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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRESS IN THIS COUNTRY
CONROY PIANO COJ*ENEWS LEASE.
Greater Now Than Ever Before Declares Judge E. H. Gary in an Address in Birmingham, Ala.
—Productive Capacity of United States Increasing Steadily—Must Get Out of the Ruts.
Displays Faith in Future Business Conditions
in St. Louis—Estey Co. Announcement
Causes Some Comment on Piano Row—King
Piano Co. Closes St. Louis Warerooms—Re-
cent Trade Visitors—General News.
In an address before the American Iron and
Steel Institute in Birmingham, Ala., last Friday
evening, Judge E. H. Gary, chairman of the
United States Steel Corporation's directorate,
stated that the United States had the chance to
become the leading country of the world.
Judge Gary was the principal speaker at the an-
nual meeting of the institute, of which he is the
president, and said in part:
"But what of the future. We are always com-
forted by the fact that the productive capacity and
actual production of wealth in the United States is
growing year by year; and this ability to produce
will not and cannot be diminished. Besides, at
the present time the exports of a large variety of
commodities are increasing.
"Although not equal to the volume reported just
prior to the commencement of the war, they are
yet much larger than just after the beginning of
the war. This will have a material influence upon
other lines. All are stimulated and brought into
service. As to the future I do not hesitate to say
with emphasis that the opportunities for progress
and success in this country are greater than ever
before.
"If we can get out of the ruts of antagonism,
inconsistency, distrust, hypocrisy, individual indif-
ference to the rights and interests of others which
seem to have prevented natural and legitimate
progress during the past few years it will be only
a question of time, and short at that, when the
United States will be firmly established as the
leading country of the world. Time and condi-
tions are auspicious.
"It is wise for all of us here to-day to place our
faith in the wonderful possibilities of this country.
In this connection it is to be remembered there is
a growing sentiment throughout the country in
favor of just and fair treatment to all the people
and all departments of human endeavor.
"This is a decided change for the better in this
respect. It now seems clear that in the future
greater regard will be had for the rights and in-
terests of all classes of people without discrimina-
tion. Equal justice will be done all.
"Communities succeed or fall together. Com-
petitors in trade, producer and consumer, employer
and employe, the private individual and the public
—all secure the best results if they work together.
"The success of one on legitimate lines means
the benefit of all, and the failure of one means
loss to all. The more we consider these questions
the more clearly we realize that what I said is
true. To the extent that we prosper legitimately
and without prejudice to the rights or interests of
others, we may be able to render assistance to
others who may need and who are willing to ac-
cept it."
a number of letters, 'mama is sick.' When he was
recently pushed for payments and suit threatened
(he was a merchant doing business in the drug
August Beall Tells of Florida Purchaser Who
line, over his own name, but not rated very high)
Had Covered Strings with Heavy Coats of
he complained, and said he would make it as his
Aluminum Paint to Prevent Rust—Another
defense in the trial and prove that the piano had
Expert Used Parafine and Lard as Lubricant.
gone to pieces, and in the base section particularly
(Special to The Review.)
there was absolutely no tone, and that the best
CINCINNATI, OHIO, November 2.— Augustus
tuners in that whole section had failed to restore
Beall, secretary of the John Church Co., has had its erstwhile excellent tone quality, and that the
such long experience in both the manufacturing said tuners (expert though they were) were un-
and sales end of the piano business that it takes able to do anything that improved the quality of
something unusual to disturb the even tenor ot tone.
his way, but the experience which he refers to
"Remembering that story about the celluloid
below he considers to be in a class by itself and pup chasing the asbestos rabbit, it was thought
worthy of the attention of piano men who desire just as well to get back the piano and be thank-
to keep step with progress in the industry.
ful for that much. It came in this morning, and
"I have found that along the ocean shore the I only wish I might be able to exhibit it at some
briny breezes have a tendency to rust metal parts," piano exposition so that all might have the benefit
said Mr. Beall, "and how to prevent this inroad of the expert care which it has had. A41 the pins
of nature on the value of pianos will be informa- have been coated or varnished with aluminum
tion gladly received—not only by owners of pianos powder in asphaltom, and rhe result was so fetch-
but by manufacturers, dealers and expert tuners. ing that the bass strings were • treated to what
"Some two years ago a party on the coast of
apears to be about three coats. I can think of
Florida purchased a valuable instrument, and only one better way for preventing the rust on
seemed for a time very much pleased with it, but bass strings along the ocean coast, and that would
failed to make payments because, as he stated in be to make the bass strings of window cord. The
tone would be quite the same, and doubtless the
operation would be quite as inexpensive.
