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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Shavings From the Workbench
T
HE questionable methods indulged in by a number of dealers
—who have more regard for immediate monetary gain than
the reputation of the industry of which they are members—has
done much within recent years to damage the reputation of the
retail piano trade as a whole. Nowadays writers for the daily
papers use the piano trade as a "horrible example" of dishonest
methods in retailing. This attitude has resulted unquestionably
from the puzzle contest scheme campaign, which has done so much
: ito undermine the confidence of the public in piano values. For in-
t [stance, Roy Dickey, writing in the magazine section of the
(American Sunday last on "The Tricks of Your Tradesmen," had
the following to say regarding piano selling: "The 'own make'
fake is not only applied to food, but plays its part in all industries,
even up to pianos. In the case of pianos it is applied in a unique
\ jway. The dealer sticks up a window card announcing a standard
j :make of high grade piano at a ridiculously low price. The pur-
l : 'chaser is attracted to the bait and goes in and finds a poor little
second-hand obsolete model of the high grade make completely
surrounded by new and shining models, all bearing the dealer's
name in gold letters on the fall board. Then the salesman pro-
ceeds to 'show up' the well-known make as compared with his 'own
make.' Naturally the little second-hand instrument that has prob-
ably seen twenty or thirty years of hard service doesn't make much
of a showing. But if by chance the customer should gain the
wrong impression from the demonstration, and prefer the little old
standard instrument, he'would probably find he couldn't buy it, as
it is merely a bait. The dealer has had a hard time securing it and
doesn't know just when he could get another. Usually, however,
the customer gets the impression the demonstration is meant to
convey."
I
N this department recently reference was made to the injustice
suffered by traveling men in not being able to exercise the
right to vote on Election Day through absence on business from
their homes, and a suggestion was made which we note has been
acted upon by Representative Cary, of Wisconsin, who has intro-
duced a bill in Congress providing that persons whose employment
or business necessitates their absence from their respective States
at Presidential elections can vote for Presidential electors in such
other State as they may be on Election Day. This measure will
probably affect traveling men and actors more than other employ-
ments and ought to meet with approval among these people. The
bill provides that the Secretary of State in the several States shall
provide blank affidavits on applications, and upon sufficient proof
of the applicant's eligibility as a voter and that his business will
require his absence at the time of the Presidential election shall
issue a certificate containing the voter's description and other
necessary information. Such certificates shall be issued within
thirty days prior to the election and shall not be used in any other
election or for any other purpose than choosing Presidential elec-
tors. The bill further provides that it shall be the duty of the
election officials where such applicant votes to recognize such cer-
tificate, and the same to be cancelled and returned to the office of
issuance. The bill also imposes a heavy penalty for a violation of
the provisions contained therein.
I
N the trade of the world during 1911, as compiled by the British
Board of Trade, the United States ranked second in volume
of exports, and was the only great industrial nation to show a
favorable balance of trade. The United Kingdom was first in the
world's commerce, both in imports and exports; Germany was
second in imports, France third and the United States fourth.
The showing of the United Kingdom in actual figures was: Ex-
ports, $2,272,410,000; imports, $2,889,190,000. In exporfS the
next most important commercial countries showed these totals for
the.year: United States, $2,144,020,000; Germany, $1,991,695,000,
and France, $1,234,415,000. Following Great Britain in the volume
of imports came Germany, with a total of $2,346,425,000, France
with $1,632,135,000 and the United States with $1,596,805,000.
The favorable balance of trade of the United States was conceded
to be in the British table, $547,115,000, and it is the only country
of the five—the list includes Belgium—which showed a favorable
balance. The United Kingdom had an adverse balance of $616,-
780,000, Germany of $354,730,000 and France of $397,720,000.
T
HE demand for furniture of Sheraton design has been notably
on the increase during the past couple of years and the
piano manufacturers have in many cases taken a profitable advan-
tage of the popular trend in that direction. For the average home
where an artistic yet dainty and chaste effect is desired the Shera-
ton can hardly be improved upon, and as a result it is fast dis-
placing the Colonial style in popular favor. For one thing, the
Sheraton style is most acceptable when adapted for piano cases.
In his own workshop, Sheraton used mahogany wherever pos-
sible and made a specialty of marquetrie for the purpose of re-
lieving the severity of the plain wood. In view of the general use
of mahogany for piano cases the adaptation of the Sheraton style
means chiefly the use of the straight line in the design and of the
inlay. Sheraton was one of the leading exponents of the use of
the straight line in decoration, and the effective manner in which
he produced works of art without the use of curves has made his
name famous among the great cabinet makers. In the show win-
dows of piano stores located on Fifth avenue there have been
shown from time to time grands and uprights finished in the
Sheraton style, and the effects have been all that could be desired.
In view of the fact that the indications are to the effect that the
Sheraton will be the reigning style for the next year or so, piano
manufacturers might with advantage to themselves investigate the
possibilities of that particular style as it relates to their business.
c
COMMENTING on the rigid observance of the Sabbath in
Scotland, Prof. John Stuart Blackie tells, in his "Notes of a
Life," an amusing anecdote of something that happened in his own
family. The time was soon after his marriage, when he was re-
joicing over the possession of a new piano. He said:
"I asked my wife one Sunday evening to touch the keys and
refresh my soul with a little psalmody, for I could not always be
reading. But she said, 'No, not on Sunday.'
"'Why not?' said I. 'Surely psalm tunes may be played on
the home piano on Sunday as well as sung in the public church ?'
"No, she would not.
"'Why?'
" 'The servants would not like it.'
" 'What!' said I. 'Are we to be the slaves of our servants in
such matters? They ought rather to follow us. Besides, do you
imagine, my dear, that the servants are such fools as to mistake the
Hundredth Psalm on the piano for "Maggie Lauder"?'
"In vain; she persisted in her pious refusal; and I, determined
not to give in to such a superstition in my own house, immediately
rose and set myself to tinkle the keys, the best way, in my extreme
ignorance, I could. And I persevered in this practice Sunday after
Sunday, till at last I got 'Artaxerxes' and 'St. Asaph/ two of my
favorite tunes, pretty fairly at the end of my fingers.
"What happened? The servants, if they had less piety of the
strictly Scottish stamp, had certainly good sense: for after the per-
sistency of my hymnal practice had worked itself into their experi-
ence of the Sabbath evening, they took occasion to remark one day
to the lady of the house:
" 'Aye, it's wonderfu' what a pious man oor maister is! He
spends the whole Sabbath eve, frae tea time to dinner, singing the
Psalms o' David!'
"After that, the piano on Sunday evening became innocent."