Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, I n c .
President, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane.
373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, J. Raymond Bill, 373 Fourth Ave.,
New York; Secretary and Treasurer, August J. Timpe, 373 Fourth Ave., New York.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor
AUGUST J. TIMPE
Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff :
B. BRITTAIN WIISON, CARLETON CHACE, L. M. ROBINSON, WILSON D. BUSH, V. D. WALSH,
WM. BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, A. J. NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
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•
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
p
dealt 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.
Player-Piano and
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma ...Pan-American Exposition, 190.1 Gold Medal
St Louis Exposition. 1904
Gold Medal. ..Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
K
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 M4PISON SQ.
Connecting: all Departments
Cable address: "Elbill. New York."
NEW
YORK,
EDITORIAL
dictate to the President, Congress and the railroads; they occupy
a position of autocracy that is as unparalleled as it is undemo-
cratic. It is now in order to inquire whether the regulation of
this union is not as necessary as the regulation of the railroads.
It is certainly not along the lines of sound, economic reasoning,
that the railroads be compelled to regulate their rates by the
nation and by the various States they travel through and yet
be without protection as to costs. Isn't it up to Congress now
to apply some restraint, or some "rule of reason" to these railroad
unions, as they seem to be a power unto themselves?
ROM a practical viewpoint the meeting of the trade tech-
F nicians
held in Chicago last week was in many ways one of
the most interesting thus far of the series, and the addresses of
Albert T. Strauch and George F. Abendschein on the evolution
and problems of the piano action should receive the earnest con-
sideration of every piano manufacturer, and for that matter
every dealer throughout the country.
The plate, the string and the wooden parts of the piano case
are all of prime importance, taken as a whole, but there are very
few technicians who have or desire a knowledge of metal or the
construction of wood sufficient to permit them to judge accu-
rately of the scientific qualities of wood and metal products.
The ultimate result is much more important to the user than
the manner in which that result was obtained.
The piano action, however, is different. It comes to the
piano manufacturer as a unit, and the more he knows about the
proper means for balancing his keys, installing the action at
the proper angle, and other ordinary, but often little appreciated
facts, just so much more will he be qualified to improve and
hold the tone of his instrument so far as the action itself is con-
cerned.
The fact that the present types of actions differ very little
in the fundamentals from the earlier form, plus the various
important improvements made by Americans, would indicate
that in studying the action in all its details the manufacturer is
studying a master work; a product that may be considered stand-
ard. Under such conditions the opportunities offered through
the conferences in Chicago for a more thorough understanding
of the action, what it is designed to accomplish, and the prob-
lems that arise in its manufacture, are to be appreciated.
OR several months now complaints have come from all sec-
HE rather interesting statement comes from Texas that the
F
tions of the serious effect of the continued congestion of r'aal-
T
legal department of that State holds that a plan proposed by
way freight traffic and of embargoes that have interfered^eri-
certain merchants of San Antonio to purchase their stocks to-
ously with the progress of the industry. Piano shipments ae-
layed or tied up completely proved a serious problem aT-holiday
time, but since then there has been little or no relief, and s'hip-
nients that should have come through in four or five days have
taken, and are taking, a month or more to make the same- jour-
ney. If there ever was a time when the piano merchant should
anticipate his requirements and order well in advance this is
the occasion. The retailer who delays and depends upo% tele-
graph order's and quick shipments to save him is going to suffer
financial and business loss.
Another disturbing factor added to this freight congestion
was the threat of the railroad workers to strike* With an utter
indifference to the interests of the public and to their promise
to await the action of the Supreme Court in the eight-hour law,
the leaders of the Four Brotherhoods of employes, selfishly deter-
mined to take advantage of the very critical international situa-
tion which is now confronting the country, to exact by force,
the shorter hours and large wages, which had been-granted them
by a national law, but which was up for consideration on appeal,
for the purpose of defining its constitutionality, before the great-
est judicial body of the country—the Supreme. Court of the
United States.
.
.."'•••. " •"' . •
At the various conferences between the railiodds an.&' their-
employes, the representatives of the men were adamant'as fair
as concessions were concerned. "Theirs not to reason why,"
as far as embarrassing the Government was concerned; they
were out to attain their end. As. a last resort-the'railroads
patriotically conceded to their demands'.on Monday morning,
which means that the railroads will have to carry a burden of-a
million dollars a week increased expenses.
At the present time the Brotherhoods seem to be able to
gether through co-operation, and to advertise in a common me-
dium with uniform price, would be in violation of the Texas
anti-trust statutes. The plan consisted of co-operative buying
on the part of a number of San Antonio merchants and resale
at uniform prices. This would be made possible by a common
advertising agent, who would place all advertising for all firms in
the proposed combine. This is a feature which the Attorney
General's department held would be unlawful in that it was
equivalent to fixing a resale pricing for a number of stores and
constituted a combine in restraint of free trade.
HOSE interested in the development of the player-piano have
T
long realized that the instrument has suffered in popularity
through the ignorance of the great majority of player-piano own-
ers as to the proper method of playing or operating the instru-
ment. The improvements in music rolls; the introduction of
hand-played rolls and those of the reproducing type, have in
some measure remedied this condition, but there still remain
several devices governing player-piano control that should be
better understood if the instrument is to become a music pro-
ducer instead of a simple reproducer.
In this connection the suggestion of Leslie J. Hoskins, of
the Edmund Gram Piano Co., Milwaukee, to the effect that the
player owner should receive printed, as well as verbal, instruc-
tion's regarding the manipulation of the instrument, is worthy
of s'eripus consideration. The proper use of the sustaining
pedal, the proper way of controlling dynamics, and the other fac-
tors essential to the production of good music are too little under-
stood by the great majority of player owners. Without such
understanding interest lags because the music is poor. With