Music Trade Review
Issue: 1911 Vol. 53 N. 19 - Page 4
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Rcportorial Staff :
GLAD. HENDERSON,
A. J. NICKLIN,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
W. H. DYKES,
L. E. BOWERS.
B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
W M . B. WHITE,
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 37 South Wabash Ave.
Telephone, Central 414.
Telephone, Main 6950.
Room 806.
PHILADELPHIA:
MINNEAPOLIS a n d ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTEN.
SAN FRANCISCO:
CLYDE JENNINGS.
S. H. GRAY, 88 First Street.
CINCINNATI,©.: JACOB W. WALTERS.
BALTIMORE, H D . : A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
W. LIONEL STURDY, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year; Can-
ada, $3.50; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.50 per inch, single column^ per insertion.
On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $75.00.
REMITTANCES,
in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Music Section
An important feature of this publication is a complete sec-
tion devoted to the interests of music publishers and dealers.
21 Till
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
allU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, reg-
IW>nartmPntc
ulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
U e p d l IllieilllS. d e a i t with, will be found in another section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal. . .Charleston Exposjtion, 1902
Diploma. ...Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Departments.
Cable address: "Elbill, New York."
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 1 1 , 1911
EDITORIAL
I
MPROVING conditions continue to be reported from all sections
of the country as far as sales of pianos and musical merchan-
dise generally are concerned. This is due to the efforts of dealers
in going after trade vigorously and capturing it, and a more opti-
mistic feeling regarding business prospects broadly considered.
This, combined with the fact that dealers are carrying low stocks, is
hiving its influence in keeping the factories supplied with orders.
It is evident that the situation is bettering. The persistent
pessimism in financial circles is due to the belief that the'business
reaction is still in progress. This state of mind prevails among
those who have not taken the trouble to inform themselves as to the
actual conditions prevailing outside of the blue atmosphere of the
New York Stock Exchange. Thompson, Towle & Co., of this city,
recently sent out a number of letters to various sections of the
country asking for information as to the state of the trade. Here
is'a partial result of their canvass:
• President Wood, of the American Woolen Co., reports the best
business for a long time, with 75 per cent, of the company's ma-
chinery in operation.
One of the largest wholesale shoe houses, with salesmen cover-
ing the country, reports steadily improving business, with Septem-
ber the best month of the year and October promising to exceed
September.
A head salesman for one of the largest dry goods houses re-
ports September and October business the largest he ever had.
Fall River and New Bedford report great improvement in busi-
ness—possibly helped by low priced cotton.
Business men report that stocks of goods the country wide are
so small that actual necessities to meet the demands of 100,000,000
people are responsible for the good fall business.
REVIEW
O recent court decision of which we have knowledge shows
the keen insight into trade conditions which is evidenced in
the decision of Judge Hollister in issuing a temporary injunction
forbidding the Knabe Bros. Co. from using the name "Knabe Bros."
upon the fallboard of their pianos. That this decision, while in-
cluding only a temporary injunction, will have a far-reaching effect
upon the use of family names in this industry, is conceded by many.
The court holds that the name "Knabe" was sold to The American
Piano Co.—hence cannot be used by the defendants upon the fall-
board of the instruments used by them.
In his decision, which was printed last month in The Review,
Judge Hollister says: "It is probably safe to say to the vast ma-
jority of people of sufficient intelligence and information to know
about such matters at all, the place of manufacture of the 'Knabe'
piano is not known. Indeed, it is more than probable that most per-
sons who had heard of the 'Knabe' piano had no knowledge that it
was and is manufactured at Baltimore. It may be said with reason-
able certainty, that to the vast majority of the people the name
'Knabe' on the fallboard of a piano would convey the meaning that
it was the 'Knabe' piano, as that name is understood, and to which
a valuable good-will is attached, irrespective of the place of manu-
facture or the use of the words 'Bros.' or 'Sons Company,' or 'Wm.
Knabe & Co./ in connection therewith/'
Then Judge Hollister goes on to say that there might be much
confusion growing out of the use of the name without any purpose
of misappropriating the name of anyone and that that confusion
might work an injury.
The closer one peruses the exact wording of the document
issued by Judge Hollister the stronger the real purpose of the
court is brought out, and that is to protect the public against any
possible'confusion from the use of the Knabe name on pianos. In
other words, there should not be a condition created by the use of
the name "Knabe" which would have a tendency to confuse the pur-
chasing public.
The decision of the Cincinnati judge, which was printed in The
Review of October 21, is clear and lucid and shows a consideration
of the internal affairs of a trade which is rare. It is true, too, that
all courts are considering more and more family names as trade-
marks representing great value.
The Knabe piano, which has been before the public since 1837,
represents the investment of great sums of money in advertising
and exploitation. The public has come to view the piano as the
"Knabe" piano, and when the business of Wm. Knabe & Co. was
absorbed by the American Piano Co. all the name value which had
taken decades to build up, as well as all of the factory assets, passed
into the keeping of the American piano Co.
We do not see how the "Knabe'' name, as applied to pianos,
could be considered the personal property of any of the members of
the Knabe family, for the name, as a commercial property, had been
passed on to another corporation, and if this thing were to obtain
in a large degree we should have a fine condition prevailing, and in
the music trade we could have disgruntled stockholders bearing the
same patronymic as a founder of a great company starting off-
shoots here and there as conipeting forces. In a little while trade
conditions would become vastly demoralized and values would go
tumbling.
Protection for trade names is something in which every busi-
ness man is vitally interested, and the Cincinnati decision, which
was a distinct victory for The American Piano Co., has been ap-
proved by leading members of the music trade who have expressed
themselves as feeling a sense of security in name protection which
did not exist before.
N
M
ORE musical instruments will be sold annually, for the de-
mand for pianos will be ever increasing, but they will be
sold under different conditions, and unless emphasis be placed upon
the musical end of the business—unless a musical atmosphere be
cultivated and upheld—then the sheet anchor of safety will have
been lost.
The cheap pianos will have become blended with the commer-
cial, and the higher grades will, through the force of detracting
power, come down to a lower level, until the whole thing culmi-
nates in an interminable tangle—the cheap with the good and the
high with the low, and no definite plans or policies anywhere so
far as the retail trade is concerned.
The name of a good piano should always be considered a valu-
able asset for the dealer, and it is, if properly handled 1
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Rcportorial Staff :
GLAD. HENDERSON,
A. J. NICKLIN,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
W. H. DYKES,
L. E. BOWERS.
B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
W M . B. WHITE,
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 37 South Wabash Ave.
Telephone, Central 414.
Telephone, Main 6950.
Room 806.
PHILADELPHIA:
MINNEAPOLIS a n d ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTEN.
SAN FRANCISCO:
CLYDE JENNINGS.
S. H. GRAY, 88 First Street.
CINCINNATI,©.: JACOB W. WALTERS.
BALTIMORE, H D . : A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
W. LIONEL STURDY, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year; Can-
ada, $3.50; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.50 per inch, single column^ per insertion.
On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $75.00.
REMITTANCES,
in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Music Section
An important feature of this publication is a complete sec-
tion devoted to the interests of music publishers and dealers.
21 Till
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
allU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, reg-
IW>nartmPntc
ulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
U e p d l IllieilllS. d e a i t with, will be found in another section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal. . .Charleston Exposjtion, 1902
Diploma. ...Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Departments.
Cable address: "Elbill, New York."
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 1 1 , 1911
EDITORIAL
I
MPROVING conditions continue to be reported from all sections
of the country as far as sales of pianos and musical merchan-
dise generally are concerned. This is due to the efforts of dealers
in going after trade vigorously and capturing it, and a more opti-
mistic feeling regarding business prospects broadly considered.
This, combined with the fact that dealers are carrying low stocks, is
hiving its influence in keeping the factories supplied with orders.
It is evident that the situation is bettering. The persistent
pessimism in financial circles is due to the belief that the'business
reaction is still in progress. This state of mind prevails among
those who have not taken the trouble to inform themselves as to the
actual conditions prevailing outside of the blue atmosphere of the
New York Stock Exchange. Thompson, Towle & Co., of this city,
recently sent out a number of letters to various sections of the
country asking for information as to the state of the trade. Here
is'a partial result of their canvass:
• President Wood, of the American Woolen Co., reports the best
business for a long time, with 75 per cent, of the company's ma-
chinery in operation.
