Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
L. B. BowraiB,
Quo. B. KBLUB,
W. H. DYKHB,
R. W. SlltUONS.
AUGUST J. TIM*B.
A. J. NICKLIN,
B. BBITTAIN WILSON,
CHICAGO OFFICE:
B. P. VAN HARLINGSN, Room 806,1B6 Wabash Ave
Telephone, Central 414.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
BOSTON OFFICE:
BBNBBT L. WAITT, 69 Summer Bt.
PHILADELPHIA:
R. W. KAUJTMAN,
ADOLF EDSTBN.
CHAS. N. VAN B D M N .
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAT, 88 Flnt Street
CINCINNATI. O.:
BALTIMORE, MD.:
JACOB W. WAWKBS.
A. ROBEET FRENCH.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 69 Baslnghall St., E. C. W. LIONBL STDBDT, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
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ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
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REMITTANCES. In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
An important feature of this publication is a complete sec-
t i o n devoted to the interests of music publishers and dealers.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Brand Prim
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Qold Medal
8t. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting a l l Departments.
Cable a d d r e s s : "Elbill. N e w York."
NEW
YORK, FEBRUARY' 12,
1910
EDITORIAL
T
HE forthcoming piano exhibit at Richmond is the subject of
considerable comment in trade circles, and it must be admitted
that there are a number who have not viewed the project in a favor-
able light.
Then there are some who have taken space and in doing so
have announced that they were influenced in making this move by
the action of their competitors.
In other words, they felt that if the piano trade was going to
make a try of the exhibition idea in Richmond that they would be
in with the multitude.
The space is being rapidly taken up and there is no doubt but
that the exhibition plan will be fairly tested at Richmond.
It is believed that the attendance of Southern dealers in that
city will be exceedingly large and dealers will be influenced some-
what by sentimental motives in visiting Richmond, thus swelling
the number of music trade hosts who will throng the old Southern
city during Convention time.
So far as the exhibition is concerned there appears to be no
reasonable doubt but that all space available for show purposes will
be taken up and the first national piano exposition under the auspices
of the Dealers' Association will start out well favored by patronage.
Some of the manufacturers who at first did not view the
project with favor have been won over and will participate, thus
testing the exposition plan. So the outlook is distinctly favorable
for a fitting trade showing.
NUMBER of the trade papers have estimated the piano output
A Such
for 1909 at from 200,000 to 215,000
an estimate does not constitute even a good guess, for
the actual number of instruments produced within Uncle Sam's
domain last year amounted to 330,000.
A lot of instruments truly, but this industry is growing and
in point of output 1909 ranks as the banner year in the piano in-
dustry,
REVIEW
The figures which we have named may seem surprising to some
whose business languished far back during the past year, but the
figures are correct, and another interesting thing in connection
therewith we might state is that if we draw a line from Buffalo south,
thus separating the East from the West, for the first time in the
history of the industry the Western half will exceed the East in
piano production, taking Buffalo as the dividing line.
These figures show a substantial growth and they show that
the industry is in a healthy state and it is growing, and our friends
who have stated ridiculous figures indicating- the piano output- of
this country during the past twelve months must guess again, for
the first one was so absolutely poor that it did not even make an
approximate hit.
When we stated shortly after the first of the year that it was
impossible at that time to give exact figures of the piano output,
but that it would exceed 250,000, some thought our estimate de-
cidedly high.
We stated at that time that the figures might be verv much
larger, and such is the case.
" •
'
It should be the aim of every trade publication to set forth
statistics referring to the industry in careful and accurate form and
not to make ridiculous estimates because when they are made
absurdly low they give an entirely false impression as to the magni-
tude of the piano trade.
S
OME years ago The Review suggested that dealers should use
their influence with the local papers in which they were adver-
tisers to the point of insistence upon their using the names of pianos
which may be used in local concert work.
For some unaccountable reason every daily paper in-the country
has fought shy of using the names of pianos when reporting con-
certs in which pianos have been used prominently.
This may be explained on the ground that while the papers
were very glad to get the piano man's money in return for adver-
tising space, yet anything which smacks of the use of the name of
the piano in the news columns would be vulgar—that the piano man
would get something to which he was not entitled.
Now, the quicker that belief is removed from its long resting
place the better it will be for the piano men generally.
Philip Werlein, the well-known dealer of New Orleans, La.,
as reported in The Review last week, sent to the New Orleans news-
papers a communication in which he asked as a matter of informa-
tion why the names of pianos are expunged from the report of musi-
cal performances, and Mr. Werlein asked when the name of the
artist was used why it would not be proper to designate the name
of the piano.
The Daily States, a prominent paper of New Orleans, in reply
sent a communication to Mr. Werlein in which appeared the fol-
lowing :
"Replying to yours of January 27. The use of the name of the
piano that might be used at a concert has never been looked upon
as a matter of great importance, nor. so far as we can recall, have
we ever been asked to publish the name. We have no objection to
doing so if it is desired.
"Your reference to the fact that the name of the automobile is
usually mentioned is proof of our contention. We are usually
asked to publish the name of the automobile and we do so. We
should be just as glad to do as much for our piano friends if they
wish it.
"We like, however, to be supplied with the information, as we
cannot be expected to always have a reporter to run around to find
out the name of the piano maker. As all of the piano dealers are
our advertisers we have no objection whatever to helping their
game along whenever there is an opportunity of doing so."
N
OW, The Daily States, in the above expression, puts it
squarely up to the dealers and we publish this communica-
tion in order that the dealers over this country may see that there
is one paper at least which has no hesitancy in stating that it is
willing to incorporate the name of the piano in reports, if the dealers
give the necessary information.
There is no question but that the New Orleans dealers will see
that this information is supplied hereafter, and it would be a mightv
good plan for the dealers in all parts of the countrv to take up this
question with their local papers in the manner followed by Mr,