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THE
fflJJIC TIRADE
VOL. XLII. N o . 1 2 . Published Every Saturday by Edward LymanBill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, March 24, 1906.
PRES. ROOSEVELT WILL RECEIVE
The National Association of Piano Dealers of
America on May 16th—President Werlein
Comments on Amalgamation—More Com-
mittees
Appointed—Chairman
Grinnell
Writes on Membership.
(Supplied by Chairman of Press Committee.)
The members of the National Association of
Piano Dealers of America will be pleased to
learn that President Theodore Roosevelt has set
Wednesday, May 16, at 2:30 p. m. as the time for
his reception to the members of the Association.
The event will be held in the East Room of the
White House. This is but the forerunner of
other social functions which the heads of the ad
ministration are arranging for the entertain-
ment of the dealers.
All indications point to the crowding in of
enough events to ordinarily cover two or three
times the length of time set for holding the con-
vention. And it is altogether likely that mem-
bers will extend their sojourn in Washington for
a week or more. The various committees al-
ready appointed by President Werlein are busily
engaged in arranging an elaborate series of en-
tertainments. The local committee in Washing-
ton is as follows: E. H. Droop, chairman; C. B.
Bayly, W. P. Van Wickle, A. V. Grimes, T. P.
Cully, J. C. Conliff, R. K. Paynter, O. J. DeMoll,
D. G. Pfeiffer, C. H. Droop, E. P. Droop, P. S.
Foster, H. Worch, H. Eberbach, J. D. Young, C.
H. McHugh.
PRESIDENT WEKLEIN ON AMALGAMATION.
Various men for the past three weeks have
been commenting on a problem which will come
up for consideration at the Washington con-
vention relative to the amalgamation of the vari-
ous associations of the music trade industry in
one body. At the conclusion of the discussion
President Werlein comes forward with his views,
which undoubtedly will meet the approval of
every person in any way interested in any branch
of the music industry. His conception of the
problem is as follows:
"As to the matter of amalgamation of the as-
sociations, Mr. Blackmore conceded a very valu-
able point when he admitted that it was advisa-
ble for all the national associations to meet at
one time in one place.
"The American scientific societies years ago
adopted the same idea, and from it grew the
American Association for the Advancement of
Science, which is simply an association made up
of the numerous associations, all meeting simul-
taneously, but with different presiding chairmen.
"If the 'American Association of Musical In-
dustries' is formed, the retail sellers of pianos,
the manufacturers of pianos, the talking ma-
chine people, the small goods people, the music
publishers', the musical retailers and others can
have their separate meetings simultaneously; but
there will be, aside from the presiding officers, a
central executive board and a president in com-
mon.
"The social features of this meeting will be
common to all, and with one central committee
attending to those things that are common to
all, we will have a thoroughly organized industry
in which each branch is fully protected and in
which the greatest good to all can be obtained
through the work of the whole."
B. B. CREW'S DELAYED OPINION.
After apologizing for the delay in answering
inquiries caused by his absence in Florida and
Cuba, Mr. Crew says:
"Having been out of touch with the trade for
some little time, as well as correspondence with
the different members of our association, I do
not. feel very well prepared to express myself in
reference to the amalgamation suggested, but at
first blush it comes into my mind, just how valid
I am not prepared to say, that this sweeping
amalgamation of all the musical interests will
minimize and perhaps finally throttle our Piano
Dealers' Association. The manufacturers and
other associations coming in with us would be
to some extent burdensome, I fear, and have a
tendency to lessen the interest in the Dealers'
Association. However, all this is subject to ar-
gument, and I am willing to wait and leave the
matter until we reach Washington. When it
comes up there it will no doubt be subject to a
great deal of discussion, pro and con. However,
as stated, I have hardly been sufficiently in touch
with the discussion of the subject to form an
opinion.
