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THE
ffUJIC TFADE
10 CENTS.
VOL. XLIV. No. 1 5 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Avc, New York, April 13, 1907 SINGLE $2.00 COPIES,
PER YEAR.
VALUE OF TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.
E. J. Delfraisse, the Weil-Known Piano Sales-
man of New Orleans Says That the Piano
Factories Offer the Best Technical Schools in
the World—Opinions Expressed Are Interest-
ing—Will be Glad to Hear from the Other
Side on This Interesting Subject.
New Orleans, La., April 4, 1907.
Editor Music Trade Review, New York, N. Y.:
Dear Sir—I have read with some degree* M in-
terest your article on Technical Schools ffk the
Piano Industry. There is no doubt that the
theory is good, but there is a doubt as to its
practicability, that is, in so far as developing
the real finished product the idea contemplates.
In all industries to reach the stage of perfec-
tion necessary for a leader, a man must first
have talent in his particular line, next the am-
bition to become a leader, and then the execu-
tive ability to make profitable use of both. There
is, and always will be, in every field, a vast army
of private soldiers, whom Nature never intended
to be aught else. The trouble with most tech-
nical schools has been that they foster more an
ambition beyond the limits of the student's ca-
pacity, than a thorough grounding in the par-
ticular line he undertakes, thereby spoiling what
would have made a good general workman in his
line, leaving him dissatisfied because he has
failed to reach the ideal set for him. It is much
like the possibility of any American-born citizen
becoming President of the United States. All
cannot possibly be leaders.
The. factories to-day offer the best technical
schools in the world, if the young man has the
patience, the perseverance and the ambition to
go to the top of the ladder. The trouble with
most of them is, they try to climb too fast. In
these days, when, capital can command all kinds
of common labor, and many kinds of skilled arti-
sans, the prospect of spending much time in per-
fecting himself in the groundwork so necessary
to make a leader in any line, is not very inviting
to the average young man. The most successful
men are they who have risen from the ranks
rather than those who passed with highest hon-
ors in the classic schools, and so it will be al-
ways, in the technical departments o" commerce.
The successful leaders will be those who have
earned their grounding experience because they
had to do something, and do it right, to gain a
livelihood, whose talent allowed them to do it
better than the other fellows, and whose ambi-
tion prompted them to use their talent to this
end. The technical school will develop few men
of such caliber. This big, rushing world is the
finest technical school possible.
The solution of the problem in the piano in-
dustry lies more with the manufacturer holding
out inducements to the workmen, to strive, all,
to do better one than the other the work allotted
to them, making pecuniary recompense the re-
ward of their success, allowing each man that
believes he can do better in a certain department
a chance to try his mettle. No man's capacity
can be measured by anything but failure; suc-
cess always holds higher possibilities before it.
The private soldiers in the army of factory work-
ers will always be with us; they are necessary.
and no technical school will ever make them
anything else. The idea of managers and su-
perintendents being developed from technical
schools is as visionary as that of making piano
tuners with correspondence school methods, or
turning out a full-fledged stock broker from a
business college.
The writer does not believe that there is a
factory in the world to-day which would be will-
ing to place a graduate from a technical school,
though he passed with the highest honors of the
institution, in the position of foreman over a lot
of practical workmen.
The technical school in the post-graduate sense
is a necessity, and should be a success—a school
where experienced workmen can meet and learn
from and teach one another, and build upon the
knowledge they now possess a greater art. The
jealousies of the piano craft preclude the possi-
bility of any such dream coming true; in my
opinion the piano will continue to improve, and
Nature's law of compensation will make up in
some new way for the decline of the old factory
system, under the workings of which the factory
of to-day could not be operated. Each depart-
ment will furnish Us quota of experts, and the
successful factory superintendent of to-morrow
will rise from the factory bench as of yore.
Yours very truly,
BJ. J.
SECOND ANNUAL
DELFRAISSE.
SHOW-
The Prospectus Just Issued Indicates That Spe-
cial Efforts Will be Mad* to Make the Sec-
ond Exhibition to be Hftljj Sept. 18 to 26 a
Great Success.
