Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
In tKe Musical Merchandise Domain
hibit complete has been amply fulfilled. The
thousands of visitors to the Exposition who have
The Volume of Trade Seems to Average Up already seen the Conn exhibit have openly ex-
pressed their unqualified delight.
They fre-
Pretty Well, Notwithstanding Complaints—
quently declare that the examples shown of Conn
After the Summer Lull a Good Fall Business
sidll and enterprise are the finest they have ever
is Expected—An Excellent Analysis of the
seen.
Situation by a Prominent Jobber.
DEMAND FOR GOODS KEEPING UP.
With business possibly some slower than last
week, yet wholesale traders are far from
despondent. The demand for goods is keeping
up longer than a year ago, and in several in-
stances houses have ascertained their volume of
trade is falling very little, if any, behind that
for the same period. June promises well, and
the real dull season is not expected to arrive
until next month. With importers a few be-
lated orders, or a swelling of original bills, are
in evidence, otherwise the gentlemen in this line
have ample time for fishing purposes.
Speaking on broad lines, a prominent jobber
said to The Review on Tuesday: "We have no
special reason to complain so far, but one thing
that has become very clear is that the contrac-
tion in general business, which first became no-
ticeable in the middle of April, has spread with
great rapidity, although not with extreme inten-
sity, all over the country. There is a hand to
mouth buying visible in every line, and the gov-
erning influences of business are a desire to
reduce expenses and an unwillingness to embark
in new enterprises. This has come about as
quickly,. almost, as the shadow cast by a cloud
passing over the sun; and, of course, it may
disappear as soon. But the one question of ab-
sorbing interest that presses is, obviously,
whether the contraction that has come is a con-
traction of conservatism merely, a voluntary
slackening due to cautionary and prudential mo-
tives, or whether it is a contraction of necessity,
one following overproduction, a readjustment of
conditions that will admit of no delay. All that
can be said concerning this question is that it is
one that no man or men can answer decisively
just now. Time alone can tell what the essential
nature is of the letting down in business that is
now in evidence; and it will tell by disclosing the
fact, simply, whether the letting down is brief or
prolonged."
VICTOR DISTRIBUTING & EXPORT CO.
The Victor Trumpet, for Victor taper-arm ma-
chines, recently devised and placed on the market
by the Victor Distributing & Export Co., 77
Chambers street, is scoring a big success. This
specialty, already described in The Review, has
several notable features. It is practically in-
destructable. It will not warp, lose its shape or
break. In voice, it is declared, after many tests
and comparisons, to have "no equal." There is
no shivering "either of horn or listener." To
quote from the description: "The trumpet has a
voice; the average horn hasn't."
The notice of the Victor Distributing & Ex-
port Co., in another column, announcing that
they will allow the return for full credit of one-
third on every order for records should be care-
fully noted by all who are interested in Victor
records.
CONN AT THE WORLD'S FAIR.
C. G. Conn's beautiful palace of music in the
Liberal Arts building, at the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition at St. Louis, where he has prepared
the most extensive, beautiful and costly display
of first-class musical instruments ever exhibited
at any World's Fair, and which is filled with the
most elaborate and beautiful specimens of the
expert instrument-maker's art, is attracting
marked attention. It is indeed a gem of archi-
tectural beauty, sculpture, color and adaptability.
Mr. Conn's aim to make the scope of his great ex-
PHONOGRAPH COMPANY'S LITIGATION
Involves Selling Rights in New York—Injunc-
tions Galore and Still They Come.
From Tuesday to Friday inclusive, of last
week, argument was heard in the case of the New
York Phonograph Co. against the National Phono-
graph Co., before Judge Hazle in the United
MADE IN AUSTRIA, NOT GERMANY. States Circuit Court for the Southern District of
Some Facts Regarding Imported "Small" In- New York. The suit involves the binding force
struments Which Show They Are Not Made of a contract originally executed by the North
in Markneukirchen—Austrian Manufactur- American Graphophone Co., under which the
complainant claims the exclusive selling rights
ers Organize Association.
in the State of New York. The contention is
that the National Phonograph Co. is the direct
(Special to The Review.)
successor by purchase of the North American
Washington, D. C, June 5, 1904.
