Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL -£§--
Editor and Proprietor.
the factory that the concern will manufact-
ure eighteen hundred pianos from the ist
of April to the ist of December. For cer-
tain reasons we at present withhold the
name by which the instruments will be
designated until a later issue.
their instruments in Omaha to pass into the
hands of a department store—glad because
we want to see the music trade in America
conserved, as here, for the legitimate deal-
er. Stores, or, as our cousins term them,
"dry goods houses, "are no place for pianos
—certainly not high-class pianos. The cut-
ting of prices upon which these emporia
E have been favored with a second
chiefly rely for patronage, though possibly
circular letter from the directors
at first causing an increased demand for a
of the International Trades Exhibition, to
piano, is ruinous in the end to the manu-
be held in London next June, in which they
facturer; for it puts a work of art on the
make a special proposition to firms desirous
same plane as a mere utensil, and this has
of introducing their goods into the English
a demoralizing effect on the maker as well
market, particularly those who have not al-
as on the public. Let the stores continue
ready had an opportunity of doing so.
to purvey victuals, and bedsteads, and coals,
As far as we can learn, very few manu-
and other creature comforts, and cut prices
facturers in the United States will take part
as fine as they like. So long as they do this
directly in this Exhibition unless their
they will exist usefully; but they cannot
agents in London should choose to do so.
apply the cutting process to pianos without
We notice in the letter from our London
doing irreparable harm to the music indus-
correspondent that very little interest
try."
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is taken in this Exhibition by the Lon-
don trade, and that the Exhibition Com-
pany have to depend to a large extent on
PATERNALISM RUN RIOT.
American support for its success. We are
ERILY the millenium is at hand! The
of the opinion they will not get it. Amer-
newspapers report that a Mr. Glen
ican manufacturers prefer to appoint their has introduced a bill into the Assembly at
own agents in London in the regular way. Albany "prohibiting retail merchants from
advertising to sell at retail at less than cost
merchandise that is not damaged or other-
HE following cheerful view of the busi-
wise depreciated, or at prices so low as to
ness situation was expressed by the
injure the business of another in the same
conservative banking house of John H.
line of business."
.
Davis, of No. 10 Wall street, last Monday:
This is truly paternalism run riot. We
^ " The tide has turned. We have|had five
thought
that this kind of business had ended
years of disaster, of falling values, of tearing
down. Now we begin five years of recovery with the Fifty-third Congress, but it seems
of advance in commodities and other secur- that our collection of statesmen at Albany
ities, of building up on a bed-rock founda- —at least some of them—are ambitious to
tion. Merchants are busier and collections excel the late Congress in opera-bouffe legis-
better.
Cotton has advanced, wheat is lation.
Mr. Glen will certainly have a large job
higher, the bituminous coal trade is in bet-
on
his hands going about town and order-
ter shape than for years, the iron industry
ing
Mr. A. to put the price of his pianos up
is improving in tone and prices, and the
credit of the United States is strengthened from $200 or $250 to $300 or $350 because
abroad. Reorganization of bankrupt prop- he is hurting his next door neighbor, Mr.
erties will be on a more conservative basis, B., and commanding Mr. B. to raise his
economy has been impressed upon indi- prices in order to comply with the law and
viduals and companies, excessive railroad not hurt Mr. A. Again, what a nice time
building has been stopped, money is abun- he would have arriving at the real cost or
dant, but not easily available for speculative the legitimate selling price of a piano.
It seems that nowadays it is hard to con-
schemes, which is a favorable fact; Ameri-
can cloths are being sold right in the heart ceive of a proposition so silly that it would
of the English woolen district, and the not receive serious consideration and sup-
spirit of American energy and pluck and port from our legislators.
buoyancy is beginning to assert itself."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
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ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Matttr.
"THE BUSINESS MAN'S PAPER."
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For lira fcture 15 *h« Sittim
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W
AR has been declared against the
big department stores in Chicago.
We notice that a resolution has been intro-
duced into the Illinois State Senate calling
for the investigation of the management of
the big department stores of that city. It
is charged that minors take the place of
adults. It is also asserted that the method
of conducting these stores is injurious to
public morality and causes widespread in-
jury in various ways. We understand a
committee has been appointed to investi-
gate the matter, so it looks as if the Illinois
Legislature meant business.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
A NEW PIANO FACTORY.
OR some time past there have been
preparations steadily going on for
the manufacture of pianos on a large scale
in Rochester, N. Y. As usual, the first
announcement is made by THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW, that on the ist of April a
large and well-equipped factory will com-
mence the manufacture of medium grade
pianos. The building is located on the
corner of State street, near the New York
Central Depot, Rochester. We have it
from no less authority than the manager of
F
T
THE DINNER AT THE WALDORF.
O
UR esteemed London contemporary,
the Piano, Organ and Music Trades
Journal, remarks in its last issue: "We are
glad to learn that Messrs. Steinway & Sons
and the other big pianoforte manufacturers
have refused to allow the sole agency of
HE dinner to be given next Thursday
night at The Waldorf, this city, by
the New York Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation, bids fair to be not only one of the
most noteworthy affairs which has ever oc-
curred in this trade, but we may as wel
T