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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
The •' Commission Fiend."
5pringfield the Center.
An Employee's Secrets.
New York, Sept. i, 1900.
Mr. E. Lyman Bill:
Dear Sir—I should be glad to have you
take up through the columns of your valu-
able paper, the subject of commissions
paid by dealers to persons who are in no
way entitled to said commissions. I am
sure that, acting in the interest of dealers
generally, you will be glad to have com-
munications from any who wish to discuss
the matter. For my own part, I see very
little room for discussion. That it is a great
evil, and one generally denounced by the
trade, there is no question. Where an
evil is known to exist I have never been
able to discover a good reason why it
should continue. Every dealer knows
that there are persons who make a prac-
tice of "going the rounds" with prospec-
tive purchasers, never influencing and
often preventing the consummation of a
sale and when the deal is made in spite
of them, calmly demanding ten per cent,
from the dealer as their legitimate right.
Now I, for one, would like to know why
any dealer feels called upon or obliged to
pay any such blackmail. I have in my
experience uniformly turned down such
claims, and of course made enemies of the
claimants. Sometimes I have incurred
the displeasure of my employers by so do-
ing, but oftener my course has met their
approval, especially when they were per-
sonally relieved from the responsibility of
the transaction.
I do not object to paying a music teacher
who really helps a wavering purchaser to
make up his or her mind to buy a piano,
and who, by argument or persuasion can
get one to buy where a salesman cannot
succeed. And even in that event, the ten
per cent, commission is too much for deal-
ers nowadays when prices are low and
competition so close that extraordinary in-
ducements must be offered to get trade. I
would be glad to see the matter taken up
by the trade and get the views of others
through your paper. This should be done
with a view to concerted action looking to
a thorough revision of the commission
system. Such a move, I am sure, would
meet the r approval of all conservative
dealers.
Very respectfully,
T. D. Gambrill,
Manager Calenberg Piano Co.
Retail Department.
While not generally appreciated, yet it
is stated as a fact that the majority of the
piano plates used in the United States are
manufactured in Springfield, O., says the
Sun of that city. Two firms, the Wickham,
Chapman & Co., and one other local con-
cern, do all the important work, to-
gether employing about 700 men in the
work. The output is about 160 per day.
There are now advance orders for 38,000
this year.
They have a law in Germany entitled an
"Act for the suppression of base competi-
tion." It means that a man employed by
a firm can be severely punished for giving
away trade secrets of the firm. It was
tested lately in the courts. It appears
that a foreman discovered a method to
make "rustling velvet." He sold the
secret and was tried under the law. In a
lower court he was convicted. He ap-
pealed. The higher court dismissed his
appeal on the following grounds:
"The foreman was employed as such by
the firm, and therefore it was his duty to
try experiments by which the methods of
work could be improved.
"His achievement in inventing the sub-
stance was, therefore, only a part of the
services which he owed to his employers.
The invention belonged to his employers,
and therefore the action of the foreman in
imparting the secret to outsiders was in
violation of the law referred to. Only an
employee is intrusted with experiments
which may lead to such inventions. A
stranger, whose labor does not belong to
the establishment, is excluded from such
experiments. The foreman was admitted
to the experiments only on account of his
employment by the firm, and it followed
that the invention in question was made
by him in consequence of his employment
by the firm, for which he was paid."
The Point of View.
To substantiate the happy fact that peo-
ple will all look at pictures in different
lights this incident may be cited, says the
San Francisco Wave. A season or so ago
an artist of distinguished merits sent in a
picture to an exhibition in New York, and
the title of his work was "The Prelude."
The subject was a modern St. Cecilia, a
figure seated at a piano. The idea was
delicately conceived. There was the look
of inspiration. The opportunity was given
to show the nice drawing of one of the
hands, with the agile, tapering fingers.
The sweep of the velvet gown was im-
pressive. Herr Klimperkasten, the well-
known manufacturer of pianos, attended
the exhibition. This was his criticism:
"Dot is fine. Dot leg is joust splendid."
"What leg?" asked an American friend.
"Why, the picture is most modestly
painted. You can only see the tip end of
the slipper the performer wears." "Dot
leg!" replied Herr Klimperkasten. "Why
the piano leg. Dot is a fine leg. No
veneers, but good solid cherry. And dot
pattern suit me exactly. I puts it on my
next grand piano."
The Everett in Chattanooga.
The John Church Co.'s quarters at 722
Market street, Chattanooga, Tenn., are
about to undergo a complete remodelling
as well as enlargement. When finished
they promise to be one of the largest as
A New Piano Castor.
well as handsomest music trade empo-
J. McCormick, of Spear Fish, South riums in that section. The plans as
Dakota, has been allowed a patent (not yet drawn include not only ideal display
issued) for a roller bearing ball castor rooms for pianos and organs on the
specially adapted for pianos and heavy first and second floors, but include a
movable furniture. A frame adapted to handsome hall on the third floor which
be fixed to the bottom of a leg has three will be known as Everett Hall. This will
pairs of integral flexible curved fingers ex- be used as a public rendezvous for con-
tended downwards, a roller journaled be- certs and rausicales of all kinds. There
tween each pair and a ball pressed up be- will be also well-equipped packing, ship-
tween the fingers and retained thereby in ping and repair departments as well as
such a manner that the weight will be quarters for reserve stock. The growth
of this business is creditable to manager
transferred by the rollers to the ball.
Templeman and his able corps of assist-
fir. Emerson Returns.
ants and speaks eloquently for the popu-
George D. Emerson, of the National larity of the magnificent Everett pianos
Musical String Co. of New Brunswick, N. which have become such favorites in Chat-
Won His Laurels.
J., has arrived home from Europe, where tanooga and locality.
E. N. Kimball, Jr., of Boston, has been he has had a very pleasant sojourn on busi-
Favorably Entertained.
enjoying himself far from the madding ness and pleasure. He visited all the prin-
crowd as well as piano cares. While up cipal points of interest abroad. In Lon-
The members of the Chamber of Com-
at Wawbeck, N. Y., he added to his laurels don, as well as other European business merce, of Toledo, O., seem to entertain
as a sportsman by bringing down the first centres, he made a number of valuable con- very favorably the proposition made by
deer of the season. This he killed within nections for his house. The strings made the Compensating Pipe Organ Co., of To-
six hundred yards of the hotel while most by the National Musical String Co. are fast ronto, Ont., to locate in that city provided
of his party had gone far away hunting for winning as great a reputation abroad as a certain amount of their stock is sub-
the elusive deer. In order to complete and they deservedly enjoy in the United States. scribed for by the business people of To-
substantiate the story Mr. Kimball is hav-
Charlie Sisson, the old-time piano man, ledo. The matter, however, is still in
ing the head handsomely mounted and the who, since forsaking the piano business, statu quo and in charge of a committee of
date of the shooting engraved thereon has been sojourning up in Skagway, Alas- the Chamber of Commerce who are giving
which he will exhibit to all those who pro- ka, is now eastward bound. Rumor hath the matter due consideration. A full
fess doubt as to his record as an early it that Mr. Sisson may again join the ranks meeting of the Board will probably occur
huntsman.
of the piano fraternity.
next week when final action will fee taken*
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