\
Thje prospectus of the second annual music
sho,i*-, to be held in Madison Square Garden, New
York, September X8 to 26, inclusive, has just been
issued by Captain J. A. H. Pressel. The first
show scored such succeps for all who partici-
pated that it is safe to predict still more satis-
factory results for future exhibitions of the same
character, judging from the plans outlined. Just
what they are may be gleaned from the prospec-
tus itself, from which we quote a? follows:
"The objects of the show are both educational
and commercial; to interest the general public,
and bring it in direct contact with the manufac-
turer, thus educating intending customers to be
rn a -position to speak to dealers intelligently re-
garding their requirements; to create an annual
meeting place for dealers and manufacturers; to
enable manufacturers to establish new agencies,
and to be in touch with all their established
agencies at one time; to hold an annual music
carnival which will attract visitors among whom
will be customers, and purchasers from every part
of the United States, if not from other coun-
tries, all of whiph should stimulate trade, and
help the consumption of the output of the differ-
ent manufacturers represented,.
"Exhibits are |:o include pianos, organs, self-
playing instruments, wind and stringed instru-
ments, talking machines with discs and cylinders
for same, and musical publications, as well as
exhibits of veneers, woods, varnishes, gums,
plates, wood carvings, ivory, felts, piano strings,
actions, keys and. hammers, anc}, in fact, every-
thing that goes into the making of musical in-
struments of every kind, particular attention and
consideration being given to working exhibits.
"The management is such that the success of
the show from tnis standpoint is assured. The
administration is in the hands of an experienced
manager of trade shows, assisted by the advice
and counsel of a committee composed of the fol-
lowing gentlemen: A. H. Jacot, of Jacot Music
Box Co.; R. C. Rogers, of Winter & Co.; George
A. Scofield, of Pease Piano Co.; Peter Duffy, of
Schubert Piano Co.; W. E. Strauch, of Strauch
Bros.; L. A. Duckworth, of Estey Piano Co., who
cover various branches of the music trade repre-
sented by the exhibitors.
"The interesting features and attractions of
the show will comprise first-class orchestras, pub-
lic recitals by exhibitors, band concerts and song
festivals for prizes, exhibitions of valuable collec-
tions and rare instruments, pianos and piano ac-
tions in actual process of construction—both of
these are working exhibits which will interest
the general public as well as the dealers—and
other features thac may suggest themselves, and
which will be decided upon before the opening
of the snow.
"Dealers will be attracted to this show by the
great saving of time and money occasioned by
meeting, on a common ground, manufacturers
with whom they desire to come in contact, noting
up-to-date improvements, and methods of manu-
facture, and meeting possible customers from
their own territory, created through the exhibits
of the manufacturers. At the 1906 show, dealers
were present from points as far west as San
Francisco, as far south as Florida, and from all
the New England and Central States, and an
even greater body of dealers is expected to at-
tend the 1907 show."
The majority of the exhibitors in 1906 took
sufficient orders and obtained enough good pros-
pects to well repay them for the expense and
trouble of their exhibit, and nearly all have en-
gaged space for this year, realizing that if they
work along proper lines they will get results. The
show has been and will be well advertised, en-
suring a heavy attendance and a proper share of
public attention.
Rental rates are as follows: On the main floor,
$2 per square foot; on the promenade floor, $1.50
per square foot, for the entire time of the show.
These rentals include platforms, floor covering,
posts, brass railings, signs, counters, electric
lights, decorations, enclosures where necessary,
night watching and sweeping.
STECK AGAIN WITH S. B. PORTER.
S. B. Porter & Son, Lima, O., have again taken
the agency for the Steck pianos, which they gave
up several years ago after handling that make
for over twenty years.
KRELL-FRENCH LINE WITH FLANERY.
The John J. Flanery Co., Toledo, O., have
taken the agency for the Krell-French line. This
firm are busy arranging for the opening of their
new branch in Columbus on April 15.
A new music store has been opened by G. J.
Swain in Westby, Wis.