Music Trade Review

Issue: 1908 Vol. 46 N. 25

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MWEW
fflLJIC TIRADE
VOL. XLVI. No. 2 5 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, June 20, 1908.
ton, W. Va.; and points on and north of the
Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River,
Estimated That the Crop of 1908 Will be Worth
and south of a line from Keokuk, la., to Chicago,
$8,000,000,000, Thus Giving the Railroads . 111., including Cincinnati, Louisville, all towns in
Plenty of Business and the Farmers Abun-
Kentucky on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway,
dance of Wealth to Buy Pianos.
St. Louis, Keokuk, Chicago, Southern Peninsula
of Michigan, and Canadian towns on the Michigan
Chief Statistician Clark, of the Agricultural Central Railroad and Wabash Railroad.
Department, estimates that the ninth successive
Within a few days the circular giving full in-
good harvest is practically assured to the Ameri- formation as to the fall rates will be sent to press.
can farmer and that the crops of 1908 will be While copies of the circular will be mailed by the
worth nearly $8,000,000,000.
association within the next three to four weeks
Eight billion dollars would pay the net inter- to the retail merchants in the sections from
est-bearing national debt nine times over. Or it which the special fares apply, on request a quan-
would pay the net national debt and leave enough tity of the circulars will be supplied to such
to buy at par the stock of all the railroads in the resident members of the association as desire to
country. It would nearly pay off the entire forward the announcement direct to their cus-
bonded debt of every American railroad. At as- tomers.
sessed valuations it would buy every acre of land
in New York City and replace every building in
it, with a little remnant over equaling the com-
bined assessed valuations of Chicago, New Or- A Handsome Publication Worthy of High
leans, St. Louis, Seattle and San Francisco.
Praise—Many New Styles Illustrated.
Corn does not travel far from the place where
it is raised, which is lucky, as there are not rail-
Laffargue & Co. have just issued their new
roads enough to carry it. A crop of 2,700,000,000 (atalog, which is one of the most effective ex-
bushels should load 2,520,000 thirty-ton cars, amples of fine printing, both typographically and
540,C00 more freight cars than there are in the pictorially, which has been sent out in this trade
country of every sort. The freight cars of all the in many days. The color effects throughout are
world would not carry our wher.t and corn. If
light brown and black, and the whole "lay-out" is
there were cars enough and if the wheat and mcst artistic. There is a pleasing absence of
corn were loaded into thirty-ton cars, forty to a that flamboyancy of statement to be found in so
train, and trains were run at two-mile intervals many publications devoted to pianos. The intro-
at a speed, including stops, of thirty miles an ductory is a modest effort, but most convincing
hour night and day, it would take nearly six because of that very thing.
months for the procession to pass a reviewing
Among the pianos illustrated and described
stand. A bin built the size of a city block, 600 are: Style A, style 5, style R,' style 7, style M
feet by 200, would need to be more than six
(mission), style C, style D; style 8, and the
miles high to hold this wheat and corn alone. Laff argue player-piano, both closed and open,
The hay and cotton crops and the stupendous which has won so many compliments from users
annual egg yield of the American hen are in bulk by reason of its individual features of excellence.
and value equally amazing.
The opening page of the catalog contains a very
There is little in these facts to justify pessi- excellent picture of the office, factory and ware-
mism. If there are rats in the nation's granary rooms of the Laffargue Co., 134th street and
it is the nation's business to drive them out and Southern Boulevard, New York, while the cover
keep them out, but the material basis of pros- is a neatly embossed piece of. work in gold and
perity is broad and firm in the matchless abun- brown.
dance of nature.
Laffargue & Co. are to be congratulated on this
publication, which in the hands of their agents
must be productive of excellent results. The
SPECIAL RATES FOR DEALERS
designs of pianos shown are most attractive and
Visiting New York Over the Territory of the
are admirably depicted in the catalog—in fact,
Central Passenger Association.
the printing is of unusual excellence and shows
cff the various pianos to the best advantage.
On July 25-29, inclusive, and again on August
15-19, inclusive, merchants' rates will be in effect
G. P. PHELPS GOT THE PRIZE
to New \ o r k City.from the territory of the Cen-
tral Passenger Association. This announcement For Securing the Greatest Number of New
is made Tuesday by the Merchants' Association of
Members for the National Association of
New York, on whose application the concession
Piano Dealers.
is authorized. The special rate will be a fare and
i Supplied by Chairman of Press- Committee.)
one-half for the round trip, granted under the
Through haste in preparation of the reports
certificate plan. The return limit will be 30
of the convention it was announced that M. S.
days, as heretofore.
Central Passenger Association railroads trav- Phelps, of Rochester, N. Y., received the prize
erse territory roughly described as follows: for securing the greatest number of new mem-
Points west of (but not including) Buffalo, Niag- bers for the National Association of Piano
ara Palls, Suspension Bridge and Salamanca, Dealers of America during the past year. This
N. Y.; Pittsburg and Allegheny, Pa..; Bellaire and honor was really conferred upon G. P. Phelps,
Marietta, O.; Wheeling, Charleston and. Hunting- traveling man. for the Brockport Piano Manu-
SING
^°PER S VEAR CENTS -
facturing Co., Brockport, N. Y. The similarity
in the names was the cause of the error. G. P.
Phelps is a great hustler and promises to eclipse
his record of last year before the Detroit con-
vention. All persons making application for
membership through Mr. Phelps will undoubt-
edly have the pleasure of utilizing his prize gold
pen in filling out the blank.
BIG CROP INSURES BIG TRADE.
PREACHING PROSPERITY.
The Commercial Travelers Plan a Great Cam-
paign for Fall Trade.
LAFFARGUE & CO/S NEW CATALOG.
About one thousand delegates from all parts of
the country, including fifty more from Manhat-
tan and Brooklyn, were present at a convention
of the United Commercial Travelers of America
in Utica, N. Y., last week. Among the many
matters discussed by the delegates in secret ses-
sion were plans for carrying on the campaign of
prosperity which was begun in St.. Louis a short
time ago. With the .50,000 men belonging to this
association working together and preaching opti-
mism, good cheer and sunshine to their cus-
tomers, there can be no question but that good
will result.
The delegates were impressed with the im-
portance of the meeting of the Commercial Trav-
elers' Interstate Congress on Aug. 14 and 15 in
this city, to boom prosperity. Leading merchants
of the city have given assurances of hearty sup-
port to the August congress, one large concern
in this city promising an appropriation of $2,500
to defray the expenses of a banquet to the dele-
gates.
TO OPEN BRANCH STORE IN MINOT.
G. W. Getts, the piano dealer of Grand Forks,
N. D., will shortly open a branch store in Minot,
that State. Mr. Getts handles the Kimball, Cable,
and Foster-Armstrong lines of pianos, as well as
the Weber, Fischer and other makes. He also
carries a complete stock of player-pianos, piano
players, and organs.
SETTLED IN THEIR NEW ftUAttTERS.
The Knight-Locke Music Co., Denver, Col., are
now comfortably settled in the handsome new
quarters. The store is well fitted up with sepa-
rate rooms for the display of the various lines
of pianos, player-pianos and talking machines,
the rooms being furnished with comfortable
chairs and rich rugs and hangings. The com-
pany have recently placed Conover pianos in two
of the largest local amusement parks.
KRANICH & BACH ENTERTAIN DEALERS.
On Tuesday of last week L. P. Bach and Fred
Kranich, of Kranich & Bach, took six of their
dealers, who were in town for the conventions,
for an automobile trip, ending with dinner at the
Claremont, on Riverside Drive. The courtesy
was greatly enjoyed by the guests, who were E. E.
Forbes, Birmingham, Ala.; George Keller, Easton,
Pa.; Mr. Stevens, Marietta, O.; H. Hertzberg,
Philadelphia; G. Clay Cox, Rochester, N. Y., and
V. W. O'Brien. Bay City, Mich.
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 Staff:
GEO. B. KELLHR,
L. E. BOWERS,
W. H. DYIVES,
P. H. THOMPSON,
J . HAYDBN CLARENDON,
B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
L. J. CHAMBERLIN,
A. J . NICKLIN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE
ERNEST L. WAITT, 100 Boylston St.E. P. VAN HARLINGBN, Room 806, 156 Wabaah Ave.
Telephone, Central 414.
PHILADELPHIA:
MINNEAPOLIS a n d ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
R. W. KAUrFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTEN.
CHA8. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI, O . : BERNARD C. BOWBN.
BALTIMORE. MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
REVIEW
Foster-Armstrong interests are industrial leaders. They are busi-
ness men of acknowledged high executive and business ability and
it is to be presumed that they have gone as deeply into the matter
of consolidation in an analytical way as it is possible for men to
delve into any business subject. All of the conditions have been
analyzed and debated. The effect of such a consolidation upon the
various united products has not been indifferently discussed; the
effect upon the dealers who are to-day representatives of the con-
cerns and the future attitude of the controlling corporation toward
them has not been the matter of idle theorizing. It has been de-
bated and weighed, step by step, and while this great corporation
is not prepared to-day to announce a definite policy beyond deal-
ing in generalizing terms it is safe to assume that its attitude
toward its dealers will be fair and considerate, and it must be con-
ceded that with such a combination of pianos under one direction
it places at once in the hands of the board of directors a powerful
argument which can be used by those who are representing the
American Piano Co., the official title of the controlling corporation.
