Music Trade Review

Issue: 1904 Vol. 39 N. 26

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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
VOL. XXXIX.
No. 26. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at I Madison Ave., New York, Dec, 24, 1904.
SINGLE COPIES. 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
CONOVER PIANO PUBLICITY.
OPPOSE RECIPROCITY.
DECISION IN NORDL1NGER CASE.
Some Clever Ads. Devoted to This Piano Which
Appeared in trie Charleston Papers.
Canadian Manufacturers Fear That Close Rela-
tions With This Country Will Injure Their
Business—What Mr. Martin, Piano Manufac-
turer, Has to Say in This Connection.
The Court of Appeals Reverses Decision of
Lower Court and Defendant Will Not Have
to Serve His Five Years' Sentence.
The manager of the Cable Company's branch
in Charleston, S. C, is occupying considerable
space in the local papers in calling the attention
Canadian manufacturers are nearly all opposed
of the public to the individual features and all to reciprocity with the United States. They do
around excellence of the pianos represented in not want American finished products let in by a
his establishment, A recent announcement, oc- lower Canadian tariff, and neither do they desire
cupying a half page, was devoted to the Conover the United States to lower bars to Canadian raw
piano. It was particularly interesting, the text materials. In the latter case they fear that
these will eventually compete with their manu-
being as follows:
"The worldwide popularity of Conover pianos factures in foreign countries—wheat, as flour;
proves more than any praise of tongue or pen iron ore, as machinery; hides, as leather; lum-
that their merits are appreciated by musicians ber, as furniture.
For example, P. W. Ellis, of Toronto, a whole-
for their exclusive qualities in tone, touch and
that exquisite case design so peculiarly their sale jeweler, and for years president of the
own. Conover pianos are made with an eye single Canadian Manufacturers' Association, said that
to the interest of their owners and users, for gen- reciprocity with the United States "would drive
erations to come. Conover pianos are essentially Canadians out of business." In explanation he
instruments of brain, because they are made un- said:
"Canadian imports last year from the United
der the personal supervision of the greatest in-
ventive genius and the acknowledged head of the States were about $120,000,000, while the exports
piano building experts of the world, Mr. J. to them of our products, not including precious
Frank Conover, who has given the best years of metals, were only about $45,000,000. While the
his life to improving the tone, touch, case design United States has large cities that should be a
and durability of the instruments of his name, market for our farm produce, we find that we
sparing neither time, study nor money to obtain imported more than twice as much of their farm
the slightest advantage over the leading art produce as they did of ours. What seems to be
pianos of the world. The success of his efforts the only way open is that of giving our great
for the past thirty years in raising the artistic agricultural classes a direct benefit in a great
standard of piano building in this country is many ways."
Mr. Martin, of the Martin-Orme Piano Co., said
realized in the triumph of Conover pianos at the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis. We Canadians were not looking for reciprocity, and
point with pride to the selection of Conover did not want it. This firm manufactures pianos
pianos for exclusive use in the following build- on a large scale. "We are not dependent on the
ings at this, the greatest of all expositions: In- United States now," said Mr. Martin. "We im-
dian Territory, Utah, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas, port a little hardware, and some felt used in
Brazil, Nicaragua, Minnesota, Virginia, Nevada, making instruments, but even these could be
Illinois, Idaho, Wisconsin, Cuba, Rhode Island, made in Canada were it not that the people mak-
House of Hoo Hoo North Dakota, (Agricultural ing them in the United States are practically un-
building), Temple of Fraternity, Alaska, Mexico, der the one management, and, turning out im-
Vermont, South Dakota, Washington, New Hamp- mense quantities, can make cheaper than in the
shire, Georgia, Texas, Italy, Michigan, Oregon, Dominion."
Disciples of Christ. Although reasonable in
price, Conover pianos are of the highest possible
"TRULY A BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT.'
grade, and that explains why concert pianists,
teachers and pupils, professional and amateur
The pastor of a church to which E. B. Bogart
musicians, have with almost one accord pro- & Co. 511-513 East 137th street, recently supplied
claimed Conover the world's leading grand and a Bogart piano, has sent to Mr. Bogart the follow-
upright piano. These famous instruments are ing letter:
constantly kept in stock for inspection and sale,
"Mr. Dear Mr. Bogart:—There is only one
and we respectfully solicit 'Conover' sales, with word which I can use in connection with the
the positive assurance that they are worthy in piano and that is 'immense.' It is truly a beau-
every way of your confidence and purchase.
tiful instrument, and every one, including both
"THE CABLE COMPANY, Manufacturers,
our organist and choir, is loud in its praise."
"Charleston, S. C.
"Factory Branch, 282 King St."
ADVERTISING THE HARMONIST.
KURZENKNABE'S GIFT TO HARRISBURG.
