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THE
REVIEW OF BUSINESS CONDITIONS.
Usual Summer Quietness Prevails—Orders in
the Wholesale Field Are Becoming More Fre-
quent—The Labor Situation in Germany—
Collections Poor.
Reports as to business conditions in the small
goods branch of the trade vary. Where direct
import orders are concerned sales languish, and
a revival of selling in the customary quantities
is not looked for until next month, though an
improvement may occur before then. The past
couple of weeks, however, have been the dullest
of the entire summer, and statements to the con-
trary are regarded as exceedingly unwise, if not
ridiculous, considering conditions and the mis-
leading effect they have on foreign manufactur-
ers and exporters, who are inclined to question
the advices of their American representatives
after reading the trade newspapers that publish
too rosy or optimistic views of the situation.
With the wholesale houses selling from stock
conditions are different. Dealers are not buy-
ing as liberally as usual, but orders are more
frequent and for less quantities, proving beyond
doubt that a hand-to-mouth business is being
done, goods moving steadily but not rapidly, and
therefore the buying is along extremely conser-
vative lines and for immediate needs. The road
men are not turning in so many orders, as deal-
ers prefer to use the mails in many instances,
so as to keep their purchasing under complete
control. The average salesman is apt to regard
a small order with no joyous feelings, and does
not hesitate telling the dealer so, and often in a
vigorous manner. The dealer knowing this ten-
dency, and rather than forfeit the friendship and
good feeling that generally exists between him-
self and the roadster, declines to buy at all, but
uses the mails as a matter of convenience. This
means the wholesale house is in receipt of many
small orders from firms who formerly bought
freely and in liberal quantity. Nevertheless, this
state of affairs, though deprecated, demonstrates
stocks in the hands of dealers are low, and when
the regular season is on the demand for goods
will be vastly increased.
In the small goods centers of Germany the
labor situation is still acute, which means an
unsettled market as to prices. Workmen have
become thoroughly organized in Markneukirchen
and other towns in Saxony where musical in-
struments come from. In fact, so strong are
these unions represented that the manufacturers
and factors are at their mercy, so to speak, when
it comes to dictating terms or the settlement of
disputes.
Collections are described as abominable, to use
a mild expression, the last few weeks being par-
ticularly exasperating. In consequence, orders
are being rigidly inspected by the credit chiefs
and not a few "turned down" as questionable
risks.
OSCAR SCHMIDT'S NEW CATALOG.
A catalog of 48 pages and cover, issued by
Oscar Schmidt, of Jersey City, N. J., is referred
to as "one of the best ever issued for the whole-
sale trade." His line of instruments—various
styles, sizes and finishes—are given illustrations,
MIRAPHONE
39
MUSIC TRADE: REIVIEW
so that both back and front are shown, a de-
cided advantage to the buyer. The detailed de-
scriptions are also informing and complete. A
half dozen excellent interior views are given of
the plant, showing the respective factory depart-
ments. In one of the office pictures Oscar
Schmidt is presented in consultation with Prank
Scribner, his wholesale agent—both forceful
men. The physical work of the catalog is ex-
cellent.
IMPORTANT HOHNER PATENTS.
Four Just Granted by the Patent Office Which
Relate to Improvements on Mouth Ac-
cordeons.
A number of important patents have just been
granted, to be more exact on July 28, by the
authorities at Washington to the well-known
house of M. Hohner, of Trossingen, Germany,
who assigned them to Hans Hohner, of New
York.
Patent No. 894,437 is for a mouth accordeon,
which is so constructed that the moisture car-
ried by the air from the player's mouth is not
liable to reach and injuriously affect the reeds.
The arrangement whereby this end is attained
is most cleverly conceived and worked out.
Patent No. 894,778 also relates to mouth ac-
cordeons and the instrument is so constructed
that it may be placed on the table while being
played in lieu of being manually supported as
heretofore. In this way the playing of the in-
strument is facilitated and the most satisfactory
effects obtained.
