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THE
ble difference, which can neither be laughed away
nor safely neglected.
There is absolutely no sense in bleating about
"human touch" when no such thing exists in player
mechanism. The phrase involves a contradiction
in terms. We should not call travel in an auto-
mobile "human locomotion," for it is nothing of
the sort. Walking, running and swimming are
methods of human locomotion; all artificial
methods are mechanical locomotion, and nothing
else. We should not speak of an angel as possess-
ing "human intelligence." It might be super-
human, or subhuman, but whatever it might be, it
would not be "human." When we speak of
"human touch," we mean finger touch, and no more
or less than that. The player mechanism has not
this, cannot have it, and for that matter need not
have it. Why should it be necessary to waste our
time in trying to produce something which by the
very constitution of things is quite impossible?
Indeed, why should we be so obsessed with the
idea of reproducing specifically "human touch"?
I take it that we are obsessed with this idea for
two reasons: because we have not yet had time
to evolve the conception of another kind of touch,
and also because all player-pianos have so far
been built as if intended at first for finger playing
exclusively. Plainly, we have to rid ourselves of
these interfering facts before we can expect to
approach the matter of player-piano-touch intelli-
gently.
For it is not to be denied that a solution of the
problems involved is very much needed. Player-
pianos do not, as a rule, have a good tone when
pneumatically actuated. There is a sort of glassi-
ness and brittleness which is very hardly overcome.
Something must be done. I have here tried to
indicate one direction in which experimenters may
profitably cast their eyes.
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
13
Encouraging Review of Business Conditions—Pessimism Does Not Obtain Foothold Among the
Manufacturers of the Quaker City—Vacations Now the Order of the Day at the Leading
Houses—A. M. Wright of the Mason & Hamlin Co. a Recent Visitor.
(Special to The Review.)
Trade Gleanings at Heppes.
Philadelphia, Pa., July 19, 1910.
The Heppes have finally furnished their new
Retail piano business has picked up considerably talking machine room on the fourth floor of 1117
this week, due, no doubt, to the more temperate Chestnut street in a luxurious and comfortable
weather. While July business is not as good as way. They have gotten considerable rattan furni-
the dealers had hoped it would be, yet it is con- ture, and it is now the finest room of its kind in
siderably better than it was last year, and the the city, and made purposely for the business man
prospects that are being stored away this summer who wants to lounge and smoke while he is mak-
indicate that there is going to be a very good busi- ing a selection of records. D. C. Conlen, of the
ness in the fall. Work of all kinds is plentiful Heppe house, is away on vacation this week in
in Philadelphia this summer, and while business Virginia. The men around the Heppe offices re-
generally has not been correspondingly as good, it port that it took their D. D. O'Neill a week to re-
is no doubt due to the fact that the public are cover from the effects of his strenuous work as
more saving in money after the experience they third baseman in the ball game at Atlantic City,
underwent during the panic, and are again trying played during the recent convention of the talking
to get money ahead, and by fall they may be ex- machine people in that city.
pected to resume the enjoyment of luxuries.
Vacations in Order at Cunningham.
Wholesale Trade Very Active.
The Cunningham Piano Co. report that their
While the retailers of Philadelphia are not be- business in June was very good. It was the best
ing blessed bountifully, the drift of conditions is June they ever had by at least 15 to 18 per cent.,
shown in the manufacturing industry, which is and they are naturally well satisfied. John H.
forging ahead as it has never forged before, and Heaton, of that house, is on his vacation at Ocean
with very little opportunity of getting stock to City at present; William H. Murdock is on vaca-
any great extent ahead for the busy season that tion at Atlantic City; William Stewart is in At-
comes with the cool weather. The Lester Piano lantic City and Howard C. Good in Ocean City.
Co.'s plant at Lester, Pa., is being operated full P. J. Cunningham never takes a vacation during
time and full handed, and they are turning out the summer, which he spends at his pretty subur-
more pianos to-day than they have ever done be- ban home at Elkins Park, but waits for his holidays
fore, yet these pianos seem to be going to imme- until the fall, when he goes on an extended hunt-
diate customers instead of being set aside for fall ing trip.
stock. On certain of their popular makes, par-
To Occupy Larger Quarters in Scranton.
ticularly player-pianos, they are always sold up,
The Cunningham Co. expect to enter consider-
and are unable to get them out fast enough.
ably more actively into the wholesale trade this
Nor is this condition true alone of the Lester. fall. They are at present moving their Scranton
Communications for this department should be
addressed to the Editor, Technical Department, The Cunningham Co., following their rebuilding branch to considerably more commodious quar-
last summer, felt that they were in position to ters, and have found this necessary owing to the
The Music Trade Review.
care for everything that would come their way. growing popularity of the Cunningham piano in
and while they have not enlarged their plant any that big mining city.
this summer, yet they have found it necessary to
Gustave Herzberg Enjoying European Trip.
