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THE
flUJIC TIRADE
VOLJXLVI. No. 9
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman BUI at 1 Madison Ave., New York, February 29,1908.
The charges against Dr. Rix caused consider-
able surprise, as it was he who collected most
As a Result of Evidence Obtained in the In- of the data on which Mr. Wilbur, then a member
quiry Concerning the Alleged Sale of Second of the Board, preferred his first charges in the
Hand Pianos as New Ones to the Public piano matter. He must stand trial on Tuesday
Schools—A Legislative Inquiry Into Local before the Committee on Elementary Schools.
Dr. Rix declares all his actions in approving
School Affairs Is Contemplated by Governor
Hughes as a Result of Recent Developments. bills for the purchase of pianos have been per-
functory and done at the request of the heads
Two prominent school officials have been sus- of the Building Bureau. He admits having ap-
pended by Egerton Winthrop, president of the proved one bill for a second hand piano on the
Board of Education, pending trial on charges promise that it would be replaced with a new
preferred against them. A general investigation one within a short time. This piano, it is said,
of the Building Bureau of the Board has been never was replaced.
Friends of Dr. Rix are confident the charges
carefully planned and Governor Hughes, acting
through Senator Alfred R. Page, has taken steps against him will not be sustained as there is
to have a legislative inquiry into local school nothing in the by-laws of the Board of Education
affairs. All this is a result of the evidence ob- or the rules and regulations of the department
tained in the inquiry concerning the alleged sale requiring that he should have anything what-
of second hand pianos as new ones to the public ever to do with the purchasing or acceptance of
pianos.
schools.
Albert S. Caswell, another director of music, is
The suspension of the two school officials
also
under investigation. According to a member
followed vigorous inquiries by representatives of
the Governor Into the Building Committee af- of the Building Committee, Mr. Caswell reported
fairs after a request for a legislative investi- that several pianos, since admitted by the manu-
gation had been made to him by John A. Wilbur, facturer to be second hand, were new and of
a wealthy manufacturer, president of the Harlem very good quality.
Just as soon as the second hand piano matter
Board of Commerce and formerly a member of
is disposed of Mr. Schaedel says the Building
the Board of Education.
On charges of misconduct in office, signed by Committee will begin a thorough inquiry into
C. B. J. Snyder, superintendent of school build- the other divisions of the Building Bureau. Rich-
ings, Caleb W. Cameron, building inspector of ard D. Aldcrofft, counsel to the committee in the
masonry and brother-in-law of Mr. Snyder, was piano investigation, is already collecting data for
suspended this week by Mr. Winthrop. At the the inquiry into at least two other divisions and
same time he also suspended Dr. Frank R. Rix, expects to present some sensational testimony to
director of music, on charges preferred by Wil- the committee.
liam H. Maxwell, city superintendent of schools.
JANSEN & JOOSTEN'S ANNIVERSARY.
Charges against both men grow out of the
investigation into the scale of rebuilt square
Jansen & Joosten, the well known piano dealers
pianos to the public schools as new ones. Cam-
eron for eight or ten years has had charge of of Flanagan, 111., are rapidly approaching the
drawing specifications for all bids on pianos pur- end of a quarter century in business, their silver
business anniversary occurring next May. The
chased by the School Board.
It was also his duty to pass upon the pianos two partners, brothers-in-law, started in a small
when they were delivered and recommend their way in 1883. In twenty-five years their business
acceptance by the Building Committee. It is has grown to such an extent that they now
charged that he permitted certain piano manu- cover fifteen counties in Central Illinois, con-
facturers to install second hand pianos as new ducting from six to eight branch stores in Peoria,
ones in the public schools. For these pianos Pontiac and other cities, and handle the follow-
the Board of Education paid from $250 to $300, ing line of pianos: Sohmer, Kimball, Wegman,
whereas it is asserted their real worth is less Cable, Bush & Gerts, Cable-Nelson, Schiller,
Julius Bauer & Co., Smith & Barnes, Bush &
than half the amounts paid for them.
