Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
with which we are menaced, and which at
present have a retro-active effect upon-our
business interests.
No man should underestimate it—no man
should be guided in his business arrange-
ments by other than correct views of the
environments by which we are now sur-
rounded.
It is useless and insincere for a trade
publication to write in glowing colors of
the conditions of trade in this or that part
of the country. Intelligent men know that,
while we may have certain gleams of light
which will occasionally illuminate our pres-
ent business darkness, that it will take the
sun of national prosperity to dissipate the
fog. They know that trade must be spo-
radic until this dominating matter of cur-
rency is settled for once and for all. Let
our utterances be truthful—let our views
be honest.
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From THE REVIEW representative in San
Francisco we learn that the dealers on the
Pacific coast are strongly impressed with the
desirability of forming an association in or-
der to come to some sort of agreement on
matters which are of interest to the mem-
bers of the trade, thereby saving consider-
able expense and much annoyance.
It is also interesting to note that some of
the music trade papers are now advocating
the formation of a national piano manufact-
urers' association. In this connection it
may not be an inappropriate time to quote
a little history which is not ancient.
THE REVIEW years ago advocated the
formation of a union of American musical
industries, believing that such an associa-
tion would be in accordance with the de-
mands and necessities of the age. After
obtaining the opinion of the leading men
throughout the trade, at their suggestion
THE REVIEW convened a meeting at Claren-
don Hall, New York, on Sept. 17th, 1889.
Edward Lyman Bill called the meeting
to order, and in his opening remarks said:
"The main object of the meeting was to
form an association which will eliminate
from the music trade of America certain
evils connected therewith. First, the man-
ufacturers of pianos and organs desiring a
reform of the credit system. Let there be
established bureaus of information in the
large cities—Boston, Chicago and New
York; national bureaus where manufact-
urers could gain information relative to
the financial standing of firms and individ-
uals, information which he, the speaker,
was informed could not be acquired un-
der present circumstances. Frequently a
dealer ran up an account with a manufact-
urer, failed to .meet his obligations, and
transferred his custom to some other house
which had no adequate means of informa-
tion itself as to his financial condition.
Other subjects of the suggested union
might be an adjustment of freight charges
and of the duties upon musical instruments.
Aanother desideratum, perhaps, was the
establishment of headquarters, to be fitted
up after the manner of clubs, where dealers
and manufacturers should meet or other-
wise communicate with each other to ad-
vantage. Many other matters in regard to
which an association would benefit the
trade would probably occur to those pres-
ent. "
lars and payeth it for a shirt that formerly
cost one dollar ?
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What right has a publisher of a music
trade paper to ask for advertising payments
in advance? He hasn't delivered his goods
and the man who pays him furnishes him
with money to run his business. Surely
The above is taken from the records of
men who do this cannot complain of the
that meeting.
over-production of trade papers. Aside
A perusal of it will show that the ideas of from this point we cannot overlook the fact
THE REVIEW were not so far opposed to
that the editor who asks for advance loans
right and reason as some of our contem- is nothing more nor less than a journalistic
poraries at that time were prone to state.
begger. Give him alms if you will, but do
The association which was formed at that not confound mendicancy with legitimate
time was for certain reasons best told later journalism.
maintained for purely social aims. We
#
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have often wondered in the light of later
Some of the trade papers are again re-
developments whether, if manufacturers at
viving that old story of the Albert Weber-
that time had perfected a business organi-
Doll deal. This time the story is bright-
zation, the nucleus of which was in their
ened up a bit and looks quite fresh. The
hands, whether such failures as we have
recent burnishing has also included as
witnessed during the past year would have
among those interested in the scheme Ex-
been possible.
Governor Tom Waller, of Connecticut.
#
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No trade=paper bulldozing.
No advertising payments in
advance.
No monetary loans to support
newspaper mendicancy.
#—#
New York breathes freer, the hot wave
and Bryan hath departed.
It occurs to us that in thinking about the
hot wave, tracing up its causes, etc., we
may lay it to other than meteorological
conditions. It seems to have had its in-
ception in the West, accompanying Bryan
on his intended stampede tour—remained
with him while in New York, and with his
departure it left us. We say the hot spell
under which we, to alliterate, sweat, swore
and sizzled, should be termed in history
the Bryanic wave. Things were so hot
here in New York at the time of the Boy
Orator's visit that it nearly fried his adjec-
tives.
Now that the Bryanic wave is passed,
and there seems little danger of its recur-
rence, we may look for improvement in bus-
iness conditions as the silver menace day
by day lessens.
The action of the Canadian bankers to-
wards American money will also have a
beneficial effect, in that it will bring some
of the people to their senses in this country
by causing them to fully understand just
what the purchasing power of a silver dollar
means when its parity with gold is removed.
What profiteth it a man if he hath two dol-
#
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Fishing tales are at times entertaining,
but we can hardly believe that tales are par-
ticularly enjoyable to dignified members of
the trade when they are held up to public
view as if they were going off on a terrible
debauch instead of an innocent fishing trip.
A respectable paper eschews vulgarity
in any form.
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Mr. Geo. Maxwell, manager of Boosey
& Co. \s New York branch, gives us a
"Specialty Talk" this week. Mr. Max-
well's experience with the music publishing
business extends over a long period of years
both in Europe and America. Mr. Max-
well possesses a refined and agreeable per-
sonality, and his indefatigable efforts in be-
half of the distinguished London firm whom
he represents have greatly added to its
prestige in this country.
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Last Saturday Mr. P. H. Powers, of the
Emerson Piano Company, reached his sev-
entieth mile stone in the journey of life.
Seventy years means a long time, but it
means in the case of Mr. Powers that while
the snowfall of time has been stealing over
him, whitening his locks and his mustache,
that it has not dimmed the brightness of his
eye or dulled the ruddy color of health up-
on his cheeks. Neither has it impaired
those brilliant mental powers which have
made the executive head of the Emerson
Piano Co. known and respected throughout
our trade. May many years of health and
usefulness remain with the honored head of
the Emerson house.