Music Trade Review

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TH
MUSIC TRADE
REVEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
GHO. B. KBLLEB.
L. E. BOWKKS.
W. N. TYLER.
WM. B. WHITE.
F. II. THOMPSON.
BMILIB FRANCES BAUER.
L. J. CHAMBERLIN.
A. J. NICKLIN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
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ERNEST L. WAITT, 173 Tremont St.
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CINCINNATI, O.: NINA PUGH-SMITH.
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REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyuiau Bill.
Directory ol Piano
Manufacturers
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
found on another page will be of great value, as a referenci
for dealers and others.
REVIEW
ferent expositions, but never centering the whole trade under one
roof. It will, without doubt, be featured so that it will attract
widespread attention. Coming, as it will, shortly after the middle
of September, a great many dealers will, presumably, find it con-
venient to be in New York about that time.
r
~P v HE decision which has recently been rendered, whereby an
X
injunction was granted Henry F. Miller & Sons by the
Superior Court of Massachusetts, restraining the Miller Piano Co.,
Inc., from doing business under that name, or selling or handling
pianos with the name of Miller upon them, unless built by that
concern, is of more than passing interest to the trade.
It seems that, according to the statement made in last week's
Review, the president of the Miller Piano Co. admitted that he
knew nothing about the manufacture of pianos, and that he had
never received any compensation as president of the company, add-
ing that he was at present janitor in a Boston building, and was
formerly a professional boxer.
Henry F. Miller & Sons contend that the name of Miller on
pianos used by the defendant company was for the purpose of
misleading the public as well as Henry F. Miller customers to be-
lieve that the instruments were manufactured by the original Miller
concern.
It seems from the decision rendered that the court was in
perfect harmony with the claims made by Henry F. Miller, to whom
the thanks of the trade are due for immediately and emphatically
suppressing work of this kind.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand l'rix
Pnris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.Charleston Expoistlon, 1902
Diploma. Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal. .St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Qold J/ecfcU.Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NUMBER 1745 GRAMERCY
NEW
YORK.
APRIL
14,
1906
EDITORIAL
T
HE latest development of the exposition plan will be interest-
ing to members of the music trade in all sections of America.
It is now definitely settled that there is planned a great music trade
exposition to be held in Madison Square Garden, New York, from
September 17 to 24. This will be under the management and per-
sonal supervision of Captain J. A. H. Dressel, of the Madison
Square Garden Co.
Captain Dressel is a veteran in the exposition line, as for four-
teen years he has managed exhibits at the Garden, and has never
yet scored a failure. The Sportsman's Show, which has been built
up under his management, just recently closed the most successful
exhibit since the establishment of this annual attraction at the
Garden.
T
HERE is really nothing more contemptible in commercial life
than for one concern to trade upon the reputation of an-
other. A good name is priceless, and a name which has been used
in pianodom for many years, and has won a high position, consti-
tutes at once a valuable business asset, which is frequently looked
upon with longing and jealous eyes by those who are desirous
of profiting by the hard work of others.
This recent Boston decision is in line with all of the recent
rulings by courts concerning the use of names and trademarks
which are calculated to deceive retail purchasers as to the origin
of the merchandise offered. Anyone who attempts to deceive the
public by trading upon the name and reputation of another is de-
serving of the strongest kind of condemnation.
All piano manufacturers are naturally interested in matters of
this kind, for if manufacturers whose names are used with the
apparent intent of deceiving have no recourse, why, then others
are encouraged to copy names indiscriminately, and as a result in
a few years we would have the trade filled with a lot of rank
imitations of some of the great names foisted by men who would
attempt to make dollars upon its good name and honest dealings
of other concerns.
A
SUBSCRIBER, writing from Phoenix, Ariz., says: "I have
been a reader of your valuable paper ever since it was first
started, and have noted your commenting on different methods of
APTAIN DRESSEL, while discussing his plan with The
conducting the piano business. Am sending you copies of adver-
Review, remarked that he had looked over the ground thor-
tisements of two firms who are running special sales and knocking
oughly and was convinced that an exhibit could be made not only
each other in this city. I would like to get your views regarding
interesting to the members of the trade but to the public as well.
this style of knocking."
He proposes to have a number of original features which will
The papers inclosed contain advertisements which do not differ
attract the attention of the public, thus increasing the selling possi-
materially from others which have been used in various sections of
bilities of musical instruments. An eight-day show at the Garden
the country. There is one concern who advises in a big headline
under expert management is pretty nearly what The Review pre-
to "Keep your optics open and look around before you buy." Then
dicted some two years ago, when we stated that a great exposition
later on the advertisement contains the following:
under veteran control at Madison Square Garden, which would
"We don't advertise "big sales,"' "ruinous prices," "great
include all branches of the industry, and special attractive musical
slaughter" of pianos or other misleading expressions to catch
features, was the only manner in which the exposition could be
ignoramuses. We don't buy a lot of moth-eaten, shop-worn and
made a possible success.
out-of-date instruments from old defunct firms and gull the public
with "bargain" yarns. We don't advertise having the finest and
HE whole exposition scheme must be treated broadly, and it largest stock, though we pay in Phoenix three times more taxes
is the intention of the management of the proposed music
on musical instruments than the other dealers combined. We don't
trade exposition to have many novel features which will have a buy from California (thereby paying double freight), nor do we
drawing power. Some manufacturers with whom Captain Dressel
pay heavy store rent nor give TO per cent, commission to teachers
has taken up the matter have already expressed themselves in the to have their assistance in puffing up hot air on unsuspecting pur-
warmest terms as approving the plan. Certainly it will give great
chasers. But we assert that we handle a better class of instruments
prestige to the musical wares, and it will be novel because never
and receive them direct from the largest factories in Christendom
in the history of this country has there been an exclusive music
(having a combined capital of $30,000,000) and sell cheaper and
trade exhibit. There have been various sporadic exhibits at dif- on easier payments without recourse to the humbuggery of "grand
C
T