Dr. Rix is charged with approving bills for Lane, etc. They employ about twenty-five men
some of the second hand instruments when he in various capacities.
knew them to be not as represented or called
for by the specifications.
SAYS NO PARTNERSHIP EXISTS.
Cameron will be tried before the Building Com-
In regard to the repoit which was published in
mittee next Tuesday afternoon.
George W.
Schaedel, who was recently named as chairman the trade papers that Elmon Armstrong and J.
of the Building Committee, declared this week H. Reardon had recently formed a partnership
that the trial would be thorough. Mr. Schaedel to act as manufacturers' agents handling the
has also promised to place all the evidence de- Davenport & Treacy, Schiller, Steger and H. P.
duced at the trial of Cameron in the hands of Nelson pianos with offices in Kansas City and
District Attorney Jerome, and a Grand Jury in- Fort Worth, Tex., Elmon Armstrong writes from
Fort Worth, Tex., under date of Feb. 18, as fol-
vestigation is expected.
Evidence to be presented against Cameron, it lows:
"The writer knows of no partnership between
is stated, will include a letter from a prominent
piano manufacturer in which he states that re- himself and J. H. Reardon. I have been wholesaling
built square pianos were placed in public schools, pianos for a number of years and selling goods
and offers now to replace them with new instru- in Kansas, Missouri, and all the territory South
to the Gu]f r Own a retajl and jobbing business
ments.
,
SCHOOL OFFICIALS SUSPENDED
SINGL
5.OO°PER S VEA£ ENTS '
in Fort Worth, Tex., but Mr. Reardon has no con-
nection with it. Mr. J. H. Reardon, I under-
stand, is connected with some factory in Chicago.
I simply make this statement in order that the
facts may be known. It seems strange that the
trade papers get hold of peculiar rumors and
print them as facts."
ANTI-TIPPING LAW CONSTITUTIONAL.
In an appeal made by the Fourteenth Street
Store against a judgment obtained by Samuel Sir-
kin, a hosiery manufacturer, in an anti-tipping
case, which was originally tried before the City
Court, the Appellate Division of the Supreme
Court held the law, prohibiting tipping to be con-
stitutional and reversed the decision of the lower
court and declares the original contract void.
Sirkin paid the purchasing agent of the store
five per cent, upon a bill of goods, the commis-
sion being $75 and as a result of the recent de-
cision the Fourteenth Street Store does not have
to pay for, nor return the goods in dispute.
ESTEY ORGAN FOR BENEDICTINE ABBEY.
One of the most remarkable pipe organs ever
built by the Estey Organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt., has
recently been installed in the large cathedral of
St. Meinard's Abbey, Indiana, under the personal
direction of W. E. Haskell, superintendent of the
Estey pipe organ factory.
The organ is really two organs in one, which
may be played either together from one keyboard
or separately. It has 55 speaking stops, an un-
usual number of couplers and the latest
mechanical devices. The Abbey is under the con-
trol of the Benedictine monks and the acoustics
of the cathedral are said to be perfect, greatly
enhancing the beauty of the organ's tones.
A SOLID BRASS PIANO.
S. A. D. McCord, the well known piano tuner
of McCordsville, Ind., wears as a watch charm,
an emblem of his trade, which is the only one
of its kind in existence. It is a perfectly shaped
piano cut from solid brass and plated with gold.
It represents am upright piano with carved legs,
panels, pilasters, fallboard and pedals, all In
style. The work, which required much skill and
patience, was executed by Mr. McCord himself
who is justly proud of the emblem which denotes
his profession so appropriately. It weighs thir-
teen drams and is quite unique. The idea was
original with him.
THE FLOODS IN PITTSBURG.
The flood season is again on in Pittsburg, Pa.,
and the various piano houses have been busy rescu-
ing their instruments located in the flooded dis-
tricts, bearing in mind the losses sustained
through the same cause last year, when the rivers
rose to the highest stage ever recorded. Though
it is not expected that the rise will equal that of
last year, it is believed that the thirty-foot
stage will be reached, which is eight feet beyond
the danger point. Unusually heavy rains fall-
ing on the deep snow are responsible for the
present floods, which so far have not done a great
deal of damage.