Music Trade Review

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THE
a pleasing, simple and novel treatment at little
cost, and upon an original piano keyboard of
over 17 octaves, the primitive reason being the
study of finger gymnastics, occupying but a few
minutes, in the elementary stage; in order to
insure the most delicate of touch, or strength
of endurance; feeling convinced that the piano
technic (so universally neglected) is of para-
mount importance, and therefore should most
certainly be taught in the beginning stage.
Hitherto technical proficiency has been accom-
plished only by long, hard, dry-bone work. The
above instrument was invented by the professor
in September, 1907, and is now in use for the
first teachings upon it at 41 Kennington Park
Road, S.E., London. This instrument seats four
at a time, or five in the largest; it occupies but
little more in length than two cottage pianos,
end to end, and similar in width and height,
at the back there is a similar length of keyboard;
it is, as it were, two elongated instruments back
to back, yet all are portable. There are four
distinctive features appertaining to the 'Brit-
onian' instrument. 1st, To obviate the ever-in-
creasing piano playing nuisance; 2nd., To pro-
vide a progressive technical instruction in one,
upon original lines, to meet the requirements
of the 'Britonian' teachings; 3rd., To supply the
great desideratum, viz., the happy union of tech-
nic with melody; 4th, From a tutorial point of
view to enable two, four, up to ten or more stu-
dents, to all play at the same time in one and the
same room unheard, whilst each one of the stu-
dents listen to their very own melody, not mon-
otone, and yet not hear his neighbor play, with
the exception of the very little after sound left,
in monotone, for a further purpose of study.
And further, the tutor can, even a t a distance,
listen to each student separately, an accomplish-
ment which very far supersedes anything of its
kind ever invented. The price of the elementary
compass keyboard for two persons is £25, but half
the price of one ordinary instrument. Seating
four persons, 45 guineas. Liberal discount to the
profession or scholastic tutors." Prof. Britton
does not mention anything about trade discounts;
these, no doubt, can be satisfactorily arranged.
After the above clear, concise, and comprehensi-
ble description, it therefore only remains that
go-ahead dealers should make the necessary in-
quiries at the above address for this most won-
derful creation.
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The question of compulsory registration of hire
agreements which has been considered by the
committee of the Board of Trade for some time
has ended in nothing virtually being done, the
committee being unable to submit for considera-
tion any definite proposals as a basis for legisla-
tion dealing with the subject. The committee
admits, however, that the present state of the
law practiced in regard to hire agreements and
hire purchase agreements produces evils whicl>
ought to be remedied, if it were possible to rem-
edy them without creating other and greater
evils. The committee feels that any system would
cause a great dislocation in the business of piano
manufacturers and traders engaged in selling in-
struments on the hire agreement plan, and even
tually would tend to defeat its own object. It
says further: "If the proposals that hire-pur-
chase agreements relating to property of small
value (say under £30) should be exempt from
registration were adopted, the practical difficulty
arising in carrying out a system of registration
of universal application would be diminished;
but in that case probably many of the evils
which arise at present from non-registration
would remain unremedied, and there would be
a temptation to persons to evade the law by
multiplying the number of hire agreements
while diminishing the amount of the money con-
sideration expressed in each of them."
POOLE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
THE VALUE OF ASSOCIATIONS.
The Greatest Possible Business Help—Elim-
inates Jealousy and Brings Members of the
Industry Closer Together.
"Yes," remarked the man whose line was semi-
professional, "we have trade associations now,
both national and state, but for a long time it
was the hardest thing in the world to get the
men together to consider the advisability of the
association plan."
"That was unusual, wasn't it?" asked his com-
panion. "In most lines of business that is con-
sidered a valuable trade asset, these days. An
interchange of opinions and discussion of plans
and policies has been the making of many a
business I know of."
"That's just where the rub comes in," replied
the first; "in our line there was formerly a great
deal of jealousy, and I am sorry to say that
many of us regarded our neighbors in the same
line as robber barons. It was thought that the
success or failure of the business depended en-
tirely upon the owner's individual study and
planning; that what he had thought out for his
business was his personal property to which he
should cling tenaciously, and any effort to
form an acquaintance was regarded with sus-
picion that well nigh placed the inquisitor in the
ranks of ordinary thieves."
"But haven't you made a practice of cultivating
the acquaintance of your competitors and of vis-
iting the out-of-town firms in your own line?"
persisted the companion. "Surely your long and
successful experience is not based entirely upon
your own ideas and individual work. Life would
be too short to build such an enterprise as yours
under such close and hampered conditions."
