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V O L . X X X V I I . No. 24. p n m e i ETery Sat, ty Eflwari Lyman Bill at 1 Maiison Are,, Hew Tort Dec. 12,1903.
THE TRUSTS AND COMPETITION.
THE STERLING PIANO PLAYER.
CONDUCTOR HERTZ
New Light on the Decline of Industrials—What a
Well Known Manufacturer Has to Say on
This Subject.
Discussing the general trade situation
the other day a manufacturer, noted for his
clear headed method of getting at the bot-
tom of things, said:
"The trouble with Wall street people is
that they can't look at the industrial situ-
ation except from a Stock Exchange point
of view. I'll tell you one of the things
which is not associated generally with the
much discussed slump: I'm a manufacturer
and I'm in a position to see how many
strong, small, independent concerns have
lately sprung into competition with some
of the big trusts. It has come partly as a
result of the disclosures with regard to the
preposterous overcapitalization of many of
the big concerns. 'Here,' says a small
capitalist, 'is the such and such a company
paying 7 per cent, on a capital big enough
to mean that the return on the money ac-
tually invested is at least two or three
times the amount of that 7 per cent, divi-
dend.
Why can't I start a business in
competition with that sort of thing?' And
he does it, and is doing it all the time. His
company is reasonably capitalized and
doesn't have to pay big dividends on huge
amounts of stock which represent nothing
but good will and water. And these inde-
pendent companies can therefore take con-
tracts at a figure which would yield a fair
return on the money actually invested in
the trust, but would leave nothing over for
the water."
"But how can these small concerns 'buck
up' against the trusts?"
"They can't in some lines of business,
and when times were flush and every kind
of a factory was taxed to its capacity, it
didn't make much difference to the big
companies if they did get away with a little
of their business. But things are different
now. Nobody is letting anything go
through his fingers these days. And the
contract goes to the man who is fixed so
that he can work on a reasonable margin
of profit. It doesn't apply to all lines of
business, but it does to a good many, and
some of the big industrials are going to
feel it more and more as the dog-fish come
to realize that the leviathan is stranded on
the sand-bar."
The piano player which is in process of
manufacture at the factory of the Sterling
Co., Derby, Conn., will soon be ready for
the market. A few have been completed,
but they will not be sent out from the fac-
tory until they are absolutely satisfactory
to Frank B. Crofut, who has charge of this
department, and other authorities in the
piano playing world.
It is claimed that in the Sterling player
there will be embodied a number of im-
provements which will insure its being a
big factor in the trade field. Simplicity of
construction is nimed at so that there will
be little difficulty for the dealer or pur-
chaser in comprehending the mechanism.
In the Sterling piano player there will be
incorporated a number of original devices
which will aid materially in the finest
shades of expression being possible, and
this with the absence of violent pedalling
as well as several other features which
will be apparent even to the novice cannot
help to make this player one to be consid-
ered among the successes of 1904.
STEINERT EMPLOYES MEET.
LSpecial to The Review.]
AN INVENTOR.
Has an Instrument Manufactured Along the Lines
of the Piano to Aid the Bells to be Used in the
Production of "Parsifal."
Conductor Alfred Hertz, of the Metro-
politan Opera House, has invented a new
musical instrument, which he has not yet
named, but which will be used to deepen
the tone of the bells which summon the
Knights of the Holy Grail in "Parsifal."
It is constructed in the principle of a
piano with strings, a keyboard and pedals.
It is about five feet in height and three feet
in length and has a range of four notes
each of which is struck upon several strings
in octaves. These are produced by strik-
ing the four heavy wooden keys, each of
which operates the several hammers, which
thus strike the wires in absolute synchron-
ism. The resulting sound is extremely
resonant and the effect is all that Mr. Hertz
had hoped for.
The instrument is capable of being tuned
in exactly the same way as a piano. It is
being used at the rehearsals which are now
in full swing in all parts of the opera house,
preparatory to the opening performance on
Dec. 24.
WISSNER PIANO FROM ACADEMY FIRE.
South Norwalk, Conn., Dec. 8, 1903.
The quarterly meeting of the Fairfield
One of the rtMnarkable incidents of the
County representatives of the M. Steinert great fire which destroyed the Academy of
& Sons Piano Co. was held Wednesday Music, in Brooklyn, last week, was the tak-
night at the warerooms in Washington ing from the ruins on Wednesday of a
street. There were present Manager F. M. Wissner piano entirely unharmed except
Robinson, of New Haven; Calvin T. with dirt, and perfectly intact, and fit to be
Purdy, of South Norwalk; Bernard T. played upon. This instrument was used by
Smith and Edward Farrington, of Stam- many of the musical stars who appeared in
ford ; F. R. Smith, of Greenwich; Thomas Brooklyn for manv musical seasons past.
Noonan, Elmer MacFarland, William M. It was used at all rehearsals and has quite
Apperson, Daniel McNamara and Robert a history in this connection.
Naturally
W. Burritt, Jr., of Bridgeport. Various Otto Wissner is making effective use of
matters relating to the business of the com- this piano in the way of publicity and it is
pany were discussed, and at its conclusion now on exhibition in the window of the
there was a social session. Manager Rob- Wissner warerooms on Fulton street and
inson passed around cigars.
Flatbush avenue.
Mr. Burritt favored the company with
NOW KURTZMANN & LAMY.
selections on the new $2,000 orchestrelle,
which was placed in the store this week,
. Kurtzmann & Lanty have succeeded to
and several of the other fine instruments
were used during the evening by some of the business of C. F. Kurtzmann at Buffalo,
N. Y. The new addition to the Kurtz-
the expert musicians.
mann institution was formerly sheriff of
The H. Kleber & Bro. Co., whose manu- Erie County, and is very wealthy. The
facturing plant was recently removed from headquarters will be at 646 Main street,
New York to Greensburg, Pa., are now which was recently occupied and the same
turning out pianos. They will soon be line. The Lindeman and other pianos will
be handled.
able to cater to trade in a large way.