Music Trade Review

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THE: MUSIC TRADE
Conducted and Edited by Win. B. White.
the proposed legislation, but am merely inter-
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
ested in urging that if our profession is ever
A. L. Atwood, Carroll, Iowa.—"I read in an to be put on a stable foundation there must be
old number of the Music Trade Review that you some definite steps taken for the purpose of dis-
had some copies of the by-laws of the Helm- criminating between the sheep and the goats.
holtz Society of Piano Tuners, and would be Certainly the certificate of a tuning school, as
pleased to send a copy to anyone who applied. these institutions are at present conducted, is
If you have any of these left will you kindly absolutely of no value whatever, at least as far
send me one? Or, if not, let me know to whom as concerns those which are run on the "learn
I may apply for one now."
tuning in seven weeks by mail and make an in-
Answer.—In ordinary circumstances it would dependent fortune in a year" method. Such
not have been necessary to print a letter con- schools are merely interested in securing the
taining nothing more than so simple a request maximum number of tuition fees, and it is at
as this. But I wish to use it as a text for some once absurd and disgraceful for them to pretend
remarks concerning the Helmholtz Society and that they can make a good tuner out of a green
the principles in support of which it was founded student in a few weeks without ever having seen
and for which it stands. In a recent number him. Therefore, the certifying authority, if it
of an esteemed trade contemporary I was some- ever exists, must be independent and impartial.
what surprised to note a communication from Therefore, a state constituted board, other things
the Kansas City correspondent who alluded to being equal, alone would solve the problem.
what he was pleased to term certain "freak"
bills introduced into the State Legislature of
All this is here set down as a preliminary to
Missouri. Among these he mentioned one de- what I have to say regarding the Helmholtz
signed to license the profession of piano tuning. Society. My correspondent has asked me to
The information was also appended that the bill send him a copy of the by-laws of this organiza-
in question failed to be reported out of commit- tion and thereby has provided me with a peg
tee.
whereupon I may hang a sermon to the tuning
profession in general, the purport whereof shall
I would like to know what reason the corre- be the vital n«ed to-day of the principles for
spondent in question may have had for referring which the society stands.
to the proposed legislation as a piece of "freak"
It has been contemptuously stated that the
bill drawing? Why is it necessary to consider
that there is anything essentially absurd about Helmholtz National Society of Pianoforte Tun-
a proposition to license tuners? I confess that ers of America, incorporated in New York (to
while I can see a great many reasons which give its full title) was "started by a few tuners
would induce me to lend any influence I might in New York" and that it never came to any-
possess to a movement in favor of such licensing, thing. It is perfectly true that the society in
there are no reasons at all apparent to me for question was started by a few tuners in New
opposing the suggested move on grounds of York, a fact that I am not inclined to dispute,
since I was one of the few myself. But it is dis-
policy, expediency or otherwise.
ingenuous to imply that the principles that these
I am sure that no one will be inclined to deny few tuners supported were of so little value that
that the piano-tuning profession would be con- they'died of inanition.
ducted much better than it now is if it were
The Helmholtz Society was founded for the
subject to some intelligent control at the hands
of a properly constituted authority. What the purpose of transforming the profession of piano
tuning profession needs above all things is tuning into one that should be as stable, well
standardization, and it seems to me that this established and honorable as that of the law,
could be gained without a doubt through the medicine or the church. Its founders believed
medium of a licensing authority. Why should a that the public was entitled to protection as re-
fake tuner be allowed to prey upon the purse garded the manner of men who were admitted
of the public, and why is it against public policy to its homes for the purpose of caring for its
to declare that such a man has no right to prac- pianos. They likewise believed that good, legiti-
tise without the certificate of an authority which mate, and skilful tuners were equally entitled to
has nothing to gain by being other than im- protection against the fakir, the incompetent
partial? It is a very extraordinary thing that as and the fraud. For they well realized that the
soon as any one suggests any line of thought in public could only be protected when they them-
public affairs that happens to be a little out of selves were also protected, and that the future
the beaten path a cry always goes up from the of the profession was endangered and the confi-
bewhiskered ones to the effect that the idea in dence of the public in its integrity shaken, by
question is either socialistic, anarchistic or just the horde of incompetents wherewith the coun-
try was fast becoming overrun.
a plain "freak."
