Music Trade Review

Issue: 1908 Vol. 46 N. 24

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102 PAGES.
THE
SINGL E
$ «.W°PER S V&R C E N T S -
VOL. X L V I . N o . 2 4 . .Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at \ Madison Avc., New York, June J3, 1908.
president of the national association. We are
glad to know Cincinnati can claim the headship
of this big association.
Otto Schulz, of the M. Schulz Co., Chicago, was
Dealers Pleased With Frank A. Lee's Election
a visitor last week.
to Presidency of Manufacturers' Association
The John Church Co. salesmen and managers
—Month Opens With Business Quiet—Re-Em-
didn't exactly celebrate President Lee's election
ployment Day Set for July 1—Unique Krell
in New York, but they had it in their feelings
Advertisement—How the Different Houses
at least. Secretary Augustus Beall reports a
Find Trade.
gradual improvement in wholesale business. He
believes a steady settling of turbulent conditions
(Special to The Review.)
is going right ahead. Taft's nomination is banked
Cincinnati, O., June 8, 1908.
The local piano dealers are much pleased by upon as an anchor of prosperity.
J. H. Templeman, of Carlisle, Ky., now doing
the news announcing Frank A. Lee's election to
the presidency of the National Piano Manufac- business for himself, but formerly in with others
under the name of J. H. Templeman & Co., was
turers' Association. They are pleased because of
the personal regard they have for him, and for in the city last week looking for pianos. He had
the pride they feel in old Cincinnati. The elec- his eye on several of our leading instruments.
B. S. Porter, of Lima, O., Lima's veteran piano
tion of Mr. Lee came as a surprise to our piano
men, and the day has heard many hearty expres- man, and its largest at that, was a trade visitor
sions of satisfaction. Here at home he presides last week. He has a host of friends here and
over the local piano association, and does much claimed that he mixes business and sociability
to guide its course. He is regarded as a man of in the same cup.
ability in business and for maintaining the high
The Baldwin Piano Co. report a good week's
standard of the Everett and other pianos made business for last week, giving June a good shove
by the firms under his charge.
forward. The month is looked to to put it all
The first week of this month was quiet gener- over May, summer notwithstanding. E. E. Rob-
ally among the piano dealers. Only in spots was erts, of the player department, and J. W. Macey,
the volume of business done up to expectations. of the factory, went on to New York to take in
the convention and to represent headquarters.
The month is believed to hold more promise of
The Wurlitzer Co. report a quiet week for
good results than did May. The summer season
is upon us in earnest, and the piano men frankly June's beginning, though the month looks good
admit that trade will not be what they desire. to hold its own with May. A gradual improve-
The nomination of Taft is looked to as a business ment is noticeable throughout April, May and the
booster. Improvement in trade continues slowly, first week of this month.
Manager Uhl, of Wurlitzer's Chicago house, was
with bright prospects for fall.
A re-employment day is set for July 1. Several here last week. Harry Margraf, representing
of our public-spirited citizens have gotten to- Wurlitzer's small goods department, and Will
gether and are endeavoring to get the support of Kleinman, selling Wurlitzer's automatic instru-
all the manufacturing concerns in the city, to the ments, came in this week from a good trip. A
end that all the employes now on part time will goodly bunch of orders were taken.
be placed on full time, and others now unem-
ployed will be put back on their jobs on part
BAILEY HAS BEEN CAPTURED.
time. The idea is that this re-employment will give
Advices from Washington dated Sunday state
the laborer a greater purchasing power, which
will be of general benefit to all lines of distribu- that F. G. Bailey, former president of the Export
tion. This concerted effort to boost confidence Shipping Co., New York, who loaded the steamer
and business is not without good foundation, and Goldsboro with a cargo of unpaid for merchan-
looks good to do a great deal of good. Every dise and sailed for South America, has been cap-
piano dealer is interested in the movement, real- tured and will be extradited as a matter of inter-
national courtesy. Among the goods taken by
izing the good he will derive therefrom.
