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THE: MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
\iew tn obtaining a respite. The liabilities arc
estimated at about $30,000. They have offered their
creditors .'30 per cent, to settle the matter out of
court. 'I he firm of Menzel also found it necessary
1< summon a meeting of creditors for the purpose
The Autumn Fair in Leipzig Was Not a Success in Point of Exhibits or Attendance—Unusual
Hot Weather and Other Matters Contributed to This End—Very Few Novelties in Evi- of arriving at a settlement. The liabilities amount
1 stands to Carl
dence—Piano Manufacturers in Germany Suffer in Financial Squeeze—Some Have Gone
H. Hintze's account and $10,000 to \V. Gutzeit.
Into Bankruptcy and Others Are Consulting wtih Creditors.
There seems to be no doubt that the firm of Menzel
(Special to The Review.)
will be put on a sound basis again, as they have
Sales to the L'nited States were also somewhat
expressed
their willingness to pay their creditors
Berlin, Germany, Sept. 20, 1911.
..tronger. The hopes placed in that country at the
The great event of the past month was the end of the previous year have, on the whole, been 50 per cent.
autumn fair in Leipzig. Unfortunately the tropical
fulfilled. There is, however, no denying that dur-
heat, which has prevailed here, without intermis- ing the year covered by the report exports to the
EVAN HAMMONJVTTH FORBES CO.
sion, for some weeks past, also left its mark on
L'nited States suffered on account of the severity
Resigns as President of Smith & Nixon Co.,
the fair. From the preliminary preparations it cf the L T nited States customs regulations. This
Louisville, Ky.—Reason Not Given.
was evident I hat even exhibitors had but little con- pi evented the improvement from developing as it
(Special to the Review.)
fidence in a good attendance—unfortunately their otherwise would have done. The profit made was
fears proved to be only too well grounded. The not in proportion to the increased employment and
Louisville, Ky., Oct. 2, 1911.
attendance was even poorer than in the autumn of
consequent increase in output. This is due on the
Evan Hainmon, who was elected president of
190H, the time of the greatest depression. Worst one hand to the fact that the prices of raw ma- the Smith & Nixon Co., this city, about two years
of all, those dealers who did put in an appearance terial remained as high as in the previous year, and ago, after being connected with the company in
preferred cooling drinks in shady nooks to the op- in some cases went eve:i higher, and also because
various capacities for oven ten years, resigned
pressively hot and dusty showrooms. No wonder
ihe constant scarcity of labor resulted in a consid-
from that concern recently to join the forces of
the attendance and, above all, the orders, left much erable increase in wages. On account of competi- the E. E. Forbes Piano Co., Birmingham, Ala.
to be desired. Exhibitors must console themselves tion, selling prices could not be adequately adapted The reason for Mr. Hainmon making the change
with the thought that the state of the market in gen- io the increased cost of production. Nevertheless is not given. Secretary-Treasurer Edwin Allen is
eral is entirely satisfactory. Therefore if dealers it. the musical instrument trade 1910 was a decided
in temporary charge at the Smith & Xixon store.
withhold their orders now they will be obliged to improvement over l!>0!>, and it is to be hoped that
place them later on. There is undoubtedly a de- the upward tendency will continue next year.
FACTORY ADDITION NOW READY.
n.and, and in a few weeks' time the public will not
Introduce "Transposition" Grand.
(Special to The Review.)
bother themselves about the temperature which pre-
At the Trade Exhibition in Posen a transposition
South
Haven, Mich., Oct. :\. 11*11.
vailed at the time of the Leipzig fair.
grand, built according to the patent of Professor
The new addition to the plant of the Cable-Nel-
One of the Few Novelties.
Felix Kraus and exhibited by Rud. Ibach Son, Bar-
Then again, our manufacturers had done but
men, is just now attracting the attention of musi- son Piano Co., this town, is now ready for occu-
pancy, and the shipping, tuning and tone regulat-
little to induce dealers to attend in greater force cians and experts. On this instrument pieces of
by offering real, or, at least, apparent novelties. music can be transposed three tones towards the ing departments are now being moved into the new
The only instrument which could really be said to treble and four tones towards the bass, which is section. The shipping department will occupy the
constitute a new line is the ''Popular" piano-player quite sufficient for all the needs of singing. The first floor and the other departments will take up
the second and third floors. The new building,
"Solophona," which the Beka Record Co. now in-
key for the tone "c" is provided with a projection,
tend to manufacture on a larger scale. It is a which in transposition operates against a scale at- which is exceedingly well lighted, is well suited to
cabinet-player which works automatically, and noi mehed to the instrument.