P
RESUMABLY there will be no specific policy announcement
by the American Piano Co. until the early fall, if even at
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
that time a formal statement by the officers should be deemed neces-
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
sary. The whole proposition resolves itself into a clean cut busi-
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
ness consolidation which was effected for trade purposes and at
Canada. $:s..">0 ; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2,00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
present there will be no change in the management or operation of
yearly contracts a special discount Is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
the local plants. It is quite naturally the purpose of the organizers
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
to reduce expenses wherever possible. That is really the basis of
I.yman BUI.
argument used in the proposed consolidation. In a centralized body
M u s i c Publishers*
An Interesting feature of this publication Is a special depart-
Department V> ^» ment devoted exclusively to the world of music publishing.
it is possible to create economies in the purchase of raw materials,
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
supplies of various kinds and operating expenses. It is also pos-
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal. Charleston Exposition, 1902
sible through organization to better facilities in every way- The
Diploma.Pan-American
Exposition. 1901
Gold Medal. ...St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .. .Lewis-Clark Exposition. 19O.i.
move certainly is an epoch-making one in music trade circles, and
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4677 a n d 4678 GRAMERCY
since its announcement it has created the liveliest kind of comment
Connecting a l l D e p a r t m e n t s .
whenever music trade men have met.
Cable a d d r e s s : "Elbill, N e w York."
.
Considerable conjecture has been indulged in as to possible
NEW YORK, JUNE 20, 1908
player combinations which might follow as the outcome of the big
merger. It is to be assumed that a number of important announce-
ments may follow as a natural sequence to the initial move during
the next few months. It is the biggest play ever made on the
EDITORIAL
music trade chess board and one that possesses economic and finan-
cial possibilities which are destined to have an important effect upon
O announcement of a combination ever put through in the the music trade industry. When a controlling company can ar-
music trade industry, and few in any other line, has received
range for local representatives in a single city for Knabe and Chick-
through the press reports the prominence which the big Knabe-
ering pianos and the entire Foster-Armstrong line, it means at once
Chickering and Foster-Armstrong merger secured in the columns
that a tremendous power lies in the hands of the directing forces.
of the press all over the country. On the ioth inst, Wednesday
morning following the announcement that arrangements had been
HERE has been much speculation as to the effect of the new
made whereby a union between these big piano manufacturing
merger upon the dealers representing the companies in the
forces had been completed, notices appeared in every part of the combination in the various cities throughout the country. It may
country giving publicity to this combination. In the local dailies
be safely assumed that the new organization will endeavor to culti-
in the various cities items appeared concerning the merger, varying
vate trade and not to antagonize retail interests. No matter how
from a half to an entire column in length, so that this great music
great a corporation may be, no matter how far its influences reach
trade combination was at once well known throughout the length
out, yet business men know to-day the real basis of an enduring
and breadth of the land. Some of the papers had scare headings trade foundation lies in the close relations with the distributing
announcing the formation of the "Piano Trust."
force who reach the public direct. Without patronage no business
Then, too, the formal announcement was made so that it was man can long continue. To hold patronage, amicable relations must
the chief topic of interest during the recent music trade convention
exist between the manufacturing and distributing forces, therefore
in New York. Hundreds of men had the opportunity of reviewing
it is safe to predict that the board of directors of the American
this matter and making predictions as to its future effect upon the Piano Co. will not work along lines which will be calculated to dis-
trade and obtaining the views of their confreres in a manner which
turb the pleasant relations which should exist between piano manu-
would not have been possible if the announcement had not been
facturers and their local representatives, and sensational reports to
made just at the time when hundreds of piano men were gathered the contrary should not be heeded.
at the convention.
,
HEN Major J. M. Cleland was asked by The Review his
HE formation of a twelve million dollar corporation in the
opinion of the music trade conventions of 1908 in com-
music trade industry would be a theme of absorbing interest
parison with those of preceding years, he remarked: "I am confi-
at any time, but when the combination includes such great piano
dent from what I have seen that each year develops some advance-
interests as Knabe, Chickering and Foster-Armstrong it becomes
ment in the association plan. That there is a feeling of camaraderie
at once a matter of widespread conjecture and speculation as to existing between members of the trade is apparent, and I am told
what ultimate effect this move will have upon the music trade in-
that before my connection with music trade affairs that sort of
dustry.
feeling was not noticeable save by its absence. In other words, the
In making predictions regarding a move of this kind it must
association has developed a friendly feeling between the competing
first be considered that the consolidation was not the result of hasty
interests in the music trade industry and that good feeling is con-
action. On the contrary, it had been under the closest considera-
stantly aiding to bring about bettered conditions. It is true there
tion and investigation for months by those directly interested and it may be no radical changes, but each year something is accomplished
must be conceded that the men who head the Chickering-Knabe and
which helps us all, and I believe that the meetings held here in New
LONDON, ENGLAND: 69 Hasinghall St., E. C.
W. LIONEL STURDI, Manager.
N
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