Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 31 N. 8

Page 5 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
lies largely with the manufacturer. If he
has determination enough he is in the long
run almost sure to win. It is not generally
difficult to fill the place of the men who have
gone out, and labor unions then find them-
selves reduced to violence and intimida-
tion. This alienates public sympathy and
leads to the interference of the constituted
authorities who, unfortunately, have even
to be forced to do their plain duty to pro-
tect the property and lives of others. The
leaders of these strikes are too frequently
mere adventurers.
We have seen them in the piano indus-
try. They seek notoriety and personal ad-
vancement, and a severe defeat of these
men seems to be the only means of having
the rank and file of labor realize the folly
of violence and intimidation as effective
ways of enforcing their views.
It is certainly most imfortunate that
organized labor should stand so largely
committed to some ideas that are so
thoroughly wrong and so utterly indefen-
sible that it is not conceivable that they
can prevail. The boycott and the sympa-
thetic strike rarely prove effective, and in
the end merely exasperate, though mean-
while they may completely paralyze all
business activity.
Equally erroneous but not even more
strongly endorsed by labor unions are
plans of limiting the output of a worker,
no matter what his capacity, and of plac-
ing all employees, drones and workers
alike, on an absurdly equal basis.
The Chicago piano men fought against
this, and the time will come when the
piano workmen themselves will see that
they are checking ambition by attempting
to bolster up, by their union rules, lazy and
incompetent members on an equal basis
with those who are expert craftsmen and are
ambitious to increase their daily wages by
still further pe fecting their capabilities so
that they may become more useful to their
employers.
The supremacy of American manufac-
turers, whether in making pianos, or in
other lines of manufactures rests primarily
upon three things—on cheapness and
abundance of raw materials, the genius
of the inventor and the skill of the work-
man, and to threaten any one of these
three is to threaten this supremacy.
Indeed the constant attempt of labor
unions to benefit the incompetent worker
at the expense of the skilled artisan is a
standing menace to the progress of our
manufactures. We are successful in this
direction largely because of the individ-
uality of our skilled mechanics and to bring
It does not seem to be generally recog- down this average by a large infusion of
nized that in case of a strike the advantage. mediocrity a.nd incompetence is to take a
our civilization to hold that the solution
will be reached in the natural way of com-
mercial evolution by agreement and mutu-
al concessions of the two parties to the
matter—employer and employee.
We have in mind a case closely related
to this industry in the section which we
designate—the "supply" portion—where a
manufacturer has found that he had a
strike on his hands. He met his men for
an open discussion of points involved, and
all matters were adjusted amicably and
satisfactorily to both parties without the
calling in of one of the high officials of the
organization, who are usually meddlers as
in the case of Dold, the piano men's ' 'agent."
It is well to recognize the fact that the
principle of organized labor has to all
seeming come to stay, and that, therefore,
the practical questions are its direction and
control rather than any futile attempt at
its repression. The labor union is part
and parcel of our industrial life and it is
all right when it meets the employer in
the spirit of fairness.
There are battles to lose as well as bat-
tles to win, is the principle which we all
must recognize, and it does not follow
that it is advisable to yield to the unrea-
sonable demands of labor unions unless our
own manufacturers wish to invite the fate
of the English makers who are bound hand
and foot by the absurd prescriptions of
their employees and who consequently find
this one of the chief reasons why they are
steadily losing their grip on the trade,
since their effectiveness in manufacturing
is hampered by this unwarrantable and
impertinent meddling, amounting to nod-
ding to the dictation of the labor unions.
The decline of English manufacturing
may be laid largely at the door of the
labor unions of that country. They are
killing the goose that heretofore has been
prolific in depositing golden eggs.
Last fall, when the piano industry of
Chicago was completely paralyzed, it then
became apparent that the men were carry-
ing their demands to a point where they
would drive the piano industries from Chi-
cago. In other words, they were following
the same path which had been pursued by
English unions, and which is showing a
steady decline in English trade. It is too
often the case that the demands of organ-
ized labor are both arbitrary and unreason-
able and threaten the business so that it
becomes the bounden duty of the employer
to resist these demands at any cost, just as
the Chicago manufacturers did, since yield-
ing only brings newer and still more unen-
durable demands later on.
step backward. Revolutions, though, do
not go backward, and we are not pre-
pared to exploit a socialistic theory at the
expense of our commercial supremacy. It
is, of course, possible to override the laws
of nature for a time, provided we are pre-
pared to pay the penalty, even the lab«r
unions. The English untons must ere
long recognize the fact that they are
throttling English manufacturers by their
arbitrary requirements and slowly but
surely destroying their own means of
livelihood.