"In a good deal of experience with the piano
business, I have never met with but one parallel
to this in point of brilliancy. That was the case
of an expert, and, singular to say, close.-by the
scene of the other, though in the State of AJa-
bama, who in order to prevent the stiffness in an
action melted together a quart of paraffine and
lard, stood the action on the end and with a ladle
The above cut il-
poured the preparation through the action until
lustrates one of the
highest grade pianos,
it was one solid mass of chilled paraffine and
made up in the small-
hog's lard. If the expert had only thought to use
est possible compass,
a small portion of hog brain he no doubt would
so as to bring the
have accomplished what he was aiming at."
price w i t h i n t h e
reach of those who
love tone of unusual
SMALL FIRE IN VICTOR CO. FACTORY.
volume and sweet-
(Special to The Review.)
ness, and yet whose modest income iorbids
the expense of the larger high-grade sizes.
CAMDEN, N. J., November 2.—An explosion in
We advise you, dealers, to advertise this
the blower used to convey the sawdust from the
piano and secure a class of buyers you
cabinet-making factory of the Victor Talking Ma-
otherwise would miss, making yourselves
chine Co., to a large tank, which was followed by
twice happy with the increase of profits and
the voluntary testimonials of appreciative
fire, caused considerable damage on Tuesday eve-
purchasers. Just request Cut X112, or dou-
ning, but will interfere in no way with the opera-
ble column X212, and same will be mailed
tion of the plant. The explosion blew out many
to you promptly.
windows in neighboring buildings, but no one was
Jesse French & Sons Piano Co.
injured. Spontaneous combustion was given as
New Castle, Ind.
the cause of the explosion and fire.
WHY THE PIANO'S TONE FAILED.
ST.
(Special to The Review.)
LOUIS, MO., November 3.—P. E. Conroy,
president of the Conroy Piano Co., announced to-
day that he had signed a new lease for the building
now occupied by that store dating from January
15 next at an increased rental. "This shows my
confidence that business conditions soon are going
to be restored and become better than ever," said
Mr. Conroy, "and also that the individual piano
store is not going to be crowded to the wall by the
department stores in the near future. In signing a
lease at an advanced rental I feel that we are in
position to pay, as we are bigger and better than
ever, and so is the piano business generally."
Col. J. Harry Estey, of the Estey Co., was here
last week and through an advertisement published
in local newspapers disposed of the rumors that
have been going the rounds concerning the local
warerooms of that firm by announcing that the
warerooms would be closed December 31 and that
after that date the Estey piano and players will be
handled by the Field-Lippman Piano Stores in this
city, as referred to in a brief dispatch in last week's
Review. This action, it was stated, was due to the
policy of the company of concentrating its selling
efforts in the Eastern States and in no way re-
flected upon the business in St. Louis. Col. Estey
later said that there was nothing to add to the an-
nouncement as printed, and that the Field-Lippman
stores would handle the entire lines for this ter-
ritory. E. J. Beale, who has been manager of the
local warerooms for several years, says that he
lias not as yet developed plans for the future. It
was understood that there was a plan on foot to
take over the Estey agency by a stock company
here and continue the warerooms under another
name, but the tight times due to the war are said
to have made this impossible. According to pres-
ent plans the pipe organ business here will remain
in charge of William Jenkins, who will announce
plans for his office arrangements later.
The King Piano Co. closed its St. Louis ware-
rooms Saturday night on expiration of the lease
held by that company on a portion of the building
under lease to the estate of the Bollman Bros.
Piano Co. It has been generally known for some
time that the King lease was for sale, but becausts
of the short term and the efforts of the bankrupt
estate to dispose of the overlease nothing could be
done along that line, and J. F. Hichey, manager
in charge, has been marking time and looking after
the established interests of the King Co. Such
merchandise as was on hand when the store was
closed was turned over to the Lehman Music Co.,
corner of Twelfth and Olive streets. Mr. Hichey
will open an office in room 211, Ozard building, to
look after the King Co. interests. John Burroughs,
credit manager for the King interests, was here
to look after the closing of the stores.
Eugene L. Hale, for several years manager of
the King Piano Co. warerooms here and later sales
manager for the home office of the company, was
here last week en route to the Ozarks for a hunt-
ing trip. He says that he is no longer with the
King Co., but has not made plans for the future as
yet, but expects to remain in the piano business.
Recent visitors include: Ed. Bristol, of the
Charles Parker Co.; W. H. Lehman, a dealer of
Des Moines, la.; W. L. Eiseman, of the U. S.
Music Roll Co.; President Campbell, of the Bram-
bach Piano Co.; Fred Lohr, of Hardman, Peck
& Co.
A BEEFSTEAK FOR LOESER STAFF.
The staff of the piano department of Frederick
Loeser & Co., "The piano house of Brooklyn," un-
der the management of E. P. Hamilton, will enjoy
a real old-fashioned beefsteak dinner in the Beef-
steak Garret of Reisenweber's, New York, to-night.
It is promised that both the beefsteak and the beer
will be unlimited as to quantity.