Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Hisiory of me music Trade flssoGiaiion
Tracing the trend of events in that direction from 1888 down to the
present time The part The Review has played in association
progress "Will the coming convention result in uniting the trade
into a national organization?—Some say yes while there are
doubting ones The gathering of the clans looked forward to
with much interest.
Next Wednesday night at Manhattan might result in combined action appeared
Beach will be given a dinner under the in The Review. In the advocacy of those
auspices of the American Piano Manufac- principles The Review occupied an isolated
turers' Association which is calculated to position among the trade papers.
be far-reaching in its influence.
FORHATION OF THE FIRST HUSIC TRADE
Whether or not the wishes of those di-
ASSOCIATION.
rectly interested will be fully realized and
Interviews were had with, leading man-
a national association formed to include ufacturers in this city and elsewhere, and
in its members nearly all of the prominent the feelings of the trade regarding such an
piano manufacturers in this country is a association, were carefully analyzed. These
question which can only be answered after interviews were published, and for months
the business meeting which precedes the the matter became, through the agency of
dinner shall have been held. All theories The Review, a much talked of subject
which may be advanced up to that time as throughout America.
to its success or failure will be purely
Extending the lines of operation in or-
speculative.
der that some definite plan for organiza-
One thing is certain, a number of out- tion might be arrived at, after months of
side manufacturers will meet the members persistent advocacy of the formation of
of the local association and with them en- such an association, The Review issued on
ter into discussion as to the [possible ad- July 20, 1889, a card to the manufacturers
vantage which may result to piano manu- of America, asking the members of the
facturers as a class from ^the formation of trade their opinion as to the date and place
a national association which shall deal with most favorable for the preliminary meet-
all great questions which may affect the ing.
Replies were received from nearly
welfare of the trade.
Unquestionably every leading piano and organ concern in
there will be strong arguments made on America, a majority of which favored New
both sides.
York. In fact the members of the trade
were unanimously and enthusiastically,
MANUFACTURERS INTERESTED.
judging from their own letters, in favor of
It is safe to state, however, that every
a national association which should abolish
manufacturer who will attend the business
many grievances and disabilities under
meeting will be there for the purpose of
which they had been suffering.
listening and of absorbing^what arguments
We may say that nearly one hundred
are made in favor of extending associa-
prominent
firms in America whose replies
tion lines.
we
now
have
on file encouraged us to con-
That they are interested goes without
tinue
the
work
which we had inaugurated.
saying. Because if it were not so they
An
interesting
point in this connection
would not have responded to [the sec-
—some
of
the
manufacturers
who to-day
retary's invitation. Whether or not they
ignore
the
present
association
expressed
will become interested to such an extent as
themselves
in
1888-9
as
much
in
favor
of a
to take an active interest by hearty co-
national
organization.
operation with the present members of the
After consultation with firms in New
association will be readily determined after
York,
The Review issued a call for a pre-
the meeting next Wednesday night.
liminary
meeting at Clarendon Hall,
The matter of nationalizing the piano
114-18
East
Thirteenth street, New York,
trade forces of this continent is a subject
on
the
17th
of
September, 1889.
which has received considerable study and
About
this
time
there was a tremendous
thought at our hands. We have been in-
antagonism
brought
to bear against the for-
terested in the matter and shall await the
mation
of
an
association
by some of the
result of the meeting by the sea with con-
other
trade
papers.
We
were
accused by
siderable interest.
them
of
almost
everything
short
of murder
While the association future is at present
and
of
fostering
the
association
for purely
a much talked of matter, it is to our minds
selfish
ends,
but
the
call
was
issued,
and
a fitting time to present association mat-
the
preliminary
meeting
was
held
in
re-
ters in review. A retrospective glance
sponse
to
invitations
issued
by
The
Review.
over the association field for the past eight
It may be well now to quote from the
or nine years cannot fail at this time to be
official
report of that meeting:
interesting to a number of our readers.
THE POSITION OF THE REVIEW.
In 1888 The Review began to advocate
the formation of a national association of
"After some informal preliminary con-
piano and organ manufacturers. Editorial versation, and the interchange of friendly
after editorial showing the good which greetings among the gentlemen assembled,,
Edward Lyman Bill, of The Music Trade
Review, arose for the purpose of introduc-
ing the business of the meeting. Mr. Bill
said:
REVIEW PLATFORn.
"That during many months past The
Music Trade Review had advocated the
formation of a protective union of Ameri-
can piano and organ manufacturers. That
The Review had adopted this course, be-
lieving that such an association would be
in accordance with the commercial condi-
tions and necessities of the present age.
The trade had grown and extended to such
an extent as to render some such organiza-
tion imperative both to the manufacturer
and the legitimate dealer. All other im-
portant trades had their unions. In this
connection it might be mentioned the fur-
niture trade which have been productive
of a vast amount of good to makers and
venders of furniture. The dry goods, the
grocers, the shoe and leather unions, etc.
After persistently advocating some such
organization for the piano and organ
makers for a considerable time, The L Re-
view received many letters of commenda-
tion from the trade for the stand it had
taken in the matter. Further, during many
personal interviews with prominent piano
and organ manufacturers in New York and
elsewhere, The Review was urged to push
the matter to a practical stage—to a point
at which the adhesion of a number of man-
ufacturers sufficient to justify the calling
of a meeting should be gained. Such a
point had now been reached.
"Those present had doubtless seen the
long list of names of prominent members
of the trade, names of men high in finan-
cial and commercial circles, who had ex-
pressed their hearty concordance in the
movement through the mediumship of The
Review.
"Such a list, however, by no means in-
dicated the whole of those who had de-
sired to take part in the formation of a pro-
posed association. Some at present did
not wish their names to appear.
OBJECT OF UNION.
"The main object of the association was
then to eliminate from the music trade of
America certain evils connected therewith.
First, the manufacturers of pianos and or-
gans desire a reformation of the present
credit system. Let there be established
bureaus of information in the large cities,
Boston, Chicago and New York, or a na-
tional association in New York with
branches in both of the above named cities
where manufacturers could gain inforrra-
tion relative to the financial standing of
firms and individuals, information which
could not be readily acquired under the
present circumstances. Further sugges-
tions might be an adjustment of freight
charges and duties upon imported musical
instruments. Yet another desideratum
perhaps was the establishment of head-
quarters to be fitted up after the manner of
clubs where dealers and manufacturers
could meet or otherwise communicate with
each other to advantage.
Many other
matters in regard to which a protective