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THE MUSIC TRADE
BILL TO PROTECT DESIGNS.
AFTER "GYP" DEALER IN DETROIT*
WAGNER MUSIC CO. IN TROUBLE.
Low Cost and Immediate Registration Its Chief
Aims—Registration
Intended
to
Furnish
Proof of Priority—Many New Features.
Law Against Fraudulent Advertising to Be In-
voked in Case of Private House Dealer Who
Has Been Killing
Numerous Legitimate
Prospects for Regular Dealers.
John L. Peter, Appointed Receiver for the
Indianapolis House Which Was Organized
Only Recently—Labor Troubles and Slow
Business Cause of Embarrassment.
The National Registration League and the Fed-
eration of Trade Press Associations of the United
States, which have been seeking to provide ade-
quate protection for American manufacturers
against piracy of their patterns, succeeded on
Monday in introducing a bill in Congress.
The bill provides for the registration of designs
for all classes of manufactured products without
examination save that necessary to insure that the
papers are made out in the proper form. In case
of litigation, this registration will be accepted as
proof of priority. The bill also provides for an
examination to determine that the design which
is to be registered is not for purposes contrary to
public policies.
It provides that a design may be registered for
a period of three years at a cost of $1, ten years
for $10 and twenty years for $30. A registration
for either of the shorter terms may be extended to
either of the longer at any time before the expira-
tion of the original registration period. Designs
are denned as applied to or embodied in a spe-
cific product. It permits a design embodied in one
product to be registered when applying to another
product, that is, it will permit registration of a
design used in making lace that has already been
used in making silk and registered by a silk manu-
facturer. In this it differs materially from the
present patent laws, and as commercial designs
cannot be copyrighted the bill provides for the
only flexible system of protection that can be util-
ized in this country.
The administrative features of the bill are said
to be very simple. One of the best features of the
bill is that it will provide for immediate registra-
tion and protection, a thing heretofore impossible
to obtain in this country.
PADEREWSKI BREAKS DOWN.
Cancels Pacific Coast Engagements as Result of
Black Hand Threats.
(Special to The Review.)
Los ANGELES, CAL., January 19.—After being
hounded by Black Hand agents for months, Pader-
ewski, the pianist, has completely collapsed, and is
now on his way from Portland to Los Angeles for
a prolonged rest, having canceled all his Pacific
Coast engagements.
L. G. Sharp, tour manager for Pederewski, tele-
graphed Mr. Behner, the impressario, to-day that
he would arrive here to-morrow to prepare a bun-
galow for the pianist. The persecution to which
he has been subjected culminated three weeks ago
in Denver. Paderewski, it is said, saw the sides
of the Municipal Hall plastered with glaring post-
ers announcing that dire things would happen to
him if he refused the Black Handers' demands.
He played that evening, but afterward broke down.
(Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., January 19.—The Monteith law
forbidding fraudulent advertising, is to be invoked
by piano men soon, to stop a new species of dealer
who is injuring the piano trade here. The man
who will be complained of is taking an ancient
trick of the trade and elevating it to the dignity
of a regular business. In other words, he is the
typical private house ''Gyp'' dealer.
The dealers have had a good many prospects
spoiled by this style of business in the last few
months. The victims, when enlightened that they
could have purchased the pianos at almost any
store for less money, also are angry. The buyers
are not backward in telling how they obtained "a
new piano for half price," when the piano sales-
men call upon them after purchase
The man knows he is violating the law and is
careful with whom he deals. It was largely
through the efforts of the Detroit Music Trades
Association that the law against fraudulent adver-
tising was enacted. Since then, there has been no
occasion to invoke it, the parties whose damaging
activities had spurred the merchants on to work
for the law having subsided. Prosecuting Attor-
ney Shepherd will be asked to assign a sleuth to
get some evidence and then prosecute the violator.
(Special to The Review.)
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., January 17.—On application
of Frank F. Henry, an incorporatbr and stock-
holder of the Wagner Music Co., Judge Rochford,
of the Superior Court, today appointed John L.
Peter receiver for the company.
Temporary financial embarrassment and slow
business, brought on as the result of the street car
strike and the teamsters' strike, is attributed by the
Wagner company to be the cause for its inability
to "make things go" at this time. It is hoped that
by means of the receivership suit, which was en-
tirely friendly, it will be able to hold its head
above the water until business conditions improve.
It is set out in the complaint for receiver that
the assets of the company amount to $5,500 and
that its liabilities are $7,500, and that creditors are
pressing for their claims. If the concern is sold,
it is asked that it be sold as a going concern. The
capital stock of the company is $10,000, but only
a small part of it has been subscribed.
