Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
never have been found wanting in emer-
gencies of the past, and now that this
country is assuming a position as a world-
wide power the same characteristics will
be in evidence. Industrial America will
sweep on to more glorious conquests, and
the American piano will be the dominant
one in all lands. Our export trade in all
lines has developed at an astounding rate,
and within the next two or three years
marvelous accomplishments will also have
been made in the branching out for foreign
trade in this industry.
for the past year have had upon the
business.
In the first place, it has been demonstra-
ted to manufacturers who have been en-
gaged in making pianos for dealers under
TWENTY-FIRST YEAR •
their own trade-mark, that they have been
•EDWARD LYMAN BILL-
working against their interests in not hav-
Editor and Proprietor
ing their own imprint upon the instru-
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
ments manufactured. It has been proved
~~
3 East 14th St., New York
clearly that the manufacturer who makes
SUBSCRIPTION (Including postage), United States,
pianos
with his own name thereon is
Mexico and Canada, $2 $300,
building up nothing for himself of value
ADVERTISEriENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
in the way of a trade-mark. No matter
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read-
ing matter $75.00.
if he has many years of successful business
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
b« made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
behind him, the value of his piano in the
THE STENCIL AGITATION.
Entered at the Few Tvrk Post Office as Second Class Matter.
T H E anti-stencil campaign has come in esteem of the public is nothing, whereas
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 23, 1899.
for but a small share of trade atten- the manufacturer who has been placing
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745~EIGHTEENTH STREET.
tion for the past few months. It is singu- thousands of his instruments in different
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review will
lar, indeed, how this matter became tem- sections of the country with his own name
contain a supplement embodying the literary
and musical features which have heretofore
porarily obscured by the wave of prosper- or corporate stamp stencilled thereon, has
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
ity which overspread the country during been building up a valuable property,
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
the late spring months up to the present which it is indeed difficult to take from.
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
trade paper.
time. Manufacturers have been too busy Therefore, one of the great results of the
running their factories day and night to stencil agitation has been to generate a cer-
HOME AND FOREIGN Mr\RKETS.
tain resistance on the part of manufactur-
T H E enormous demand for pianos in our fill their orders with any degree of
home markets has reduced the efforts promptitude to give, at this juncture, ers to the stencil arguments made by deal-
on the part of manufacturers to prosecute further serious consideration to the sten- ers. It has, too, given them a clear idea
a vigorous campaign abroad. They rightly cil problem. It was obscured for the of their position in the stencil business. It
figure that the nearby market is the most time being by one whirl of prosperity, but, has been demonstrated to them by argu-
profitable from every standpoint, and dur- after all, the publicity, the arguments, the ment that the stencil piano has been the
ing the past few months the utmost manu- notoriety which the stencil problem has open door to much misrepresentation, and
facturing activity has failed to diminish to received during the present year has been that the piano industry would be much
an appreciable degree the demand for of infinite benefit to the industry, and it better off if it were practically devoid of
also removed from the hands of the news- stencil products.
pianos in this country.
All this has been healthy; there has been
These conditions, however, will change paper fakir a weapon which he has used at
will
to
bring
the
trade
to
terms.
There
is
no abuse, no bones broken, and we may
later on, for America's manifest destiny is
nothing
after
all
which
will
effectually
kill
say, no manufacturers mulcted.
to control the piano markets of the world.
an
evil
like
publicity,
and
some
reputable
Manufacturers to-day are more and more
This nation having grown greater and as-
manufacturers
who
for
years
had
been
impressed
with the. desirability of having
sumed larger responsibilities will adapt it-
making
pianos
for
some
dealers
had
been
their own or corporate imprint upon the
self to new circumstances. We have long
fed
on
the
theory
that
it
would
be
a
seri-
instruments sent forth. It is the genera-
been known as the world's granary and
ous
injury
to
their
business
if
their
con-
tion of this very spirit backed by the idea
in the future we will be known as the
nection
with
stencil
pianos
became
gen-
that there is the possibility of individual
world's factory. Goods of American manu-
erally
known.
This
was
held
up
to
them
fraud in the infinite variety of stencils that
facture are sold now all over the earth and
for
months,
and
was
used
as
an
argument
causes them to put the brakes pretty well
they are destined to become better and
to
gain
fat
contracts.
Insidious
remarks
on that department of their business. So
better known. Again, our expansion gives
us tremendous power, for our territorial and wily insinuations both in paper and after all while the good times seem to have
limits now extend half way around the by person were made to them and they obscured the stencil question in the haze
came really to believe that the very name of prosperity yet the truth should not be
world.
of stencil piano was tainted with illegality overlooked that the agitation brought about
Americans to-day may boast that the sun
and dishonor.
has been of vast benefit to the legitimate
never sets on the soil over which the
What has been the result of the cam- industry.
stars and stripes wave. As Lawton's
gallant men in the Philippines witness the paign of '99 ?
WAR AND TRADE.
golden effulgence, Porto Rico is bathed in
First, the power of the journalistic fakir
his dying splendor.
who for years had used the stencil purely T H E war in South Africa has cut off the
entire music trade shipments to that
No matter how the "Anties" cry against as a means to gain a personal end, is de-
expansion the majority of our citizens be- throned. All of the arguments made have country. America has found, for many
lieve in the world-wide destiny of America failed to bring out one point against the years, the South African field a fairly good
and they will not fail in the more difficult, men who have been manufacturing pianos one for organs, but war has put an end to
more conspicuous paths on which it has " for " some dealer.
it for the present. War is an imperious
entered.
Again it has been demonstrated con- monopolist; even in the newspaper world
Our people compel the admiration of the clusively that argument and not abuse will it brings all the news matter into signifi-
world by the ease with which they adapt bring about a decrease in the stencil traf- cance; it intensifies newspaper life and
themselves to varying conditions. They fic. Let us see what effect the arguments specializes its energies. It overshadows