"Well," replied the semi-professional man, "1
have been very active in helping to form our as-
sociations, and we now have fairly strong ones,
but prior to the time that I made trips for this
purpose I did not do much visiting. It would not
have been permitted. I will say, though, that
within the past five years I have been accorded
a cordial welcome whenever I have called upon
firms in this line."
"What brought about the changed attitude?"
was the next question.
"Association conventions," was the terse reply.
"I regard them as the greatest possible business
helps. I have frequently made valuable acquain-
tances and obtained priceless ideas on these oc-
casions that otherwise I should never have had."
arrangement will be such that both organs may
be played simultaneously from either end of the
church.
The large four-manual organ will be placed in
the loft at the western end of the church, and will
be entirely enclosed in cement boxes, of which
there will be four, containing respectively dia-
pason, flute, string and reed stops.
OUR FOREIGN^USTOMERS.
Pianos and Other Musical Instruments Shipped
Abroad from the Port of New York for the
Week Just Ended—An Interesting Array of
Musical Specialties for Foreign Countries.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, June 29, 1908.
The following were the exports of musical in-
struments and kindred lines from the port of
New York for the week just ended:
Antwerp.—13 cases pianos and material, $185.
Bahia.—1 case pianos and material, $263.
Berlin.—21 cases piano player material, $6,300.
Brussels.—4 cases pianos and material, $700.
Buenaventura.—4 cases pianos and material,
$240.
Callao.—1 case musical instruments, $128.
Colon.—6 pkgs. talking machines and material,
$195; 1 case pianos and material, $350; 15 pkgs.
talking machines and material, $605.
Constantinople.—2 cases pianos, $1,100.
Curacao.—3 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $123.
Glasgow.—2 cases organs and material, $1,200.
Hamburg.—17 cases organs and material,
$1,210; 6 cases pianos, $576; 1 case musical in-
struments, $100.
Havre.—4 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $216.
Helsingfors.—4 cases organs and material,
$192.
Kingston.—7 cases organs and material, $160.
Limon.—2 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $100.
Liverpool.—10 cases organ material, $1,077.
London.—5 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $105; 3 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $125.
Mauna.—15 pkgs. talking machines and mate-
rial, $958; 1 case musical instruments, $120.
Melbourne.—5 cases piano material, $345; 27
cases organ material, $1,227; 20 cases organs and
material, $1,035.
Montevideo.—29 pkgs. talking machines and
material, $2,819.
Newcastle.—26 cases organ material, $4,000.
Rio de Janeiro.—6 pkgs. talking machines and
ROCHESTER DEALERS MAY ORGANIZE.
material, $1,017; 2 cases music, $109; 107 pkgs.
G. Clay Cox and John Griffin are actively en- talking machines and material, $3,168.
Rotterdam.—1 case organs and material, $500.
gaged in an endeavor to form a local association
St. Johns.—4 cases organs and material, $335.
among the piano dealers of Rochester, N. Y., and
Savanilla.—18 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
prospects are bright for the early formation of
such a body, as the majority of the dealers inter- terial, $1,159.
Singapore.—4 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
viewed were in favor of the project. It is be-
lieved that an association could do much to sup- terial, $120.
Sydney.—85 pkgs. talking machines and mate
press many of the evils now apparent in the
rial, $3,250.
trade, especially unfair competition.
Tampico.—3 cases piano player material, $479.
Valparaiso.—4 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
HOPE-JONES CO. ORGANS FOR BUFFALO.
terial, $113.
Vera Cruz.—36 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
(Special to The Keview.)
terial, $1,365; 3 cases musical instruments, $256.
Buffalo, N. Y., June 29, 190S.
Vienna.—3 cases organ material, $146; 2 cases
Two new and beautiful organs will be installed
in St. Paul's Church, this city, to replace the pres- piano material, $217.
ent one. The organs will be the gift of a Buffalo
POST CARD CONTEST.
man who desires that his name be withheld, and
will be ready for the Christmas services. They
The interesting post card contest conducted by
will cost $21,000, and are being built by the Hope- the Hallet & Davis Piano Co., Newark, N. J., has
been brought to a close, Julius F. Graether, of
Jones Co., of Elmira.
One of the organs, a large four-manual N wark, winning the first prize, a piano, by writ-
instrument, will be placed in the choir loft in the ing "Kimball Pianos"-1,528 times in a space o"
back of the church, and the other, a smaller one, 3 x 4 inches in size, 'ihe winner of the second
will replace the present one in the chancel. The prize wrote the words 1,382 times.
and 7 APPLETON STREET
Appeal to cultivated tastes. They are
marvels of beauty and form at once a
valuable accessory to any piano store
BOSTON. MASS*