Music Trade Review

Issue: 1903 Vol. 36 N. 3

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
7VTUSIC T R K D E
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
winning in this case, they have already established a basis which ; t
would be indeed difficult for them to have set aside in any damage
suits.
I N the arrangement of the banquet of the Boston Music Trade
*
Association which is referred to in another portion of this paper,
a rather pleasing innovation was introduced.
Instead of inviting
a half dozen speakers, and placing no time limit upon their utter-
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
ances, two speakers were selected who filled in the entire oratorical
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO. B. KELLER
have accepted money, and even if there were a probability of then
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL
A. J. NICKL1N
* Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
SUBSCRIPTION (Including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, f 2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages f 50.00 ; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, JANUARY 17,1903,
part of the evening, aside from President Miller's address..
This form is an excellent one to follow, because at a lumber of
banquets where there are many speakers some are prone to forget in
their desire to indulge in oratorical pyrotechnics, that there are
others coining, and extend their remarks over too great a period.
Then after one has enjoyed a many course dinner, consuming
much time, it becomes somewhat tiresome to sit in one position
until the twelve o'clock gong is sounded.
TELEPHONE NUriBER, 1745-EIOHTEENTH STREET.
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
THE
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This Is
ARTISTS'
effected without In any way trespassing on the size or service
DEPARTMENT of the trade section of the paper. I t has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
DIRECTORY
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora
r»c ei a Nit
tlons found on page 27 will be of great value as a reference for
MANUFACTURERS d e a l e r s a n d o t h e r « -
<
T~HE coal famine is having more of a depressing effect on the piano
*
business than many would at first imagine.
A number ot
dealers have written us, stating that they have lost a great many
sales through the inability of their customers to procure coal. One
writes.:
"My salesman called on a party who had promised to pur-
EDITORIAL
chase a piano last week. He found the family living in the kitchen,
AST week an exhaustive opinion was given by an eminent pat-
ent attorney in The Review regarding the validity of the
as they were unable to heat any other part of the house, and what
could he do to sell a piano in that house when the parlor was closed
up?"
Brown patents.
Surely there is no theory there, but a cold fact—mighty cold,
According to the opinion of this expert certain claims of Mr.
Brown cannot be sustained in court, and our authority says further
that according to his belief, if the commissioner had certain patents
which antedated the Brown before him, in all probability he would
have refused to grant the patent.
But the mere granting of the
patent does not by any means settle its validity.
That must be
coalless one too.
' " T H E R E is one dealer in New England who actually sells pianos
*
and receives pay for them before the instruments are delivered,
His case is so remarkable that it is well worthy of special reference,
for it is indeed rare to find people who will cheerfully sign notes
in payment for pianos which they have never seen, but such is the
tested in a court of law.
It is true a number of firms have paid Mr. Brown's attorneys
confidence of Vermonters in the statements made by A. L. Bailey,
sums of money, and the attorneys have now written to alleged in-
of St. Johnsbury, that they will give him notes in payment for
fringers extending the time limit to Feb.. ist.
pianos which are still within factory walls.
Mr. Bailey's salesmen traverse the country and sell from cata-
I N all probability the manufacturers will unite in defense of the
* first suit which is brought, for we know of none .who have
logues.
A strong point in this course lies in the fact that when their
settled with Mr. Brown's attorneys since the matter was first ex-
ploited in The Review.
Some of the firms who have paid money
have since remarked that they would not have settled had they been
aware of the existence of the evidence which we have produced.
pianos reach the purchaser they cannot be well displaced by com-
petitors for they are not only purchased but they have been paid
for.
R. BAILEY said recently while discussing this policy with
case in court, it will be expected that the money which they have
M
obtained will be returned.
Years ago I began to figure some plan to do away with a kind of
Of course should Mr. Brown's attorneys be unable to maintain a
The attorneys in their communication
The Review: "Yes, it is a fact that we do business that way.
say that settlements will only be made at such figures as may be
competition which was distasteful.
found by the court, and the right to a license for the rest of the
pianos would be placed in conjunction with four or more others,
time of the patent will not be granted at the nominal figure it is
and it was a game of talk for hours. I got sick of it, and I tried the
now offered.
plan to sell from catalogue and obtain my money before the piano
Jireat.
Certainly that statement bears all the earmarks of a
But let us ask, if in accepting certain sums for the alleged
was seen by the customer.
To illustrate: Sometimes my
I succeeded and I concluded my sales-
trespass on rights and the granting of a license for use during the
men could do the same, and we have worked this plan successfully.
life of the patent, Mr. Brown's attorneys have not established a
You will see here are four notes for four M
precedent?
pianos will be shipped from the factory to-day, and they will cor-
Courts do not recognize threats, and Mr. Brown's attorneys
pianos.
These
respond absolutely with the specifications named in my individual
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE TAXJSIO TRRDE
form of note.
Of course there is a saving to the customer.
Goods
are shipped direct from factory and no wareroom overhauling."
We do not know of another case in this country where a large
