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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
salaries paid there will be the expenses of office
rent, clerk hire, and other expenses, which will
probably mean an expenditure by the transpor-
tation companies of over $100,000 per annum to
carry on this work.
It must be manifest to anyone that the trans-
portation companies will not go to this expense
with the idea of reducing the classifications and
lessening the freight charges to the shippers.
Some of the railway officials are bold enough to
state that the intention is to increase the rev-
enues of the transportation companies, and that
any shipper who indulges in the belief that the
object is to reduce the classification, is deceiving
himself. We believe that the present method of
Balance on hand
$2,001.56
making classification will probably secure for us
Of the latter amount there is a balance of $52 more equitable rates than if there was one uni-
on hand from freight bureau contributions.
form classification all over the country.
There being no objection, the treasurer's re-
The difficulty which we have had in securing
port was accepted and placed on file.
concessions in the South is an illustration of
Report of Traffic Manager Moore.
what will probably be done if the uniform classi-
Mr. B. B. Crew, President National Association of fication prevailed. The piano interests are not
Piano Dealers, Atlanta, Ga.
laboring under such great disadvantages as many
Dear Sir:—Since the annual meeting held in others, but in all probability if the uniform
Chicago in June, the freight bureau has been classification was adopted, we would find that the
actively at work in looking after the interests classifications had been raised on us to the old
of the manufacturers and dealers on their ship- rates prevailing 'before the carload rates were
ments and classifications, and also in auditing obtained.
their expense bills, and filing claims for over-
We think it is well to call the attention of the
charges, and loss and damage on shipments. members to this, so that they may not be led into
These claims have generally been promptly met, the support of this proposition for a uniform
and a large number of discrepancies have been classification with the idea that in uniformity
found in the bills sent in for checking. The de- they will secure a lower rating all over the coun-
tr.il work of the office is largely increased, and try. The transportation companies are making a
many more members of both associations are great effort to get the endorsement of shippers
sending in their expense bills for auditing and and associations to this move, but we think we
claims for loss and damage than in any previous should stand out against it, and endeavor to
year.
secure our concessions through the various classi-
It is gratifying to be able to state that the 'busi- fications, which now are operative in various
ness of the office is being kept up in such a man- parts of the country. The conditions are dif-
ner as to meet with the approval of the members ferent in the various classification, territories,
of the association, and also with the hearty sup- and in some a higher rating can be paid without
port of the officials of the transportation com- so great a loss, or without obstructing or de-
panies, with whom we come in almost daily con- creasing shipments to such an extent as would
tact.
result if the same clasification prevailed all over
CONCESSIONS SECURED.
the country. The business in the South being
The traffic manager attended in July a meeting small, we can stay out of that territory, or limit
of the western classification committee, held in our shipments at least until a satisfactory ad-
Charlevoix, Mich., and secured the following con- justment of freight classification and rates can
cessions, pertaining to musical instruments and be secured.
merchandise:
ACTIVITY OF THE TRAFFIC MANAGER.
The privilege to load piano chairs and music cabinets
The traffic manager attended the meeting of
in carloads with pianos, at the same carload rate as the southern classification committee in Cincin-
pianos.
nati in September, and again endeavored to se-
The privilege of shipping two second-hand pianos in
cure a carload rating in the South, but was un-
car with emigrant's movables at the emigrant movable
successful. He also attended a meeting of the
rate.
The continuation of the 8.000 pounds minimum in
official classification committee in New York in
carloads on shipments of pianos and cabinet organs.
October, looking after the interests of the piano
An application was before the committee to raise this
minimum to 10,000 pounds, but the manager of the manufacturers and dealers in that committee.
