Music Trade Review

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Music Trade Review.
The Only Music Trade Paper in America, and the Organ of the Music Trade of this Country.
Fo-anded
VOL. IX. No. 12.
NEW YORK, JANUARY 20 TO FEBRUARY 5, 1886.
PUBLISHED * TWICE * EACH • MONTH.
CHARLES AVERY WELLES
AND
JEFF. DAVIS BILL,
EDITORS AND PBOPBIETOKS.
22 EAST 17th STREET, NEW YORK.
SUBSCBIPTION (including pontage) United StateB and Canada,
$3.00 per year, In advance; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion;
unless inserted upon rates made by special contract.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
A SHARP ORDER TO STRIKERS.
EITHER TO GO TO WORK OR BE DISCHARGED—THE
TROUBLE AT STIEFP'S.
M
1879.
TRADE PROSPECTS FOR 1886.
T
HE general depression, in almost every branch
of business, which begun in 1882 has almost
entirely passed away. Overproduction was
one of the greatest factors in causing the decline in
commercial communities. Nearly every kind of
factories were run at fever heat for several years
previous to the commencement of the dull times, and
the country was stocked up way beyond the possi-
bility of immediate home or foreign consumption.
There was only one thing to be done, and that was
to shut down the factories, throw the workmen out
of employment, and work off the surplus production.
This has been accomplished at last, and the people
have learned a serious lesson thereby. The factor-
ies have started again, but with the past experience
fresh in their minds, are not running in such a haz-
ardous way. There were over 3,000 less failures dur-
ing last year than in 1884. The business for the first
nine months of last year was not very encouraging,
but October, November and December brought the
average up, so that the profits made by nearly all the
manufacturers were, if not entirely what was expect-
ed, must be acknowledged to be satisfactory when
compared with the previous year. At this season of
the year it is always expected to be quiet in business
circles, yet there are many of the manufacturers
who are now running their factories to their fullest
extent, and having a ready market for their products.
Altogether, we think the year 188fi has opened with
brilliant business prospects for the near future. This
is our view, but not wishing to give to the commu-
nity at large our own unsubstantiated statements,
we wrote letters to nearly all the leading manufac-
turers, asking their views. Those who have so far
answered we give below.
R. CHARLESM. STIEFP yesterday sent out
the following notice to the workmen of his
piano factory, who are now on strike:
" You are hereby notified that certain work begun
by you at our factories on Camden and Perry streets
remains unfinished, and that our factory is open for
you to complete the work, and that we require and
will expect you to be there on the morning of Wed-
nesday, January 20th, to resume the work. If you
aro not there on Wednesday or Thursday, we shall
regard the work as abandoned by you, and you are
discharged; and you are, in that event, hereby re-
quested to come to our office, Camden street, between
nine and twelve, and one and four o'clock on Friday,
January 22, fora settlement of our accounts with you
for finished work, according to our books and your
pass-book, and to remove your benches and tools
No. 95 FIFTH AVE., N. Y., Jan. 13.
from the factory on Saturday, January 23d.
Music TRADE REVIEW :
" Yours respectfully,
GENTLEMEN:—Your kind note, asking me what I
" CHARLES M. STIEFF."
think of the coming year and the prospects of busi-
One of the firm makes the following statement: ness, just received. With the old reliable Bradbury
"It is five weeks ago, this coming Friday, that a com- house the outlook never was brighter. I am still
mittee of our men called on the firm and requested very much behind my orders and am in want of more
the discharge of Mr. Wilkening, the second foreman. fine workmen, both in my Brooklyn factory and at
The firm received them politely, and stated that if Leominster, Mass., where my case factory is situ-
the men would wait until between Christmas and ated. It was only yesterday that I sent word to my
New Year, and in the meantime put their charges in superintendent, Mr. L. W. Porter, (at Leominster),
the proper form, they would look into the matter. to put on all the good workmen he could find, as I
The firm gave as the reason for delay that it was in want for my own use and for other first-class firms,
the very heart of the busy season, several days be- whose cases I make, seventy-five cases a week, and
fore Christmas. In a few hours the committee re- I have the largest case*manufactory in the country
turned and informed the firm that the men had de- (it was, as you know, built by Messrs. Steinway &
cided to stop work. This treatment was regarded
Sons), and is one of the best built factories in Leo-
by the firm as unjust and unbusinesslike. It has
minster, Mass. The Messrs. Steinway & Sons having
always been the aim of Messrs. Stieffto keep all their
enough room in their extensive works in Astoria, sold
men employed all seasons, whether dull or busy, and
not to discharge them, as some manufacturers do me this magnificent establishment, and I have water
when work is slack,.and always to pay them promptly. and steam power running it. You also ask about my
The above notice was issued to about seventy-five of last year's trade. " Splendid !" It passed my most
the men, and will be acted upon and carried out by sanguine expectations. With all the cry of hard
the Messrs. Stieff. The firm regret that they are times I would not exchange my profits for those of
compelled to issue this notice, as a number of their the president of the United States. The oidBradbury
men have been with them from twenty to twenty- flag never flew higher. Its commander never felt
seven years. The firm report that they are produc- fresher to sail on in his mission, as a public benefac-
ing enough instruments at present to supply the de- tor, to make thousands of families happy with the
demand of the trade, as this is the dull season every- sweetest and best toned piano made.