J. Steel Twells, the United States Commercial Co.'s effects and covenants. This is denied by
Agent at Carlsbad, writing to the Department of the plaintiffs.
Commerce and Labor this week regarding music
A motion was once made in a State court to
trade conditions in Austria, says:
dissolve the New York Phonograph Co., but it
"At Schoenbach and Fleissen thirty-four musi- failed. Then early in the year the complainant
moved for a preliminary injunction against the
cal instrument makers are established, most of
whom make what are called 'wood instruments' defendant, which was denied by Judge Lacombe,
for the American market. Hitherto all these of the United States Circuit Court, in the fol-
goods were sent over the frontier to Markneu- lowing brief decision:
kirchen, a small place in Germany, and shipped
"It must be a very extraordinary case which
from there as 'German productions' to the United should require the court, where the testimony has
States, while in reality they were made in Aus- been taken to consider it as it would upon final
tria. In consequence, the American buyers indi- hearing, in order to administer preliminary re-
rectly had to pay for the duty of importing Aus- lief. It is thought that complainant having
trian goods into Germany and, of course, like- waited so long should now wait until it can pre-
wise the heavy profit which the German commis- sent its cause for interlocutory decree; especially
sion merchants at Markneukirchen charged. when injunction will close a going concern, and
Some time ago the Austrian Government sent a it does not appear that complainant is able to
commissioner to Schoenbach to investigate the take its place in supplying the public."
peculiar condition of that trade there, and on
In the meantime proofs were completed and
February 21 last a meeting was held at Schoen- the arguments submitted last week were on the
bach in which it was resolved to establish a final hearing, in which a permanent injunction is
'united manufacturers' association' of musical in- sought. Thomas A. Edison, the celebrated electri-
strument makers, which henceforth will supply cian, was the star witness in the case, but his
the merchants direct and not via Markneukir- testimony is said to have been of no great value
chen.
I t was shown that the whole trade of
to the opposition, though he was the inventor
musical instruments at Schoenbach and its en- cf the original phonograph and of improved de-
virons is now entirely dependent upon the Mark- vices since then, besides being the president of
neukirchen agents, and during the whole year
in which this commercial agency has been in
operation at Carlsbad only two small invoices
were certified here from Schoenbach. At the
meeting at Schoenbach 72 manufacturers of
musical instruments in the district gave notice
that they will join the new association. At
Schoenbach, 8,000 dozen violins are made an-
nually, of which many go to America as "Ger-
man goods."
"The American buyers of musical instruments
should know these facts, because every merchant
desires to get goods from the most direct sources,
and when buying direct from makers at Schoen-
bach the prices should be lower than hitherto
and would perhaps even enable American mer-
chants to sell these goods to South America. The
instruments from Schoenbach have a world-wide
reputation, and I do not think many of them were
hitherto shipped to the United States direct."
WM. R. GRATZ'S SUMMER HOME.
Wm. R. Gratz, of Wm. R. Gratz Co., New York,
who went abroad earlier than usual this year, is
stopping with his family a t Marienbad, the fa-
mous Austrian springs resort, running into Mark-
neukirchen, a two hours' run, daily. He is not
expected back before September, when export or-
ders are again to the front.
HARMONICAS AS TOYS.
The United States Board of General Appraisers,
in a decision on May 25, sustained the protest of
Geo. Borgfeldt & Co., the "Wholesale Department
Store," that harmonicas costing less than 1 mark
(about 24 cents) were dutiable as toys. The au-
thorities cited G. A. 1003 and 4679 to fortify their
opinion.
" H I S MASTER'S VOICE 1 *
Return Your Old Records
and Get New Ones.
On every order for Records we will
allow the return for full credit of
1-3 as many records as you order.
No matter how old or shopworn they
may be, provided they are "Victor
Records" and not broken. In order-
ing under this plan, always give a
second choice list, as we reserve the
right to substitute, if necessary, to
make up the full number.
The Largest and Most Complete Stock
in the United States.
THE VICTOR DISTRIBUTING * EXPORT GO.
77 Chambers St., New York.