Music Trade Review
Issue: 1918 Vol. 67 N. 22 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NOVEMBER 30,
THE MUSIC TRADE
1918
5
REVIEW
Wherein the Editor of This Player Section Sets Forth His Opinions On
Various Subjects, Both Gay and Grave, Trusting That the Simple and
Optimistic Philosophy Contained Therein Shall Meet With Approbation
The Corn-Fed Prophet
Anyone who will take the trouble to glance
over the files of this paper for the year now
drawing to its close, as well as over those of
the year 1917, will not fail to perceive that our
editorial columns, from the principal weekly ex-
pression on the first page to the pertinencies
and occasional impertinencies of the Point of
View once a month, have repeatedly insisted
upon the inevitability of the Allied triumph and
have repeatedly argued for the hollowness of
the German boasts. This attitude was consist-
ently taken during the German offensive of last
spring, when foolish and superficial observers
were visibly trembling, and audibly showing
their fright. It was taken on the basis, not of
magical foresight, but of simple observation,
a careful following of the campaign and some
knowledge of the principles of strategical opera-
tion of the terrain, and of the relative economic
and moral strengths of the contending nations.
On the basis of these premises the editorial
columns of The Review steadily maintained two
beliefs; namely, that the war could be brought
to an end during 1918, provided the Allied pres-
sure expressed the fulness of existing Allied
strength; and that the end would come in a
sudden collapse of the Central Powers. We
shall make no claim for the laurels of the
Prophet, but shall modestly point to facts and
let it go at that. There were faint-hearts and
tremblers galore seven months ago. It is a
source of some satisfaction to be able to re-
flect that we were not among them, and to re-
call that our pet theory of the collapsed gas-bag
was proved to be true.
Bunque
Speaking of bubbles and gas-bags, it might
just as well be pointed out here that there is
something quite pathetic in remembering the
blind adoring worship which used to be so fash-
ionable only a few years ago towards the High-
tax family and all its works. High-Taxer, gen-
tle reader, is the literal English of the once rev-
ered name "Hohenzollern." The first of the
breed lived in a large and hefty castle perched
on a singularly high and craggy rock, which
looked most conveniently down upon a main
traveled highway, much used by merchants and
similar travelers. To the owner of said castle
the gentle art of earning a living by holding up
the travelers and making them pay any sort of
toll that might suit his pleasure must ^iave ap-
pealed as an exquisite example of the workings
of Providence; your High-Taxer having ever
been a pious scoundrel. However it was, the going through an economic revolution. We are
modern representatives of the original, so sar- likely, indeed, to see for some years an era of
castically named, "High-Taxer," a charming expansion and very high general productive-
medieval euphonism for Highwayrobber, seemed ness; in a word, an era of prosperity. But this
to have turned to very considerable material era, which will certainly be tremendously pros-
account the mixture of piety, fraud and violence perous, will also be tremendously costly. We
which distinguished their ancestors, and by shall all earn much more, but we shall also
means thereof to have bunked (a vulgar but ex- spend much more. Prices will be high, but
pressive term) their Hightaxing way into the demand will be higher. It is not a time for
hearts of many millions of well-meaning per- worry; it is a time for joy. Let us face the
sons. That said persons are now seen to have facts that costs will be high and labor somewhat
been what may elegantly be termed "boobs" scarce for a time yet. But let us also remem-
does indeed make the matter not a whit the ber that a world waiting to be rebuilt is before
better; yet it does suggest a comforting thought. us. Let us remember that we live in a land
It does suggest, in a word, that the art of what which must be one of the great world workshops
I shall venture to denominate Bunque (a more for some years, if not forever. Let us remem-
elegant spelling, is it not?) is becoming just a ber that this war has brought music home to
little threadbare. The war indeed has shown people as never before. Let us especially re-
up many a sham; it has exposed none bigger than member that the player-piano is the world in-
the sham of the doctrine of Force. For it has strument of music, the one which all can hear,
been proved, forsooth, that Force does not and love, and play. Let us therefore rejoice.
withstand Right. And it has likewise been
demonstrated quite clearly that, while it pays to
The Passing of John A. LeCato
advertise, it does not pay to advertise bunque,
at least not in the long run. Which moral, with-
He left us when we should have wished to
out in the least condescending to the obvious keep him many years longer, for we needed his
quibble about William's run into Holland having long head, his strong grasp and his acute vision.
been decidedly short, suspiciously so indeed, John A. LeCato was a very able man and one
may be referred to all of us who illumine and of the real makers of the player industry. His
adorn the player-piano industry.
departure gives us a sense of loss hard to ex-
press, but very manifest. Pax eocum.