One of the largest wholesale shoe houses, with salesmen cover-
ing the country, reports steadily improving business, with Septem-
ber the best month of the year and October promising to exceed
September.
A head salesman for one of the largest dry goods houses re-
ports September and October business the largest he ever had.
Fall River and New Bedford report great improvement in busi-
ness—possibly helped by low priced cotton.
Business men report that stocks of goods the country wide are
so small that actual necessities to meet the demands of 100,000,000
people are responsible for the good fall business.
REVIEW
O recent court decision of which we have knowledge shows
the keen insight into trade conditions which is evidenced in
the decision of Judge Hollister in issuing a temporary injunction
forbidding the Knabe Bros. Co. from using the name "Knabe Bros."
upon the fallboard of their pianos. That this decision, while in-
cluding only a temporary injunction, will have a far-reaching effect
upon the use of family names in this industry, is conceded by many.
The court holds that the name "Knabe" was sold to The American
Piano Co.—hence cannot be used by the defendants upon the fall-
board of the instruments used by them.
In his decision, which was printed last month in The Review,
Judge Hollister says: "It is probably safe to say to the vast ma-
jority of people of sufficient intelligence and information to know
about such matters at all, the place of manufacture of the 'Knabe'
piano is not known. Indeed, it is more than probable that most per-
sons who had heard of the 'Knabe' piano had no knowledge that it
was and is manufactured at Baltimore. It may be said with reason-
able certainty, that to the vast majority of the people the name
'Knabe' on the fallboard of a piano would convey the meaning that
it was the 'Knabe' piano, as that name is understood, and to which
a valuable good-will is attached, irrespective of the place of manu-
facture or the use of the words 'Bros.' or 'Sons Company,' or 'Wm.
Knabe & Co./ in connection therewith/'
Then Judge Hollister goes on to say that there might be much
confusion growing out of the use of the name without any purpose
of misappropriating the name of anyone and that that confusion
might work an injury.
The closer one peruses the exact wording of the document
issued by Judge Hollister the stronger the real purpose of the
court is brought out, and that is to protect the public against any
possible'confusion from the use of the Knabe name on pianos. In
other words, there should not be a condition created by the use of
the name "Knabe" which would have a tendency to confuse the pur-
chasing public.
The decision of the Cincinnati judge, which was printed in The
Review of October 21, is clear and lucid and shows a consideration
of the internal affairs of a trade which is rare. It is true, too, that
all courts are considering more and more family names as trade-
marks representing great value.
The Knabe piano, which has been before the public since 1837,
represents the investment of great sums of money in advertising
and exploitation. The public has come to view the piano as the
"Knabe" piano, and when the business of Wm. Knabe & Co. was
absorbed by the American Piano Co. all the name value which had
taken decades to build up, as well as all of the factory assets, passed
into the keeping of the American piano Co.
We do not see how the "Knabe'' name, as applied to pianos,
could be considered the personal property of any of the members of
the Knabe family, for the name, as a commercial property, had been
passed on to another corporation, and if this thing were to obtain
in a large degree we should have a fine condition prevailing, and in
the music trade we could have disgruntled stockholders bearing the
same patronymic as a founder of a great company starting off-
shoots here and there as conipeting forces. In a little while trade
conditions would become vastly demoralized and values would go
tumbling.
Protection for trade names is something in which every busi-
ness man is vitally interested, and the Cincinnati decision, which
was a distinct victory for The American Piano Co., has been ap-
proved by leading members of the music trade who have expressed
themselves as feeling a sense of security in name protection which
did not exist before.
N
M
ORE musical instruments will be sold annually, for the de-
mand for pianos will be ever increasing, but they will be
sold under different conditions, and unless emphasis be placed upon
the musical end of the business—unless a musical atmosphere be
cultivated and upheld—then the sheet anchor of safety will have
been lost.
The cheap pianos will have become blended with the commer-
cial, and the higher grades will, through the force of detracting
power, come down to a lower level, until the whole thing culmi-
nates in an interminable tangle—the cheap with the good and the
high with the low, and no definite plans or policies anywhere so
far as the retail trade is concerned.
The name of a good piano should always be considered a valu-
able asset for the dealer, and it is, if properly handled 1
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).