Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
10
THE:
THIS ORDINANCE TOO BROAD.
Meadville Dealer Has Visiting Piano Man
Fined—He Uses Same Ordinance to Strike
Back—Amusing Were It Not Costly.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
ceived two deys before while at work at the
'DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS."
factory of the Shoninger Piano Co. He was
moving a piano with a helper, and his hand was
An Interesting Contribution by W. H. Wade, of
caught and crushed between the wall and the
Lyon & Healy, on a Subject Which Is Bound
heavy piano. He was taken to the hospital and
to Come Before Every Salesman, No Matter
blood poisoning set in.
in What Line He Casts His Lot.
(Special to The Review.)
Meadville, Pa., June 18, 1906.
There has been considerable litigation recently
in this city over the enforcement of an ordi-
nance prohibiting selling without a license on
the part of "transient retail merchants." The
ordinance further specifies "other dealers,"
"canvassers from house to house," etc.
The E. T. Bates Music Co. brought suit against
b\ W. Steck under this ordinance, and a fine of
$20 was laid upon Steck, the court sustaining the
plaintiff's contention that Steck was a transient
retail merchant, without residence or permanent
office here, and that he had no business to be
selling pianos without paying the transient re-
tail license.
Mr. Steck was very warm over this matter,
and he hauled three of the E. T. Bates people
tiefore Justice Pytcher, making three cases un-
der the same ordinance, complaining that they
were "other dealers," and that they canvassed
from house to house, etc. Alfred J. Bates, Blaine
Spencer and H. C. Cramer were awarded a fine
of ?15 each and costs of suits. An appeal was
taken from Justice Pytcher's decision, and the
court will later on have an opportunity to pass
on the ordinance.
The license fee required by the ordinance in
question is from one to five dollars per day, at
the discretion of the Mayor or City Clerk, and
if enforced will curtail considerably the possi-
bilities of doing a piano business in that section.
CONDEMNS CERTIFICATE SYSTEM.
W h a t Snoderly Says of Certificates Issued by
Some Piano Houses.
So popular are the lines of pianos carried by
J. R. Snoderly, of Creston, Iowa, that he has
plenty of business without resorting to the cou-
pon or certificate plan to interest the public. In
fact, he arraigns the system severely in his adver-
tisements, as can be seen herewith:
"They buy tne piano of us and then present us
with the coupons, and consequently we have
gathered together a great number of these value-
less certificates, and it will give us great pleasure
to present any person who will take the time and
trouble to call at our store and carry away these
bits of paper that in value represent only the
paper and labor expended in printing. We are
so busy unpacking pianos and sending out the
large number of pianos we have sold that we have
no time to give much attention to these coupons,
but if you call you will find them here and can
help yourself. Should you be contemplating the
purchase of a piano we would be glad to show you
the standard instruments we carry—Mason &
Hamlin, Conover, Cable, Tryber, Mathushek &
Son, and Chicago Cottage and Lakeside organs.
All pianos of rare musical value and all sold at
the lowest possible price, and the citizens of the
community recognizing this fact, prefer to buy of
us although we offer no special inducement other
than the superior quality of the pianos them-
selves."
ARRESTED ON SERIOUS CHARGE.
WAS MADE IN BALTIMORE.
"Dealing With Complaints" is the title of an
article contributed to "Salesmanship" by W. H.
Chas. Stieff Writes Concerning Old Piano
Wade, wholesale manager of Lyon & Healy, Chi-
Which Is in the Possession of the Gerard
cago, in which he says:
Heintzman Co Supposed to be Made in
"How to deal with the customer who cherishes
Germany One Hundred Years Ago—It Is,
a grievance is a problem that is always recurring
However, of Baltimore Manufacture and
to salesmen in every line—and comparatively
Was Made Fifty Years Ago.
few have mastered the art of placating the in-
jured one, satisfying him and increasing his
In The Review of June 2 there appeared an trade, and at the same time defending the firm
article regarding an antique type of piano which from unfair demands.
is now in possession of the Gerard Heintzman
"This requires as much of the 'velvet touch' as
Co., Toronto, and which has been exhibited in it takes to sell goods.
the window of their Yonge street warerooms.