WAGE EARNERS BETTER OFF.
get in considerable new machinery in order to help
Gustave Herzberg is enjoying life on his annual
Only 16.1 Per Cent, of Idleness, as Against 35.7
them in getting out their player-pianos fast trip to Europe. He slipped away several weeks
in 1908 in the State of New York Pleasing
enough. The Cunningham Co. also note a largely ago almost unnoticed, and is at present at Brus-
News for Piano Men.
increased demand this summer for their grand sels at the exposition. From there he will go to
pianos, and they have had to rearrange their fac
Zurich, and then to Kissingen, where he will take
Piano manufacturers and dealers are keenly in- tory recently in order to give them facilities for the waters for several weeks, and will then move
on to France, and expects to return to this coun-
terested in the general conditions that prevail the making of more grands.
A. M. Wright, of the Mason & Hamlin Co. was try early in the fall. He is enjoying excellent
among the wage earners, because, after all, the
general employment of skilled labor means the a Philadelphia visitor this week. He was looking health. In the meantime the business is being
diffusion of a large amount of money for musical over the field in order to find here a larger output conducted by Harry Herzberg, who reports that it
instruments, as well as for the necessaries of life. for that instrument.
has picked up materially since the cool weather
Hence the dealers and manufacturers of the State
Where Are the Broken Down Piano Men?
set in.
are much pleased over the report made this week
There is some talk in Philadelphia, but not to
by the State Labor Department in its quarterly any serious extent as yet, of devising some means
WALTHAM CO/SNEW PLANT.
bulletin, covering the first three months of this for the procuring of a home for broken down
year, that "out of approximately 390,000 organized piano men. That sounds like a rather queer Contracts Awarded for Erection of Manufac-
wage earners 62,851 were reported idle on the last proposition, but to the person who stops to look
turing Home That Will Cost $60,000.
working day in March, which was equal to 16.1 at it seriously it is not as ridiculous as might ap-
per cent.
(Special to The Review.)
pear at first thought. If such a project was
Milwaukee, Wis., July 19, 1910.
"This is a substantial reduction from the figure started it would find a hearty support among
for the same date of 1909, which was 21.1, and is Philadelphia men. A person is able to fig'ire out Contracts have been awarded by H. C. Hensel,
less than half that for 1908, when, at the height of with little trouble that at the rate piano men are architect, for the erection of a new $60,000 plant
the depression following the panic of 1907, the per- paid there is little chance for them to lay enough for the Waltham Piano Co., on Island avenue near
centage was 35.7.
aside for the "stormy day," so why would it not Keefe avenue. Building operations have already
"The reduction in idleness in the last year is be possible to get the salesmen throughout the been commenced, and will be pushed to an early
completion, as it is desired to have the structure
directly traceable to improving trade conditions. country to enter into a project for the securing of
That this improvement has been general is evi- a home for their brothers after they have reached! ready for occupancy before the middle of October.
denced by the fact that nearly all of the thirteen the age, through debility or illness, where they are Mill construction will be used throughout in the
groups of the organized trades show a decrease in no longer fit for employment, and where they can main building, which will be 76 x 315 feet in di-
the percentage of idleness from 1909 to 1910.
spend their declining years without want. A mension and three stories high, with a basement.
"The Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration re- little assessment on each man could accomplish A separate boiler house and power plant will be
corded forty-two new strikes and lockouts during much toward the establishing of such a home, and connected with the main plant by means of a large
the three months, in which 18,565 employes were then by occasional benefits, etc., funds sufficient underground tunnel. Sprinkler equipment will be
directly concerned. This is a greater number of could be raised to support a rather elaborate estab- installed throughout the entire plant, and the heat-
ing will be by vacuum system.
disputes than was recorded for any other year lishment.
since 1904, except 1907, when there were fifty re- H. Shearer, of the Krell Piano Co., was a Phila-
Trade pessimists are gradually being routed.
ported."
delphia visitor this week.
POOLE
Appeal to cultivated tastes. They are
marvels of beauty and form at once a
valuable accessory to any piano store
5 and 7 APPLETON STREET, BOSTON. MASS.