Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Of course we may credit good times in is an artistic as well as talismanic value at-
aiding materially to bring about the turn tached to certain names.
The intermediate class of makers, too,
of the trade current toward higher priced
and better wares, but there always is an- have been specially favored by the changes
other instrumental factor which has as- wrought in the business world since 1896.
sisted largely to improve the conditions, They appeal to a large and healthy class—
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
and that is the desire from the dealers neither the very rich nor the very poor.
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
themselves to have better pianos than That class is situated to-day by improved
J . B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER,
were supplied them during the days of the trade conditions so that they can afford to
gratify certain artistic tastes.
cheap craze.
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
There are great possibilities for the me-
Again, the manufacturers of the very
Executive Staff :
GEO.
W. QUERIPEL
A. J. NICKLIN
cheap pianos have found that they were dium-priced pianos, and in good times they
PHMtehed Every Saturday at 3 East i4Ui Street, New YorK establishing nothing for themselves in the always have a vast population which it is
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage). United States, Mexico
way of reputation that could not be im- possible for them to interest.
a n d Canada, $2.00 per year ; all other countries, $4.00.
mediately eclipsed by new manufacturers
$75.00.
WILL NOT BE THROTTLED.
to-morrow who could underbid them in a
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
made payable to Edward Lytnan Bill.
matter of price. A large individual out- f^HICAGO is the worst union-ridden
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
put helped to build no desirable reputa-
city in the United States. How far
NEW YORK, NOV. 17, 1900.
tion and the profits of the very cheap the strength of the labor organization
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745--EIQHTEENTH STREET.
lines
were cut down to such an infinitesi- reaches up to the city officials and even
On the first Saturday of each month The
Review contains in its "Artists Department"
mal point that it needed the services of an the judiciary was clearly demonstrated
all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or expert accountant to tell just whether
during the long drawn out labor troubles
service of the trade section of the paper. It has
a special circulation, and therefore augments they were making or losing money.
in piano circles in that city and the subse-
materially the value of The Review to adver-
While
the
manufacture
of
the
very
cheap
quent developments in the courts. Under
tisers.
pianos will always continue, yet the out- normal conditions the advantages of
PIANO CHANGES AND POSSIBILI-
put has been materially lessened by the Chicago as a piano-making center are gen-
TIES.
advance made in quality and consequently erally recognized, but Chicago piano men
\ \ 7 I T H the recrudescence of the medium
price, during the past two or three years. can not compete with the union trust.
and high-priced piano in pub"ic favor
The very cheap pianos have been usual-
We have asserted that the greatest of all
and the consequent dethronement of the
ly of the stencil class which have been sent trusts was the labor trust, and industrial
very cheap piano from its vantage ground
out under different trademarks and sold organizations were not to be considered in
of two or three years ago it is opportune to
consider the causes which have been instru- to three or four dealers in the same town. a point of concentration and equipment
mental in bringing about this radical trans- The business has paid a limited temporary with the labor organizations of this country.
profit, but affords no hope for the future
The labor trust has now broken out in a
formation in the piano world.
of the piano manufacturer who engages in new place in Chicago. It is attempting to
It was only a comparatively short time
that sort of enterprise.
coerce retail clerks to join the ranks of
ago that the very cheap piano was occupy-
Under
the
changed
conditions
it
is
but
union
labor, the federation of labor hav-
ing the coign of vantage as far as demand
was to be considered in the piano world. natural that there should have been re- ing ordered a boycott in Chicago on all re-
The matter of price, always price, was newed activity among all the makers of tail clerks not under the sway of this gi-
hurled at every piano traveler who repre- the old line pianos—the medium priced, gantic corporation. .
It is said in Chicago that some 80,000
sented the medium and high-priced houses, the high-grade, including those which have
outside of a few of the famous old his- been known for generations for their re- wage-earners will refuse to buy from re-
liability and artistic worth.
tail clerks who do not belong to the union.
toric houses of the industry.
It is a difficult proposition for a new- Salesmen will be requested to produce a
Quality was but a slight desideratum.
comer
in the piano world to replace in pub- •'working card" showing good standing in
Low price was the key which unlocked
lic esteem one of the old-time names which a labor union, and if the card is not shown
the citadel of the piano merchant's heart.
have
been known for generations.
the intending purchaser will walk out of
To-day there are few firms who are man-
It certainly reflects great credit upon the the store rather than buy from a non-
ufacturing what we may term the very
enterprise
of those who, in late years, have union employee. Of course, the threat of
cheap piano, and many of those who were
engaged in supplying the lower priced in- devoted their capital and energy to the loss of business which is embodied in this
struments that were marketed years ago building of pianos of a high grade, and order is expected to influence the store
have to-day advanced their instruments in who are making satisfactory advance in proprietor and induce him to urge his
quality so that they occupy what we may public esteem as well as in critical and ar- clerks to join the ranks of organized labor.
tistic circles. No matter how meritorious
A great deal has been said in certain
term the medium-priced position.
the
article,
a
position
for
it
can
only
be
won
quarters about the despotism of the trusts,
There is an unmistakable desire on the
in
the
hearts
of
the
people
by
vast
expen-
but
the most arrogant aggregation of capi-
part of those whose names were formerly
ditures
in
multifarious
channels
leading
to
tal would have to go a long way to beat
associated with the cheap kind of product
publicity.
The
old
names
which
have
won
this
sort of thing. Fortunately, the courts
to be known to-day not exclusively as
''makers of good pianos for the money," high repute are difficult indeed for the are likely to frown very severely on a con-
but as "makers of honest and reliable in- newcomers to approach, because genera- spiracy of the character indicated.
tions have grown up who have a certain
Was not the formation of some such
struments."
reverence
for
piano
nomenclature
which
scheme advocated by the followers of Dold
That they have succeeded in moving up
has
been
familiar
to
them
from
their
earli-
last
year among the sympathizers of the
several notches is demonstrated beyond
est
years.
There
is
no
disputing
that
there
the peradventure of a doubt.
striking piano workmen? Was not a boy-
TWENTY-SECOND YEAR.
EDITOR ARTIST'S DIPT.