The transposition the purposes for which it was intended.
pneumatically. It has a compass of (in n<>-<.- and
towards the treble is marked by a plus sign,
BARLOW'S SON CO. "OPENING."
is sold to retailers at a price of $t>0. As ii .-. easy
towards the bass by a minus before the num-
to operate and repairs are practically out <>f the ber indicating how many half-tones from the
A formal opening of the new warerooms and
question, it should command a large sale.
rornial position transposition has taken place. The
beautiful recital hall recently completed by the G.
Piano with Imitation Violin Popular.
letters on the scale denote the tones in normal posi-
A. Barlow's Son Co., at 1M-.T2 East State street,
The article most in demand at the fair, and, in
tion The position of the '"c" projection shows at a
Trenton, X. J., took place on Wednesday, Thurs-
i.ict, the most popular of all mechanical instru- glance in what key the instrument is being played.
day, Friday and Saturday of this week. There
ments at the present time is the piano with imita-
Unusual Spell of Hot Weather Damaged Organs
were recitals every day at half-past three and 8.30
tion violin, the flute pipes of which very closely re-
Complaints are coming in from all quarters about
p.m., when well-known artists were heard accom-
semble the music of the violin. These instruments the breakdown of church organs. The excep-
panied by the player-piano and other musical in-
are to be had at all prices and in any size. They
tionally long period of dry weather causes the
struments handled by this house. Their display
j.re very extensively used in cafes and restaurants, wooden parts to warp so that older mechanical in-
of pianos was admirably set off by suitable dec-
as they play softly and do not inconvenience the struments give forth no sound. The builders have
orative effects, and the entire affair was one
neighbors. Instruments containing real volins are .heir hands full of repairs for weeks to come. They
worthy of this well known and progressive estab-
now manufactured by three firms. They are much
are advising organists n future cases of excep-
lishment.
more complicated to handle, as they must be fre- tional drought to place barrels of water in the
quently tuned, and not everyone can do this. Imi- organ, so that wood and leather receive some
GIMBEI BROS. IN WASHINGTON?
tation violins, on the other hand, never get out of moisture. If this is neglected until the organ has
tune; they also cost only about one-quarter as much
broken down, a longer time is necessary for it to
The announcement that a valuable business site
as the instruments with real violins. In spite of
get into working order again. In addition to the in Washington, D. C, had been purchased by
this, some people insist on having instruments with
water placed in the organ itself, the floor could agents acting for the interests of Gimbel Bros.,
leal violins.
also be sprinkled at frequent intervals. If the the prominent department store owners of New
Conditions in Markneukirchen.
mechanism is regulated during the dry weather, it York, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, led the piano
A few days ago the Plauen Chamber of Com- • c generally necessary to regulate it again when dealers of the capital city to wonder whether a
damp weather sets in.
merce published its annual report. The towns of
new piano department was to enter the field in
Other Piano Houses in Trouble.
Markneukirchen and Klingenthal are situated in
competition with them. While it was stated by
that district and both are extensively engaged in
The bankruptcy of Carl 11. Hintze has resulted the purchasers of the property that the report of
the musical instrument trade. The report deals in the failure of a number of Berlin firms in the the opening of another Gimbel Bros, store was
fully with that industry. .It shows that manufac- piano branch. Gutzeit & Co. and Nieber & Co. have premature, it was admitted that such a store would
turing in all branches was satisfactory; in fact, been followed by the old and well-known piano undoubtedly contain a piano department.
in some cases it might be described as positively
factory of Otto Hepperle. Further, the two firms,
brisk. Business was particularly good during the Gebriider Neumeyer and Wilhelm Minzel, have
CHANGE IN CLEVELAND TRADE.
vinter months, from the middle of November until btopped payment and have petitioned their creditors
Christmas, so that . manufacturers were often
tor a respite. In the case of the firm of Hepperle
G. M. Ott has retired from the retail piano field
obliged to work overtime, and even then were not
the liabilities amount to between $17,500 and $20,- in Cleveland, Ohio, and will devote all his atten-
always successful in executing orders on time. 000. There is, however, a fairly large stock on tion in the future to his store in Akron, where he
Above all, the export trade showed a great im- hand, so that creditors may count on a composition has leased fine new quarters on Main street. The
provement over the preceding twelve months, as of 25 to 30 per cent. When Gebriider Neumeyer Brockport Piano Manufacturing Co. have assumed
the demand in all countries purchasing musical in- ascertained their position they had a chartered ac- Mr. Ott's lease in the Cleveland Arcade, and have
struments from Germany proved to be brisker. countant call a meeting of their creditors with a
retained M. R. Slocum as sales manager.
LATEST TRADE NEWS FROM GERMANY
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, N E W YORK
Manufacturers of
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos