New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-07
Governor Hartranft will transmit the resolutions imm
dialely 10 Washington.
FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS.

THE PIANO QUESTION AGAIN CONSIDERED.
sTEISwAY SONS DIRECT ATTENTION TO OFFICIAL
DOCUMENTs-TRUTH VERSUS FALSE PRETENCEs
A REFERENCE TO WORLDS FAIRS.
To theEdttor ofThe Tribune.
SIR In recent issue of your paper appeared an
other card from Mr.. Albert Weber, in which, as
usna he artfully lodges the only real questions at
issue.
Steinway e. Sons desire once more to call atten-
ton to the fact that the matter of the Centennial
awards is no mere controversy between two rival
concerns both claiming to nave received the high
est recognition but that it has been caused by the
spontaneous action of the Centennial judges on
musical instruments and the Centennial Commits
sion, who in self-dcfense and in the interest of
truth have come forward and publicly declared :
first. that they recommended and decreed to Stein
way e. Sons alone highest degree of excellence all
their styles of pianos" and secondly, that Mr.
Webcr's statements that all his instruments were
placed above those of all his competitors by both the
judges and the Commission were false.
Mr. Weber has asserted and reiterated the state
ment that his claims must be well founded because
we allowed them to go uncontradicted for more than
year. We should probably have continued not to
notice contradict them, had not the fOrbearance
of the judges become exhausted by Mr. Wcbers con-
tinued and persistent Misrepresentation. These
very gentlemen, upon whose authority Mr. Weber
had for over one year founded his fraudulent pre-
tensions, signed and placed ia our hands for pubca-
ton tine following certificate, to set at rest and
forever the questions to who received the highest
award for pianos at the Centennial:
This Is TO certify that the pianofortes Of Messrs Stcin-
iray Sos prisng concert and parlor grcnd square
and upright exhibited BY them at the Centennial Erpo-
siton at philadelphia in 1876, presented the greatest
totally Of crcllen qualities and nOrc'y Of construction
and in all points Of excellence they receired our hghest
ACREAGE Of points, and accordingly our unanimous
opinion comedies 10 Messrs St6inWay5 Sons Highest
dcgree Of excellence in all their styles.'
Dated, Juiy IS, 1877. (Sgned:)
WM. THOMSON, + FAvRE PERREr, J. f. HiLGARD,
GEoF. BRisrow L. LEvAssEUR, J.scHEDMAYEE
ii. X. OLIVER, JAS. C.. WATSON, JOSEPH HENRY,
+. A. p. BARNARD.
The examining judges have also certified that
the figures or ratings published by Mr.. Weber are
equally as spurious his award. and that Steinway
d Sons received average of 95i2 out Of possible
90, ranking first in every style while Mr.. Weber re-
ceivod only 9O3l out of possible 90. ranking third
in square pianos and fourth in parlor grands.
Being wholly unable TO explain away defend
himself against these stubborn facts, Mr.. Weber en-
dcavors to divert attention by attempting TO belittle
;he award of first prize medal to Steinway & Sons
sixteen years ago. at the London Worlds Fair of
1862 All those readers of THE TRIBUNE who take
sufficient interest IN the subject, referred to the
statement and official documents printed in the last
two columns of this page. SrEINWAY X Sons
Nsc- Yort, Feb. 6, 1878.