"In many cases a complaint from a dissatisfied
The instrument is harp-shaped, the greater part customer can be turned to good advantage, pro-
of the strings and the tuning pins being exposed vided the man who complains has been sincere,
in a vertical frame at the back. It is very hand- but mistaken, in his grounds for making it.
somely finished, and was supposed to be of Ger-
"The salesman should take a conservative atti-
man origin. It bore the name of Kuhn & Ridg- tude until he has thoroughly investigated the
away, without address of place of manufacture. It cause of the trouble. If he launches immediately
was stated further that the persons from whom
into assurances that the customer 'must be mis-
Messrs. Heintzman obtained the piano stated that taken,' the latter, who feels certain for his part
it was in their possesion for one hundred years. that there can be no mistake, considers that in
Regarding the foregoing, we are in receipt of
suit to his mental powers has been added to
the following interesting letter from Charles whatever injury he has sustained, or believes he
Stieff, the eminent piano manufacturer, of Balti- has sustained. Besides being angry he then be-
more, in which he says:
comes obstinate, and more exorbitant in his de-
Editor The Music Trade Review, New York:
mands for reparation. Under these circumstances,
My Dear Sir—I read an article in your issue unless the salesman can promise to fulfill any un-
of June 2 headed "An Old Piano." The actual reasonable request, he is likely to lose a part or
facts are that the piano was made in Baltimore even all of his customer's trade.
about 1855 or 1856, so you see it is about fifty
"When such a promise is made it may entail in
years old. Mr. Kuhn was a pianomaker, and the keeping an unwarrantable expense to the
took out a patent for this unique arrangement. house. If it is not kept, through the salesman's
He and Ridgaway formed a partnership to make deliberately ignoring it, the house is undeservedly
the new style of instrument. They sold some; affected again."
but the instrument did not take with the public.
I was personally acquainted with the two gentle-
" A VERY SUPERIOR INSTRUMENT."
men, and trust the information will set our
friends in Toronto right. Believe me to be, very
The Price & Tesple Piano Co., Chicago, have
truly yours,
CHARLES STIEFF.
recently been in receipt of a number of com-
munications from noted musicians speaking in
SUES FOR NOT TAKING OUT LICENSE. the most enthusiastic terms regarding the fine
musical qualities of their creations. For instance,
Authorities of Waukegan Brings Suit Against
Karl G. Heinrich, manager of the Bohumir Kryl
F. G. Smith Piano Co.—Will Fight Case.
Concert Co., in a recent communication, writes
au follows:
(Special to The Review.)
"The Price & Teeple piano furnished for our
Waukegan, 111., June 16, 1906.
concert company is a very superior instrument,
Before Justice Van Deusen an action has been and I take great pleasure in recommending it for
started against the F. G. Smith Piano Co., of solo and concert work."
Chicago, for having operated a store here with-
This appreciation of the merits of the Price
out having taken out a license as provided in the & Teeple piano is in line with the many kind
ordinances. It is charged that the company, words which have been said regarding it by lead-
when it located in the Mohrmann block, stated
ing dealers and purchasers in all parts of the
that they were to locate here permanently, country. It certainly is something of which the
therefore they did not take out a license.
manufacturers can feel justly proud.
They ran the store for a time, however, and
now the contention of the city is that they are
KIMBALL CO. IN MARSHALLTOWN, IA.
moving or have moved the stock back to the
city and do not intend to maintain a store here.
The Kimball Co. have leased the Willard build-
The company will put up a hard fight on the
ing,
Marshalltown, la., and are having it refitted
case, claiming that they located here with the
end in view of operating permanently, but later in order that they may occupy it by July 1.
changed their plans, which they have a perfect George Redel, who has been with the Kimball
Co. in St. Paul for some time, will have charge
right to do.
of
the new branch.
As this is the first case of the kind to come
up under the new ordinance, its outcome will be
DECKER & SON PIANO FOR ISTHMUS.
watched with interest. The fine for failure to
take out a license as per the ordinance is not
Decker & Son have received an order from the
to exceed $200. The hearing will be continued
Isthmian Canal Commission for a Style A dull
some day this week.
finished piano for use in the Government Build-
ing, Panama. T. Linton Floyd Jones, manager
H. C. WAITE ENJOYING VACATION.
of the retail warerooms, booked the order.
Elmer Sommers, aged 22, who said he was a
school teacher, and gave his address as 228 North
Calhoun street, was arrested last week in Balti-
more, Md., charged with purchasing a piano from
the J. Fred Kranz piano firm, agreeing to pay
so much on it per month and then selling it to
an auction house on Howard street. At the hear-
H. C. Waite, the music dealer of Cedar Rapids,
ing the case, was continued.
la., is spending a two months' vacation in Chi-
cago after being active in business for thirty-
DIED FROM INJURY AT PIANO FACTORY. seven years continuously. His wife and family
accompany him. As already stated in The Review
Mr. Waite still has an interest in the recently
Patrick Madden, of New Haven, Conn., died
last Saturday at the New Haven Hospital from formed H. C. Waite Music Co.. and has no inten-
blood poisoning as the result of an injury re- tion of dropping out of business.
GOETZMAN'S FIRST PIANO.
The first piano turned out by Goetzman & Co.,
Rochester, N. Y., has proved a success and the
factory is now running in earnest, turning out
pianos after scales drawn by a well-known piano
expert.