J. H. Kurzenknabe & Co., Harrisburg, Pa., have
very generously donated an organ to the city,
which is to be placed in the convalescent depart-
ment of the Sanitary Hospital.
A. E. Smith has succeeded Smith & Sims, who
handle small musical instruments and sporting
goods in Sandy Hill, N. Y.
Irvine's Georgia Music House are carrying
some very effective advertisements in the Macon
papers in which they exploit the Harmonist
piano player, which was so highly honored at the
World's Fair, and the Knabe, Krell, Decker,
Fischer and Ebersole pianos. There appears in
connection with the ad. a cut of the Harmonist
and an extended reference to its merits and pos-
sibilities.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, Dec. 19, 1904.
The Court of Appeals has handed down an
opinion written by Justice Shepard, in the case
of Lambert G. Nordlinger against the United
States, by which the judgment of conviction by
the District Supreme Court is reversed and the
case remanded for further proceedings not in-
consistent with the opinion.
The effect of the decision of the court, it is
stated, is that the prosecution is barred, and the
defendant will not have to serve the sentence of
five years imposed by the District Supreme
Court.
The appellant, Nordlinger, was charged in an
indictment having two counts, with grand lar-
ceny. Each count charged the unlawful taking
of "a certain musical instrument known as and
called an auto-electric piano and autolectra,
valued at $100, from the American Auto-Electric
Piano Co."
The defendant had been previously indicted for
the larceny of the same "pianos," but his counsel,
Levi H. David, at the trial of the case in Crim-
inal Court No. 1, contended that there was a
fatal variance in the evidence between the alle-
gation and the proof, and moved the court to
instruct the jury to acquit.
The trial judge granted the motion, but the
grand jury reindicted the accused, the second in-
dictment describing the musical instruments by
their correct names. The action by the Court
of Appeals is the sequel.
PLANNING A PIANO FACTORY.
Milwaukee Promoters Interested in Purchasing
Land for Site in City of Manitowoc.
(Special to The Review.)
Manitowec, Wis., Dec. 19, 1904.
The city has given an option on forty-four
acres of land to Milwaukee real estate dealers
who are engaged in promoting the location of a
large piano factory in this city. In all eighty
acres of land is desired and this will be plotted
into city lots and sold at $250 per lot, giving a
bonus to the factory which guarantees to expend
$500,000 in wages in five years.
Ex-Mayor Thomas E. Torrison, of Manitowoc;
R. C. Burke and others, are reported interested
in the deal. The Business Men's Association is
in correspondence with several other industries
which are desirious of locating there.
CAMERON ENGAGES IN BUSINESS.
(Special to The Review.)
Omaha, Neb., Dec. 20, 1904.
J. S. Cameron, who for the past twenty-five
years has been known to the piano buying pub-
lic as a salesman of ability, has engaged in busi-
ness for himself at 106 North 15th street, this
city, where he is displaying a very complete line
of pianos.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
8
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
manufacturers of musical instruments to make liberal appropria-
tions for general advertising. The advertising pages of the leading
trade publications reflect clearly the interest which the publishers
take in the products which they advertise.
P
EDWARD LYMAN DILL.
Editor and Proprietor.
J. B. SP1LLANE,
£41t*r.
EXECVTIVE STAFF:
THO*.
CAMFIELL-COFILAND,
E H I I T L. WAITT, 265 Washington St.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICB:
GBO. W. QUSBIPBX.
CHICAQO OFFICE:
BOSTON OFFICE:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
EMILIB FBANCBS BAUSB,
GEO. B. KEIXSB,
A. J. Nicrmc,
W. MURDOCH LIND,
E. P. VAN HABLINGEN, SO La Salle S t
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
R. J. LEFEBVKE.
ST. LOU 15 OFFICE :
CHAE. N. VAN BUBEN.
IANO manufacturers have expended a considerable amount of
money in magazine advertising during the past two or three
years, and if the returns were commensurate with the outlay un-
doubtedly their appropriations would not only increase in number,
but in amounts as well. The facts are, the largest advertising
agencies have looked upon the piano industry with indifference, and
have not rendered the manufacturers intelligent service.
This is the age of specialism, and there is no article manufac-
tured that is treated of in detail as little as piano making. The
amourft of money involved in a single sale is large, therefore to in-
terest thousands of people in the particular claims made by the
many manufacturers it is necessary to treat the subject broadly and
exhaustively.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED MSTZQER, 428-427 Front St.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCR'PTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $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, $50.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists'
Department" all the curret
current musical
Artist Department
ical news. This
T h s is effected
ih
i any way trespassing
i
h sire
i or service
i of
f the
h trade
d
without
in
on the
section of the paper. It has a special _ circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
w
. ~ . . , . - T v . i D ~ V
.
nl _
MANUFACTURERS
^he directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
found on another page will be of great value, as a reference for
dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE—NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
YORK, DEC. 24-. 1904.
