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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
cure legislation hostile to them is a highly ization has largely dissipated. Why? Be-
profitable business. Out of collections cause manufacturers realized that other
obtained from small storekeepers who de- papers could not be built up unless they re-
sired to fight the department stores, esti- ceived at least more than a starvation
mated at from $12,000 to $15,000, less patronage. They began to consider that a
than $6,000 was expended for printing, fifty or a hundred dollars thrown to a com-
stationery and postage, the circulation of petent trade publication while they per-
petition, office rent, clerk hire, etc., the mitted the sandbagger to extort thousands
balance presumably going into the hands from them, was not the way to augment
of one man, who was the head and front of the right kind of a paper business. They
found that a fair patronage given to such
the plan.
papers as demonstrated ability and enter-
SCALPING OUT OF DATE.
prise enabled them to match the smooth
"PICKET scalping is now receiving some one in point of influence. As the repu-
regular Fitzsimmons blows from judi- table, clean and healthy papers began to
cial authorities in different states, and it build up the bloodsucking sheet began to
would seem as if the elimination of ticket decline, until it is to-day a derided, atten-
scalping would occur in the near future. uated sheet.
Judge Porter of the Superior Court of
Now, if the manufacturers propose to
Pennsylvania, was very emphatic in sus-
keep the man who has prostituted the fair
taining the judgment of lower courts
name of the industry in a position of innoc-
against the ticket scalper. He upheld the
cuousness, they can best do it by giving
constitutionality of the State statute against
a decent patronage to such papers as have
ticket scalping, which, in his opinion, does
demonstrated the possession of ability,
not violate the constitutional provision re-
honor and independence in the conduct of
specting interstate commerce. He furth-
their affairs.
ermore stigmatizes ticket scalping as a
business at which the act of Assembly
Bates Appeals.
[Special to The Review].
directly strikes and which the Legislature
Worcester,
Mass., Aug. 13, 1900.
has said is prolific of fraudulent results.
The case of the Bates Piano Company vs.
It is believed that this position of Judge the Worcester Protective Department will
Porter will put an end to ticket scalping be appealed to the Supreme Court. A ver-
in Pennsylvania, and a strong impetus will dict was given for the defendant in the
doubtless be imparted to the efforts now Superior Court after several days' trial.
being made to have the business rendered The plantiff claimed at the time of the fire
in the Day building, that a number of
illegal throughout the country. There are pianos were lost through the negligence of
many people inclined to criticise the at- the Protective Department. The plaintiff
tacks upon the business of ticket scalping. claimed that he was unable to get at his
They feel that the railroad has been paid pianos, being restrained by members of the
once for a fare and that it is immaterial to department. W. A. Gile was counsel for
the road whomsoever is returned on that the plaintiff, and Herbert Parker for the de-
fendant.
ticket, and that the business should not be
Praise the Peerless.
interfered with. However the railroad
combination is steadily gaining ground in
The "Peerless" Piano Player is receiv-
the legal prohibition against ticket scalping ing a large share of attention and the
peculiar merits of the attachments have
gained for it a vogue that promises to last
POINTS TO CONSIDER,
I T is gratifying to record the fact that for a long time. Piano dealers are inter-
during the past few months music esting themselves in the Peerless Co.'s
products to good advantage. Their testi-
trade journalism has been comparatively mony is to the effect that the "Peerless"
free from filth and abuse. 'Tis true there does all that is claimed for it, and does it
have been feeble and futile attempts to hold well. The following testimony, recently
up the Fischer and Hardman concerns, but received at the firm's headquarters, is
the attacks show such a deterioration of strong and convincing:
St. Louis, Mo., June 15, 1900.
mental vigor—they are so pitifully weak—
Gentlemen:—We have sold enough of
that they hardly arouse even contempt. the Peerless Piano-players, and have tested
Now, why have these changes been brought them so thoroughly that we believe they
are the most complete in musical results
about? Is the erring one truly repentant, and wearing quality of any piano-player
or has he been forced to change his tactics? on the market, in which no physical effort
required to operate them. We congratu-
We are inclined to believe that as the is
late you, and feel that the Peerless Piano-
leopard's spots are unchangeable so are the player will be a winner. Every customer
sandbagging habits with him. Years ago we have so far sold to is very enthusiastic,
and they are bringing their friends in
he swayed the industry with almost auto- large numbers to our warerooms. We
cratic power. One reason, he had behind have sold a large number of Peerless
Piano-players, as your books will show,
him an organization which was believed to and
expect to do a much larger business in
be powerful. The strength of that organ- the future, for it is only a question of time
when their merits will remove the pre-
judice created against this class of instru-
ment by the unmusical and defective
monstrosities so long foisted on a suffer-
ing public. Had it not been for the great
street railway strike we have had here since
May 8, we have no doubt but that our
orders would have been very heavy, even
during the so-called "dull summer months."
Wishing you every success, and assur-
ing you that our advertising department is
taking good care of the Peerless Piano-
player, we remain,
Respectfully,
Kieselhorst Piano Co.
Cleveland, O., June 9, 1900.
Gentlemen:—We have sold a number of
Peerless Players during the last twelve
months, and have seen them subjected to
the hardest usage. This experience war-
rants the assertion that the Peerless Player
executes classical, as well as popular mu-
sic, with wonderful expression and exacti-
tude, and gives perfect satisfaction where
directions for its manipulation are ob-
served, and they require no physical effort
to operate them.
Yours truly,
The B. Dreher's Sons Co.
Burdett Progress.
[Special to The Review. 1
Freeport, 111., Aug. 13, 1900.
Business here in the piano and organ
factory of the Burdett Co. has been stead-
ily developing and Mr. Brockmeier and
his associates have determined to enlarge
their plant. For a long time they have
felt the need of more room and have now
commenced the erection of a fifty foot
addition to their factory to be three stories
and basement, which will give to the com-
pany facilities so that they will be able to
keep in sight of their orders.
flercantile Disasters.
According to the mercantile agencies,
commercial failures during July amounted
to 793, with liabilities of $9,771,755. These
were divided into 183 failures of manu-
facturing concerns, with liabilities of $5,-
177,682; 550 failures of traders, with lia-
bilities of $3,324,366, and 60 failures of
brokers and transporters, with liabilities of
$1,269,729. Comparison of the failures of
July with those of the corresponding month
a year ago gives a very discouraging re-
sult, the number of failures in July, 1899,
being 91, with total liabilities of $4,872,197.
It should be remembered, however, that
failures in that month were the smallest
with one exception in any one out of the
last 82 months. The failures for last July
were less in number and in liabilities than
those in the corresponding month of 1898,
when they were 882 in number, with lia-
bilities of $10,101,455. The mercantile
disasters of last July were largely confined
to the East, and among trading concerns
were heaviest in dry goods and carpets,
while among manufacturing concerns those
producing machinery and tools, together
with manufacturers of lumber, carpenters
and coopers, took the lead.
S. Q. Mingle, formerly a dealer in pianos
at Williamsport, Ind., is in financial diffi-
culties in this city, where he has been for
a year or two engaged in the real estate
business. Judge Giegerich, of the Supreme
Court, has appointed F. J. Nealis in sup-
plementary proceedings.