Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Conciliation and Arbitration in
New Zealand.
Late Patents.
[Specially compiled for The Review].
Washington, D. C, Oct. 23, 1900.
Musical Instrument. Win. M. Callip,
Columbus, O. Patent No. 659,756.
The object of this invention is to pro-
vide improved means for attaching a
mouth-harp to a cithern, so that the strings
of the cithern may be seen by the player
while blowing the mouth-harp; and inci-
dentally the object of the invention is to
make said holder adjustable, so as to adapt
the position of the mouth-harp to suit the
vision of the player.
Musical Instrument. Wm. M. Callip,
Columbus, O. Patent No. 659,757.
The object of this invention is to in-
tensify or increase the volume and render
more sustained and mellow the tone of a
stringed instrument of the cithern kind.
The device may be appropriately named,
a "resonator."
The invention is embodied in a resonat-
ing-chamber provided with means for at-
taching it to a cithern, so that both the
cithern and chamber can be taken in the
hands and played upon while so held. The
invention also contemplates the provision
of means whereby the cithern can be in-
closed and held within the resonating-
chamber for transportation.
New Zealand is a country in which labor,
as a class, is perhaps more influential than
in any other civilized community. There
the workingman is the strongest factor in
the political world, and labor legislation
consequently has been furthest developed.
It is, therefore, inerestting to observe the
way in which labor questions have worked
themselves out under these conditions.
Particularly is it of interest to note the
stress laid upon the principle of arbitration.
Six years ago the New Zealand Parlia-
ment passed a law establishing a compre-
hensive system of conciliation and arbitra-
tion in industrial disputes, which has had
time to justify itself by its fruits. During
th6 period in which the law has been in
operation the prosperity of the community
in New Zealand has been steadily increas-
ing. The legislation apparently has not
, borne heavily upon the employers, while
it has materially benefited the workers,
and it has almost completely elimi-
nated the strike as an industrial factor.
Originally the law applied to industrial
workers alone, but it has just been
extended so as to cover "any person
of any age and of either sex, employed by
any employer to do any skilled or unskilled
manual or clerical work for hire or award
Music Mouses Will Close.
in any industry." The definition of "in-
Owing to the fact that business will be
dustry" is also extended to embrace "any
at
a standstill during the great parade
business, trade, manufacture, undertaking,
which-
occurs on November 3d, a great
calling or employment in which workers
many
of
the piano and music houses have
are employed." This extends the opera-
already
announced
their intention of clos-
tions of the law to all trades and their em-
ing
up
for
that
day.
Probably the closing
ployees and not merely to manufacturers
will
become
general,
and
Saturday, Novem-
and their workpeople, as in the past.
ber
3d,
will
be
practically
a holiday as far
The law applies, however, only to such
as
music
trade
affairs
are
concerned.
employers and employees as are registered
as members of an industrial union,
Suit over Violin.
independent employers and workers not
In the suit of S. B. Fairchild vs. the
being recognized. Under its provisions
Smedley Co., heard before Judge Studley
not less than five persons in the case of
in the Court of Common Pleas, New Haven,
employers, or ten in the case of workers,
this week, the plaintiff sued to recover
lawfully associated for the purpose of pro-
$100 damages for the loss of a violin
tecting or furthering the interests of em-
which the defendant, it is alleged, smashed
ployers or workers in any specified indus-
in moving. The plaintiff testified that
try in the colony, may be registered as an
he had the violin in his possession some
industrial union. This registration relates
thirty or forty years and valued it at $75.
to the work done or to be done by work-
The testimony of Mr. Newell created con-
ers or the privileges, rights and duties
siderable interest and amusement. He is
of the employers and employees in any
a well-known violin expert of local celeb-
industry, to questions of wages, hours of
rity and says what he does not know about
employment, qualifications of workmen,
a violin is not worth knowing.
claims of members of industrial unions to
He told the court that he had bought
be employed in preference to non-mem-
violins
for $11, fixed them up and sold
bers, or on matters of established custom
them
for
$125, and also enlightened the
or usage. The Conciliation Board hears
court
further
in tricks of the trade.
evidence on both sides and makes a report
R. A. Tusting, of Long Branch, N. J.,
or recommendation. This recommenda-
tion, if accepted by all parties, may be who is handling the Weber, Wheelock,
made a basis of an agreement, which shall Stuyvesant and Emerson pianos in that
be in force for not less than six months, town, is having an unusually busy sea-
nor more than two years. If not accepted, son. His recent sales have been large and
either party can bring the dispute before he expects to dispose of a hundred instru-
ments within the next four months.
the Court of Arbitration.
Rufus W. Blake, head of the great Ster-
ling interests, Derby, Conn., passed a
E. Edwin Long, traveling representa- couple of days in town this week.
tive of the McPhail Piano Co. was in town
Benjamin Curtaz, of the famous Curtaz
this week. He is on his way up the house of San Francisco, has been sojourn-
State.
ing in New York this week.
REV1EWLETS.
There is a constantly increasing demand
for the ^Eolian and Pianola in London,
Eng. The warerooms on Regent street
have recently been augmented by the
leasing of two adjoining buildings. When
alterations are completed this establish-
ment promises to be one of the finest in
the English metropolis and the environ-
ment all that the ^Eolian and the other in-
struments made by the ^olian Co. de-
mand. American ideas in London tend to
expansion as they do at home.
Jos. Druckemiller,who recently resigned
his position at Blasius & Sons', intends to
become more actively engaged in the piano
business, and we shall have something to
say of his plans later. Mr. Druckemiller
has had an experience of thirty years in
the piano business and has sold thousands
of instruments to the most prominent peo-
ple of the State of Pennsylvania. Mr.
Druckemiller's present headquarters are at
Jenkintown, Pa.
D. B. Cook, an old-time dealer of Hart-
ford, Conn., is seriously ill. Mr. Cook is
a violin connoisseur and has one of the
best collection of old instruments in New
England; in many respects the collection is
as interesting and unique as the one which
was left by the late R. D. Hawley. It is
very valuable.
Enrico Poselli, the Italian pianist, who
has been engaged by Manager Ulrich, of
Baltimore, will play the Knabe piano dur-
ing his tournee of the United States which
will be inaugurated the early part of Jan-
uary.
C. C. Williams of John C. Haynes &
Co., Boston, was among the callers at The
Review sanctum this week. He reports a
great activity in the "small goods" depart-
ment of their business.
From the Krell Piano Co. of Cincinnati,
we are in receipt of a booklet entitled
"Facts," which bears upon the evolution
of the piano. It is a veritable chef d'oeuvre.
We shall refer to it later.
Harding & Reihm, of Louisville, Ky.,
has been succeeded by Harding & Miller,
of Indianapolis, who now control the busi-
ness. They will hereafter conduct the
Louisville branch under a new title.
At the Kelso factory business conditions
are, as usual, very satisfactory. Several
new styles have been added for the fall
trade and they are all good sellers.
One of the latest examples of pianolas
has just been installed in the Library of
Congress, Washington, D. C.
R. F. Brandon, representing the Poole
Piano Co. on the road, is now touring the
West and sending in some big orders.
F, W. Kluppelberg & Son, the Hacketts-
town music dealers, have opened a branch
store in Newton, N. J.
Otto M. Heinzman, Weser representa-
tive, returned on Saturday from a success-
ful two-weeks trip.
A handsome Mathushek & Son piano was
disposed of last week to the Goshen (N.Y.)
High School.