Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The French Reciprocity Treaty.
[Special to The Review.]
Washington, D. C, Feb. 6, 1900.
The advocates of the ratification of the
French reciprocity treaty, including the
officials of the administration having the
matter in hand and the representatives
here of the chief industries to be benefited
by this particular convention, have de-
cided to make a final effort to save this
treaty, which had been practically aban-
doned, and have decided upon an import-
ant change of policy. It is proposed to
segregate this treaty from the six other
treaties in the hope of pulling it through
by relieving it of all the embarrassments
which handicapped it through the oppo-
sition growing out of the unpopularity of
certain provisions of the other treaties. It
will be remembered that in this treaty it
is proposed to reduce the duty on musical
instruments from 45 to 30 per cent.
In spite of the active work now being
done in behalf of the French treaty the
task of securing its ratification will be a
most difficult one and one calling for much
diplomacy on the part of its friends. Rob-
ert P. Porter, who has served as a special
commissioner to Cuba and Porto Rico, and
who is thoroughly familiar with the reci-
procity treaties, is here working in behalf
of the French treaty and is making an ac-
tive canvass of the Senate with a view to
estimating the strength that can be relied
upon if the convention is brought to a
vote. Mr. Porter has caused to be pre-
pared an elaborate schedule, which is in-
tended to correct the popular misappre-
hension regarding the effect of the cuts
proposed by the French.
The active work being done by Mr. Por-
ter and by Special Commissioner Kasson,
who has returned to Washington after an
absence of a fortnight, has served to modi-
fy the views of several prominent Senators,
and will offset, to some extent at least, the
pressure which ceitain manufacturers are
bringing to bear against the treaty. It
may therefore be said that although this
convention is in a very precarious situation
all hope for its ratification has not disap-
peared. As it must be ratified prior to
March 24 it is apparent that only the most
effective work on the part of its friends
can bring about this result.
Arranging Details.]
Chas. H. Eddy, treasurer of Chickering
& Sons, and J. B. Woodford, head of John
Wanamaker's piano department, have been
in town this week on matters pertaining to
the transfer of the Chickering agency to
Wanamaker, which will occur, as has al-
ready been announced in The Review,
probably the first week an March.
The Federal Bankruptcy Law.
[Special to The Review.!
Washington, D. C., Feb. 6, 1900.
E. C. Brandenburg, in charge of bank-
ruptcy matters in the Department of Jus-
tice, has prepared a statement addressed
to the Philadelphia Credit Men's Associa-
tion, in which he presents some considera-
tions in opposition to the movement now
on foot looking to the repeal of the Federal
Bankruptcy law. Mr. Brandenburg em-
phasizes some ot the advantages both to
the debtor and creditor which the law has
already developed and calls attention to
the necessity for the co-operation of the
creditor class in order to secure the full
benefit of the statute.
N Y. P. M. A. to Dine.
There will be an informal dinner for
members of the New York Piano Manufac-
turers' Association at the Hotel Logerot,
Fifth avenue and Eighteenth street, on
Wednesday next, the 14th instant. A
large attendance is expected. The Dinner
Committee consists of Messrs. A. H.
Fischer, R. C. Kammerer and H. Paul
Mehlin.
New Cabinet Office.
BILL REPORTED TO THE SENATE CREATING DE-
PARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES.
Washington, D. C, Feb. 8, 1900.
The Senate Committee on Commerce to-
day made a favorable report on the
bill to create a Department of Com-
merce and Industries, the head of which is
to have a seat in the Cabinet. The bill gives
to the new department general jurisdiction
over the foreign and internal commerce
except internal revenue and customs; over
transportation facilities by land and water,
except in cases under the jurisdiction of
the Interstate Commerce Commission;
over the Geological Survey, the mining in-
Hazelton Matters.
dustries, the fisheries; also over the man-
There is always an atmosphere of dig- ufacturing industries, including the secur-
nity and refinement about the Hazelton ing of foreign markets. It transfers to
warerooms which seem in complete har- the new department the Bureau of Statis-
mony with the Hazelton intruments. The tics, the Census Office, the Department of
past year, we may state, was a very satis- Labor, the Fisheries Commission, the
factory one from the Hazelton standpoint, Commissioner of Railroads, the Bureau of
and reports from representatives in differ- Foreign Commerce and other important
ent parts of the country are most gratify- departments.
ing. A splendid line of agents and a mag-
An amendment adopted by the Committee
nificent piano make a business combina- also gives the new department jurisdiction
tion which is productive of excellent re- over patents and trade marks and transfers
sults.
to it the Patent Office. The report of the
It is said that receiver Mills, of Dolge & committee states that the creation of the
Son, will soon ask the courts for an order new executive department will greatly re-
to pay a part dividend on the claims against lieve the Treasury and Interior Depart-
the estate. It is now expected that he will ments, which have now more than their
be able to pay a larger dividend than at proportionate share of work. The bill
establishes in the proposed department a
first supposed.
new bureau of manufactures, which is
to have charge of the manufacturing inter-
ests of the United States to gather, compile
and publish information on the subject, to-
gether with data in respect to securing
markets abroad for American products,
and to assist in developing the manufac-
turing industries of the United States and
the markets for the same. The bill creates
the office of Secretary of Commerce and
Industries with a salary of $8,000 per year,
an Assistant Secretary at $4,000 and a
Chief of the Bureau of Manufactures at
$3,000. The total increase of yearly expen-
ditures is estimated at not exceeding $50,000.
New England Co. Dispose
OF THEIR RETAIL BUSINESS IN BOSTON TO GEO.
H. CHAMPLIN & CO.
Geo. H. Champlin & Co., of Boston, has
secured control of the retail trade for the
New England pianos for Boston and vicin-
ity, and hereafter the New England Piano
Co. will concentrate their efforts on the de-
velopment of their wholesale trade. The new
arrangement goes into force immediately.
The Knabe in Paris.
Ferdinand Mayer, of William Knabe &
Co., when asked by The Review yester-
day if any additional news had been re-
ceived concerning the establishment of
Knabe warerooms in Paris, replied that
The Review's statement in the last issue
practically covered all details up to date.
"The progressive policy of the firm
now in force in the United States," said he,
" will obtain in Paris. It is intended that
vigorous measures will be taken to make
the merits of the Knabe products thor-
oughly known and understood there.
" I n due course, a Knabe Salon will be
established, and it is the desire of the firm
that the Knabe exhibit at the French capi-
tal shall be in keeping with the prestige
enjoyed by us in this country and else-
where."
Found a Valuable Violin.
A very valuable violin said to be worth
$3,000 was found in the possession of
Henry M. Birmbaum of 64 West 118th
street, a young clerk who was arrested last
June and held on a charge of forging a
check for $100 on the Garfield National
Bank, but who skipped to Canada. He
was arrested in Baltimore on Sunday and
is now in the Tombs awaiting trial. Per-
haps this is the famous violin stolen from
Victor Flechter.
Groeneveld Traveling.
H. J. Groeneveld, of the Ricca Piano
Co., left town on Thursday on an ex-
tended western trip. Plans for the new
Ricca factory are now being perfected and
it is expected that work on the foundations
will begin shortly. The firm's business
continues active, with every indication of
a big record during 1900.
All labor difficulties existing in the Conn
factory at Elkhart, Ind., have been ami-
cably adjusted and contracts have been
signed in this connection for a term of
years.