The Krell Piano Co. came out in a unique ad- Bailey were said to be several pianos and a num-.
vertisement yesterday announcing an offer to ex- ber of talking machines and other musical in-
change a new upright Krell grand for the oldest struments. It is believed the greater part of the
piano, upright, grand or square, in this section goods will be recovered.
of the country. The "section" is embraced within
FORTY-SEVEN YEARS IN BUSINESS.
a circle, the radius being 125 miles. The name
of the piano, where made, its number, and the
(Special lo Tlie Review.)
number of white keys are points specially asked
Ottawa, Can., June 9, 1908.
for. The contest closes June 20. The judges of
Orme & Son, Ltd., have just completed their
the contest will be the three best-known editors forty-seventh year in business. There is only one
of the musical papers of the country. The ad- older music house in Canada, and its full term
vertisement brought forth immediate replies. In- of business has been marked with progressive-
teresting facts are looked for as a result of the ness and enterprise. The house was established
Krell offer, along with a large number of pros- in 1861 by J. L. Orme, father of G. L. Orme, and
pective customers.
was continued by the son on the death of the
The Smith & Nixon Piano Co. report trade quiet founder. Then his cousin, Matthew Orme, was
last week. President Henry Crawford said: taken into partnership. The firm name has been
"I am delighted to hear of Mr. Lee's election as changed once or twice, but the same family has
ever been at the helm. While the honest and
progressive business methods have made marked
success for the firm, its individual members have
done much toward fostering anything which
would tend to enhance Ottawa as a musical cen-
ter. The building now occupied on Sparks street
is said to be one of the finest piano warerooms in
Canada.
PLANS OF CALDWELL PIANO CO.
Who
Succeed
the
Hallet
&
Davis Co.
in
Cleveland.
(Special to The Review.)
Cleveland, O., June 1, 1908.
E. T. Caldwell, president of the Caldwell Piano
Co., of Cleveland, says that in succeeding to the
business of the Hallet & Davis Piano Co., he pro-
poses to conduct it on an absolutely one price
basis. "To me this seems the only honest way
of doing business," said Mr. Caldwell. "There
will be no more asking price and selling price—
one price for the shrewd buyer and another for
the man that depends on the honor of the man
selling him the piano to use him honestly. In
place of these unbusinesslike, and to my mind,
really dishonest methods, there will be just one
price for all—man, woman or child.
"I know I am going to have a hard fight on
my hands, because the system of 'all kinds of
prices' is so deeply rooted in the piano trade, but
I am going to win out, because I believe the pub-
lic will stand by me and help uphold the old
maxim that 'honesty is the best policy.' I have
longed for an opportunity that would permit me
to put my one-price plan into operation, and now
that it has come, I haven't any doubt about the
outcome, as in the long run the public like fair
treatment."
A CLEVER ADVERTISING STROKE.
H. T. Spain, manager for the Starr Piano Co.,
in Indianapolis, Ind., got a trifle ahead of the rest
of the trade in that city, as reported by our cor-
respondent in last week's Review, by reserving
the exclusive advertising privileges of the pro-
gram of the National Saengerfest to be held in
that city June 17-20. The Saengerfest is one of
the biggest musical events in the city and is ex-
pected to attract over 4,000 singers from all parts
of the country. Mr. Spain has also arranged to
publish 4,000 books containing the songs to be
given during the fest and the Starr pianos will
be attractively and generously advertised therein.
PIANOS SAVED FROM FLOOD.
The piano houses in Dallas and Fort Worth,
Tex., have been busy trying to save the pianos
belonging to their customers, which were washed
away during the recent floods along the Trinity
River. Thomas Goggan & Bro., are displaying
a piano in their window which was caught in
the flood and carried over a mile. Of course,
the piano is damaged beyond hope of repair and
is only useful as a souvenir.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorial Stall:
GEO. B. KELLER,
L. B. BOWERS,
W. II. D I K E S .
F. II. THOMPSON,
J. HAYDEN CLABENDON,
15. RIUTTAIN WILSON,
L. ,T. CHAMEERLIN,
A. J. N I C K U N .
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE
ERNEST L. WAITT, 100 Boylston St.E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Room 806, 156 Wabash Ave.
PHILADELPHIA:
Telephone, Central 414.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
R. W. KAUFFJIAN.
ADOLF EDSTEN.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI, O.: BERNARD C. BOWEN.
BALTIMORE, MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 69 Baslnghall St., B. C.
W. LIONEL STURDY, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
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reading mnttcr, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Hill.
Music Publishers'
An interesting feature of this publication is a special depart-
Department V ^» ment devoted exclusively to the world of music publishing.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
rails Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.Charleston Exposition, 1902
D?plo?ua.Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal. ...St. Louis Exposition, 1904
ilnhl Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting a l l Departments.
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Cable address: "Elbill, N e w York."
NEW
YORK,
JUNE
13, 1 9 0 8
EDITORIAL
T
HE conventions of igo8 have now become history, the throngs
have gone and men have commenced to calmly review the
proceedings. It is understood that some lively debating occurred
at the Manufacturers' meeting which was not included in the sup-
plied reports, but the talks were plain, straightforward, temperate
and right from the shoulder, and because there was disagreement
between some of the members regarding the issues brought up for
discussion it does not follow that there is the slightest reason for the
belief that disagreements will weaken the association structure in
the slightest. On the contrary the Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion seems to have come out stronger after the lengthy, well-argued
discussions in New York. The members understand each other
better and there is evidently a stronger vein of sympathy existing
between them.