Demobilization; and "Us"
Be on Guard
Where do we come in? may not ineptly be the
cry of manufacturers in face of the newspapers'
talk about immediate demobilization. The truth
is, as may be seen by anyone who will take the
trouble to think for himself, that demobilization
of our war forces in Europe must be extremely
slow, compared at least with the desires of
some enthusiasts. In the first place, the peace
is not yet signed. The Allied armies are still
engaged in occupying the regained territories
and the new neutral strip on each side of the
Rhine. They are not yet through with their
dealings with Germany and her co-criminals,
and especially not yet through with Russia and
her manifold problems^. The labor market, then,
apart from any other reasons, will for these
reasons alone be slow in returning to its ac-
customed shape, and it is, in fact, very doubtful
if pre-war conditions will be completely realized
for some time. I think we ought all to realize
that we are facing completely new conditions,
and that it is up to us to adjust ourselves to
them instead of wasting our time in hoping for.
a return to old ways. Revolutions, in point of
fact, do not move backwards, and we have been
Cave Lupum! which, dear friends, being in-
terpreted, meaneth "Beware the Wolf." Now
the wolf is a cunning beast, but a coward. He
roars when he thinks himself safe, but his roar
is a howl at that. At bottom, however, he is a'
stupid creature and always falls down when in-
telligence meets him. Wherefore, knowing the
wolf, we shall not fear his lies, his whispers,
his nasty little insinuations about our Allies,
his sneering references to grafters and prof-
iteers in Washington; or, for that matter, his
well-simulated terror of a Bolshevism which is
almost wholly of his own making and very
largely under his control. The wolf is a cun-
ning beast, but I rather opine that the eagle
and the lion are intelligent. What think you,
gentlemen?
WRIGHT-PLAYER-ACTION
THE MOST DURABLE, RESPONSIVE AND
ACCESSIBLE. CONTAINING
THE WRIGHT METAL STACK
WRIGHT & SONS COMPANY, WORCBTETBASS
AN EXAMPLE OF CO-OPERATION
Standard Music Roll Co. Distributes Enlarged
Copies of Leo Feist Ad
, Aii most interesting example of co-operationi
between the music roll manufacturer and the
music publisher to the ultimate advantage of
both is shown in the distribution by the Stand-
ard Music Roll Co. of an enlarged reproduction,
newspaper size, of the half-page ad published by
Leo Feist, Inc., prominent publishers, in the
Saturday Evening Post, the Gravure Section of
various Sunday newspapers and in other me-
diums. Attached to the sheet upon which the
ad is reproduced is an order slip, listing over a
dozen of the Feist successes now found in the
Standard Music Roll Co. catalog. Incidentally
it may be mentioned that in all their advertis-
ing the Feist house announce that their songs
can be obtained in music roll form.
John P. Bickell, manager of the Craig Piano
Co., Montreal, Can., died suddenly at his home
there last week.
NOVEMBER 30,
THE MUSIC TRADE
1918
5
REVIEW
Wherein the Editor of This Player Section Sets Forth His Opinions On
Various Subjects, Both Gay and Grave, Trusting That the Simple and
Optimistic Philosophy Contained Therein Shall Meet With Approbation
The Corn-Fed Prophet
Anyone who will take the trouble to glance
over the files of this paper for the year now
drawing to its close, as well as over those of
the year 1917, will not fail to perceive that our
editorial columns, from the principal weekly ex-
pression on the first page to the pertinencies
and occasional impertinencies of the Point of
View once a month, have repeatedly insisted
upon the inevitability of the Allied triumph and
have repeatedly argued for the hollowness of
the German boasts. This attitude was consist-
ently taken during the German offensive of last
spring, when foolish and superficial observers
were visibly trembling, and audibly showing
their fright. It was taken on the basis, not of
magical foresight, but of simple observation,
a careful following of the campaign and some
knowledge of the principles of strategical opera-
tion of the terrain, and of the relative economic
and moral strengths of the contending nations.
On the basis of these premises the editorial
columns of The Review steadily maintained two
beliefs; namely, that the war could be brought
to an end during 1918, provided the Allied pres-
sure expressed the fulness of existing Allied
strength; and that the end would come in a
sudden collapse of the Central Powers. We
shall make no claim for the laurels of the
Prophet, but shall modestly point to facts and
let it go at that. There were faint-hearts and
tremblers galore seven months ago. It is a
source of some satisfaction to be able to re-
flect that we were not among them, and to re-
call that our pet theory of the collapsed gas-bag
was proved to be true.