We have seen in this piano industry
labor leaders carry their demands to a
point which, if granted, as George P. Ben»t
remarked, meant industrial annihilation.
T H E appearance of dealers "in our
midst" during the week sfcows that
the trade tide is turning, and from now on
the rise will be- perceptible.
BALDWINS' VICTORY.
A NOTABLE victory has been won by
the great house $f Baldwin at the
Paris Exposition. The list of awards offi-
cially announced last Saturday, gives to the
Baldwin Co. the grand gold prix, also a
gold medal to John W. Macy, the superin-
tendent of the Baldwin factory. As the
Baldwin Co. are the only American concern
making a comprehensive exhibit, it was
expected that the authorities would bestow
the highest honors upon them, particularly
when the excellence of their instruments
and the completeness of their display were
fully considered by the gentlemen com-
posing the jury of awards. The suspense
is over, and the Baldwin house now appears
as one of the great international piano in-
stitutions of the world, having won the
highest Honors at the Paris Exposition of
1900.
One thing in this connection, too, may
be clearly emphasized. There will be no
universal display of awards won at Paris
by piano manufacturers such as character-
ized the closing of the Chicago Exposition,
where awards and medals were granted
galore. It became purely a question of
interpreting the special strength of adject
tives when deciding who really received
the highest honors at Chicago.
Owing to the broadcast distribution of
medals and diplomas, there was a corres-
ponding depreciation in their real value to
manufacturers. However, no American
piano manufacturer can dispute the splen-
didly isolated position of the Baldwin
house in winning triumphs at Paris. This
institution created a magnificent exhibit,
one which reflected credit upon tlae ad-
vance made in musico-industrial art in
America, and their honors at Faris have
been worthily won.

Page 6 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Canadian Piano flakers Meet.
[Special to The Review].
*
Toronto, Ont., Aug. 20, 1900.
The pianomakers' section of the Canadian
Manufacturers' Association met Friday
afternoon and arranged for their exhibits
at the Toronto Industrial Exhibition. A
letter was received from the Exhibition
Association stating that the entire space
for the exhibition of pianos and organs
would be turned over to them, and the
manufacturers were asked to divide the
space equally among themselves. They
decided to hold their annual meeting on
Aug. 30, in the Temple Building in con-
nection with the annual meeting of the
association. It was also decided upon to
attend the banquet to be tendered the
manufacturers who will be present at the
meeting. Mr. D. W. Karn, of Woodstock,
presided at the meeting.
Chickering in Denver.
A transfer of the agency of the Chicker-
ing in Denver, Colo., will occur on Sep-
tember 1. McKannon Bros, will lose the
local representation which, after the first
will be held by The Columbine Music Co.,
a concern which has made material
headway in the musical affairs of the
metropolis of the Rockies.
Sol Bloom Sues for $50,000.
BRINGS ACTION AGAINST A HOTEL KEEPER FOR
REFUSING TO SERVE HIM.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., Aug. 22, 1900.
Sol Bloom,the music publisher,yesterday
brought suit for $50,000 damages against
the Union Hotel in Randolph street, for
refusing to serve him while he was clad in
a shirt waist and minus a coat. This is
said to be the first time the shirt waist
question has been brought before a court.
Attorneys for the plaintiff contend that
the defendant had no right to refuse to
serve Bloom merely because he wore the
latest style in men's garments. The man-
ager of the restaurant, when questioned
regarding his refusal, said that patrons
wearing shirt waists would only be served
at tables adjoining the main dining room.
No person would be permitted to enter the
dining room unless wearing a coat.
McMillan Made a Settlement.
Frank O. McMillan, charged with misap-
propriating banjos and a matter of $180
worth of unaccounted-for goods owned by
E. Gately & Co., of Rochester, N. Y., made
a settlement in Batavia this week with all
parties interested, and was released on a
$500 bond by Justice Shed. He was allowed
to go, as the Rochester firm agreed to take
him into their employ and allow him to
work out their claim against him.
Ricca Expansion.
Additional facilities are now being com-
pleted at the Ricca factory. A new build-
ing, nearly equal in frontage to the one
now occupied, is being erected at the South
end facing the Southern boulevard, on the
west side. It will have a depth of forty-
five feet and be two stones in height.
Poole Pianos by the Car Load.
Flechter Vindicated!
Here is an advertisement taken from the
Victor Flechter has been vindicated.
Journal, of Freeport, 111., Aug. n , show- After five years the $5,000 Stradivarius
ing what kind of success a firm of West- violin, the disappearance of which sent its
ern hustlers are making with the Poole owner, old Professor Bott, to his grave,
piano :
worried his widow until the same fate al-
This is the third car load of Poole pianos most came to her, and nearly landed in a
ordered by telegraph for Freeport trade felon's cell Victor S. Flechter, known all
the past few days.
over the world as a connoisseur of musical
Freeport, 111., Aug. 9, 1900.
instruments,
has been found.
