Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC TRADE:
REVIEW
MUSIC TRADE NEWS FROM GERMANY.
TAXING PIANO LEASES.
Interesting Information Regarding the Various Associations in Germany Composed of Makers
and Sellers of Musical Instruments—Two Noted Members of the Trade Pass Away in the
Persons of Herr von Holwede, Manager of the Hamburg House of Steinway & Sons, and
Carl Walcker, the Noted Church Organ Manufacturer—New Factory Started in Leipzig
for Supplying Music Rolls for Piano Players Which Reproduce the Individual Interpretation
of Noted Musicians—Some Figures Regarding the Exports and Imports of Musical Instru-
, ments in Germany Which Will Doubtless Interest American Manufacturers.
:
(Special to The Review.)
Berlin, Ger., June 28, 1908.
At the present moment, when in New York
the dealers and manufacturers of musical instru-
ments of the whole of the United States come
together to hold their annual meetings, it may
interest your readers to know something of
what the German meetings in this line of busi-
ness are like. The oldest, most important, and,
at the same time, non-voluntary organization, is
the "Berufsgenossenschaft
der Musikinstru-
menten-Industria." The same owes its origin
to the German accident insurance bill of July
6, 1884, which puts on the manufacturers of mu-
sical instruments the obligation to form an or-
ganization comprising all the branches of this
industry. According to the work of each branch,
the same is assigned to a certain danger class
and has to pay a more or less high yearly pre-
mium into the common exchequer for every
workman employed. Out of these funds are then
paid the compensations to workmen who have
met with accidents at their work. The premiums
are solely paid by the employers, and they there-
fore constitute a present to the workers, and not
a small one if it is considered that the premiums
paid during 190G amounted to 282,241 marks,
while the number of the insured workmen was
30,354. Compensations amounting to 212,690
marks were paid during 1906. The "Berufsgenos-
senschaft," moreover, disposes of a reserve fund
of 405,561 marks.
Now, the law prescribes that a certain number
of manufacturers, the so-called delegates', must
meet once every year to e^.ect new members for
the honorary offices, to control the receipts and
expenses and to confer with each other about
the steps to be taken and prescriptions to be
given for preventing accidents. These, so to say,
are compulsory meetings, followed, of course, by
discussions among the thus assembled colleagues
concerning the more economical questions of
their profession, the fixing of prices, unfair com-
petition and similar topics. In this way there
was formed, as a first voluntary union, the
"Verein deutscher Pianofortefabrikanten," to
which belong most of the larger factories in Ger-
many. At the head of this union, as well as of
the "Berufsgenossenschaft," stands Kommer-
zienrat Adolf Schiedmayer, of Stuttgart.
When in 1896, in Berlin—whose piano indus-
try occupies nearly one-half of the workers occu-
pied in piano-making in the whole of Germany—
there broke out the great strike, a closer union
among the Berlin manufacturers become neces-
sary, and this led to the formation of the "Freie
Vereingung der Berliner Pianofortefabrikanten."
under the presidency of Carl Bechstein. As a
further noteworthy union there was formed in
1899 the "Verband deutscher Klavierhandler," to
which belong most of the important dealers and
also many manufacturers. This union has for
its principal object to combat the unfair compe-
tition in the piano trade, and has already done
a great deal of good. It may interest American
readers of The Review to know that the Berlin
Consul-General of the United States has asked
the directors of the "Klavierhandlerverband" for
information regarding their status and experi-
ences made thus far, so that they may be util-
ized by the American piano dealers.
Besides these organizations there are still a
POOLE
The Views of a Member of the Boston Trade
on This Subject Worthy of Attention.
(Special lo The llevlew.)
Boston, Mass., July 13, 1908.
A prominent member of the Boston trade, in
talking of piano leases the other day, said: "As-
sessors on piano and furniture leases seem to
number of unions among the other branches of have an idea that it is necessary to tax properly
our industry, which, however have, owing to the in the hands of customers which is held as
small number of members, only a secondary im- security for the payment of the debt. In many
portance. I will mention here the branches: cases leased goods are taxed twice, once in the
Manufacturers of pipe organs, reed organs, vio- customer's hands and again in the dealer's. The
lins and automatic instruments. As the presence present law should be modified so that household
at the meetings of the "Berufsgenossenschaft" goods, whether leased or otherwise, should be
is legally prescribed—the gentlemen get their exempt of taxes to the extent of $300, which
traveling expenses refunded—the meetings of the would relieve the instalment dealers from being
other unions, for the sake of convenience, assessed on property they do not own, except in
generally take place at the same time as the a technical sense.