W. W. Lowry, attorney for the receiver and
one of the incorporators and originators of the
company, says the company began business in In-
dianapolis just at the time of the street car strike
in November, and that with the teamsters' strike
in December the company was not able to make
the showing it would have made had usual condi-
NEW OFF1CERFOR STARR CO.
tions prevailed in Indianapolis.
Paul H. Wagner, president of the company, filed
T. J. Campbell Elected Second Vice-President
an answer in which he admitted the allegations in
of the Company at Annual Meeting of the
the complaint. Mr. Peter is employed in the store.
Board of Directors—Other Officers Re-elected
Very attractive quarters have been fitted up by the
(Special to The Review.)
company in the Hume-Mansur Building, on East
RICHMOND, IND., January 19.—At the first meet-
Ohio street, and the store is regarded as one of
ing of the directors of the Starr Piano Co., of
the most inviting in the city. It is a depot for
this city, T. J. Campbell was elected second vice-
sheet music. The Wagner company handles the
president of the company, that being the only
Lyon & Healy line of pianos and musical instru-
change made. The official roster of the Starr Co.
ments.
at present is: Henry Gennett, president; Harry
Gennetc, first vice-president; T. J. Campbell, sec-
BUYS UP PIANOS ;_STOPS AUCTION.
ond vice-president; Fred. Gennett, secretary, and
Philip Werlein, Ltd., Makes Offer for Stock of
Clarence Gennett, treasurer. .
E. E. Forbes Co. Branches and Auction Sale
At the annual meeting an excellent business re-
in New Orleans Is Stopped.
port was made for the past year, the volume of
sales of the company showing remarkable strides
(Special to The Rev-ew.)
despite the setback experienced as a result of the
NEW ORLEANS, LA., January 19.—Following the
heavy floods in the spring.
failure of the E. E. Forbes Piano Co., of Birming-
REALLY BURNED UP PIANOS.
C. A. House Music Co., Wheeling, W. Va., De-
stroys Pianos Ruined in Recent Floods.
(Special to The Review.)
WHEELING, W. VA., January 19.—The C. A.
House Music Co., representatives for the Chicker-
ing, Kurtzmann, Kohler & Campbell and other well-
known makes of pianos, secured some excellent
publicity recently through the burning, in a big bon-
fire on the river shore, of a large number of pianos
caught in the floods some time ago and ruined be-
yond
repair. The local newspapers made much of
(Special to The Review.)
DALLAS, TEX., January 19. — A number of the the burning of the pianos and the reason therefor.
leading piano tuners of this city have organized
HEALTHY GAINJN BUSINESS
the Dallas Guild of Piano Tuners, and at a later
During
1913 Reported by Smith, Barnes &
date plan to affiliate with the National Guild of
Strohber
Co. After Annual Inventory.
Pianq Tuners. The officers of the new Dallas or-
ganization are: Clark Burr, president; Earl Hol-
(Special to The Review.)
brook,, vice-president, and J. S. Townes, secretary
MILWAUKEE, WIS., January 20.—The office force
and treasurer.
at the North Milwaukee factory of the Smith,
Barnes & Strohber Co. has. completed its annual
FIRE DAMAGES PIANO STOCK,
inventory, and the figures disclosed show that the
The stock of the Britton Music Co., Harrods- company met with a good, normal gain during
burg, Ky., was damaged by smoke and water to 1913. The demand for the new Strohber players
the extent of several hundred dollars r as the>result was especially strong and the output in this line
of a firej on the third floor of the buildingin which will be increased from now on. The factory is
the music store is located.
now operating almost full capacity.
TUNERS ORGAN1ZEJN DALLAS, TEX.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORIT
Manufacturers of
ham, Ala., an auction sale of the stock of several
of the branch stores of the company was started
in this city, with the result that Philip Werlein,
Ltd., made a cash offer to the receivers of the
Forbes company for the stock and the auction
was stopped. The stock from the Forbes stores
in Meridian, Natchez, Jackson and Vicksburg is
now being shipped to the Werlein house here.
INCREASES CAPITAL STOCK.
(Special to The Review.)
TULSA, OKLA., January 19.—The capital stock of
the Tulsa Music Co. has been increased from $15,-
000 to $50,000 to provide for the expansion of the
business. The only change in the management of
the company is the addition to the staff of B. H.
Britton, formerly of the Britton Music Co., Har-
rodsburg, Ky., who will in future devote his entire
attention to the local industry.
NEW MASSACHUSETTS BILL.
Representative P. E. Murray, of Boston, has
introduced a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature
which provides a line of from $o to $100, or im-
prisonment for three months, for persons convicted
of printing or causing to be printed misleading ad-
vertisements, or advertisements containing false
statements.
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos