Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
MR. CRAWFORD RETURNS.
HENRY W. CRAWFORD, head of the firm of
Crawford, Ebersole & Smith, Cincinnati, Ohio,
arrived in New York yesterday morning on the
steamship " Gallia," accompanied by his mo-
ther and Mrs. Ebersole. Mr. Crawford has
been on an extended trip in Europe as far as
St. Petersburg, where his brother is Consul
General. He left for Cincinnati last night.
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PUBIJSJ4ED
3 EAST 14th STREET, NEW YORK.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and
Canada, $3.00 per year, in advance; Foreign Countries,
$400.
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.
HAMMERSCHMIT & CO.
THE new warerooms at 114 Fifth avenue,
which will soon be occupied by Messrs. Ham-
merschmit & Co., are being handsomely deco-
rated and arranged as piano salesrooms. The
outside signs are unique and pleasing, and with
such a splendid location and such a fine line of
instruments, the firm of Hammerschmit & Co.
will, no doubt, control a goodly share of the
city trade. The pianos sold by this house will
be the Pease, Antisell, and Strich & Zeidler.
At the time of our going to press, Mr. Ham-
merschmit had not decided what piano he
would make his leader. The firm will control
the entire ouput of the Antisell factory at Mat-
awan, N. J.
*
sions assisted B. to gain important news items.
In a great majority of cases the manufacturer
really pays the several hundred dollars into the
coffers of the alleged friend, because, the sales-
man, loth to give up that amount, haggles over
his salary until the manufacturer agrees to pay
him the two or three hundred dollars more, as
the case may be, than he had first intended.
This excess goes direct to B. Now, we say
that is not journalism ; it is organized piracy.
Of course we do not deny the right of any in-
dividual to conduct this kind of business, but
we say conduct it in the open. Hang out your
shingle, '' Positions secured for a price.'' Let
there be no concealment of the methods used.
But for us, we desire to state this : We believe
there is no finer line of men, more obliging,
who are always ready to give a newspaper man,
who is square and upright, all the results of their
varied experience than the piano salesmen, and
travelers, and we say they should not be levied
upon to contribute to the demands of unscrupu-
lous men who prostitute journalism in every
such attempt to extort money.
*
* *
158 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK,
AUGUST 29,
1892.
EDITOR THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
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tJjg csajjj t h t lack, asaistasce^
WITH this issue is completed the series of
articles entitled " The Piano. Scientific, Tech-
nical And Practical Instructions Relating to
Tuning, Regulating And Toning." The ar-
ticles have attracted a great deal of attention,
and, we believe, have done much good. We
intend that each issue of THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW shall contain something aside from trade
happenings, something of historical or scienti-
fic value. In other words, we purpose that the
paper shall not only be a news gatherer but an
educator also.
*%
PEASE AND PROGRESS.
THE Pease Piano Co. are a progressive and an
enterprising firm. Evidence of this may be
seen in the many new improvements which
have been incorporated in their pianos during
the past year. Their new styles in mahogany,
walnut, oak and rosewood are certainly mag-
nificent specimens of the piano maker's art.
In some pianos the firm are using inlaid panels
in a variety of colored woods and of beautiful
design. Their Chicago branch is an assured
success, and has given the house a strong hold
upon the Western trade, with whom their influ-
ence is constantly increasing.
NOT JOURNALISM.
FOR a paper professing to uphold and work
for the interests of the trade to make its office
an " intelligence annex," we say, is not digni-
fied. Of course we do not, for one moment,
desire our meaning misconstrued in a manner
that we believe that running an intelligence
bureau is not a perfectly legitimate business.
We do, in its proper place. But for an alleged
trade organ to work on the basis of securing
positions for salesmen, their commission amount-
ing to ten or fifteen per cent, of the salesman's
salary, we say, is neither dignified, right or
proper. For illustration: B., in visiting the
various warerooms, hears A. desires the services
of a certain salesman. He immediately rushes
out, visits the salesman alluded to, and says,
'' I can get you a position with A. for so much.''
DEAR SIR : The impression seems to exist
that the " National Association of Piano Tuners
of New York '' and the '' National Association
of Piano Tuners of Illinois " are two separate
and rival associations. Please say through your
columns that such impressions are entirely
wrong. The words '' of New York '' and '' of
Illinois '' are Slate designations only, the same
as '' Grand Army of the Republic, Department
of Ohio, Department of Iowa,'' etc. There is but
one Tuners Association, which is National in
its scope, but having State departments for con-
venience. So a member from one State depart-
ment can be transferred to another by card, the
same as the Odd Fellows, Masons or any other
fraternal order.
The coming National Convention will settle
this and all other sectional matters, by establish-
ing a national headquarters and governing
"That is very kind of you," says the sales-
man.
power.
EDW'D E. TODD,
"But," says B., " I shall require three hun-
Secretary.
dred for getting you the place."
The above letter explains the situation very
"Three hundred dollars! Why, I thought clearly, and we would refer our readers to
this little matter of just telling me that A. another article appearing in this issue relating
desired my services was in return for my many to the Tuners Association. In it there are
services to you in the matter of giving you some clear facts forcibly expressed. It seems
' pointers ' on news, etc."
that the main object of the Tuners Association
Here is where the cunning of B. comes in. is not that of a labor organization, but that the
"Oh, no, my dear sir; unless you intend to Association is formed for the purpose of raising
pay me my commission, I shall feel it my duty all tuners to a certain definite standard of the
to see that certain reports detrimental to your profession and of driving irresponsible tuners
ability reach A. On the contrary, if you pay from the field. These are worthy objects, and
me what I ask, I will see that several of my without doubt the Association will accomplish
attaches bring before A. certain stories where the desired results. We predict that within a
your ability shall reach an exalted standard.''
year there will be a National Association of
After considering the matter and seeing that American Tuners having headquarters in the
the meshes of the net were cast about him, he principal cities.
consented. The matter was arranged ; B. re-
V
ceived his commission, which was virtually an
JUDGING from the arrogant audacity of Blum-
extortion from a man towards whom he pro- enberg in telling the local Association what
fessed friendship, and who had on several occa- they should do and how they should do it, it is