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THE: MUSIC TRADE
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
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A. J. NICKLIN,
H. E. JAMASON
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WM. B. WHITE,
L. E. BOWERS.
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Room 806.
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Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Sec • t , Class Matter.
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques
Pi an A 5ini1
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, rep'i
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos ar.
p
d e a I t h w i t h j w j n be found in another section of tl;5<
paper. We also publish a number' of reliable technical works, information concerning which
will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Parts Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 190°
Diploma.... Pan-American Exposition. 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
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NEW YORK, JULY 20. 1912.
EDITORIAL
W
E are now on the threshold of what we would term a "new
era in politics," the outcome of which will not he definitely
decided until the late fall.
In our opinion, it will he an era which will result in national
advancement and a hetter understanding between capital and labor
—a clearer knowledge by botli factions of what is required to bring-
about national prosperity and because of the high moral and mental
caliber of the candidates engaged in the contest -for the office of
President of the United States we believe that the contest will be
waged upon the principles involved and these will not act as a
deterring influence in business.
The underlying conditions of the country are healthy and busi-
ness is not frightened at the coining political struggle.
Judge Gary, chairman of the United States Board of the Steel
Corporation, is one of those who believe that business is going to
be better—not worse.
Tt is well known that the state of steel trade reflects business
conditions in general. The chairman of the steel board said re-
cently, concerning the affairs of his corporation: "At present
there are about eighty-five or ninety per cent, of the steel mills of
the United States Steel Corporation in operation, and for the imme-
diate future there seems to be no likelihood of a falling off. The
Steel Corporation is going to spend about $20,000,000 in improve-
ments and enlargements of its plant during the next year."
Surely this is the right kind of optimistic support from the
head of a gigantic business organization, and it is hoped that poli-
tics will be unable to frighten capital and that it will go ahead
attending to expanding business.
W
E have instanced above the steel industry, now let us go
into another which reflects the sentiment of the people.
No business enterprise of modern times has experienced a more
wonderful development than has the building and loan association.
REVIEW
It hits the imagination the harder because its growth represents
almost wholly the accumulated savings of wage earners.
Figures tell the story. According to the report of the secre-
tary of the United States League of JJuilding and Loan Associa-
tions, now in annual convention at Atlantic City, the aggregate
assets of the 6,000 associations in the league exceed $1,000,000,000,
the savings of 2,300,000 thrifty Americans.
The vastness of this savings account can be better grasped
when it is realized that the wealth of the entire nation is variously
estimated at from $130,000,000,000 to $150,000,000,000.
With such statements and such figures before then-i, Weak-
kneed business men should take heart and should go.*ahead and do
business along rational lines.
F
OR some reason or other it does not seem to have occurred
to the theatrical managers who .are now disputing with the
musicians' union that an efficient and novel substitute for tine
theater orchestra might be found in the player-piano." Tt is true
that an automatic instrument which plays both violin and piano
has been tried and has performed its functions very well, it being
a thoroughly artistic device. A prominent theatrical manager and
musician to boot, projected the opinion this week that a player-
piano under the control of an expert performer would'provide an
even better substitute. •
, r
.
In the first place, the grade of music generally doled out be-
tween the acts at theaters is anything but good. In the second
place it is not easy—at least in the present circumstances—to en-
gage first-class pianists. In the third place, given a good player-
piano—for instance, a grand—a good player-pianist, and the de-
sire to provide a good grade of music, much more can be done in
the way of giving real, pleasure to an audience than by any other
method that appears practicable. There is no doubt whatever thai
audiences would sit still and listen with pleasure to the finished
performance of a finished player-pianist on a first-class instrument,
if the music were intrinsically good.
Whatever may be the public opinion as to the artistic merits
of the player-piano, the trade well knows that this instrument can
be well played. And so long as the idea of "mechanical piano" is
not thrown at people's heads, there is no reason to suppose that
they would not enjoy the result. Of course, if the whole thing
were announced as entr'acte performances given by a ""mechanical
piano," the result would be failure, flatly. But if the idea were
put forth judiciously and the public simply allowed to hear the
music without consideration of its course, the pleasure they would
gain would be genuine, and they would doubtless be the first to
express surprise when informed that a player-piano was the cause.
Here is a chance for player men to make an impressive and
imposing demonstration. The hint is given for what it may be
worth. Some player manufacturer might do worse than take it.
W
HEN we were conducting an argumentative campaign
against the coupon-guessing schemes for selling pianos
we were appealing to the intelligence of our readers by using argu-
ments and not abuse.
We were constantly urged by word and letter* by some of our
readers, to mention names—to pitch into the firms with ungloved
hands, who were leaders in the puzzle picture, guessing contest
plans.
Tt will be recalled that all of these influences brought to bear
upon us did not swerve us in the slightest from the campaign
which we mapped out, and that was a campaign free from per-
sonalities and free from individual abuse.
We treated the subject as one embodying a principle rather
than the condemning of a single individual or a combination of
men, and while we "were subjected to all kinds of abuse we re-
frained from indulging in personalities by showing up the actions
of men who personally were striking at us as hard as they could.
Not once in the campaign did we mention the name of a single
puzzle contestant and only once did we reproduce one of the
puzzle contest illustrated schemes and that was when the Presi-
dent of the United States was caricatured and the people invited
to pick pianos out of his facial exaggerations.
We stated that this was the first time that the President of the
United States had ever been used for so low a purpose, and we
felt that the position which the Chief Executive of this nation
occupied should protect him against such atrocious caricatures.