Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
tainty. Yet, on the other hand, if in some way the instalment
principle were absolutely cut out, a vast number of homes and
lives would be deprived of comforts and facilities which make
largely for the joy of living and the culture and education of our
youth. So again the crux is the proper use of the instalment
system, the necessity of so instilling the sense of thrift into the
hearts of our people that they shall appreciate the extravagance
and danger of overindulgence in instalment purchases. Again,
instalment credits must be examined sharply and persistently,
remembering that they rest far more upon continued prosperity
than do ordinary merchandise credits."
FTER a lapse of fifteen years music lovers of New York are
A
again privileged to listen to and inspect the famous Chick-
ering piano in showrooms directly under the control of Chick-
ering & Sons of Boston. Those who remember the old
Chickering Hall, at Eighteenth street and Fifth avenue, and
the musical associations connected therewith, cannot fail to
appreciate not alone the commercial, but also the sentimental
importance of the taking over by Chickering & Sons of the
piano department of the Lord & Taylor store. According to
the plans of Chickering & Sons, Chickering Hall will take on
a new meaning for New Yorkers, and will bring that time hon-
ored trade name again prominently into the limelight.
TIMELY picture of New York as the world's greatest
A
manufacturing city is painted in vivid colors by an item
in the New York World, based upon the census of manufactures
for 1914, which says:
"Though 1914 was the year when the opening of the war
disorganized industry and checked the rise of prices, so that in-
crease did not mean, even in part, merely marking up tags, the
total of New York's factory product had risen since 1909 bv
$265,000,000, or 13.1 per cent.; more swiftly than the growth in
population.
"The total of $2,292,000,000 is nearly three-fifths the product
of the State and one-tenth that of the whole United States. It
is $352,000,000 more than double the interest-bearing national
debt. It employs as many people as the entire population of
manufacturing Rhode Island.
"In one respect this census, like every recent similar com-
putation, teaches a political lesson. It once more reveals the
false promise of 'productive economies' for trust methods under
the benign rays of Republican tariffs. Average wages rose
slightly in the five years, but the total of wages grew less rapidly
than product, much less rapidly than salaries and capital; and
the number of workers less rapidly than the number of proprie-
tors and firm members.
"With salaries and capital expectant of reward, both in-
creasing much more swiftly than wages and faster even than value
produced, the whole theory of just and economical manufacture
by privileged monopoly continued in 1914 to stand on the de-
fensive. T° tell what changes have sjnce been wrought will
soon be possible."
S reported in The Review last week, Frank E. Morton,
A
acoustic engineer for the American Steel & Wire Co., is
making an effort to bring together the technicians of the piano
trade that they may collaborate for their mutual benefit. The
move is one that should be heartily encouraged. The piano
trade at the present time suffers not so much from dearth of
technical knowledge, but rather from the fact that such knowl-
edge is isolated as it were. There are experts in piano tone
and construction, technicians and scientists in plenty in the trade,
but far too many of these experts apparently revolve each in
their own little sphere, and either are denied or deny them-
selves the advantages arising from association and interchange
of ideas with their fellow experts. By gathering together,
according to Mr. Morton's plan, these technicians should be able
to add to their own store of knowledge, and at the same time
impart some of their knowledge and experience to their fellow
members of the craft. A gathering such as proposed would
not be one for the purpose of passing innumerable resolutions,
and spending much time in arguing about the intricacies of con-
stitution and by-laws, but would rather confine itself strictly to
the informal discussions of piano and player building problems
in which each delegate would be vitally interested. The plan
is well worth thinking" over.
all reports the South generally should be pretty good
F ROM
stamping ground for piano and player people this fall. Con-
centration of influences which have been at work for some time
should produce conditions distinctly favorable to the sale of
musical instruments on a larger scale than ever. Travelers all
speak of the fact that a number of piano stores of the better
grade are increasing. A good deal of new blood is coming into
the business and dealers that have been contented to go along
with poorly equipped stores are remodeling, moving into new
quarters, and paying attention to window and interior displays
as the}' have not heretofore. General business conditions are
good. The European conditions have increased the demand
for cotton goods enormously and the Southern mills are un-
precedentedly prosperous. Exportation to South America of
Southern-made goods is also becoming an increasing factor in
Southern commerce. In addition to all this is the fact that
the South has learned the secret of diversified crops and buys
her meats, hay and corn elsewhere. The South has not taken
to player-pianos in the same degree as the North, but she is
awakening in this regard and the proportion of player sales in
the South this fall promises to be the greatest in her history.
GETTING DOWN TO PLAIN PLAYER FACTS
The education of the public along player lines is a necessity for the expansion of the player business.
There is no doubt of that; and education of the piano merchants and salesmen is also a vital necessity,
because through them will come a powerful force in the education of the public; and right here we wish to
remark that we have produced a line of books upon the player-piano which comprehensively covers the
entire player situation.
In this respect this trade newspaper stands alone, for it has been the principal source from which player
information has been available for piano merchants and salesmen for a period of years. Our latest book,
"The Player-Piano Up to Date"
is the best of the series. It contains upwards of 220 pages of matter bearing directly upon the player.
Every piano merchant and piano salesman should have a copy of this book within easy reach, it
gives to readers a fund of information not obtainable elsewhere.
It contains a series of original drawings and a vast amount of instructive and educational matter, as
well as a detailed description of some of the principal player mechanisms.
It costs $1.50 to have this book delivered to any address in the United States, and your money will be
refunded if you are not satisfied with the book after examination. No one yet has availed himself of this
opportunity. Foreign countries, 15c. to cover extra postage, should be added.
Estate of EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Publisher
373 Fourth Ave., New York