and important dealer—and Mr. Bailey controls four stores in Ver-
mont and New Hampshire—who conducts his business on the basis
of payment down before the pianos are delivered.
Mr. Bailey has
ciation of the value of the trade press, and its true relation to manu-
facturers.
A DOLPH'O H. FISCHER, than whom no man is more respected
**-
He is president of a local bank, and he lives absolutely
in this industry remarked recently while discussing trade re-
lations :
"The future tendency of business should be along more aes-
a reputation for the strictest integrity, and no bond is better than
his word.
REVIEW
thetic lines, each one recognizing that for what he receives he also
is giving full value in return, and as this is fair and just, so should
up to all statements made,
His method of conducting business is indeed a novel one in
the business relations be fair and just and therefore kindly and
friendly.
the piano world.
Kindness and friendship have produced the true aestheti-
cism which simply tends to or rather makes all men gentlemen, and
*T*HE decision rendered by the United States Court of Appeals at
*
gentlemen in the true sense elevate a trade no matter how humble
Chicago affirming the decision of the lower court in the case
it may be, for all trades are necessary for human happiness and
of Checkering & Sons vs. Chickering Bros, occasioned no surprise,
human advancement, and what is necessary should not be debased,
for it was believed that the Appellate Division would deny the appeal
but should be uplifted to a common level, which is a higher one.
of Chickering Bros, for a release from the temporary injunction
"Every one should be jealous of the standing of his trade
obtained against them by Chickering & Sons of Boston which pro-
and in order that that standing should be a high one it becomes
hibited them from using the word "Chickering" in connection with
necessary that the trade should have confidence in each other and
their piano business.
be ready to make even a sacrifice if necessary that it should not be
The review of the case was exhaustive and hardly need be
entered into at length.
The mere statement that the higher courl
sustained Chickering & Sons is sufficient..
This decision will prob-
ably be followed by a suit to make the injunction permanent.
lowered.
This confidence can only be engendered by associating
together and the determination that in keeping the whole trade at
a high standard they are raising their own particular part of it,
and each part being smaller than the whole, they are deriving more
In our opinion this case will be frequently cited by lawyers in
benefit from the whole than they give to it."
infringement suits owing to the fact that the restraint placed upon
Chickering Bros, was so sweeping.
This decision of the court, while admitting that every man has
M
R. FISCHER clothed in very beautiful language a noble sen-
timent, a sentiment which should be encouraged by one and
a right to use his own name honestly and fairly in his own busi-
all. And if some of us devoted much time to self-analysis we might;
ness, insists on the other hand he must so use his name as not
find cause for self-condemnation.
to unnecessarily injure another, and must not designate his wares
excessive rejoicing in our little achievements, and find time to lay
in a way calculated to confuse and enable goods to be palmed off
the cause of our failures upon others.
as the product of another.
substitute a change and for the moment adopt the other course.
r*\ ECENTLY at a banquet a noted speaker remarked that every
Suppose we were to blot out what we have done well, remember
*
regretfully what we have done ill or what we have failed to do at
editor who desired could lead a certain number of thousands
of men into useful thinking, but not one in twenty makes any
all.
effort to do so.
might become more apparent.
,
While this statement might apply with sweeping force to the
Some of us spend our lives in
Now, it might be well to
Possibly our own lack of a desire for universal betterment
H E article relating to artificial lumber for pianos which ap-
editor of the daily papers, known in the vernacular as the yellow
T
journals, we do not think that it would be fitting in the slightest
inquiries regarding this new substitute.
degree to the conductors of trade newspapers, for while the "yel-
to add to what was stated last week, and it seems that with this new
lows" are devoting columns to the exploitation of the follies, foibles
process it is possible to make artificial boards, any size, limited of
and vices of life, the trade newspapers are giving prominence to
course by the available facilities for transporting and handling.
peared in last week's Review has brought forth a number of
There is really but little
the individuals who control great industries, and whose inventions
This new invention is following out a line which is recognized
are of value to the world and dealing generally with the clean and
in great industries, and that is turning what has hitherto been
intellectual side of life.
wasted into a profit.
Trade journalism, too, has shown tremendous advance, and
many bright young men to-day are seeking the profession of class-
journalism, rather than employment on the daily papers.
Possibly it will not be long before the shav-
ings and sawdust in our great factories will be all saved carefully
for utilization in other forms.
This
Certainly it will be following the eternal law of change without
shows how the trade side is steadily advancing both in dignity and
awaiting death and decay for the transformation to take place.
in position.
The trade paper editor is brought into close contact
• with his constituency, and it is manifestly impossible for him to
be as completely removed from sympathy with his readers as th«.-
editor of the daily paper, whose acquaintance extends to none out-
side of a narrow circle of acquaintances.
The trade editor has a right to feel proud of his profession,
/andthere #re many .men in-this prof essioruwha have a keen appre-
B
Y the way, how that fellow, Blumen—rather Rottenberg—has
toned down.
Rottenberg's reformation has never been of
sufficient lasting character to cause one to believe in its genuine-
ness.
It is that kind of reformation which improves with the use
of the law and not under ordinary meek usage. The rottenness of
Rottenberg is too deeply imbedded to be easily removed.

Download Page 6: PDF File | Image

Download Page 7 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.