I am not discussing the constitutionality of
These earnest men, friends, companions and
colleagues of mine own, knew well the arduous
nature of the task they undertook. They were
not unaware that all the forces of prejudice, ig-
norance and indifference would for ever be
THE BEST IM THE WORLD
against them, and while they have not as yet
Simple, Durable and Absolutely Noiseless
been able to realize their aims, the spirit where-
NOT AFFECTED BY CLIMATE
with they began their work still dwells within
them, and the principles for which they declared
are to-day as unshaken, vital and enduring as
on the night when first they were enunciated.
The Standard of America
The
N
ORRIS DATENT
OISELESSI EDALAGTION
Annoyance and Expense
Saved Dealer and Purchaser
Manufactured and sold only by
Norris Noiseless Pedal Action Go.
ALUERT F. NORRIS
3 Appleton Street,
CLIFTON H. NORRIS
Boston, Mass.
13
REVIEW
The Helmholtz Society stands for honesty, lib-
erty and justice. Do not misunderstand these
words or think them but idle bombast. We are
not talking politics nor are we engaged in sav-
ing the country. We are merely considering
facts. The founders of this society desire no
monopoly of their profession. They have no
principles in common with the labor union.
While they recognize the great advantages that
have arisen from the organization of labor, they
believe that their own field of usefulness lies
in directions foreign to any wherewith the labor
union properly concerns itself. Thus they ex-
tend the hand of friendship to organized labor,
but ask not to be led by it. They have no de-
sire, nor have they ever had any, to dictate the
terms upon which their members shall market
their skill. No idea of fixing prices has ever
occurred to them. For they are wise enough to
realize that there is no need for any such action
on their part. They know that the tuning pro-
fession, even in its present disorganized state,
offers advantages to the skilful and honest prac-
titioner which enable him to adjust his fees to
the satisfaction of all, without the interposition
of any organized regulating body.
But they also recognize that the profession,
if it is to endure, and remain a truly gainful
occupation, must bestir itself to shut out from
its ranks those who are unfit to belong within
them, and this it can only do by establishing a
standard of excellence in the art, and by com-
pelling its members to attain to that standard
as a first requirement of membership. In this
manner the public will be educated to the point
of discriminating between fit and unfit by being
brought to see that it is to the interest of a good
tuner to ally himself with an organization that
stands for the best in the practice of the pro-
fession and for nothing else.
Of the details of organization—the state ex-
aminers, the efforts to interest state legislatures,
and so on—I need here say nothing. Such mat-
ters may be the subject of later talks. But I
want to impress upon all who read this that
the position of the Helmholtz Society is that of
a buttress between the public and the fake tuner,
that its success can only mean the immeasurable
advantage of the profession, and its failure noth-
ing but the absolute indifference both of profes-
sion and public to their mutual well-being.
While my correspondent is waiting for the
by-laws, which I shall send him, let him read
these words with such attention as he cares to
exercise. Thereby he may be saved some mis-
apprehension as to the actual aims, ideas, and
methods of this much abused organization, which
to me has been so dear.
Communication for the department should be
addressed to the Editor Technical Department,
The Music Trade Review.
The Simon Piano Co., Spokane, Wash., recently
won their suit against D. W. Erbes for $382,
commissions advanced, but unearned, and for use
of a rig belonging to the company. Erbes let
the matter go by default.
Edward Kirby has opened a new music store
in Barrington, 111.
HAVE you secured
space for exhibition
purposes at the
NATIONAL
MUSIC SHOW
to be held at Madison
Square Garden ?
Datm
September 18 '26, 1907
Information supplied by
J. A. H. DRESSEL, Manner
1 Madison Ave.. New York City