Bunque
Speaking of bubbles and gas-bags, it might
just as well be pointed out here that there is
something quite pathetic in remembering the
blind adoring worship which used to be so fash-
ionable only a few years ago towards the High-
tax family and all its works. High-Taxer, gen-
tle reader, is the literal English of the once rev-
ered name "Hohenzollern." The first of the
breed lived in a large and hefty castle perched
on a singularly high and craggy rock, which
looked most conveniently down upon a main
traveled highway, much used by merchants and
similar travelers. To the owner of said castle
the gentle art of earning a living by holding up
the travelers and making them pay any sort of
toll that might suit his pleasure must ^iave ap-
pealed as an exquisite example of the workings
of Providence; your High-Taxer having ever
been a pious scoundrel. However it was, the going through an economic revolution. We are
modern representatives of the original, so sar- likely, indeed, to see for some years an era of
castically named, "High-Taxer," a charming expansion and very high general productive-
medieval euphonism for Highwayrobber, seemed ness; in a word, an era of prosperity. But this
to have turned to very considerable material era, which will certainly be tremendously pros-
account the mixture of piety, fraud and violence perous, will also be tremendously costly. We
which distinguished their ancestors, and by shall all earn much more, but we shall also
means thereof to have bunked (a vulgar but ex- spend much more. Prices will be high, but
pressive term) their Hightaxing way into the demand will be higher. It is not a time for
hearts of many millions of well-meaning per- worry; it is a time for joy. Let us face the
sons. That said persons are now seen to have facts that costs will be high and labor somewhat
been what may elegantly be termed "boobs" scarce for a time yet. But let us also remem-
does indeed make the matter not a whit the ber that a world waiting to be rebuilt is before
better; yet it does suggest a comforting thought. us. Let us remember that we live in a land
It does suggest, in a word, that the art of what which must be one of the great world workshops
I shall venture to denominate Bunque (a more for some years, if not forever. Let us remem-
elegant spelling, is it not?) is becoming just a ber that this war has brought music home to
little threadbare. The war indeed has shown people as never before. Let us especially re-
up many a sham; it has exposed none bigger than member that the player-piano is the world in-
the sham of the doctrine of Force. For it has strument of music, the one which all can hear,
been proved, forsooth, that Force does not and love, and play. Let us therefore rejoice.
withstand Right. And it has likewise been
demonstrated quite clearly that, while it pays to
The Passing of John A. LeCato
advertise, it does not pay to advertise bunque,
at least not in the long run. Which moral, with-
He left us when we should have wished to
out in the least condescending to the obvious keep him many years longer, for we needed his
quibble about William's run into Holland having long head, his strong grasp and his acute vision.
been decidedly short, suspiciously so indeed, John A. LeCato was a very able man and one
may be referred to all of us who illumine and of the real makers of the player industry. His
adorn the player-piano industry.
departure gives us a sense of loss hard to ex-
press, but very manifest. Pax eocum.
Demobilization; and "Us"
Be on Guard
Where do we come in? may not ineptly be the
cry of manufacturers in face of the newspapers'
talk about immediate demobilization. The truth
is, as may be seen by anyone who will take the
trouble to think for himself, that demobilization
of our war forces in Europe must be extremely
slow, compared at least with the desires of
some enthusiasts. In the first place, the peace
is not yet signed. The Allied armies are still
engaged in occupying the regained territories
and the new neutral strip on each side of the
Rhine. They are not yet through with their
dealings with Germany and her co-criminals,
and especially not yet through with Russia and
her manifold problems^. The labor market, then,
apart from any other reasons, will for these
reasons alone be slow in returning to its ac-
customed shape, and it is, in fact, very doubtful
if pre-war conditions will be completely realized
for some time. I think we ought all to realize
that we are facing completely new conditions,
and that it is up to us to adjust ourselves to
them instead of wasting our time in hoping for.
a return to old ways. Revolutions, in point of
fact, do not move backwards, and we have been
Cave Lupum! which, dear friends, being in-
terpreted, meaneth "Beware the Wolf." Now
the wolf is a cunning beast, but a coward. He
roars when he thinks himself safe, but his roar
is a howl at that. At bottom, however, he is a'
stupid creature and always falls down when in-
telligence meets him. Wherefore, knowing the
wolf, we shall not fear his lies, his whispers,
his nasty little insinuations about our Allies,
his sneering references to grafters and prof-
iteers in Washington; or, for that matter, his
well-simulated terror of a Bolshevism which is
almost wholly of his own making and very
largely under his control. The wolf is a cun-
ning beast, but I rather opine that the eagle
and the lion are intelligent. What think you,
gentlemen?
WRIGHT-PLAYER-ACTION
THE MOST DURABLE, RESPONSIVE AND
ACCESSIBLE. CONTAINING
THE WRIGHT METAL STACK
WRIGHT & SONS COMPANY, WORCBTETBASS
AN EXAMPLE OF CO-OPERATION
Standard Music Roll Co. Distributes Enlarged
Copies of Leo Feist Ad
, Aii most interesting example of co-operationi
between the music roll manufacturer and the
music publisher to the ultimate advantage of
both is shown in the distribution by the Stand-
ard Music Roll Co. of an enlarged reproduction,
newspaper size, of the half-page ad published by
Leo Feist, Inc., prominent publishers, in the
Saturday Evening Post, the Gravure Section of
various Sunday newspapers and in other me-
diums. Attached to the sheet upon which the
ad is reproduced is an order slip, listing over a
dozen of the Feist successes now found in the
Standard Music Roll Co. catalog. Incidentally
it may be mentioned that in all their advertis-
ing the Feist house announce that their songs
can be obtained in music roll form.
John P. Bickell, manager of the Craig Piano
Co., Montreal, Can., died suddenly at his home
there last week.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).