Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THt
JAPANESE PIANOS AND ORGANS.
Some Interesting Details Regarding the Busi-
ness in Japan Just Forwarded by the United
States Consul at Yokohama—Our Trade
in Musical Instruments with Japan.
MUSIC TRADE
9
REVIEW
WONDERFUL INFORMATION
W. C. GOLDEN & O ) . IN TROUBLE.
Regarding Pianos and Their Care to Be Found
in the Daily Papers—An Instance Worth
Recording—Some Remarkable Comments.
File Petition in Bankruptcy Alleging Liabilities
of $4,036 and Assets of $2,971.
William C. Golden, general partner in W. C.
Golden & Co., manufacturers of pianos, 410-416
East Thirty-second street, New York City, filed
Detroit, Mich., July 11, 1911.
"Some of the things the daily newspapers print a voluntary petition in bankruptcy personally and
for the company on Saturday last. The company's
about pianos would make good vaudeville comedy,"
liabilities are placed at $4,036, with assets of $2,971,
said a piano merchant, when asked to furnish
consisting of stock and material $2,566; notes and
some news. "Listen to this."
accounts $385, and cash $20. Mr. Golden places
He picked up a paper which he had been perus-
his
personal liabilities at $700. John B. Hutchin-
ing and read the following from a column on the
women's page, purporting to be good advice to son, of Shreveport, La., is his partner. The firm
embarked in business in September, 1910, at the
housekeepers:
corner ot Tenth avenue and Forty-fourth street.
'' 'Dampness permeates through to the interior
They moved to East Thirty-second street about
of the instrument, affecting the action of the keys
four months ago.
so that when they are struck they stick, and do not
The case has been referred to Referee Magrane
respond to the touch. In pianos of old construc-
Coxe, 50 Church street, and following the filing of
tion in which steel was used for strings and other
parts, the wires rust, causing them to break. And indemnity by the bankrupt's attorney a meeting of
the pegs are difficult to handle when rusty. In creditors will be called.
modern instruments wires are not made of steel,
so this difficulty is obviated.'
DE PACHMANN AND THE BALDWIN.
'T wonder what in the dickens they are made of, The Great Chopin Interpreter Will Be Heard
if not of steel," commented the piano merchant.
Through the Medium of This Piano.
"Then listen to this: 'Open the lid of the piano
now and then to let in the air and let out the
Vladimir De Pachmann, the famous pianist,
sound!' "Isn't that a classic? Probably the in- whose arrival in America was referred to in last
dividual who wrote that don't know a piano from
week's Review, will be heard again through an incubator."
medium of the Baldwin piano, when he makes his
appearance in concert in the fall.
TO PROBE EXPRESS RATES.
De Pachmann has a great fear of the sea, and
always arrives in the early summer to avoid the
Indiana Commission Plans Inquiry on Which
more treacherous weather in the fall. When he
to Base Rate Cut.
arrives off ship he is never in a very amiable
humor and some of the reporters of the daily
(Special to the Review.)
papers got hold of him after his arrival last week,
Indianapolis, Ind., July 10, 1911.
and published a lot of impulsive nonsense which
Under a law of the last Legislature which gives
he is reported to have uttered.
the Indiana Commission jurisdiction over express
During his tour the coming fall he will give
rates an investigation of all express rates is to be
much attention to Liszt in his repertoire, this
begun Aug. 1.
In the resolution adopted by the commission to- .being the centenary year of the great composer.
Those who have heard De Pachmann play claim
day and under which notice is to be served on the
that he is just as great, if not greater, than ever
companies it is declared that the commission be-
before, and they expect that he will create a tre-
lieves the commercial rate in this State is "exces-
mendous furore the coming season. His tour
sive, unjust and a violation of law."
will be under the management of Arnold Somlyo,
Three years ago the commission made a similar
investigation and ordered a reduction of from 15 Eastern representative of the Baldwin Piano Co.
De Pachmann is most enthusiastic over the Bald-
to 20 per cent, in all rates, but the companies took
win piano, and claims that his present trip is not
the case into court, where the order was set aside,
so much to make money, as he will soon inherit
the court holding that there was no statutory au-
a vast fortune, but rather as a mark of esteem
thority for such an order.
for the members of the Baldwin Piano Co., whose
This led to the law of last winter, when author-
ity over rates was given to the commission. The courtesy, kindness and consideration he deeply
cherishes.
commission will extend its inquiry into the value
of the stock of the companies, the dividends paid
MUST OBEY THE SHIPPER.
upon it and the amount of water represented in it.
(Special to the Review.)
(Special to the Review.)
Washington, D. C, July 10, 1911.
Writing the Department of Commerce and
Labor, Consul-General Thomas Sammons, of Yoko-
hama, speaks as follows on the manufacture of
pianos, organs and other musical instruments in
Japan :
Two large factories where the complete piano is
manufactured are located in this part of Japan.
Another concern puts together a piano all the parts
of which except the case are imported from Eng-
land. These three firms control, the local market.
The factory of Nishikawa & Son turns out about
200 pianos annually, in addition to some 1.300
organs and several hundred violins and other
stringed instruments. The Yamaha Co. manufac-
ture annually from 500 to 600 pianos and 8,000
small organs, about 3,000 of which are made for
the Tokyo district, 3,000 for Kobe and Nagasaki,
and 2,000 for other districts. This company also
produce about 13,000 violins each year. The
Thwaites Co. assemble parts imported from Eng-
land.
The pianos made in Japan are the same in style
as. those made elsewhere. Both companies make
the upright, grand, semi-grand, and baby-grand
pianos, and in such styles as Colonial, Empire, An-
tique, etc. The sizes are 7 and 7% octaves, with
full iron frames, overstrung scales, ivory keys, etc.
Cases are all made in Japan, the humidity necessi-
tating local manufacture to meet the conditions.
Nishikawa & Son import wool felt from Germany,
instead of the United States, as formerly, on ac-
count of better prices.
Wires, leather, and wool felt are imported; the
remainder of the piano is made in Japan. The
cases are made of oak, cherry, magnolia and maple.
The pine of which the sounding boards are made
is grown in the Hokkaido, as are the other woods,
this being the forest district of Japan. The finish-
ing of the pianos is either black lacquer or varnish.
Varnish of the better quality is imported from the
United States. The ivory and black keys and cellu-
loid keys are made in Japan. The black keys are
made of ebony, which was formerly imported from
China, but which is now found in abundance in
Japan.
Yamaha pianos are exported to England, Aus-
tralia and Canada. Exportations of this company
reach about 50,000 yen ($24,900) per annum. The
company imports wires, felt and leather for the
construction of its pianos, the principal countries
engaging in this trade being Germany, England
and the United States.
The import tariff is as follows: Music wire, 40
per cent, ad valorem; felt, 1.34 yen ($0,667) per
100 yards; leather, 10 per cent, ad valorem.
In the manufacture of violins all the essentia.
materials are found in Japan except the tailpiece.
One side of the violin is made of pine and the
other of maple. Catgut and silk strings are made
in Japan, but fishskin strings are imported.
Trade with Japan in Musical Instruments.
Exports of musical instruments to Japan from
the United States for the past two years were as
follows:
Organs—1909, $5,529; 1910, $1,722;
pianos—1909, $1,704; 1910,' $6,165; all others and
parts—1909, $21,239; 1910, $3,672. The imports
from Japan of all instruments and parts amounted
to $2,003 in 1909 and $3,348 in 1910.
STEINWAY FOR_PRES1DENT TAFT.
A Beautiful Grand Sent to the Summer Capital
at Beverly, Mass., by M. Steinert & Sons Co.
Carriers
Are Liable for Damages Unless In-
structions Are Followed.
(Special to the Review.)
Washington, D. C, July 10, 1911.
"A carrier is liable for damages resulting from
(Special to The Review.)
a disregard of a shipper's specific routing instruc-
Boston, Mass., July 10, 1911.
tions, even though it sends the shipment via a
Not in many years has the White House had
route taking a lower rate to the original billed des-
an executive or a family more devoted to musical
tination."
matters than President Taft and his distinguished
This principle was announced by the Interstate
and cultured wife and children. Following the
Commerce Commission in a decision in the case of
example of the White House, where the Stein-
the Switzer Lumber Co., of Shreveport, La.,
way National piano has been a prominent figure
for many years, the summer capital at Beverly, against the Texas & New Orleans Railroad and
other carriers. The commission declares in the
Mass., has just been equipped with the Steinway
grand piano, which was sent by the M. Steinert & opinion that "it is not part of a carrier's duty to
speculate upon the reasons which actuated such
Sons Co., of this city, the past week.
instruction and to assume that they do not express
Apart from the appreciation by President Taft
of the musical merits of the Steinway he is a the shipper's desire."
Taggart's Music House of Warrensburg, Mo., next door neighbor of Alexander Steinert, who
The Olney Music Co. have signed a lease for a
the representatives of the Henry & S. G. Linde- has a beautiful summer home at Beverly—in fact,
man and Milton pianos and Edison phonographs, it is one of the show places of the North Shore, new building in Abeline, Kan., which will be ready
for occupancy by August 1.
has just celebrated his fourteenth birthday.
and they are great admirers of each other.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos