Music Trade Review

Issue: 1903 Vol. 36 N. 23

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
JfUJIC TIRADE
VOL. x x x v i . No. 23.
mWA Every Sat. by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Aye., New Yorfc June 6,1913.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS,
la.oo PER YEAR.
GOOD REPORT ON MANUFACTURES.
LEVIS HAS THE FISCHER.
SOHMER CONDITIONS FAVORABLE.
[Special to The Review.]
Samuel W. Levis, who recently retired
from the Mackie Piano & Organ Co., has
opened warerooms in the Durand building,
58 Main St., Rochester, N. Y. He is handling
the Fischer, Schiller and Franklin pianos
and will add a few other instruments in time.
Mr. Levis has a good following in Rochester
and should be able to build up quite a trade.
Sohmer trade conditions are very favor-
able. The Sohmer representatives have done
excellent business this year so far, and the
outlook is decidedly encouraging. The Soh-
mer baby grand is now a leading- feature of
the Sohmer trade. The Sohmer uprights in
all current styles are in good demand. Fre-
quent orders are received for Sohmer grands
and uprights in cases of special design. This
work of special design has always been a
leading feature of the Sohmer house.
At the Sohmer retail headquarters, Fifth
avenue and Twenty-second street, the num-
ber of visitors and the proportion of pur-
chasers during the first five months of 1903
considerably exceeded the total for a corre-
sponding period of last year. The Sohmer
trade in Greater New York is very large.
There are thousands of Sohmer pianos in-
stalled in New York homes, and considered
as among the most precious of household pos-
sessions. Plausible or seemingly plausible
arguments to bring about the exchange of a
Sohmer for a piano of some other make arc
rarely if ever of any avail. Special pleaders
along that line are invariably informed that
the Sohmer is entirely satisfactory.
Washington, D. C , June 3, 1903.
Exportation of manufactures in April was
larger than in any preceding month in the
history of our export trade, excepting the
months of March and May, 10,00. The total
value of manufactures exported in April,
1903, was, in round terms, 40 million dollars,
against 26 millions in April, 1898; 21 mil-
lions in April, 1896; 16 millions in April,
1895, and 1 4 millions in April, 1893. Thus,
comparing April, 1903, with April, 1893, the
total is nearly three times as great. On only
two occasions in the entire history of our ex-
port trade have the exports of manufactures
during a single month reached as high a fig-
ure as that of April, 1903. The two months
which show a larger total than April of this
year are March and May, IQOO. In March,
1900, the total exports of manufactures were
$44767,139; in May, 1900, $40,460,367;
while in April of this vear the total was $39,-
846,569.
The total exports of manufactures in the
10 months ending with April, 1903, are five
million dollars in excess of the total for the
corresponding 10 months of last year, and
practically the same as the total for the cor-
responding period of 1901, making it proba-
ble that the total exports of manufactures in
the fiscal year which added with next month
will about equal those of any fiscal year ex-
cept 1900.
Saginaw, Mich., June 1, 1903.
The Brewer-Pryor Piano Co. have com-
menced suit by summons against Bernard
Coyle, placing damages at not exceeding
$500. The history of the case is somewhat
peculiar. It is understood that Coyle agreed
to purchase a piano from the company, that
the contract was made, the piano delivered,
and before any payment was made Coyle de-
cided that he did not want the instrument.
PALMER, PARKER & CO. REPORT PROGRESS.
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY IN THE TRADE.
[Special to The Review.]
Boston, June 2, 1903.
The Review was courteously received a
few days since by Messrs. Irving S. Palmer
and Harrison Parker, of Palmer, Parker &
Co., the well-known veneer manufacturers, of
Charlestown, Mass. Both gentlemen report-
ed a continuance of their excellent business.
They recently added several dry houses to
their already large plant. The only drawback
they experience is the one universally com-
plained of throughout the trade here and else-
where—scarcity and high price of material of
all kinds.
PIANO ENDURANCE TEST.
Professor J. M. Waterbury, of St. Louis,
and Professor Paul Scheiderer, of Milwau-
kee, will meet in St. Louis this summer to
test their endurance at piano playing and de-
cide the championship of the world. Water-
bury has a record of 25 hours. His opponent
claims to have played continuously for 28
hours. There is to be a stake of »$3oo and a
side bet on the match.
COBURN BUYS OUT VAN VOORHIS.
C. B. Coburn, of Camden, N. Y., has pur-
chased the piano stock and good will of F. D.
Van Voorhis and also the stock of string
instruments and supplies heretofore carried
by C. O. Biederman. Mr. Coburn, who is
widely known as a band and orchestra con-
ductor, will concentrate the business in his
own establishment, which is well suited for
display purposes.
BREWER-PRIOR PIANO CO. BRING SUIT.
[Special to The Review.]
Piano men may be pleased to know that
Mr. Marconi believes that at some future
time—he will not fix a date for it—wireless
telegraphy will become available for domestic
and office use, thus performing the functions
now allotted to the telephone. He has al-
ready made experiments which convince him
that it will be possible, with the aid of small
models, or miniatures, of his sending appar-
atus, as now erected on a gigantic scale at
Poldhu and elsewhere, to transmit messages
from the interior of rooms in the same city
or in neighboring towns. The walls of the
houses will form no obstacle, but one of the
chief problems will be that of a proper attun-
ing of the instruments to prevent interference
of waves, and to secure privacy for the mes-
sages.
The B. Dreher's Sons Co., of Cleveland,
are preparing to open a branch store in San-
dusky, O. They have secured quarters on
Columbia avenue, which are now undergoing
alterations.
ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR PIANO FACTORY.
[Special to The Review.]
Wheeling, W. Va., June 1, 1903.
The Hoehl & Gieseler Piano Co. Saturday
acquired the property at McColloch and
Eighteenth street and will erect thereon a
modern piano factory. The establishment,
which has been contemplated for some time
by this prosperous concern, will be installed
as soon as possible. Plans have been ordered
and it will not be long until a large, up-to-
date piano factory is in course of construc-
tion.
SELECTED A KIMBALL GRAND.
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Prouty, of Des Moines,
la., have just completed the furnishing of
their new music room with a thousand dollar
Kimball grand. In this connection the Des
Moines Capital says: "When Mr. and Mrs.
Prouty and their son Cheney, who is quite an
accomplished musician, decided to complete
the furnishing of their new music room they
looked for a piano that was artistic from all
view points, it wasn't a question of money ;
they wanted the best piano, in tone, touch
and artistically signed case. They found the
new Kimball grand better to their liking than
any other piano in the market and a beautiful
Kimball grand now adorns their handsome
music parlors."
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
TH
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J . B. S P I L L A N E
MANAGING EDITOR.
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
TTTOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
r, 1:0. n. K K I X E R
W. MURDOCH LIND
A. EDMUND HANSON.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL,
A. J. NiCKLIN
Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) , United States, Mexico and Canada, f 2.00 per
>ar; all other countries, |4.00.
year
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00 ; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
I'.ntered at the New ]~ork Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, JUNE 6, 1903,
TELEPHONE NUnBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
THE
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This In
ARTISTS
effected without iu any way trespassing on the size or service
DEPARTMENT of the trade section of the paper. Jt has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
DIRECTORY
tor P I & i\irt
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora-
tiona found on page ?9 will be of great value ag a reference fOL-
MANUFACTURERS
EDITORIAL
USINESS for May did not bring up the average for 1903 thus
far to the point necessary to make it equal to the trade of a
year ago. There are a number of manufacturers, however, whose
trade has exceeded that of the past year, but taking the trade as a
whole there has been a shrinkage—not alarming, and not of such
magnitude as to keep down the record for the year, provided the
fall months open brisk.
It is useless to deny that the strikes and lockouts have not con-
tributed towards clouding the business horizon.
REVIEW
T
HE story has been told to The Review that a well known dealer
who is a member of the National Piano Dealers' Asso
ciation, while visiting a certain Western town, endeavored to pur-
chase several pianos which were sold by his strongest competitor
in his home city. It is alleged that he represented himself to be a
ranchman who desired these instruments for his friends, and trie
evasive answer which he gave to direct questions aroused the sus-
picion of the dealer from whom he tried to purchase to such an ex-
tent that he refused to sell these instruments.
The identity of the "ranchman" became known later to the local
dealer.
Before presenting names we shall require an affidavit from the
dealer who claims this, and if it be true, the scheme certainly will be
shown up in its proper light in The Review. No reputable dealer
can afford to wear disguises while making purchases of competitor's
wares in distant towns simply for the purpose of having them
shipped to his own store and use them in a manner calculated to
injure the standing of his competitor's pianos.
If incontrovertible evidence can be produced, showing that a
member of the Dealers' National Association adopts these methods,
then it will be time for the organization to act, for it cannot afford
to shield any member in work of this kind, no matter how powerful
the influence may be behind him.
XT G\Y that the summer months are on there is a general tendency
^ ' among piano merchants to curtail advertising expenditures.
Now is this good business?
Would it not be far better to place an added emphasis upon
advertising during the summer months?
Not that kind of advertising which is reckless and without
point, but direct advertising relating to special bargains!
It may be well enough to say that people know that you have
a piano store. That is all right, but the memory of the public, like
that of the individual is short, and persistency in advertising is
necessary to keep alive the public interest in any special line of
merchandise.
^1
successfully carried on where a part, of the population is more or
Business success, that is a large measure of it, comes through
keeping the business constantly before the public eye, and per-
sistently in the public memory.
Advertising, however, should not be of that aimless kind. It
should be definite and reasonable, care should be exercised to pre-
pare a striking, readable advertisement. Recollect, advertising is
the great modern force in merchandising, and while all advertising
should pay some, it would pay better if properly managed.
less constantly unemployed, where riots keep peaceable citizens in
T should be the aim of every piano man to avoid presenting
The cloud, however, does not threaten to overcast the mag-
nificent prosperity which we have been enjoying, but there is no
use in trying to fool ourselves by stating that these things do not
effect business.
T
They do and very seriously.
HE labor problem is the one which in point of interest dwarfs
all others and the business of a store or factory cannot be
their homes and bar out new enterprises.
Sober reflection will show that when labor disturbances be-
I
clumsy advertisements, and those of a slipshod indefinite char-
acter.
w
__
come general and acquire the magnitude which now characterizes
Advertisements should be written which will appeal to the peo-
them, the entire question becomes one of deep interest to every one
ple where the papers circulate, containing its business announce-
engaged in manufacturing and retailing.
ments.
Some concerns have established a profit-sharing system so that
One successful piano man in the West remarked to The Re-
its employees have become partners in the concern, to the extent
view that he was not so particular about the use of elegant Eng-
that profits are distributed.
Trouble, however, in this particular
lish in his advertising as he was to hit the nail squarely on the
The reasonable adjustment between em-
head. He remarked that he knew what appealed to the people of
ployer and employee is a question which transcends in importance
his locality, he knew their particular form, and if a story was told
all others that are before the country to-day.
them in homely language, it appealed to them, and he followed out
has not been avoided.

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