Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MUSIC TRADE NEWS FROM GERMANY
Business Active i n All Music Trade Lines Except Talking Machines—Copyright S i t u a t i o n —
Regret Over Popper's Death—Unique Plan of Selling Pianos at Retail i n Budapest.
(Special to The Review.)
Berlin, Germany, Dec. 4, 1910.
The business for the Christmas season, especially
in the piano trade, is taking a most satisfactory
turn, and one may not be very wrong in assuming
that it will not be very far behind the past best
years. If these optimistic views turn out correctly
it would mean that the depression of the last few
years is now definitely surmounted; that we may
look for a healthy upward development after
Christmas. The only articles which lack in ac-
tivity are talking machines, which do not draw very
well, as the public's objection has lately rather in-
creased than decreased. The overproduction of
these machines has ruined this branch entirely in a
few years' time. The big dividends, which a few
great manufacturers were paying, attracted a lot
of people, who entered the retail trade, but with
insufficient capital. Being untrained in mercantile
practice they sold their goods with a minimum
advance, which meant that they worked very often
with a loss.
To keep their heads above water, and without
thinking of the reasons for their non-success, they
tried to force still further their turn-over, naturally
by a still greater reduction in prices. This could
be done only at the expense of the manufac-
turers, who did not only receive any payment from
the dealer, but were generally damaged through
such an insane reduction of prices. Against such
a system, with no rules to maintain fixed sale
prices, contract fines for violations of agreements
were of no avail. The dealers went on with their
cut prices and were therefore not in any state to
pay such fines.
It is scarcely possible to predict how a change
could take place. Through the succumbing of so
many small firms the manufacturing business has,
however, turned into a sounder groove, especially
as there remain now only a few of the bigger con-
cerns. These talked the matter over among them-
selves and threaten now, if the dealers do not give
in and stop with their cutting of prices, to gradually
establish after the "Christmas selling branches in
the larger towns and not to supply the dealers any
more; and, further, to deliver to the smaller places
direct by post. Assuming that such a course for
Good Strings a Vital
Necessity!
Do you realize the weakness which
comes to a piano through poor strings?
If all piano manufacturers fully real-
ized this they would insist upon the best.
And, right here, we might say that it is
that quality which has gained the Schaff
strings such a strong position with piano
manufacturers.
Critical men know full well their value
and know that the most rigid tests have
been applied to the SchafF products be-
fore leaving the factory.
JOHN A. SCHAFF
CHICAGO:
141 W. Michigan St.
NEW YORK:
767 East 133d St.
the sale of machines is practicable, it remains
doubtful whether the sale of the discs can be done
in this way without the aid of the local dealers.
Most likely it might be sufficient to make an ex-
ample of a portion of the dealers, which would
bring the remainder to reason.
New Copyright Law and Discs.
The new German copyright law gives the disc
manufacturers a powerful protection against un-
lawful copying of their discs. There are still
some lawsuits pending, but which are in connec-
tion with cases dating from the time before the
law came into force. The Grammophon Co., whose
discs were taken after paying the artists rather
high fees, suffered naturally, mostly under such un-
lawful reproductions. One firm put especially
good imitations of the real Grammophon discs
into circulation, which could not be made in the
ordinary way of imitation. It was ascertained that
some one discovered the means to copy the or-
iginal discs by a galvano-plastic process, and to
produce therefrom massive matrices and then to
manufacture the discs from these plates in the
ordinary way. The high court of the empire has
now decided once for all that the original discs
should enjoy protection even before the law came
into force, as such imitations are contrary to good
policy; and, further, it being illegal if the accused
profits by appropriating a complete work, the re-
sult of great pains and cost, simply to compete
dangerously with the complainant by being able to
sell the discs cheaply simply through not having
to pay any royalties.
(in which sum the value of musical instruments
to the amount of $300,000 is included), $1,097,000
in the hall for machines, $124,000 in the hall for
agricultural machines, $40,000 in the hall for rail-
way engines and $80,000 in the hall for arts.
Therefore one may reckon the whole turnover in
the German section at a round sum of say $1,-
750,000.
Music Trade Exhibits at Turin, Italy.
From April to October next year there will take
place at Turin, Italy, a great international exhibi-
tion. All the German industries, including the
music trades, intend to exhibit in good and strong
form, which may be inferred from the fact that
the available places are practically all engaged. The
result of the engagements for space is certainly
very remarkable, as the buildings for this exhibi-
tion cover a surface of 250,000 square meters, while
all the buildings of the Brussels exhibition did not
cover more than 100,000 square meters.
Avoiding Accidents in Factories.
