterprise,
The inventive mind of Stanley M. Baltzly
not only by the patronage of the students,
has
produced the "kegollette," whose
but by a large and general clientele. The
music
is, to say the least, different from
subscription fees are as follows:
that of any other known instrument. It
Three pieces of music at a time, one
consists of a long and slender neck, an
month 50 cents, one year $2.40; Five
empty four-gallon keg and four strings.
pieces of music at a time, one month 70
It is played with a bow.—Massillon, O.,
cents, one year $3.00; Eight pieces of mu-
Independent.
sic at a time, one month 90 cents, one
year $4.00; Twelve pieces of music at a
R. E. Hawkins, music dealer of Calvert,
time, one month $1.10, one year $5.00.
Tex., is making preparations to open a
Subscribers are held responsible for dam- music store in Greeneville.

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