EDITORIAL .
WRITER in Printers' Ink finds occasion to criticize what he
terms the barrenness of ideas in piano magazine advertising.
The basis of his criticism is made in the allegation that the variety
of makers claim superiority in all essentials but fail to go into
details of piano construction, and to show by means of illustration
the strength of their varied assertions.
There may be some ground for this criticism, but all of the
advertising of piano concerns is dratted and arranged by men who
are supposed to be past masters in the art of advertising, and who
are associated with the various advertising agencies. So the critic
in Printers' Ink really raps the alleged advertising experts over the
knuckles when he criticises piano magazine advertising.
A
T
HERE is no doubt that some of the general advertising is value
less, and it lacks directness, force and interesting details, and
our criticism would be that advertising men who seek business from
special industries, wherein individuality rules to the extent that it
does in piano making, should acquaint themselves with what is
colloquially termed talking points of the various instruments. An
advertising man who knows absolutely nothing about music, who
has no knowledge of the science underlying acoustical laws, could
not tell how many black or white keys there were in a piano, starts
out with some stereotyped phrase with which to adorn an illustration
which invariably includes a narrow-waisted girl seated at an ordi-
nary piano with a few listeners standing nearby, having a bored ex-
pression depicted upon their features, as if they were in a hurry to
get away.
T
HE advertising men should wake up, and they should acquaint
themselves with some of the intricacies of piano making. They
could write some clever, interesting, descriptive sentences which
would emphasize certain claims made by manufacturers as to tonal
strength and durability in such a way that the readers would be
interested. They should avoid glittering generalities and high-
sounding phrases and get down to some pleasant, entertaining facts.
The writer in Printers' Ink has awakened an interesting con-
troversy, and it is up to the special advertising men to deal more
intelligently with piano advertising if they expect to induce the
L
YON & HEALY propose to spend ten thousand dollars in ad-
vertising harps. Mr. B. H. Jefferson, head of the advertising
department of that concern, believes that advertising of the right sort
will create a demand for the modern harp, and that that demand
will steadily grow with the passing of the years. The easy payment
plan will be adopted for the instruments, which will help to over-
come the obstacles created by the high prices which it is necessary
to ask for harps.
To overcome the present inertia is the real problem of the Lyon
& Healy campaign, and they "have confidence in the instrument and
confidence that the advertising will bring about for it largely in-
creased demands.
The power of advertising is tremendous, no doubt of that. It
landed W. L. Douglas in the gubernatorial chair of Massachusetts,
the first man who has ever been elected governor of a great and
important State through newspaper and billboard advertising.
Thomas Lawson is past master in the art of advertising, and
through publicity has become one of the most-talked-about men of
our times.
A
PIANO traveler who has gone over a large area of country,
expressed astonishment while discussing business matters
with The Review, that trade should have been somewhat disappoint-
ing- in the Eastern States, and in the large cities, while in the
smaller towns, the agricultural districts it was most satisfactory.
He continued that in his travels through the Central West and the
newly developed regions of the Southwest, including Oklahoma
and the Indian Territory as well as the Dakotas, he was surprised to
find such a demand for pianos and other expensive home acces-
sories.
T
HE reasons are easy to explain, and if we spend a little time in
the perusal of a few paragraphs in the report of the Secretary
of Agriculture it will open one's eyes a bit as to the tremendous
agricultural resources of the country. There seems to have been a
gold mine on every farm and plantation outside New England in
1904. The corn crop foots up almost 2,500,000,000 bushels, afford-
ing a value big enough to pay the national debt, with something
left over. Cotton was another bumper crop. The Secretary esti-
mates the value of the lint and seed at $600,000,000. Hay and
wheat together represent a value of more than $1,000,000,000. It
is estimated that the rice crop amounts to 900,000,000 pounds, and
oats break all records except that of 1902. Mr. Wilson calculates
that the principal crops will bring $3,583,339,600 when they are all
marketed, an increase of more than $400,000,000 over 1903. There
is $1,136,940,289 worth of horses on the farms, and of mules $217,-
53 2 .832. The American hen has done a wonderful year's work, and
if all the roosters were to stand in line and crow their triumph the
salute would make a much greater volume of noise round the world
than England's drumbeat. Shoulder to shoulder the hens would
probably make an unbroken phalanx from Cape Cod to the Golden
Gate. They lay 1,666,000,000 eggs a year, and in the busy season
two weeks of their labor would pay a year's interest on the national
debt. And still it is sometimes a problem where to get a fresh egg,
and how to procure the money to buy it.
I
F the Secretary breaks into the following paean, who can blame
him?—certainly not the farmer: "An occupation that has pro-
duced such an unthinkable value as one aggregating nearly $5,000,-

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