Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
446
lish it as their editorial opinion alongside of accounts of
decent well made instruments."
Thank you for nothing, so far as the first two lines of
this precious paragraph are concerned. As to the rest
of it, we sincerely trust " the advisability of discontinu-
ing advertising" in certain journals will be a subject of
THE PROTECTIVE UNION:
discussion at some meeting of the gentlemen whose
IN addition to the letters received in reply to cir- letters anent the Protective Union we now publish.
culars sent out by us on the 20th ult., and published in We believe that the piano and organ makers of this
another column, we have had the pleasure of interviews country are, in the main, honorable and sensible men,
with Mr. William Steinway and other leading manufac- who appreciate the impartial and conscientious criticism
turers of this city. Mr. Steinway informed us that of intelligent music trade editors, and should this ques-
since his appointment upon the Committee of three tion of discontinuing advertisements ever come up for
hundred, organized for the purposes of the World's debate, we are more than willing to back the chances
Fair of 1892, he had been so overwhelmed with busi- of the survival of THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW against
ness that he had scarcely time to talk about the pro- those of the Courier. The sooner such an issue arises,
posed Protective Union. He authorized us to say, the better pleased will the editors of this journal be.
however, that he was heartily in favor of such an or-
In its article of July 24th, the Courier fully maintains
ganization, notwithstanding that a somewhat similar its reputation for vanity and egotism. The great Marc
linion met with failure some thirteen years ago. He reminds us of a vain, pompous old hound, who thinks
believed that the people of the United States were he can run his fox to earth by mere noise. We are re-
becoming more and more educated, and that a union minded of a little hunting incident that will serve as an
for the mutual protection of American piano and organ apt illustration of the Courier's situation. Many years
makers might now be successfully set on foot; also ago, just at the beginning of the English cub-hunting
that, if properly conducted, it would be of great value season, an old yellow hound, with a skin of the color of
to those joining it. Further, he would certainly be parchment, accompanied half a score little hounds in
present at a preliminary meeting, and fully express his the grey dawn of a September morning to a well-known
views thereat.
covert, situated on the land of an old farmer named
Mr. Haring, the confidential manager of the Weber Jeff, who was devoted to the chase. Jeff was up be-
firm, guaranteed that his house should be represented times, and informed the huntsmen that there were sev-
at a preliminary meeting. He saw no reason why tHe eral fine young foxes around. But for some reason or
undertaking should not be successfully carried out.
another the dogs did not "catch on" very well. They
In an interview with Mr. Hugo Sohmer, of Sohmer appeared to be suffering from malaria, or insomnia, or
& Co., that gentleman stated that his firm are in sym- some other complaint. They caught scent repeatedly,
pathy with the movement, and that they will by no and repeatedly lost it. Finally Jeff's patience was ex-
means exclude themselves from any association that hausted, and he exclaimed "Look here, Mark, you had
will tend to the exaltation of the manufacturing indus- better take them dogs home, or I'm damned if my foxes
try; further, that they will certainly be represented at wont eat 'em!"
a preliminary meeting.
*
* *
Mr. Sam Hazelton, of Hazelton Brothers, assures us
THEY TOOT FOR US.
that his firm are ready to co-operate heartily in the
AMONG
the
excusable weaknesses of human nature is
formation of the Union; and that either he or some
that
of
mildly
" tooting one's own horn," that is, of
other member of the Hazelton concern will attend the
course,
when
a
sound
and genuine reason for such self-
first meeting.
gratulation
and
self-advertising
exists. If, for example,
* *
a music trade paper achieves remarkable success, its
OUR "BACKING."
editors and conductors may be pardoned for calling at-
THE Musical Courier of July 24th asks what " back- tention to the fact. It is, indeed, their duty to make
ing" THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW has to its movement
known the successful results of their endeavors; for a
for the establishment of a Protective Union of Ameri- truthful and temperate setting forth of such results
can Piano and Organ Makers—a movement which our may be a valuable guide, and in any case will prove of
contemporary, in the same issue, chooses to ridicule in interest, to their friends in the music trade, and gen-
a manner by no means consistent with the canons of erally to the trade in its entirety. Besides, it would
good taste.
seem that men cannot wait, in the rush and competi-
Our contemporary ought by this time to know that tion of modern times, to be praised by others; and if a
the undertakings upon which this journal enters are man now-a-days does a good thing it is perfectly proper
generally carried to successful conclusions. In the pres- for him to acquaint the world at large with his achieve-
ent instance, as always, we ignore its contemptuous ment. Should an editor greatly err on the side of self-
scepticism, and refer the Musical Courier to the article praise, he is likely to be aware of his mistake ere he
appearing in another column of this issue under the issues his next number.
head of " Union." Evidences of further " backing " will
In common with the rest of newspaper mankind, we
be published in our next number, but even now our of THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW have, at intervals of
hopes of successfully forming the organization would decent length, modestly asserted our claims to the re-
appear to rest upon no insecure foundation.
spect and patronage of the music trade, and no man or
While dealing with the Courier s article of July 24th, journal has been rash or indiscreet enough to take us
we may as well dispose of the following vulgar and to task for so doing.
lying slur occurring therein :—
But, meritorious as it may be to sing of one's own
newed spirit of hope, and with a firm conviction that
our efforts will be rewarded by the continued appre-
ciation of those for whom it is our duty and our delight
to labor.
* *
fflE FREE WWE,
For life future in tlje ALL'S WELL I
WITH this issue of August 5th, 1SS9, THE MUSIC
TRADE RKVIKW enters upon the eleventh year, and
upon the second decade, of its existence. To the hosts
of friends who have rallied round us, consistently en-
couraged us, and generously contributed to our sup-
port during the past ten years, we hereby offer our
most hearty thanks; and to those manufacturers and
dealers who may still remain without our pale, we will
commend the example of their more fortunate and
more prosperous brethren who have found both shelter
and shekels under our flag.
After subjecting our craft to a very exhaustive scrut-
iny, and communicating with the man at the mast-head
as to the outlook, we are able to report that " All's
Well!"
We have, of course, experienced some dirty weather
since we set sail in the month of August, 1879. We have
had our storms and squalls, our libel suits and stand-up
fights, our detractors and maligners. Nevertheless, the
helm has never failed us, and we have managed to
carry into port, on each publication day during the en-
tire decade, a goodly cargo of undamaged merchandise.
Our success has been gradual, solid, and complete.
We are proud of it, and of the means whereby it has
been won—the good, old-fashioned means of fidelity to
promises, integrity of motives, industry, energy, and
originality in action. We have said what we meant,
and meant what we have said. Not only are we proud
of our success, we are also proud of and sincerely
grateful to those gentlemen of the music trade—and
their name is legion—without whose confidence and
support we never could have gained or maintained our
present position and influence—an influence that is felt
and appreciated from the shores of old Atlantic to the
blue billows of the Pacific main, and from the snow-
swept plains of Montana to the torrid regions of the
sunny South.
We do not propose to weary our readers with a par-
ticularization even of the salient features of THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW'S career.
The trade will judge for
themselves as to our merits and demerits, our virtues
and our failings. We court criticism, asking for " a
fair field and no favor," and for nothing more. At
present we do not realize that we have done anything
that calls for our forfeiture of the confidence of our
friends, or that renders necessary any change in our
methods of serving them.
Honestly reiterating our desire to advance the best
interests of the great industry to whose welfare this
publication is devoted, and leaving our past to speak
for Itself, we enter upon our second decade with a re-
" We shouldn't advise our friends to make too strong
an endeavor to combine the piano and organ manufac-
turers, although they, of course, know how futile and
meaningless their efforts would be, because among the
first things that a general meeting of piano and organ
men would consider would be the advisability of dis-
continuing advertising in journals run by men ignorant
of the subjects of which they are supposed to treat ; by
men who, however estimable they may be personally,
are, in their business capacity, simply compilers of min-
or trade happenings which have no significance or in-
fluence on the trade in general or on any portion of it
in particular; by men who will accept the self written
puff of the cheapest stencil fraud piano made and pub-
merits and accomplishments, such praises sink into
nothingness when compared with the unasked applause
of one's own customers and patrons. One note of such
voluntary testimony from those with whom you deal
out-weighs a whole Wagner orchestra of self-felicita-
tion. And of this voluntary testimony we are the
happy and constant recipients. Our office is flooded
with these agreeable evidences of our influence through-
out the trade. A week or two ago the Prescott Piano
and Organ Company of Concord, N. H., immediately