Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Association fleetings.
flay Reach Billion and a Half.
Topics Suggested for Discussion—Invitations
Extended and Other Topics Invited From
Dealers,
Our Exports Continue to Grow—Harch Makes
a Great Record—$86,000,000 in Excess of
the Same Honth Last Year—Imports Also
Show Decrease.
The Executive Committee of the National
Piano Manufacturers Association of Ameri-
ca extend a cordial invitation to the dealers
of this country to be present and participate
in a joint session with the members of the
Association, to be held on the afternoon of
Wednesday, May 15th, at two o'clock, at the
Hoffman House, Broadway, between 24th
and 25th streets, New York City, for the
purpose of discussing any matters that may
tend to elevate the trade and be of mutual
interest.
The following topics are suggested for dis-
cussion :
"The One Price System; advantages and dis-
advantages.
"The matter of fighting a competitor by obtain-
ing pianos of his competitors' line through under-
hand methods,.
' Is the $5 a month installment business profit-
able or not?
"The Question of Commissions, and how they
may be regulated.
"The Question of Local Associations of Dealers.
"The selling of stencil pianos.
*
"The obtaining of interest on leases.
[Special to The Review.]
Washington, D. C, April 18, 1901.
The fiscal year 1901 seems likely to ex-
ceed any preceding year in its record of ex-
ports from the United States. The steady
growth of our exports from 392 million dol-
lars in 1870 to 835 million dollars in 1880,
1,030 millions in 1892 and 1,394 millions in
1900, has been a subject of much attention
and much favorable comment, but it seems
that 1901 is to surpass the record of the year
1900 and bring the export figure nearly, if
not quite, to the billion and a half mark.
The March import and export figures, just
completed by the Treasury Bureau of Statis-
tics, show a total exportation from the United
States in the nine months ending with March,
1901, of $1,140,170,728, or $86,540,032 in
excess of last year, which holds the highest
record in the history of our export trade.
Another interesting fact developed by the
March figures of our foreign commerce is
that imports seem likely to show a decided
decrease in 1901 as compared with 1900,
while the exports are showing- the increase
above indicated. The figures of the nine
months ending with March, 1901, show a
decrease of $42,292,639 in the imports, as
compared with those in the corresponding
months of the preceding year. Thus the
excess of exports over imports in the nine
months under discussion is more than $100,-
000,000 greater than in the corresponding
months of last year and far beyond the figures
of any preceding year. The excess of ex-
ports over imports in the nine months end-
ing with March, 1901, is $540,687,337, as
against $411,854,666 in the corresponding
months of 1900, an increase of $128,832,671
in the net excess of exports over imports
for the nine months of 1901, as compared
with the corresponding period of the fiscal
year 1900.
On Thursday evening, May 16th, the An-
nual banquet will be held at Delmonico's.
The Association will be glad to have any
of the dealers attend, the cost of tickets being
$9.
On Friday, May 17th, the members of the
Association and dealers will be the guests
of the "New York Piano Manufacturers As-
sociation" on a trip up the Hudson River,
landing at West Point and visiting the U. S.
Military Academy.
It is requested that dealers who intend to
be present at the above meeting, banquet,
etc., will notify the assistant secretary, Her-
bert W. Hill, 254 West Twenty-third street,
New York, at their earliest convenience. Re-
mittances for banquet tickets should be made
to Mr. Robert C. Kammerer, 136 Fifth ave-
nue, New York, before May 10th.
Chas. H. Parsons,
Now Greater Weaver.
Chairman Executive Committee.
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The Enterprising York, Pa , Concern Increase
Their Capital Stock to Half a Million and
The secretary in enclosing the above no-
Will Hake a Number of Enlargements and
tification suggests to The Review to add any
Improvements in Their Plant—Intend to
Have One of the Largest Organ and Piano
other topics for discussion. We believe that
Factories in the Country.
the subject "How to kill catalogue house
The Weaver Organ & Piano Co., of York,
competition," if added to the list, would be
warmly discussed by dealers from the West Pa., have been granted authority by the
and South.
State Department to increase their capital
stock from $120,000 to $500,000, the first
The Everett Used,
and immediate increase to $300,000 having
At the Springfield, Mass., Music Festival by been already subscribed by the present stock-
Richard Burmeister—Misleading State-
ments Explained.
holders. The balance will be issued as the
business
demands.
At the Springfield, Mass., Music Fes-
The
object
of this move was made appar-
tival held in that city April 19th and 20th,
the Everett concert grand was used by Rich- ent this week when arrangements, under
ard Burmeister, the eminent pianist. In our consideration for some time, were consum-
last issue we were led to credit him, through mated with one of the leading architects for
misleading literature, with using another in-
strument. No mention of the Everett was the erection of a number of new buildings—
made in the official program, while another which will more than double their present
grand piano was advertised as "used at the capacity—as well as the purchase of several
1901 Spring-field and Holyoke Music Festi- plots of ground, which with previous pos-
vals."
sessions gives them a continuous front on
The Everett, however, is the only piano East Philadelphia street of over 550 feet, with
used by Burmeister, of whose artistic tone
qualities he is an ardent and consistent ad- a frontage of 150 feet on Broad street and
mirer. At the concert which takes place this 200 feet on Walnut street.
afternoon in Springfield, his numbers in-
The new buildings to be erected include a
clude Liszt's Concerto Pathetique and two large four story brick structure, adjoining
smaller compositions by the same composer. the present factory on the South and extend-
U
ing sixty feet wide, a distance of ninety-five
feet to East Philadelphia street, with an ad-
ditional "L" sixty feet wide extending east-
ward 100 feet on Philadelphia street, making
the total four-story on East Philadelphia
street 160 feet. This building will contain
the latest up-to-date machinery and appli-
ances for the manufacture of pianos and or-
gans, as well as the most modern conveniences
for the employees. The present factory
will be also raised to four stories, which will
give an entire floor space of over 150,000
square feet. A complete automatic sprinkler
system will be installed to protect the build-
ing from fire. The machinery will be re-
arranged in the old building and new ma-
chines of the latest pattern added. In other
words, the old building will be re-arranged
and improved to meet the demands of prog-
ress so that there will be practically an en-
tirely new plant.
In the new structure the fourth floor will
be occupied for piano and organ finishing;
the third floor for the manufacture of the in-
terior of pianos and for tuning and regulating
pianos; the second floor will be devoted to
the manufacture of organ actions and for
tuning and regulating organs; the planing
mill and case making departments will occu-
py ttje first floor. Here will be made the
piano and organ cases and backs from the
rough lumber, after it has been seasoned and
cured in the dry house. The basement will
be used as a storage for storing piano ve-
neers, finishing and other materials. The
packing and shipping departments will be
located on the first floor and the present
offices will be enlarged by the building of an
extension, fronting on Walnut street, for
private offices of the president, secretary
and treasurer. The Maryland and Penn-
sylvania Railroad will connect with a switch
on the Southwest corner of the factory, so
that instruments can be shipped and supplies
received with the utmost dispatch.
Other buildings include a new power
house, which will contain a 150 horse-power
engine of the latest type, and two horizontal
tubular boilers, 125 horse-power each, with
all the latest appliances for economizing fuel.
A machine shop will also be attached. The
contract for the engine and boiler has been
placed with Geo. F. Motter & Sons. The
new twin drying kilns will front on East
Walnut street and the latest and most com-
plete drying apparatus has already been or-
dered from the St. Albans Manufacturing
Co., of Vermont. Extra lumber shops are
to be erected on the new ground running
East, as well as a commodious brick stable.
The ground not occupied by the buildings
will be used for a lumber yard. In fact, every
possible facility will be provided for the
economical manufacture of first-class pia-
nos and organs, which can be supplied to the
trade without delay and with a perfect con-
fidence that they will fill all requirements of
dealers and purchasers.
The Weaver Co. are certainly to be con-
gratulated on their progress. Quietly, but
surely, they have been building up a fine busi-
ness for their instruments. The best proof
of this fact is in the important policy of ex-
pansion outlined above.