Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
It might have a different effect were it
not for the fact that we are a credit nation.
We are a credit people; in fact, take the
whole business of the world, place it on a
cash basis, and according to statisticians it
would be two per cent, of the present vol-
ume.
What business man would be satisfied
with doing two per cent, of the business
which he is now doing? He might as well
run a peanut stand and be done with it.
Now what gives this credit? What is
the real backbone of the credit ?
Nothing but confidence.
A belief on the part of the party who
sells money or merchandise, that the one
to whom he sells will pay on the terms
agreed upon. That confidence once re-
moved and it is all chaos and uncertainty.
It is the willingness to live up to busi-
ness contracts—the desire to fulfill them to
the minutest particular—that breeds confi-
dence.
In our opinion the failure of the Hallet
& Davis companies is the direct outcome
of the sentiments promulgated at the Chi-
cago Convention.
Sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
In another portion of the paper we pre-
sent a detailed account of the failures as
at present reported.
Some may question the wisdom of the
Hallet & Davis principals in the matter
of the establishment of the Chicago branch,
in the conduct of which such a vast amount
of money was necessary.
Let us ask, what business man, no mat-
ter how keen, how logical his deductions,
could plan for such an unprecedented de-
pression and genera] business shrinkage
as we have suffered and are now enduring ?
Had trade returned to even its normal
condition it would have been different.
The Hallet & Davis Co. had for many
years an outlet for hundreds of pianos per
year with the W. W. Kimball Co. When
that firm entered the domain of piano man-
ufacturing, naturally the Boston company
had to look elsewhere for their outlet.
They had to create an outlet. Not satisfied
with their temporary arrangements they de-
cided upon a move which they deemed
best for their business advancement.
To attribute any part of their disaster to
the fact that they manufactured a cheaper
piano is as erroneous as the statement is
false. Hallet & Davis did not manufac-
ture what may be properly designated as
a cheap piano. They manufactured some
instruments with a plainer case than the
majority of their styles, which considerably
reduced the cost of the instruments. This
in order to cater to a trade which would
have otherwise gravitated elsewhere.
This plan, however, has been adopted by
others and found successful, and it is in-
deed to be regretted that a trade paper
takes such a time and opportunity for the
dissemination of false ideas regarding the
manufacturing department of their busi-
ness.
The Hallet & Davis piano has lived
many years, enjoying a magnificent repu-
tation, and will live to occupy an exalted
place in musico-industrial affairs long after
the writer of this has solved the problem
of future existence.
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£ The news service of THE REVIEW today
is perhaps the best in its history. We aim
to get all the news, the latest news, and it
is not often that THE REVIEW is "scooped. "
Again, the manner in which we serve it
up to our readers seems to be approved.
Take the Pacific Coast States and we pre-
sent an excellent rdsume of the trade in
that locality weekly. Our Western corre-
spondence covers the middle States in the
West, while the home office attends to
Eastern affairs.
Notwithstanding the depressed times
THE REVIEW has not slackened in its en-
deavors to prove itself more than ever a
purveyor of reliable news, and in the tru-
est sense the "business man's paper."
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The speech made by Geo. L. Johnson at
the Stieff annual picnic is reproduced in
another portion of this paper. It is well
worthy of perusal. Mr. Johnson not only
seems to have grasped the politico-finan-
cial situation, but he shows by his speech
that he is amply qualified to talk enter-
tainingly upon the subject.
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It was on July 20th, 1879, when this
publication first saw light. It was not
at its inception a purely trade publica-
tion ; it carried the regular musical attach-
ment, which by the way was thrown over-
board long years ago, and it became the
first exclusive music trade paper in Amer-
ica. It has grown and developed with the
years and we cannot call to mind just now
a single publication which carries a greater
weight, nor wields more influence in th e
trade affairs of this country than this self-
same Music TRADE REVIEW. Our opinion
in this matter is not unsupported.
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Robert A. Widenmann is a Democrat,
but "Fighting Bob" says that he cannot
support the Chicago platform adopted by
the men who have stolen the title of De-
mocracy. He presided at the meeting of
the Democratic Reform Organization held
in this city Wednesday night in which re-
solutions were passed condemning the prin-
ciples advocated by the Chicago Conven-
tion and advocating the placing of a sound
money Democrat in the field as a candidate
for the Presidency.
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Our "Specialty Talk" this week is with
Mr. Ludwig Cavalli. Mr. Cavalli ranks as
one of the best wool experts of America,
and his talk is not only entertaining but
instructive as well.
FERDINAND MEYER, formerly manager of
Chickering & Sons, New York warerooms,
who is having a most enjoyable vacation on
the European Continent, will leave for home
on Sept. 9th.
YESTERDAY a piano tuner in the employ
of Steinway & Sons was seriously injured
at the freight elevator shop in the Four-
teenth street establishment.
CALVIN WHITNEY is in town.
NAHUM STETSON and family left Thurs-
day for the Isle of Shoals, ,N. H. It is pos-
sible that Mr. Stetson may leave his family
at that point while he takes a run West.
THE officers of the recently organized
Brett Piano Co. of Geneva, O., are as fol-
lows: President, A. F. Alderman; vice-
president, H. R. Swan; secretary and super-
intendent, J. B. Smith; treasurer, B. W.
Rote. The factory is now being prepared
for manufacturing, which will be com-
menced around the middle of next
month.
A. A. BARTHELMES& CO., the well known
action makers of Toronto, Can., are, ac-
cording to the Lockport, N. Y., "Sun," de-
sirous of locating in that city. They have
communicated with the Business Men's
Association for the purpose of finding- out
what inducements the city would offer in
case they should locate there. It is claimed
they will employ more than fifty men.
SIEBOLDT & LEGG have purchased the re-
tail warerooms of the Ann Arbor Organ
Co. in Ann Arbor.
W. H. WESER, of Weser Bros., piano
manufacturers, is the owner of a very
pretty summer resort near Ellenville, in
Sullivan County, this State. It is called
"Wyndmere."
N. M. CROSBY, of Bradbury fame, is
spending a vacation in the Catskills. .
J. ALFRED NOVELLO, son of Vincent No-
vello, founder of the great music publish-
ing house of Novello, Ewer & Co., died in
Genoa, on the 18th inst. He was eighty-
six years old. He has not been connected
with the London house for many years.
WILL HARRIS, an employee of the Phil-
lips & Crew Music House, Atlanta, Ga.,
has been arrested on a charge of appropri-
ating a part of the stock to his own use.
PROF. FRED SCHAEHERLE will shortly open
a music store on Liberty street, Ann Arbor,
Mich., which he has recently purchased.