Patent No. 894,436 relates to an accordeon pro-
vided with improved means for rendering the
tone more powerful and effective, without inter-
fering with the free manipulation of the instru-
ment. By means of this invention, the volume
of tone is not only increased, but the sound de-
flector being removable the sound box may be
readily opened to gain access to the valves and
prevent the accumulation of dust.
Patent No. 894,650 also relates to improve-
ments in accordeons and provides effective means
whereby a full, round, organ-like tone is pro-
duced. This improvement is very cleverly and
satisfactorily worked out and, in fact, the four
inventions referred to are most important ones
and afford splendid proofs of the untiring in-
dustry of the famous house of Hohner to pro-
duce improved creations that are worthy of their
name and of the industry.
MOTION OF A BOWED VIOLIN STRING.
How Tone Is Produced the Basis of an Interest-
ing Paper by Harvey N. Davis.
How does a violinist control the loudness of his
tone? Helmholtz, the great German physicist,
tells us that while the bow is moving across the
string the part of the latter in contact with the
bow alternately follows it and springs back from
it, causing the whole of the string to vibrate.
According to his belief, the loudness may be al-
tered only by changing the position or speed of
the bow and does not depend at all on the pres-
sure. This conclusion, says Harvey N. Davis in
a paper read before the American Physical So-
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ciety at Chicago and printed in The Physical
Review, is not in agreement with experience, and
he explains by referring to some recent experi-
ments on the subject. Says Mr. Davis:
"To each bowing speed corresponds a certain
bowing pressure below which the normal Helm-
holtzian form can not be maintained, and this
critical pressure varies very nearly as the bow-
ing speed. It can be considerably exceeded with-
out changing the nature or magnitude of the vi-
bration, but a violinist would ordinarily use as
small pressure as his bowing speed at the mo-
ment would allow, both because of the scratching
which too great a pressure causes, and to avoid
undue fatigue. Therefore, even if loudness is de-
termined by bowing speed alone, a greater bow-
ing speed would always be accompanied by a
greater pressure, and this would seem to be the
cause of the loud tone. This tends to mask the
real issue, which is whether loudness increases
with pressure at a constant bowing speed; but
even when it is allowed for experience seems to
be against the Helmholtzian theory.
"The author is therefore led to believe that the
actual motion of a violin string is usually not of
the normal Helmholtzian type, but of the sort cor-
responding to light bowing. Diminishing the
pressure of the bow carries the ordinary straight
line form continuously over into one from which
the overtones have entirely disappeared, the am-
plitude of the fundamental being also somewhat
reduced. This explanation obviously requires
that the quality of tone should change when its
loudness is varied at constant bowing speed, and
this seems to be the case, although the effect is
not as marked as might be expected."
ADVANCE OFJEN PER CENT.
Made Last March on Violins and Trimmings
Extended to 'Cellos and Bass Fiddles.
An advance of 10 per cent, made in March on
violins and trimmings was extended last week
to 'cellos and bass fiddles. As an importer ex-
pressed it, "scarcely an invoice comes in with-
out something being tacked on to the price."
Another equally reputable house avers, "little, if
VIOLINS
BOWS, STRINGS
AND
HIGH-CLASS TRIMMINGS
BUEfiELEISEN & JACOBSON
113-115 UNIVERSITY
One block west of Broadway
PLACE
NEW YORK
Prof. Hugo Heermann
The Eminent Violinist and
BLACK DIAMOND Strings
GENTLEMEN :—
I am sailing to Australia next week, and shall
pass through New York between the 5th and
8th of May ("Blucher," Hamburg-Amerlka Line).
Will you send enclosed order for Violin
strings BLACK DIAMOND to address given be-
low, or do you have a Dealer's shop In New
York where I might find your strings? If so,
please let me know at the same address.
The strings are most excellent.
Yours sincerely,
II. HEERMANN.
Frankfort o/M., April, 1905.
NATIONAL MUSICAL STRING COMPANY
New Brunswick, New Jersey