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THE
MUSIC TRADE
self-respect of its members, generally, respecting
one price for pianos.
Time was when a piano man could not hold
First Vice-President J. P. Byrne Discusses
his head very high in the presence of his fel-
Freight Rates, Urges Association Support
low-men, because there was no uniformity in his
and Adoption of the Organization Principles.
actual selling price; the old plan of satisfying
hard and grasping buyers by placing the price
(Supplied by Chairman Press Committee.)
Here in Chicago for a fortnight past, the testi- high that the seller might give a discount that
mony given by several railroad presidents and would satisfy the purchaser's insistence for a re-
others, before Judge Bethea of the United States duction, no matter what the price, wrought a dis-
Court respecting freight rates, showing the sim- tinct injustice to the fair and decent buyer. And
ple and childlike methods used to arrive at the the two classes sometimes compared notes.
This old system was so ancient and so well en-
rates charged for transporting commodities,
makes that subject one of the foremost now be- trenched that it was very difficult to dislodge it.
fore the country, and I think it is an opportune I do not claim all the victory of its surrender
time for the members of the National Associa- for the Association, as self-respecting, upright
and successful piano men here and elsewhere,
tion to take thought within themselves.
To begin with, the testimony of Mr. A. B.
Stickney, president of the Great Western Rail-
road, was of a most refreshing character to those
"that pay the freight," even if it was startling
and amazing to the railroad world. Mr. Stick-
ney's testimony has caused much discussion
here, both in the daily press and elsewhere, and
several editorials respecting it have appeared in
the Chicago papers. In part he said, according
to the daily press:
"It is unfortunate that the men who make the
tariffs of rates are not mathematicians instead
of being fairly good guessers. They guess that
if one rate is so much, another rate, in order to
be relative, should be about so much. If the en-
gineers who build railways should guess at the
elevations of the grades at various stations as
the freight agents guess at the elevation of the
rates at the same stations, it would be as impossi-
ble to run trains over the road, as it is now to
run the freight business on tariff rates."
I look upon the foregoing as a straightforward,
honest, practical admission, and I consider Mr.
Stickney not only a fearless but an able man, not
made narrow by his own particular business, but
broad and statesmanlike in his views.
I consider the work of the freight committee
of our National Association, in its endeavor to
obtain lower and more just rates on the trans-
portation of pianos, the most practical and tangi-
ble work undertaken by the Association, and I
.T. p. nvnxE.
hope the hands of that committee will be up-
held in the good work. To my certain knowl- seeing its injustice, had adopted the one-price
edge the freight rates on pianos from New York plan prior to the birth of the Association, but I
and Boston to Chicago have not varied in the do claim that the organization and machinery of
past twenty years or more; they were 75 cents the Association did more than individual exam-
per 100 pounds then, and they are 75 per 100 ple to spread the gospel of this proper and
pounds now. And yet the number has increased equitable system through the length and breadth
at least twenty-fold. And besides, the railroad of the land.
operating expenses, through improved methods,
It cannot be claimed that all piano dealers have
have largely decreased. The railroad companies yet adopted this righteous plan, but the good
thus make double profits out of the piano trade. work will be kept up by the elect, and it is
We are in this fight to win, and all piano deal- hoped that eventually there will be "but one
ers in the great populous states of the East and fold."
West should help us with their moral support
I would like to take this occasion to say a
and their modest annual dues—only $5—as it word of good cheer to the brethren in pointing
requires money to bring about reforms, not mat- out the good times that we are enjoying, and
ter of what nature or however just.
that we will enjoy the coming fall, winter and
Aside from the practical things the Association spring, also more seasons to follow.
has accomplished during its four years of exist-
Never has the country produced more enor-
ence, such as reduction in freight rates in the mous crops, never have our mines yielded their
South and beyond the Mississippi, I am very deposits more bountifully, and never has labor
proud that it has done so much to upbuild the been so generally employed. The result of all
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TOPICS.
15
REVIEW
this is that money is being earned and spent
freely and prosperity is stalking abroad in the
land. While these conditions prevail the ven-
dors of pianos should flourish and prosper, and
they are bound to do so if they be but aggres-
sive, alert and judicious, not fearing to spend
enough to secure business, nor yet too much
to secure final net profits, which is the main
consideration of a commercial career, as we were
recently reminded by that kindly gentleman and
most creditable exponent of fair, honest and suc-
cessful piano business methods, Mr. W. H. Cur-
rier, of Toledo, Ohio, regarding whom we unani-
mously pray, to quote Leigh Hunt, "May his
tribe increase."
J. P. BYRNE, First Vice-President.
ALDERMAN STEVENS RENOMINATED.
Well Known Piano Man Asked to Run for Office.
John W. Stevens, the well-known sales manager
for Jacob Bros., has been renominated for alder-
man in the city of Mt. Vernon. Mr. Stevens is
widely known to the members of the music trade,
having filled an important position in it for a
good many years. That he has brought to bear in
his political work the same care and attention to
details which has been noted in his music trade
work is evidenced in the following which recently
appeared in the Daily Argus, of Mt. Vernon: "As
alderman, Mr. Stevens has been chairman of the
building committee and a member of the finance,
railroad, bridges, water and sewers, and streets
and sidewalks committees. He has compiled the
new building ordinance, against which no com-
plaint has been made, and which is probably the
most complete that any city of Mount Vernon's
size ever possessed.
"Mr. Stevens announced last year that Mount
Vernon would soon own its own municipal build-
ings, and that contracts for five houses would
shortly be awarded. He has purchased for the
city the property for the fire houses, and bought
the present headquarters of Washington Engine
Company at right prices.
"He has conducted a fair competition for archi-
tects' plans and purposes to be fair and just to
all, irrespective of party."
THEY SELECTED McPHAIL PIANOS.
Beal & McCarthy, who represent the McPhail
piano in Rockland, Mass., recently sold one of
these instruments in strong competition to the
Rockland Knights of Columbus. Another promi-
nent organization in Whitman also purchased a
McPhail from the same firm. The McPhail has a
strong following among Celtic organizations down
East. The combination of the name and a tre-
mendous musical value does the trick.
John D. Pease, of the Pease Piano Co., is ex-
pected this week from his extended road trip,
which carries him as far as the Pacific Coast.
L. C. Gammon has opened a piano warerooms
at Pullman, Wash., where he is handling a full
line of musical instruments and music.
"Do not be Deceived by Imitations.
Hall's Piano
Hoist.
We own the patents and are the sole manufacturers of the genuine Reynolds' Combination Piano
Mover. Do not take any chances in buying an inferior article. Every mover has our guarantee."
Made of steel
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Every hoist actu-
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shows operation
and manner of
putting p i a n o
through a win-
dow.
Ask for Special
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from the ground. Just the wagon for heavy pianos and
organs. Built to order in high-grade only. Complete
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It will pay any dealer to
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Showing position after
Piano is Loaded.
The greatest invention ever made for handling all kinds of pianos
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Using the Reynolds mover avoids all danger of injury to the piano and
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Ask for Special Catalogue.
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SYCAMORE WAGON WORKS, 107 Edwards St., Sycamore, 111.