Kindly set at rest the impression that I do not wish
where in the piano line. It is not our old hands who
are agitating this question, but those who have been to cultivate dealers' and agents' trade in any section
only in our employ the last three or four years. of this country and in foreign parts. Some persons
There is no question of wages."—Baltimore Ameri- have done me an injustice with the trade, to say that
I confined my whole business to my many houses in
ican, January '20.
different cities. This is a mistake, as I have many
$3.00 PER YEAR. •
SINGLE COPIES. 10 CENTS.
agents and will always be glad to swell their list, and
as I do not travel myself or have any expensive men
on the road, I will most cheerfully adjust such ex-
penses on any instruments to the dealers, which, per
annum, will be quite an item. This fact I am sure
all dealers will be glad to know.
Yours truly,
F. G. SMITH.
NORWALK, O., Jan. 15, 1886.
EDITORS MUSIC TRADE REVIEW :
You ask a report of our business and trade pros-
pects now as compared with a year ago. We have
just completed our inventory, and have found a re-
spectable balance to the credit of profit and loss ac-
count on the years' business, and have divided
among our stockholders a dividend, which if not
large, is entirely satisfactory to them. While the
business of the past year is not all we hoped it might
be a year ago, we have no reason to complain. Our
factory has not been idle a day for want of orders.
Our workmen have put in full hours every day, and
at times have worked overtime; and our stock of
manufactured goods is much lower to-day than it was
a year ago. Our orders for the last two months have
been 20 per cent, more than during the corresponding
months last year. So far as we know, we have lost
no responsible agent during the year, and have
opened trade in several states in which we have never
done business before. Our pianos are coming out
much better than we dared to hope they would, and
are being picked up at retail as fast as we have been
able to make them, so far. It will be a month or two
yet before we shall be able to get enough ahead to
offer them to the trade generally.
We are happy and very hopeful,
L. L. DOUD, Sec'y and Treas.
A. B. Chase Organ CO-
WATERLOO, N. Y., Jan. 18, 1880.
MR. J E F F . DAVIS BILL :
DEAR SIR:—IIJ answer to your favor of the 13th wo
would say our business on January 1, 1880, was one-
half better than it was the year previous at that date,
and the outlook for business the coming year is better
than it has been any year since we started in busi-
ness. We have no other news of any consequence.
Very truly yours,
MALCOLM LOVE & Co.
CAMBRIDGEPORT, MASS , Jan. 14.
Music TRADE REVIEW :
GENTLEMEN :—Your favor received and in reply
would say our books show us 8,180 sets of hammers
manufactured in 1885, against 7,077 in 1884, a steady
increase the whole year, notwithstanding the compe-
tition we have to engage against, and we are rightly
accorded a prominent position among the patriarchs
in the piano hammer industry. Our business for the
last three months of the year was almost unprece-
dented. Our prospects the present year are very
flattering, we having at the present time manufac-
tured 348 sets of hammers against 122 sets same time
last year, and still full of orders. We also have as-
surances from our customers that the hammers are
all right in every respect, and also inquiries from a
number of new customers in regard to work.
Yours very truly,
FRASIER & SMITH.
DEEP RIVER, CONN., Jan. 16> 1880.
Mr. J E F F . DAVIS BILL :
DEAR SIR : Business is better than one year ago,
and we look for a fajr business during 1886.
Yours truly,
''
PRATT, READ & Co.