The manufacturers view the association as an incubator of good
feeling, and from good feeling springs certain beneficial results
which are helpful to the industry as a whole. That the association
will not take any radical stand as opposed to the business policy cff
individual members of the organization seems to have been disposed
of pretty thoroughly. The association may go clearly on record as
opposing the traffic in special brand pianos but will not impose
penalized restrictions upon its members in order to definitely locate
the origin of certain pianos.
So, as far as the Piano Manufacturers' Association is con-
cerned it frowns upon the special brand traffic, but will do nothing
more than resolute against its continuance. Judging from the vari-
ous opinions expressed it seems that this position is supported by
more than the majority of the members and therefore they seem well
satisfied with the convention results. A number of the men believe
it impossible to impose restrictions upon manufacturers of pianos
or of anything else which are contrary to their fixed policy and re-
tain them as members of a trade organization. The whole thing
resolves itself to one query—is it better to run the association on
present lines or to have a split on the special brand proposition?
The query has been answered. The association reply is in.
REVIEW
T
HE Dealers' Convention was a success and there were many
interesting papers read at the various sessions which are
reproduced elsewhere in The Review. A number of the members
of the Dealers' Association favor the plan of concentrating upon
one trade topic at each convention rather than de-centralization and
scattering over a number of topics. There is no question but that
the men who write on the various subjects handle their topics with
ease and understanding, and they make mighty interesting reading,
and yet the question is asked by a number, what are the actual re-
sults obtained from the association ?
Without particularizing we should say there are very many
beneficial features that have resulted to the trade through concerted
action. The business is run along cleaner lines. Men have a greater
respect and admiration for each other and they respect the other
fellow's feelings more than was noticeable in days agone. The
whole trade atmosphere is gradually clearing and there is less compe-
tition of a demoralizing character than was formerly in vogue. In
fact, as the association has developed in strength and membership
piano selling has increased in dignity and character. It seems as if
the good work established would tend to increase in influence each
year, and it is well for the trade that it should. There is every
reason to believe that the industry will be steadily benefited on
account of the existence of the Dealers' Association as a cohesive
force for trade weal.
PROMINENT Western manufacturer who was present at
A
the convention remarked to The Review : "I am confident
that we are going to have a good fall business. Understand, I do not
mean a phenomenally large trade, but as I view the situation there
will be a lively demand for pianos during the early fall months, and
it is my intention to' accumulate a stock of goods to meet the de-
mand which' 1 am confident will materialize later. The stocks of the
dealers are very low and they will not be content to sit down and
do no* business. On the contrary, if I interpret their spirit correctly,
they will hustle, and it's hustle that will create business."
Certainly it will. It must be admitted that conditions have
improved materially within the past two weeks. A good many fac-
tories in all lines have put back more men which is unusual at this
season of the year, and it proves conclusively that the accumulated
retail stocks over the country have been exhausted and there is a
demand during the summer months for goods which will compel
their manufacture. The army of unemployed will be diminished
during the summer, and the enactment of the law authorizing
the issue of one-half billion dollars in additional currency has helped
to clear the financial atmosphere, and the last cloud is now hastily
disappearing from the monetary horizon.
T
HERE was some fear that we might see a return of the panicky
conditions of last fall when the West called for money for the
movement of crops, and when we have had our nerves once shaken
we are apt to be a trifle timid, but now there is no possibility of a re-
currence of serious disturbances in the monetary world, when the
time comes for the moving of the crops, which promise to be abun-
dant. In other words, the country is insured against a monetary
stringency which might threaten the great business interests. We
may not be called upon to test the efficacy of the currency law be-
cause it is probable that there will continue to be an ample supply
of currency for all needs and certainly the rates of interest have
lowered recently showing that money is plentiful. This insurance
is a mighty go'od thing for the country and the emergency currency
bill will have in our minds a stimulating effect upon the business
interests of the country. The simple fact that such a law is in
existence will give a feeling of security which otherwise would have
been lacking had Congress adjourned before passing this safeguard
legislation. It's going to help out business in every line. It's going
to bolster up credit and we must figure that the recent panic was
purely a monetary and credit crisis as all of the National potentiali-
ties remained uninjured.
T
HERE were some who had predicted that the feeling would be
so intense by reason of the warring and divided camps in the
Pia"no Manufacturers' Association that the breaking point would
almost be reached. This prediction, however, was not verified, for
though the debates were strong and earnest there was not manifest
in the slightest particular a desire to reach the abusive standpoint,

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