Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
are forced to admit that the popular trend
shows a greater love of the beautiful among
our people than was exhibited during the
days when heavy elaborations were con-
sidered to be quite the thing.
The furniture manufacturers, too, find
that the plain designs are the best sellers,
and that there is very little demand for
the heavily carved or decorated furniture
which met with such a large sale but a
short time past.
The piano manufacturer is afforded but
comparatively little scope for the incorpor-
ation of radical changes in case designs.
Of course, the special designs afford ample
play for artistic tastes, but they appeal al-
most wholly to people of great wealth and
are prohibitive, on account of price, of be-
coming popular with the masses.
BROKEN PROMISES.
''THE men who are at the head of labor or-
ganizations should learn that a strict
observance of agreements is essential to
achieve a respectful consideration at the
hands of business men. There are evi-
dences at hand that labor has not as yet
qualified in this respect.
The managers of the Pan-American Ex-
position at Buffalo considered every pos-
sible way to avoid labor troubles during
the erection of the Exposition buildings.
To this end unions were consulted and
men living in Buffalo only were to be
employed. Further, a rate of compen-
sation per hour was agreed upon to
continue in force until next April, at
which time the work was to be com-
pleted. All calculations and contracts
affected by the cost of decorating the
buildings were adjusted to the definite
agreement entered into by every man em-
ployed as a painter, for the management
were engaged heart and soul in producing
an artistic picture of the grounds and
buildings by a harmonious plan of archi-
tecture and a scheme of external coloring
under the charge of competent experts.
Great care was taken in employing the
painters to apply the colors to the various
structures, and notwithstanding the agree-
ment which was absolutely voluntary,
amicable and avowed to be satisfactory,
the men a short time ago took it into their
heads that they should be paid one-third
more than they had contracted for, or at
least they wanted to be paid that much
more, and without warning they made the
demand and further emphasized that de-
mand by a strike when it was refused.
Can any actions be more injurious to
the cause of union labor than such an exhi-
bition of bad faith and of incapacity to ap-
preciate the obligations of a contract? Such
actions, more than anything else, remove
the confidence of capitalists in labor
unions, and make amicable settlements
of labor troubles still an iridescent dream.
In our own industry piano manufactur-
ers take little stock in the promises of the
leaders of the Piano and Organ Workers'
Union. If the members are really desirous
of promoting confidence in their organiza-
tions they should get men at the head in
whom the business element have confi-
dence, and then, best of all, stick to their
promises.
The Piano Workers Union is not popu-
lar with our industry. Albert Krell, presi-
dent of the Krell Piano Co., said last week
that he would not have anything more to
do with the strikers, other than to con-
sider their individual applications for em-
ployment as vacancies occur in the pre-
sent working force. He refused to estab-
lish the nine-hour day and to receive any
committee from the union.
"I will run this shop strictly non-union
after this," he stated. "I am only a small
number of men short, and those I have are
satisfactory."
THROTTLING INDUSTRY.
\ I 7 I T H I N the near future it is extreme-
ly probable that the number of Chi-
cago piano manufacturers who have estab-
lished auxiliary factories at outside points,
where they will be free from labor inter-
ference, will be materially increased. In-
vestigations have steadily been going on
for some time and we know personally of
some manufacturers who have refused to
put another dollar in Chicago factory prop-
erty, owing to the peculiar condition exist-
ing in labor circles in that city. There
are others.
The firm of Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett
& Co. have issued a public statement that
they will erect a store and warehouse build-
ing next spring, provided they can get men
to do work who are not bound to yield to
the dictates of "spellbinders who are fill-
ing their own pockets and emptying those
of men they profess to represent." It
wants the work done, but it must have
men not in thraldom to do the work. If
it cannot get such men the building will
remain on paper.
While praising the good intentions of
and indorsing union labor, the firm calls
upon honest workmen to throw off the
bondage of disorder that it says now con-
trols the labor market in Chicago. When
will the men exhibit a little sense and
cease throttling the great industries in the
business heart of the great West?
A L'AIGLON STYLE.
TT is interesting to note how sometimes
small events are used in this country
to promote mercantile interests. Since
Bernhardt and Coquelin have reached these
shores there already have appeared a num-
ber of special Empire and L'Aiglon styles
of wearing apparel.
The mercantile world of Europe can
scarcely appreciate the wonderful vehicle
for style promulgation that America pos-
sesses in its press bureaus.
Truly this is a wonderful country of ours,
where every idea is formulated and spread
with electric rapidity and newspaper in-
genuity from one border to the other al-
most instantaneously. We question wheth-
er Europe, outside of its leading cities, has
heard of L'Aiglon styles. We love novel-
ties and are willing to pay for them, as is
demonstrated when a fashion idea per-
meates every nook and corner of his land
all inspired by the fad of Paris—the crea-
tion of one man's mind—a poet at that—
Rostand who, through his interpreter—
Bernhardt—not only inspires the world of
literature, but moves the mercantile world
by the horse-power of Pegasus.
The pen is certainly mightier than the
sword in this mercantile world, not only in
signing checks but also in creating busi-
ness.
What a pity that some of the brilliant
intellects of the piano industry are afforded
such a limited field for the play of their
imaginatory powers in the development of
their business?
We shall have to drift along without any
L'Aiglon styles, but—still — just a mo-
ment—the idea is not so bad. Why not
a L'Aiglon style in pianos?
It is a catchy phrase, well advertised
and would be specially appropriate when
used in conjunction with a high-grade in-
strument and a well-known name. Who
will be the first to use this name as a mo-
tive power for piano distribution ?
We have in mind some manufacturers
who would score a decided hit by getting
out a style L'Aiglon.
A NEEDED CHANGE.
TT is possible that a bill will be introduced
in the next Congress in favor of estab-
lishing the metric system of weights and
measures. The agitation of a movement
of this kind is simply pushing forward a
deferred decision which is of importance
to our future mercantile relations with the
rest of the world. In view of the rapid
growth of our export trade, it will come to
be an absolute necessity and the decimal
system in the end must triumph, and the
early adoption of this system of weights
and measures will expedite commercial in-
tercourse with foreign countries.
In Mexico—and we call that somewhat
of a backward country—the metric system