Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
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ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
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REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Matter.
•> THE BUSINESS MAN'S
PAPER."
to arrange for a dinner some time around
the end of this month. The formation of
an association of manufacturers in Boston
cannot fail to be of advantage. It will not
only result in the manufacturers becoming
better acquainted, but, if disposed, it w r ill
enable them to take concerted action upon
the many important questions effecting the
trade which crop up from time to time.
innumerable lines of goods handled by
them should not be overlooked by the trade.
We hardly think the time will come when
manufacturers will favor department stores
in preference to reputable and progressive
dealers, so it is unlikely that there will be
recourse at any time to the methods adopted
by the retailers in domestic supplies.
MR. DOLGE'S PLAN TAKING ROOT.
HILE manufacturers in this city
R. ALFRED DOLGE'S speech at
are not "blowing" about trade for
the recent reunion of his employees
the past week, yet they admit that there is
has been noticed very largely by the press
an improvement. Small, it is true, but
throughout the country, and as far as we
spring is here, and a Congress which has
have seen it has been commented on most
become famous for the "blunders it has
favorably. In the editorial columns of last
made" is about to leave for parts unknown,
Sunday's Advertiser, under the caption of
so the outlook is not so bad after all. There
"Insurance for Labor," the following ap-
can be no doubt that within the next few
peared: "The suggestions made at the
weeks business will "pick up" materially.
twenty-sixth annual reunion of the em-
T takes some manufacturers a long ployees of Alfred Dolge, the well-known
time to depart from old lines and accept manufacturer of Dolgeville, this State, on
the new, but once in a while they do the subject of pensioning workingmen at a
so, and then they wonder why they never certain age, are well worth careful consider-
made the change before," remarked a well- ation. The experiments made by Mr.
known piano-maker recently, after we had Dolge in this direction have not been much
examined one of his pianos containing a exploited in the public press, but Mr.
Strauch action. He had been using the Dolge believes his experience justifies him
well-known Strauch action but a short in the opinion that it is entirely feasible,
time, and, to use a colloquial expression, and something that might be generally
"felt like kicking himself" for not having adopted. Here is what Mr. Dolge said on
the subject:
investigated its superior merits before.
W
M
I
i flfOR liie. cause thai lacka asal:
For tljo TC>8£ that see^s resi
PprUe future in the distance^" 1 •*>?
RiA if>« good tljal ye cao io"
Admitting that the wage earners are entitled to
ETAIL TRADE for the past week
has been unusually satisfactory, and
the managers of most of the warerooras are
quite cheerful about business prospects.
They expect better times from now on.
Let us hope so.
R
W
E direct attention to an advertise-
ment of Newby & Evans' new
style piano, No. "14," which appears in
another part of this paper. This instru-
ment has many good points to commend it
to dealers and the trade in general. At-
tractive in appearance, containing many
improvements, particularly the automatic
music desk, and a quality of tone which
will stand favorable criticism, it is bound to
become a "seller" wherever handled.
HE prominent members of the trade
in Boston held a meeting last Mon-
day at the warerooms of C. C. Harvey &
Co., Boylston street, for the purpose of
planning a trade dinner and forming an as-
sociation of manufacturers such as exists in
New York and Chicago. The meeting was
an informal one, and Edward P. Mason and
J. N, Merrill were appointed a committee
T
Manufacturers are to be found—and the more than they now receive, it is the province of
to provide the ways and means and
gentleman referred to is a type—who over- statesmanship
the proper methods to secure it for them. My
look that a good action is an important experiments with our pension fund, covering a
period of twenty years, demonstrates the entire
essential of the modern piano. Good tone, feasibility of a national labor insurance or pension,
assuring to every honest wage earner at the age
as a matter of course, is an absolute requi- of sixty years, or sooner if disabled, his full wages
the end of his years. A contribution of 1 per
site, but to illustrate its special quality, the to
cent, of the amount of wages earned, paid by the
light and shade, as it were, of that tone, it employer annually into a national insurance
fund, would be ample to assure this. No wage
requires the delicate mechanism known as earner with a clean record would then have to
fear the time when his "economic efficiency" has
the action—such an action, for instance, as reached the unprofitable point. The adoption of
this
system would effectually disperse Socialism
that manufactured by Strauch Brothers.
and Populism—both standing menaces to pro-
I
gressive civilization. Such a system would make
better citizens, which is the greatest benefit that
can accrue to a nation.
T is significant to notice through the
columns of the daily papers that war
Properly this should be called insurance
has been opened on the department for labor instead of a pension for labor. If
stores by retail dealers in the various lines Mr. Dolge is right in his estimate that 1
of domestic supplies. They have notified per cent, of the wage money earned by
the wholesale dealers that if they continue Labor will insure the success of the system,
to supply large department stores they are it would be a great boon secured at a small
going to lose their custom; and in a great outlay. The money which Labor worse
many instances their "boycotting" has been than wastes in carrying on strikes would
effective, for it seems large wholesale pay it a dozen times over."
houses have refused to supply some of the
It must certainly be gratifying to Mr.
department stores with goods.
Dolge to see his ideas taking root. It is
The department stores are a practical also an honor to the music trade to have
exhibition of the power and influence of a such a representative member on record as
trust, and while the music trade has not as the founder of a system which is destined
yet suffered to any great extent in this con- to play an important part in the settlement
nection, still the anxiety of the department of the warfare at present existing between
stores to add musical instruments to the labor and capital.