"I have been hard at work endeavoring to in-
crease the membership of our association and
have met with some success. Just at this time
there are a great many who might be termed
experimental dealers in the South, and while for
some reasons it might be desirable to have them
come into the association, still it is a question as
to how long they will remain in the business, and
for this reason it is difficult to arouse in them
much interest as to conducting it along the
proper lines. I am trying to induce all those
whom I think desirable, and who are not already
members, to come in with us. Have sent in sev-
eral names recently. I shall be glad to help you
in any way I can towards furthering the interest
of our association and making the Washington
meeting the greatest in the history of the asso-
ciation."
C. A. CJRIN'NELL EVER ENTHUSIASTIC.
As an illustration of the interest being taken
in the forthcoming convention, the following let-
ter from C. A .Grinnell, of Detroit, Mich., is self-
evident:
"At our last monthly meeting of the local deal-
ers, we had as guests two dealers of small towns
from another state. At the close of the meeting
they said the work of the association was one of
the grandest things they had ever known. They
were most enthusiastic and immediately applied
for membership in the National Association, say-
ing that they would surely attend the meeting in
May and that they regretted there was not a
State association that they could attend in their
own State. I am satisfied that if the dealers
throughout the country only realized the great
benefit to be derived from this local association
there would not be a city of 10,000 inhabitants
where there are three hundred or more dealers
located that there would not be a local associa-
tion. The National Dealers' Association can be
made of great benefit to the local association by
co-operation. If the dealers throughout the
country only realized the advantages to be got-
ten from membership in the National Dealers'
Association there would not be
dealer in this country who would
plication for membership before our
ing in May. We want everybody to
Please
urge all reputable dealers to apply at once to
the secretary, Percy S. Foster, Washington, D. C,
for membership.
"I have received this day a letter from G. Q.
Chase, of Kohler & Chase, of San Francisco, one
of the members of the membership committee,
who says he is getting up a circular letter to
send to all the dealers on the coast, which we
trust will secure the application of most of them
who are not already members."
NEW STIEFF FACTORY.
Contracts Just Awarded for Five-Story Build-
ing Which Will Greatly Increase Capacity.
(Special to The Review.)
Baltimore, Md., March 19, 1906.
Contracts were awarded this week for a large
addition to the Chas. M. Stieff piano factory
which will be five stories in height and 50 x 220
feet. This will virtually double their capacity.
The factory will be the very best mill construc-
tion, equipped with a sprinkler system, lighted
by electricity, and heated by the hot air system.
The machinery to be installed will be operated
by individual electric motors. The plant will be
of fireproof construction throughout, and the
building, exclusive of machinery, will cost about
$62,000. The contractors expect to have it com-
pleted within four months. This latest addition,
which has been made necessary by the growth of
their business, will provide for an average out-
put of fifty upright and twelve grand pianos a
week which, during the busy season, can be in-
creased to about one hundred pianos weekly.
FIRE INSURANCE AS AN ASSET.
Credit Men Endeavoring to Make Western
Dealers Look After Their Insurance.
The credit men of a number of western cities
are pursuing the laudable policy of strenuously
endeavoring to induce retail merchants with
whom they do business to carry a sufficient
amount of insurance. When a line of credit is
extended to a merchant the credit men find out
how much insurance he carries. If the amount
is regarded as insufficient, they report to the in-
surance field organizations and these, in turn,
notify the agents in the city where the merchant
is located. These agents go to the merchant, ex-
patiate on the danger of carrying too small an
amount of insurance and urge him to increase
the amount, so as to properly cover his stock.
By thus working in harmony with the insurance
men. the credit men frequently succeed in get-
ting their customers to give proper attention to
this very important matter, thus greatly reduc-
ing the risk incurred by their firms in extending
credit.
The annual meeting of the stockholders of
Steinway & Sons will be held at their offices, 107-
109 East Hth street, on Monday, April 2, at 3.30
p. m., for the purpose of electing a board of
directors and transacting such other business as
may come before the meeting.