As reported before, the union of the different
musical instrument makers celebrated last summer
the anniversary of their foundation twenty-five
years ago. At the time I pointed out that the law
prescribes that all the manufacturers in every
branch of the industry must insure their workman
against accidents. Therefore it was only natural
that it was to the interest of the manufacturers to
reduce accidents as much as possible. The super-
visor of the State has now pointed out that in the
!arger factories some of the workmen should he
trained as "first help." Quick help is very desir-
able in case of such accidents, as some are very
serious; and the time which elapses until a doctor
can arrive may prove fatal, especially if there is a
great loss of blood. The workmen must not be
forced to join such a course of instruction, but
they may take it voluntarily. One must, however,
assume that such "volunteers" will only come for-
ward if the course takes place during working-
hours, so that they lose no wages. The manufac-
Reselling Instalment Pianos.
turers agreed to this, as they reason that the time
In England there is now a new way to catch
those people who take pianos on instalment terms so lost would soon be compensated by a quicker
and resell them again. The Music Trades' Associa- recovery after an accident, besides the contribu-
tion of Great Britain announces that they are pay- tions toward the insurance are reduced at the same
ing 10 shillings to a tuner, who traces such an in- time.
Monopoly in Piano Selling in Budapest.
strument in a private household. There follows a
list of pianos which were taken on terms and dis-
The piano dealers at Budapest are very much an-
appeared afterwards. The name of the manufac- noyed by the formation of a new company with big
turer and the number is naturally added to this capital which intends to concentrate in their
list. If a tuner finds one of these pianos he sends hands the whole trade of selling pianos. This
the address to the association, where the goods new company, entitled "Musica," gives warning in
may be found. A party here has the intention of
all the papers of Budapest to the public not to hire
introducing this system also into Germany.
a piano any more, saying that the money paid in
Death of Hugo Popper.
this way is simply thrown away. Anyone, whether
Hugo Popper, the owner of the orchestrion enjoying credit or not, will be furnished a piano
business of Popper & Co. at Leipzig, died re- without any deposit, by paying monthly simply
cently. The industry of mechanical musical in- 20 kronen (about $4). The natural sequence of
struments has to thank him for much. He under- such an advertisement is that none of the dealers
stood how to interest the great artists to supply will hire out any more instruments; in fact, the
music for the reproduction instruments, against hiring business at Budapest is entirely ruined.
which they showed in the beginning a great ani- To all the dealers at Budapest their instruments
mosity. The recording apparatus for the Welte- were returned, and their places are now crammed
so full that they have no space left for new
Mignon was installed in the salesroom of Popper at
Leipzig and all records of the pianists took place stock. Not only the hiring-out-business, but also
there.
Popper, who was himself a capable the right-out-purchase is killed, as no piano manu-
musician, understood exceptionally well how to facturer or dealer can sell pianos without a deposit
convince these artists that these instruments meant as a first payment, as against the new monthly pay-
an extraordinary income for them. He transferred ment plan of 20 kronen. Who can stand for any
the system of reproduction of the playing of the length of time such a remarkable mode of doing
artists to the harmonium and the organ, as it has business.
The public is very quickly spoiled through an
been shown already in previous reports. Popper
also took part in the deliberations over the new easy purchase system, and the 20 kronen system
copyright law, where his great knowledge in this will soon go down to 15 kronen and the competi-
particular trade helped him .enormously and by tion will finally drive it down to 10 kronen! Ten
these means he was instrumental in formulating a kronen are equal to $2 and this is about all a
most favorable law for the industry. The regret dealer can get in hiring out a piano. The ruin of
over the early demise of this enterprising anl the whole piano trade is unavoidable unless the
Austrian manufacturers join together and adopt a
amiable man is general.
rule not to give any more pianos to this new com-
Record of Sales at the Brussels Exhibition
pany. The new company is causing havor with
The president of the German section at the old-time sales methods, and should their plans not
Brussels International Exhibition made inquiries of
succeed it will require years and years to accustom
the different exhibitors in order to ascertain how the public again to the conditions of sale or hiring
many sales they had effected. The figures which to which they were before accustomed.
he received represent naturally the sales made at
the exhibition only. In reality the exhibitors sold
The Sonnenberg Piano Co., New Haven, Conn.,
at home (as directly influenced by their having have opened a branch in South Norwalk at No. 104
taken part at the exhibition) about four or five- Washington street. H. W. Hart is the manager.
fold the mentioned figures. The sales were as fol- The Chickering, Kranich & Bach, Gabler, Sterling
lows: $407,000 in the general halt for industries and Huntington pianos are handled.