Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
LYMAN
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
• 3 East 14th St., New York
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Canada, $300 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
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Insertion.
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NEW YORK, JUNE 19, 1897.
TELEPHONE NUMBER 1745. — EIGHTEENTH 5TREET.
THE KEYNOTE.
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 a trade
paper.
THE TRADE DIRECTORY.
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.
UPHOLD THE TRADE HONOR.
NTIL a week after The Review had
published the announcement of the
refusal of the Secretary of State to grant
incorporation papers to Haines & Co., a
silence was maintained by the trade papers
upon this important subject.
We saw at once the seriousness of this
matter and stated in our first announce-
ment that the position assumed by Mr.
Foster and his confreres clearly called for
an explanation from them in order that
they might free themselves from the odor
of suspicion which surely must attach itself
to them from their connections with a con-
cern which desired an incorporation made
under certain representations which were
glaringly false in that a Haines & Co. ac-
tually existed in New York.
We saw that a tremendous issue was at
stake—one which affected the welfare of
the entire trade.
We are glad to see that our initial posi-
tion has now been warmly seconded by
other trade papers. The matter assumes
such weighty importance that it cannot be
lightly passed over, as a principle which
affects the very trade life itself is at stake.
It occurs to us that there is a way in
U
which to combat successfully operations
of this kind, and that is by organization.
Manufacturers should become fully aroused
to the fact that if men are successful in
trading upon the reputation of others in
so far that they can incorporate concerns
of similar name to those of long time
standing, and send out instruments which
seemingly bear the imprint of the origi-
nal name, then no concern is removed
from the possibility of such incursions.
If such methods obtain, who can tell
how soon some men will take from
a factory a workman bearing a similar
patronymic to that of the founder of the
business and incorporate an institution of
like name?
Suppose that there is capital behind the
move, intelligence and push as well.
vSuppose such were the case. Would the
men, that is the incorporators, push their
business on a legitimate basis, or would
not the incorporation mean solely that
they desired to profit by the artistic and
commercial value of the older name?
Keen business men would understand
that it would be much easier to capture a
large portion of public patronage simply
by a confusion ofnames—by trading on the
reputation of the older and greater—than to
found a new concern and work solely upon
the value of its product.
Now in the first place would such an
incorporation be honest? Would it not
virtually amount to a commercial theft,
the theft of a trade mark—of a name? For
after all, what is a trade mark but prop-
erty. An individual or a concern spend a
life time in creating a value therefor, and
a fortune is spent in acquainting the trade
and the general public with the merits of
that particular article. After it has a well
grounded position in the heart of the public
along comes a coterie of designing individ-
uals who look with hungering eyes upon
the position reached by industry and intelli-
gence. They desire some of it, and in-
stead of working on a basis of fairness
they at once find a man whose patronymic
is similar to that which is placed upon
instruments of world renown.
It seems to us that a correct way to
strike at this evil is to arouse the better
instincts of the trade against such encroach-
ment upon individual and corporative
rights.
If the move is made successfully with
the Haines name why not with others?
Why not Knabe, why not Chickering,
why not Weber?
Steinway had his fight years ago against
the " Steinweg" men and it is proven
clearly that in great cities there is still
continued a nefarious business, conducted!
almost under the shadow of the legitimate
institutions, whereby pianos of similar
names are being sold to a credulous afcd
ignorant public.
Tear out the whole ulcerous growth from
the body of the trade. Remove it and see
that no germs remain.
How?
By arefusalon the part of manufacturers to
sell instruments to dealers who countenance
such unjust commercial methods. If a
dealer should adopt this course towards
one manufacturer would he not pursue a
like attitude towards others?
In other words, the cure lies in the hands
of the manufacturers themselves, and it
would seem to us to be a correct and digni-
fied method on their part to refuse to allow
their wares to be offered for sale by men
who will seek to belittle commercial honor,
and poison the very fount of trade ethics
by their offering goods to the public on the
reputation fairly won by another.
It has been said that manufacturers will
never act together upon any important
subject. Let us see if this imputation is
not false. Surely such a blot should not
be permitted to rest upon the trade
escutcheon. Refuse to have business deal-
ings with men who sell "imitation" piano?.
This matter cannot be permitted to pass
unchallenged.
The honor of the trade is at stake. The
man who to-day deems his position im-
pregnable may to-morrow be the victim
of a trade mark theft.
The patent office affords no remedy.
A patronymic cannot be copyrighted
to give relief.
Trade honor should be upheld.
It must be or the labor of years counts
for naught.
Nordheimer Sells Out.
[Special to The Review.]
Montreal, Can., June 16, 1897.
The well-known firm of A. & S. Nord-
heimer have disposed of their business in
this province, where they have been es-
tablished for thejast thirty" years, to Mr.
C. W. Lindsey, the St. Catherine street
dealer, who will continue the St. James
street establishment, although it is under-
stood that some of the upper rooms now
occupied by the Messrs. Nordheimer will
be turned into offices. The terms of this
important deal have not yet been made
known, yet they are understood to have
been satisfactory to both parties. Mr.
Glendon, who has been manager of the
Nordheimer house for some years past,
will occupy the same position under the
new proprietor. Although the transfer
has already been signed, the deal is not
understood to go into effect before the first