"This is a matter of considerable importance
meeting of the "Berufsgenossenschaft," and, as a
to
every member, as probably the greater por-
rule, in June. This year, however, the meeting
of the "Berufsgenossenschaft" had to be post- tion of the dealers' capital is invested in leases.
poned to the autumn, and the other unions have If these leases are taxed there is practically a
double tax on the same property. If it is the
held their meetings all at. different times.
spirit
of the law to exempt household furniture
* * * *
During the past month the German industry it should extend to the instalment houses as well
has had two painful losses by deaths, in Herr as the furnisher."
von Holwede, the successful manager of the
Hamburg house of the firm of Steinway & Sons,
PIANOS OWNED IN ILLINOIS.
and Kommerzienrat Carl Walcker, of Ludwig?-
burg, co-partner of the world-renowned church Some Interesting Figures Secured by the
Assessors of McLean County.
organ factory of the same name. Established in
1821, Walcker's factory finished already some
(Special to The Review.)
years ago its one thousandth creation. We meet
Bloomington, 111.. July 13, 190-8.
Walcker's organs in all parts of the world. Many
Pianos numbering 2,980 and 1,435 organs of a
of the largest church organs, thus, for instance,
the organ in the cathedral of Riga, in the cathe- combined value of $287,425 have been reported
dral at Ulm, in the Stefansdon at Vienna and in by the assessors of McLean County. The pianos
the St. Peter's Church in Rome come from this owned to-day exceed the number of organs by
factory. Also in South America we find several more than double. I t was but a few years ago
of these instruments, while in North America, that the organs and melodeons were far in excess
owing to the home industry having become and especially in the country districts. The
stronger, only a few organs were shipped during organ is a diminishing quantity. Bloomington and
Normal are the only townships having over 100.
recent years. Among the lai'ger works of
Fifteen or twenty years ago there were very
former years I will mention the organ of the.
Protestant Church at Norwich, Conn., and in the few pianos outside of Bloomington and a few
"First Church" and Music Hall of Boston, Moss. of the larger towns of the county, and as late as
seven or eight years back some townships re-
* * * *
In Leipzig there has been established a new ported as low as four pianos. To-day Cropsey has
factory which supplies music rolls for piano the fewest, but seventeen being reported. Lawn-
players. These are not ordinary rolls perforated dale comes next with but eighteen and Funks
accurately according to the printed sheet music, Grove twenty-seven. Bloomington leads the list
but the compositions are played by a pianist on with 1,461 pianos owned in homes. McLean
an ordinary piano, to which is attached an ap- County has 70,000 people, yet but a little over
paratus, which records on a roll of paper the three in 100 own these instruments, according
notes exactly as the pianist plays them. From to the assessors' reports.
this the music rolls can at once be perforated
and multiplied. For reproducing these notes it
HOW HE FIGHTS MAIL ORDER PIANOS.
is only necessary to adjust the tempo lever of
the piano player, so that it stands on a certain
J. D. Pope, of Searcy, Ark., has evolved an
number, and then to tread, when the piece of excellent scheme for fighting mail order houses.
music will be reproduced the same as Paderew- He refused to allow any tuner working for him
ski, Mme. Caneno or anyone else has played it. to tune a piano bought from a mail order house
Many people prefer the old sorts of notes, as on the grounds that the dealers have enough to
they leave a wider scope to the personal control. do to get along without having to fight the compe-
But this is, of course, merely a matter of taste.
tition of these establishments.
* * * *
The importation of musical instruments during
DENVER DEALERS DECORATE.
the first three months of this year show several
fluctuations, which are noted in this table:
The piano houses of Denver, Colo., were mag-
March >
Imports.
, „—January,
•—1908- February, 1907
53,000 marks
Koed organs
76,000 marks.
462,000
Pianos
125,000 "
152,000
Violins
154,000
115,000
Wind instruments . . . 133,000
Automatic instrum'ts. 141,000
191,000
63,000
l-'ianoplayers
81,000
The exports are :
171,000
Pipe organs
104,000
277,000
Reed organs
264,000
9,902,000
Pianos
9,192,000
704,000
Violins
727,000
294,000
Mandolins, etc
249,000
252,000
Wind instruments . . . 236,000
495,000
Automatic instrum'ts. 414,000
147,000
Pianoplayers
128,000
2,260,000
Harmonicas
2.377,000
nificently decorated in honor of the National
Democratic Convention, held in that city last
week, and which resulted in the selection of W.
J. Bryan as candidate for President.
David Gregg will shortly open a music store
in El Reno, Okla.
The Berlin Dry Goods Co., Berlin, N. H., will
handle sheet music in the future.
Appeal to cultivated tastes. They are
marvels of beauty and form at once a
valuable accessory f.o any piano store
7 APPLETON STREET. BOSTON. MASS*