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REVIEW
THE
flUSIC TIRADE
VOL. XLIV. No. 1 9 . Published Every Saturday by Edward LymanBill at I MadisonAve., New York, May U, 1907
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
UTILIZING THE OLD SQUARES.
GEO. H. BEVERLY RESIGNS
LAW AGAINSJ^COMMISSIONS.
E. A. Parks, a Southerner, Has Been Manufac-
turing Some Very Unique and Useful Desks
from These Instruments.
As Road Representative of the Story & Clark
Piano Co.—Becomes Secretary of New Jersey
Mineral Co. With Offices in New York.
Iowa Now Falls in Line in Preventing the Use
of Commissions or Bonuses in Business Deal-
ings—The Law in Detail.
In a communication to The Review, W. L.
Bush, of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co., writes: "I
enclose a little article which may be of interest
to the dealers throughout the country, taken
from the Louisiana (Mo.) Press-Journal, and I
would state that I examined a very unique hut
attractive and useful desk that had been con-
structed in its entirety out of these parts of old
square pianos, sawed up into top, sides, back,
drawers and various other parts necessary to
make a complete and attractive standing desk.
A good sharp saw, a plane and hammer were
the only tools used in its construction, but I
have never seen a more attractive piece of of-
fice furniture or anything that more nearly ap-
proached my ideal of an antique, and a large
section of the top of the square grand made a
serviceable, practical, standing desk top.
"The last time I was at our branch house in
Memphis I ordered the complete destruction anrt
burning up of a large number of old antique
relics that had been traded in as square pianos,
and we are strictly in favor of forever eliminat-
ing the square piano as a factor or feature of
the future piano business. It costs fully as much
to repair an old square piano and put it in any-
thing like playing condition as you can get for it
in most localities, and for many months our in-
structions to all of our salesmen, working out-
side territory, has been to sell them or give them
away on the spot—to put no money into freights,
repairs or other expense to be attached to such
barnacles as these squares have become upon
the commercial surface of the piano business, and
the sooner all of the relics that are now being
stored away or retained as souvenirs of illy ad-
vised and unprofitable trades by dealers who
still continue to offer $100 or $150 for the old
squares, are cut up into serviceable office desks
or other pieces of household or commercial furni-
ture, the sooner that objectionable feature of the
piano trade will be eliminated."
This is the item referred to by Mr. Bush in
his letter:
Geo. H. Beverly, who for several years has been
associated with the Story & Clark Piano Co. as
general Eastern representative, has resigned to
become secretary of the New Jersey Mineral Co.,
whose executive offices are located at 35 Wall
street, New York. He leaves the piano trade
with the best of wishes not only from the Story
& Clark Co., but from everyone who has the
The latest state to take up the cudgel against
the tipping or bribing evil is Iowa. Governor
Cummins, of that state, having signed the Ham-
belton anti-tipping law, to take effect July 4.
According to the Attorney-General of Iowa the
law is so phrased that it does not effect legiti-
mate commissions in real estate or other mat-
ters in which a regularly appointed agent is em-
ployed. The act reads as follows:
"Section 1.—It shall be unlawful for any
agent, representative or employe, officer or
agent of a private corporation, or a public officer,
acting in behalf of a principal, in any business
transaction, to receive for his own use, directly
or indirectly, any commission, gift, discount,
bonus or gratuity connected with, relating to, or
growing out of such business transaction, and
it shall likewise be unlawful for any person,
whether acting in his own behalf or in behalf
of any co-partnership, association or corporation,
to offer, promise or give directly or indirectly,
any such gift, commission, discount, bonus or
gratuity.
"Any person violating the provisions of this
act, or any of them, shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be
punished by a fine of not less than $25, nor more
than $500, or by imprisonment in the county
jail for not more than one year, or both fine
and imprisonment.
"Provided that this act shall not apply to those
cases in which the principals, being the contract-
ing parties, have knowledge of and consent to
the payment of a commission to an agent or rep-
resentative."
ALABAMA TAXES PIANO STORES.
OEORGE H. BEVEKLY.
pleasure of knowing him, for the best of success
in his new sphere of activity.
Mr. Beverly's letter to the Story & Clark Co.,
under
date of May 3, is as follows, and speaks
A THOI7SAND-DOIXAK DESK.
The question, "What to do with our ex-Presi- for itself:
"Gentlemen:—It is with extreme reluctance
dents?" is yet an open one for discussion, but
the problem, "What to do with our old pianos?" that I tender to you my resignation, to take ef-
has been solved by E. A. Parks, who has the fect at your pleasure. My associations with you
solution in his office in the music house. It is for several years past have been such as seldom
a rosewood desk made exclusively of the tops of exist between employer and employee, and were
old square pianos, and fully $1,000 is represented it not for the unusual opportunity offered me to
in its construction. The idea was wrought out fill a position of prominence in my home city,
by Druey and Frank Trescher, and put into exe- New York, I should not for a moment ask you to
cution by William Kemery, the architect, who release me from my engagements with you. It
certainly made a neat job. It is a high book- will always be a source of satisfaction to me to
keepers' desk, and makes a neat article of office know that I carry with me your good wishes, and
I trust that you will not hesitate to call on me
furniture.
at any time should you feel that I can serve
you. Believe me,
Faithfully yours,
DAWSON J. BLACKMORE AT JAMESTOWN.
"G. H. BEVERLY."
Among members of the piano trade to attend
the opening of the Jamestown Exposition re-
cently was Dawson J. Blackmore, of the Krell
Piano Co. and president of the N. P. M. A. He
was accompanied by his wife.
Armstrong, Byrd & Co., Oklahoma City,
Okla., have closed their branch in bhawnee,
Okla., and will handle the business in that sec-
tion from the main store.
Must Pay $150 for Each County in Which a
Store Is Conducted Devoted to Selling Pianos.
Among the many drastic acts passed by the
Alabama Legislature, recently adjourned, was
one taxing a piano house $150 for each county
in which it has a permanent place of business.
In other words, the main store has to pay the
tax for itself and also pay for every branch
located outside the county but within the State.
The law will hit many prominent piano dealers
very heavily, and some already announce their
intention of leaving the State when the law
takes effect. The companies most affected are
the E. E. Forbes Piano Co. and the Jesse French
Piano & Organ Co., each of whom have a num-
ber of branches in the State.
NEW STORE IN PUEBLO.
Clifford C. Perkins and Claude Clark have
opened a new music store in the White Triangle
building. Pueblo, Colo., and handle the Mason &
Ham!in, Conover, Cable, Kingsbury, Schiller and
other makes of pianos, as well as the Kingsbury
"Inner-Player."