Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
poor, will always be with us, but the
demand will be limited.
The people of this country are not ad-
mirers of cheap products of any kind ; they
believe in the general application of General
Harrison's sententious remark that " t h e
EDWARD LYMAN
cheap clothes make the cheap man." With
Editor and Proprietor.
a fair degree of prosperity and employment
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
general they will want the best and will be
3 East Hth St.. New York
satisfied to pay for it.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and
Publicity and enterprise on the part of
Canada, $3.00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
our manufacturers will relegate the cheap
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
Insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts * special dis-
count is allowed.
piano to the rear, and the worthy instru-
REMITTANCES, to other than currency form, should
ment of high and medium grade will come
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
into more general demand.
Bntered at tht New York Post Office as Second- Class Mmtter.
Dealers must expect a steady growth in
NEW YORK, riARCH 13, 1897.
the price of pianos, and must be prepared
accordingly.
TELEPHONE NUMBER 1745. — EIGHTEENTH STREET.
The first week of each month, The Review
will contain a supplement embodying the liter-
ary and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
continue to remain, as before, essentially atrade
paper.
The Trade Directory, which is a feature of
The Review each month, is complete. In it ap-
pears the names and addresses of all firms en=
gaged in the manufacture of musical instruments
and the allied trades. The Review is sent to
the United States Consulates throughout the
world, and is on file in the reading rooms of the
principal hotels in America.
show an increase of from twenty to forty
per cent, over the same period a year ago.
In factories you find a big army of men
at work and every indication of prosperity.
You also discover that double the force of
employees are at work, and that the stock
is very low.
In the face of these facts, the prelimi-
nary announcement that "there is no busi-
ness " seems strange and can only be ac-
counted for on the basis that this continual
"complaining," which was well founded
for the past few years, has become so cus-
tomary that it is almost impossible to .
realize that a changed and improving con-
dition of trade exists.
Business is not what it should be truly,
but there prevails decidedly a much
better and healthier feeling in music trade
circles everywhere. The big army of
traveling men who are now out are sending
in very favorable reports, and the outlook
is on the whole exceedingly hopeful.
The pessimists and "kickers" should
now retire to the rear and give the country
a chance. To insure prosperity every man
must put his shoulder to the wheel. We
have in Washington an administration
entirely in sympathy with the business
interests of the country, and everything
augurs well for the future. We must
preach good times, and believe in them,
otherwise confidence will not be restored.
There seems to bean-unparalleled amount
of freak legislation going on just now
in the Legislatures of the different States
all over the country. In this vState bills
have been introduced dictating to manu-
facturers and dealers, how certain articles
should be advertised and sold—the ten-
dency being to restricting the liberties of
individuals and firms. At the same time
we notice that those law-makers have
extended their own privileges by voting
themselves passes on the railroads, etc.
This inconsistency is so customary that it
MPORTANT and encouraging informa- occasions no surprise.
tion comes from the travelers on the road
The war against the department stores
+
+
that there is a marked diminution in the de-
which is now being prosecuted with so
The recognition which is being accord-
mand for the very cheap pianos which held
much vigor is another evidence that our
ed the elaborate specimens of the piano
sway during the cheap era of 1894, 1895
representatives cannot see below the sur-
makers' art turned out by Steinway & Sons
and 1896. In their stead reliable instru-
face. They fail to comprehend the revolu-
in the leading magazines and art journals
ments of accepted standing are being
tion or evolution which is now going on in
sought for and handled. In other words,
nowadays is not only well merited, but dis-
mercantile methods throughout this nation.
dealers who were forced by certain exigen-
tinct evidence that our art critics and writ-
Concentration of capital, with beneficial
cies to cater to the demand for the cheap
ers are willing to recognize and pay trib-
results in the way of prices for the pur
piano are realizing more than ever that a
ute to artistic productions of domestic man-
chaser or consumer, is evident in all
good name is the "immediate jewel of
ufacture. Up to a recent date it has been
spheres of industrial activity. We even
their souls"—that reputation is, after all,
the custom to preach the doctrine that this
see its growth to-day in the music trade.
something worth maintaining.
country lacked an art atmosphere, there-
Whether it will result in greater benefit to
Dealers in this country have seen pianos,
fore we could not produce or appreciate
the masses and to the nation, in the end,
no matter what their standing maybe, sold
anything of merit. This bug-a-boo is
is a question very hard to decide. There
cheaper during the past few years than
rapidly disappearing, and the American
is one thing certain, that the present move-
they ever will be sold again. The supplies
manufacturer with artistic aims is feeling
ment will continue undeterred by restrictive
which enter into the manufacture of pianos
encouraged.
legislation. The department stores are a
are advancing in price, and there must be
The following tribute paid to Mr. Stet-
natural growth and any laws enacted will
an increase in the wholesale price of in-
son, of Steinway & Sons, in this connec-
likely prove unconstitutional.
struments. It will not be large, it is true,
tion , conveys precisely our thoughts regard-
but there will be an increase. This addi-
ing his services in this special field of art
tion to the cost will be offset undoubtedly
The force of habit is exceedingly hard to endeavor: "The present growth of a popu-
by an equal addition in the quality of resist, and this is most apparent nowadays lar taste for decorated pianos is largely the
the instrument. Thus we mark the gradua- in talking with manufacturers about busi- work of Nahum Stetson, Esq. He has
tion from the old "cheap " regime to the ness. In answer to inquiries we are told long cherished the hope of interesting the
new.
by ten out of every twelve that "there is public in this form of art, and thus open-
With fairly good times, and more money no business; " that ' ' things were never so ing a new field to American artists. Mr.
in circulation, there will be no cheap piano quiet." Later, however, in the course of Stetson's first tentative effort was a white
in the sense that it has been recognized for general conversation the fact comes out that enamel, decorated with garlands of flowers;
the past few years. Cheap pianos, like the orders for February and so far for March it found immediate favor, and from this
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