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THE
MUSIC TF*At>EI
to take the matter up with the officials of the
Eastern railroads and to endeavor to secure for-
Carriers' Liability for Loss of Consigned Mer-
mal recognition by the railroads of the basis of
chandise—Market Value at Point of De- settlement contended for by the commission men—
livery or Point of Shipment?
that basis having already been conceded whenever
suit has been brought.
An important and interesting question regarding
the extent of the carrier's liability for loss or DAY OF SMALL PAYMENTS PASSING.
damage of consigned merchandise has been sub-
mitted to the Merchants' Association of New Majority of Larger Piano Dealers Realizing
Mistake of Handling That Kind of Business.
York by certain of its members.
The point at issue is whether in case of loss in
According to a number of leading piano dealers
transit of consigned goods the carrier is liable for
throughout the country the day of the small pay-
market value at point of shipment or at point of
ment instalment business is doomed. As one well-
delivery.
In numerous recent cases several of the carrier known piano man put it: "We have come to the
lines reaching New York have contended that set- conclusion that the prospect who cannot afford to
pay at least $15 down and $8 to $10 per month
tlement for loss should be made on the basis of
market value at point of shipment, and have re- or a piano is not worth cultivating, and the loss
fused settlement unless this basis were conceded. to dealers in making up for defaulted payments
This contention rests upon a clause to that effect on the $1 per week basis takes away the profits
appended to the uniform bill of lading now in from many good sales. To accept the uncertain
use. The legal validity of that provision is open business of those who cannot afford over $5 per
to question, inasmuch as the shipper under the month means disaster in the end, and the quicker
common law is entitled to recover for such dam- the trade as a body realize it, the sounder will be
ages as he may prove, and this right cannot be the financial condition of the piano industry. As
restricted by the terms of a receipt or bill of lad- a matter of fact, the revolution is near at hand
ing unless the freight rate made has been made and most of the dealers at the present time insist
upon fair-sized payments."
in consideration of such restriction.
Upon the other hand the consignees contend
that the merchandise in question is not placed
THE WEAVER PIANOS HONORED.
on sale at point of origin; that there is no market
for it there, and consequently no sales that would Received Premiums at the York and Middle-
fix a local market value; and that the market value
town Fairs Held Recently.
b that determined by the sales at the point where
the merchandise is first offered for sale, namely,
(Special to The Review.)
che point of delivery.
York, Pa., Oct. 8, 1910.
This contention applies particularly to ship-
The Weaver pianos were awarded the only pre-
ments of country produce, grown in the South or mium awarded to any piano exhibitor at the York
West, and shipped by the producers to commis- Fair this week. They also received similar recog-
sion merchants for sale in New York.
nition at the Middletown Fair two weeks ago.
In such cases the shipper receives for his mer- This is an honor of which the Weaver Organ &
chandise, when sold, the market price prevailing Piano Co. can well feel proud.
in New York, but subject to deduction for freight,
cartage and commission.
TARIFF INVESTIGATOR BACK.
The objecting railroads contend that the amount
paid by them should exclude the amount of these
James B. Reynolds Returns from a Several
expense items which are included in the New
Months' Tour of Europe.
York market price.
The commission merchants, who are the con-
Commissioner James B. Reynolds, one of the
signees, contend that the railroads have no right
three members of the Tariff Board appointed by
to make any deductions from the market price ex-
cept for freight and cartage, and that in any President Taft to supply data for the scientific
revision of tariff schedules, returned Sunday from
case the commission merchant has a proprietary
a
tour of investigation abroad on the "Rotterdam"
right in the proceeds by reason of advance pay-
of the Holland-America line.
ments upon the shipment, interest charges, clerical
Commissioner Reynolds and Prof. Emory, of
service, service in settlement of claim against the
carrier, and other expenses incident to the ac- Yale, one of the other two members of the board,
went abroad early in the summer to gather data
count.
about
the manufacturing cost of goods which come
The dispute has resulted in a condition that is
into
competition
with tariff-protected American
oppressive both to shippers and consignees. For-
products.
Since
his
departure in the middle of
merly claims of this nature were settled through
June
he
visited
France,
Italy, Switzerland, Hol-
the carrier which should have made the delivery.
land,
Germany
and
the
British
Isles, and some
Some of the New York lines now refuse to under-
interesting
data
will
be
forthcoming
in due course
take the adjustment of claims unless commissions
on
this
important
subject.
are deducted and require consignees to make their
claims direct upon the lines where the shipments
originated.
A BIG KURTZMANN SHIPMENT
This involves much delay, burdensome corre-
spondence, and usually resort to an attorney's Received by A. G. Krausgill, the New Repre-
sentative in Louisville, Ky. — Planning a
services, with accompanying costs, and in general
Great Campaign in the Interests of That
places the claimant at much disadvantage, for it
Line.
effectually precludes a prompt settlement. This
keeps the commission merchant out of the use of
Arthur G. Krausgill, Louisville, Ky., who re-
any money he may have advanced upon the ship-
ment, and keeps from the shipper the balance due cently secured the State agency for the Kurtzman
piano, has a large sign placed over the front of
him on the transaction.
A good deal of ill-feeling has developed in con- his building announcing that an initial shipment
sequence. While carriers affect to deny the jus- of 300 Kurtzman pianos have been received as a
tice of the commission merchants' contention, they basis upon which to build up business in that line.
have in fact recognized its soundness by making The Kurtzman piano has been prominent in Louis-
numerous settlements at full New York market ville piano trade for over thirty years, is well
price, but in every case only after the preliminary known, and through the exploitation by Mr.
steps to a suit against the initial carrier had been Krausgill should enjoy still greater popularity.
begun. The attitude of the carriers in effect
forces the commission merchants either to make a
W. A. Atwood *ias moved his piano store at
settlement which imposes a loss upon them, or as Villisca, Iowa, into a i.ew building.
an alternative, to incur the expense of attorneys'
fees.
The De Berry & Merritt Piano Co. is a new
The Merchants' Association has been requested concern in Tampa, Fla.
LOSS OF GOODS IN TRANSIT.
Why
You Can Sell
The
AUTOTONE
A
U T O T O N E S are not
"Postum," but you can
take a hint from the
Postum man when you are sell-
ing them.
You can show your custom-
ers that "There's a Reason!"
Every one who wants a
Player-Piano wants one on
which he (or she) can "make
music" that is his (or her) own
and not somebody else's.
So one selling argument for
the Autotone is to actually
demonstrate that, by means of
the Accentor, every shade of
the player's own expression
can be given to the music by
passages, by chords and by sin-
gle notes.
It is an easy matter then to
convince prospective customers
that it is "more fun" to play a
piece according to their own
ideas than to slavishly follow
another person's notion of what
is musically right or wrong.
It's only human nature to like
to do a thing as you, yourself,
want it done, rather than as
some one else tells you to do it.
And it's human nature that
sells the Autotone.
HARDMAN, PECK & CO.
(Founded 1842)
138 Fifth Avenue
New York
CHICAGO OFFICE AND WAREROOM
Where a complete stock of the output c u be teen
1106 1107 Republic Building
Corner of Adams and State Sts.
CHICAGO, :: :: ILLINOIS