Freight Bureau was successful in preventing lliis
The traffic manager has been in correspondence
advance.
with the Interstate Commerce Commission in re-
The privilege of shipping cabinet organs unboxed in
gard to the objectionable uniform bill of lading,
carloads, not wrapped. There had been some contro-
and at the request of the chairman of the Inter-
versy on this subject, and inspectors of the transporta-
tion companies were setting up such shipments, making state Commerce Commission, asking him to file
more or less friction, and there had also been some a detailed statement of objections to that instru-
shipments damaged by fire, where paper wrappings had
ment, a lengthy communication was addressed
been used and not properly protected. These matters,
to the Interstate Commerce Commission, giving
however, were satisfactorily'adjusted by the manager
with the committee, so that the shipments can now go objections in full, and the same came before the
forward without being wrapped, and without any fur-
Interstate Commerce Commission at its meeting
ther friction with the inspectors.
in Washington in October, and had great in-
A second-class carload rating of 10.000 pounds mini-
fluence in preventing the adoption or recommen-
mum was secured on pipe organs, in carloads. This
dation by that body of a uniform bill of lading
concession will be of advantage to shippers of those
instruments.
to Congress. The paper was prepared with great
REGARDING UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION.
care, and the general opinion was that it was so
Quite an effort has been made to get the en- well prepared that it was one of the chief instru-
dorsement of the shippers to a uniform classi- ments in preventing a recommendation of the
fication, and various conferences have been held bill of lading by the Interstate Commerce Com-
between the railway officials and shippers mission. The efforts of your freight bureau and
toward furthering this object. A special com- other organizations co-operating with it, is to
mittee has been appointed by the various classi- secure the adoption of a plain bill of lading with-
fication committees to take up this subject of a out any exceptions, leaving the shippers and the
uniform classification. Five members have been carriers on a parity before the common law. Such
appointed from the western classification commit- a bill of lading now has the indorsement of
tee, these members being officials of the western bankers, and the most powerful trade organiza-
roads, and each are paid a salary of $6,500 per tions of the country, and also we are pleased to
annum for handling this work. The southern say, some of the leading railway systems of the
classification committee has likewise appointed country have fallen into line with this move.
a similar committee at the same salaries, and
The freight bureau is glad to have had the
the official classification committee has appointed support of the members of both associations in
a like committee. This joint committee will be this most important matter, and it is hoped that
in session for a long time, and in addition to the all members will act through the freight bureau,
report be received and placed on file. Carried.
Treasurer Woolley's Report.
Mr. President and Officers of the National As-
social ion of Piano Dealers of America:—Your
treasurer begs to report that the finances of the
association are in a satisfactory condition. At
the date of the Chicago convention we carried
forward a balance of
$822.96
Received from all sources since
that time and up to Jan. 8..$3,962.00 $4,784.96
Payments for expenses, salary
of secretary and contributions
to freight bureau amount to.
2,783.40
HAROMAN
DURABILITY
A piano lacking durability is like
a consumptive — he may look
healthy for awhile, but is bound
to go all to pieces before long.
Thousands of pianos are hopeless consumptives
from birth. The hectic flush of shiny varnish, the
temporary strength of their unused voice, the
momentary freedom of their unstrained action—all
lure the unthinking purchaser to a belief in their
permanency.
The question of durability should be as earnestly
investigated as the questions of tone and touch.
For upon durability depends the permanency of
[ill tlie other qualities.
Tone, touch and appearance are instantly demon-
strable to the senses. The only test of durability
is time; the only means of securing it are liigb-
urade materials and expert workmanship.
The Ilardman l'iano lias had a durability test
of sixty-six years; and has always been character-
ized by the highest grade materials and most
(xpert workmanship.
The purchase of a piano is not to gratify the
whim of a moment, nor the fad of a season. It
is to satisfy a very real need for music in the
home for many years.
If you sell your customers pianos
that have the durability to do this,
you make perpetual advocates.
HARDMAN
METAL KEY-SUPPORT
(Patented)
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One of the most important of the many patents
which have been allowed us. It is one of the most
vital factors in Ilardman Durability, consisting of
;i casting in angle-iron, which forms the key-bottom
of the instrument, instead of the ordinary wooden
construction. This metal key-bottom cannot change
a hair's breadth, no matter how intense the influ-
ence of the climate or artificial heat may be, and
the correct and perfect working of the action is
thereby permanently insured.
Information as to open Hard-
man territory on request.
HARDMAN, PECK & CO.
FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK.
Established 1842