Music Trade Review

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MAY
THE
23, 1925
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
41
SUPPLY BRANCHES OF THE INDUSTRY
change in view, in any of these matters, which
will make possible a lowered product.
The same thing is true in the piano hardware
field, where specifications are of even greater
Canvass of Various Elements in Trades Shows consideration than in the plate making field. As
That Slight Recessions in Basic Commodities one piano hardware man put it: "When cer-
Will Have No Effect
tain manufacturers see a headline in the papers
that brass or copper or iron has dropped a cent
One often hears the notion expressed these or two in price per pound, they seem to count
days that we are experiencing a period of fall- on an immediate drop in the price of anything
ing prices of general commodities throughout made of those materials. This does not take
the country. Piano manufacturers and dealers place. If they were to figure out what per-
have accordingly begun to wonder whether or centage the cost of a hardware part was figured
not such a movement, if it really exists, will as labor and compare it with the small cost
cause a drop in the cost of materials going into of the raw material used in that part, they
the manufacture of pianos. A canvass of several would see their folly. Our manufacturing cost
piano supply men in the New York zone dur- is our big item."
ing the past week by a representative of The
Felt importers and piano-hammer makers
Review, has brought out some interesting opin- were asked whether the low prices prevailing
ions on this score. They seem unanimously at the raw wool auctions in London a few
agreed that prices of materials will not drop weeks ago would work any effect in lowering
and they have their particular reasons for hammer costs. The point was made clear by
thinking so.
the felt men that very few wools suitable for
Most of the supply men seen will not even making piano felts were offered in London.
admit that there is a tendency for a drop any- The highest priced wools have held firm and
where in industry, except in a few belated cases, are as hard to obtain as they were right after
where a balance from the inflation of the 1917- the war. The drop in the price of the cheaper
20 period has not been previously affected in wools for fabrics does not affect the better
the general post-war readjustment. Rents are grades. They come from different kinds of
an example of this, but it does not seem likely sheep and have an independent market all the
that even they will drop much further. General way through.
commodity prices then are as low as they will
In the case of the three branches of the
ever be, say the supply men.
piano industry mentioned above, the belief that
In regard to drops in prices of certain raw prices might fall was at least founded on a frac-
materials, from which piano parts are made, the tional drop in the raw market. The lumber and
argument expressed is a slightly different one. veneer markets and the lambskin market, af-
In the case of the lowered cost of pig iron, the fecting pneumatic leathers, however, are all
figure is considerable, but indicates little as to holding firm. If the major part of what is be-
lowering the cost of manufacture of piano ing written about our disappearing forests is
plates. Here, as in many other branches of true, it is likely that there will be a steady
the piano supply industry, raw materials are of market for lumber and wood products until
minor consideration in determining price. some part of the reforestation program will
Overhead, labor and the adjustments necessary have had its effect.
to fill each piano maker's specifications are the
It may be objected that a census of supply
determining features. There seems to be little men on the subject of price levels would al-
ways indicate a rising market in order to pre-
pare customers for future quotations. This is
hardly a worthy objection as each supply man
has his own price competition to meet, and is
therefore desirous of keeping prices as low as
possible. It is to be hoped that such a census
as this has developed the truth.
Are you still wasting your time and
going to the expense of scraping off old
varnish and shellac to eliminate the
checks and cracks in order to secure a
smooth surface for refinishing?
Manufacturers of
Use Behlen's Varnish Crack Eradi-
Supply Men Say No
Lower Prices Are in Sight
FOR YOU
WHITE, SON CO.
ORGAN AND PLAYER-PIANO
cator.
It saves time, trouble and, incidentally,
expense, at the same time giving you as
fine a body surface for the new finish
as you could possibly wish for.
A sample can for trial awaits your
request.
H. BEHLEN & BRO.
Anilines
Shellacs
Stain*
Fillers
10-12 Christopher St., New York
Near 6th AT*., and 8th St.
New Motor Player Patent
WASHINGTON, D. C, May 16.—The Motor Player
Corp., Chicago, 111., is the owner through as-
signment by Clinton H. Hanson, same place, of
Patent No. 1,535,833 for a pneumatic control
valve.
The purpose of this invention is to provide
a controlling device for governing the volume
of air caused to be drawn through the tracker
bar of a player-piano. In the operation of the
player-piano it is customary to provide a suc-
tion device connected with the various pneu-
matics for actuating the keys. This invention
is adapted for use with a suction device in the
nature of an electric motor and rotary fan en-
closed in the casing and adapted to create a
partial vacuum for actuating the pneumatics.
When the motor is running in such casing it
is necessary that air be passed around and
through the same in order to avoid excessive
heating. It is also desirable that this be in
part at least of the same air which is drawn
through the actuators of the piano, thereby
affording economy botli in construction and
operation. When such a motor is running for
operating the suction device, a substantially
constant pressure vacuum is maintained. In
many instances no provision is made for the
tone gradation, that is, whereby the keys are
struck forcibly or lightly to give loud or soft
tones. Accordingly one of the purposes of this
invention is to govern the amount of air drawn
through the pneumatics to the suction device
and so arrange this governing device that when
the air from the pneumatics is partially shut
off, a corresponding amount of air will be drawn
from an outside source through the motor,
whereby cooling of the motor is assured, thus
avoiding the necessity of varying the speed.
Pneumatic Action Patent
WASHINGTON,
D.
C,
May
16.—Charles G.
Schnell, North Tonawanda, N. Y., was last
week granted Patent No. 1,536,150 for a pneu-
matic action for musical instruments, which he
has assigned to the Rudolph Wurlitzer Mfg.
Co., same place.
This invention relates to the pneumatic
actions of player-pianos and other automatic
musical instruments and more particularly to
actions having unit valve-blocks.
Its object is to improve the construction of
such valve-blocks with a view of facilitating
their application to and removal from the cus-
tomary channel board and avoiding the neces-
sity of removing and replacing the usual air
tube nipples in making repairs.
LEATHERS
Sell The
"ART LINE"
and
Increase Your Profits
Write for Catalog.
530-540 Atlantic kit., BOSTON, MASS.
PHILIP W. GETTING & SON, Inc.
213 East 19th Street, New York
Sole Agents lor
WEICKERT HAMMER AND DAMPER FELTS
GRAND AND UPRIGHT HAMMERS
Made of Weickert Felt
STYLK NO. 125
168 Rolls
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
The Art Novelty Co.
Goshen, Ind.
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.