Poole Piano Co., Boston, Mass.
Ever since his conviction on a charge of
"Book order car load style 'M' dark wal-
nut Poole pianos. If possible, ship two stealing the violin, Mr. Flechter has de-
instruments to-day.
voted his time, his energies and his fortune
"De Vore Piano Co."
to searching for the instrument, the find-
The large number of first-class pianos ing of which would clear his name of a
sold by the De Vore Piano Co., is evi- fearful charge. His conviction he fought
dence that it pays to sell the best pianos
manufactured, and to represent an instru- from court to court until it is now before
the Court of Appeals. And now his inno-
ment according to its grade quality.
cence has virtually been established, since
Colonne and Baldwin.
the old violin which caused so much misery
In connection with the recent recital is at last in the hands of the police.
given at the United States Pavilion, Paris,
The facts connected with this remarka-
on which occasion the Baldwin concert ble violin are too well known to need de-
grand was used, the critics of the leading tailed reiteration. The Bott violin disap-
papers have been most complimentary in peared in March, '95, and its owner, Prof.
their estimate of this instrument. The Bott, at one time a well-known figure in the
same may be said of their remarks anent musical world, died of grief at the loss.
the concert given at the Exposition on The District Attorney of this city, in due
July 4 and 5, when the Baldwin was used course, accused Victor Flechter, a well-
at the celebrated Colonne concerts. This known and respected business man and
famous organization of one hundred musi- authority on violins, as having appro-
cians headed by Ed. Colonne, is known the priated the instrument. He was later
world over and his selection of the Bald- tried and convicted, and sentenced to one
win on this occasion is an exceptional hon- year's imprisonment.
or in view of the fact that only two of the
Mr. Flechter appealed, protesting his
best French pianos have been used hereto- innocence to the last. Many loyal friends
fore at these Colonne concerts—the Erard stood by him, never believing the charge
and Pleyel. M. Colonne expresses his made. Their loyalty and his protestations
high appreciation of the musical attri- have been well verified, for the famous
butes of the Baldwin concert grand in the violin was discovered in Brooklyn last
following words: 4 'I am delighted at the week, as the property of Mrs. Springer,
marked success achieved at the Colonne who said the violin was sold to her five
concerts at Vieux Paris by one of the years ago for thirty dollars by a man
very fine specimens of your remarkable whose name she does not recall.
exhibit of American pianos, and I con-
Victor Flechter identified the instrument
gratulate you on the beautiful tone of this at police headquarters as the one that was
magnificent instrument."
stolen from Prof. Bott, and the professor's
This tribute from the distinguished sister, John Friedrich, a well-known dealer
French musician to an American instru- in Cooper Union, and Bernard Sinsheimer,
ment is something worthy of especial a violin instructor who was with Nicolini
emphasis.
when he was contemplating purchasing the
violin
in '95, have agreed unanimously
At the Helm Again.
that the instrument in question, which has
C. E. Byrne, head of the C. E. Byrne caused so much sorrow and strife, is the
Piano Co., who returned last week from a long missing "Strad."
three months' trip to Europe, has settled
The many friends of Victor Flechter re-
down to work again at the Twenty-sixth joice in his triumph. Steps, it is said, will
street headquarters and is preparing for a be taken by the District Attorney's Office
big fall trade.
at once to set aside the verdict rendered
Mr. Byrne covered a good deal of ground against Mr. Flechter. Meanwhile, isn't
during his absence. His route included this but a poor compensation to a man
Great Britain and Ireland, France, Ger- whose honor and honesty have been im-
many, Italy, Switzerland and other coun- pugned, and whose business career was at
tries. Considering the limited time at his one time threatened with disaster?
disposal, Mr. Byrne made a remarkable
Strich & Zeidler, in addition to shipping
sight-seeing record. He visited the Expo-
a
number
of uprights this week, have sent
sition but does not think it at all up to the
off
two
perfect
examples of the famous
standard of World's Fair excellence.
Strich & Zeidler baby grands to fill special
This week's report at the Krakauer head- out-of-town orders.
quarters is as satisfactory as usual. The
COMPETENT TRAVELER
weekly output is large, even at this early
of experience desires to associate himself with
day. Orders are arriving in a steady stream. some institution where services will be appre-
The indications are that every department ciated to the extent of business gained.
" Straight Business,"
will have to work at high pressure through-
3 East 14th Street,
Care of The Review,
New York.
out the fall and winter months.

Download Page 5: PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.