New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-25
MUSIC AT THE FAIR.
GENESIS OF THE THOMAS TROUBLE
pIANoroRrE MAKERS AND THE SYSTEM O,


done nothing in relation to the ofhcal demand for
bis resignation and probably will not do ANYTIME
unless compelled by circumstances. The situation
however. Is exceedingly unpromlsng; concerts ara
given to empty chairs and rumors aioat that the
orchestra Is two weeks I'm arrears for salary. II
would be premature to pass judgment on the scheme
Of entertainments elaborated by the Bureau of Music,
which, whatever else may be said OF IT, Is q
least entitled to a more thorough trial than II has
yet received. What gives the subject more than
Temporary interest Is the possibility that the out.
come Of the enterprise may be the disruption Of Mr.
ThOmass orchestral undertaking In Chicago. The
two seasons which Mr.. Thomas has spent in the
effort to create high standard Of musical apprecis-
ton in Chicago have been chiefly fruitful in ds
appointments. The guaranors have each season
been compelled to pay q deficit amounting to over
$780, OO and the attitude of the press and public has
been very different from that 10 which Mr. Thomas
Is accustomed. The appointment Of Mr.. Thomas to
the post Of musical director TO the Exhibition held
out promise Of financial relief which was exceed.
ingly welcome; and 1t need not be interpreted as q
reflection the patriotism and public spirit OF those
OF the local directors who also guarantors OF
the Chicago Orchestra II It Is said that this promise
may have been q factor ia the support which the
local directory gave to Mr. Thomas against the Ma.
tiona Commission. Nothing is palmer than that
the local directors were fighting not only for the
existence OF the Chicago Orchestra but also for the
dgnifed scheme Of concerts elaborated by the Bureau
Of Music.
1t might help somewhat to understanding Of
the situation and the incidents which led up 10 1t
IL the relationship which exists between the act which
predpitated the controversy and one Of the other
causes Of discomfort at Chicago Investigated
1t seems to have escaped notice that there IL
measnraby connection between the protest Of some
Of the foreign Commissioners against the system OF
awards and the origin OF the which was raised
because OF Mr.. ThoEias's employment Of the services
OF PadegewsM at the concerts on May and 3. An
effort has been made land 1t has been quite Success
full among those not directly Interested 10 convey
the impression that tie Eastern pianofore manufact.
urers withdrew their proposed exhibits because they
not able 10 secure all the space which they
desired. This view energetcay exploited In the
local newspapers, and the impression created that
the men who had withdrawn were graspng, selfish
and uDpatr0tic persons who had entered into con.
spcy to lnjure the Exhibition. Concerning the real
ground 81 the withdrawal significant silence was
maintained. 1t because OF this that the relation,
ship which the question OF awards bore 10 the Ques
tCn whether not Paderewski should be permitted
TO play not ventilated
The fact Is that Of the which provoked
tho withdrawal OF many OF the piano nanufac turers
OK the East IS the same that has now evoked
protest from the foreign Commissioners, and given
rise TO hints that some Of the for Ign exhibits may
yet be withdrawn. Many months ago tie sense OF the
WunOIOIP Iiutstfy vi IN" COfhlTS cDhctTnlHe
at the Exhibition learned By thorough canvass
The result formal expression Of opinion from
90 percentum OF the that 1t would be for the
best Interests OF all concerned II there awards
IN the piancfOrte depart ment This action was notified
officials OF the Exhibition. but the Influence Of
the remaining fraction among the manufacturers was
greater than that OF the petitioners 1t was deer'
mined that there should be awards. Thercupon
committee OF the New-York Panoforte Manufacturers
Association ALBANY discuss, the situation
with John Boyd Thacher. who is N ;he Lead OF the
committee OF Awards. They put Ia their protest. but
came away empty handed. Their cause Of comp.ainv
now seemed twofOld IL not only that they had
filled 10 carry the point OH which they were at one
with 90 pcrccntum OF the manufacturers In tag
United states, but they also strongly against
the system which Mr.. Thacher had elaborated Thei1
objeCtlors IL seems, not only 10 the spcalled
oneran scheme opposed 10 the jury SYSTEM
but also TO the circumstance that the plan proposed
would make the awards worthless. since under It there
could scarcely b. an exhibitor who would not carry
home his little bronze medal after the Fair. Theirs
was TO he no award for general excellence, but .
medal for every feature of construction. Moreover,
no advantage was to be gained by entering
product hors concours' for the reason that to ss-
TEN Of awards carried with it an Official report which
could be appealed TO for advertising purposes. TIE
Pianoforte Manufacturers Association OF New-iork,
after acquiring knowledge OF the sentiment OF the
trade the subject OF awards, sent Letter TO the
Fair officials and the committee to Mr.. TnacIer. az
already stated. That was the cAtfst OF It's acuou
as Il body. Nothing was said about the association
Withdrawing such, and the firms that went OUT
dill 80 each OF It's own accord
Then followed the attempted boycott OF the IN
strumen's OF the secedcrs the part OF DIRECTOR
General Davis at the request OF the exhibiting
firms. To explain the Of the attitude assumed
By the latter fully would b. to open up scandal
that has been unsavory topic Of conversation
ever since the Paris Exposition OF lojI. II was 10
avod reopenIng OF the quarrels OF 1857. 1873 ana
1876, which filled with an amount OF vitupera'
ton, elimination and recrimination almost without
parallel In the history Of industrial compeutioh'
that the manufacturers with almost compete u''n"
unity requested that there BE- no awards III 'hen
department. IL Is notorious that there Is anything
but fraternai feeling between the members oil Tue
New-York Association. They have sat down TO dlh-
ner annually for few years past, but uh'y are h'
more ready to embrace each Other now than they
were before they effected an organ1ation Beng
suspicious Of each Other It Is TO BE- wondered NJ
that they We're equally II not more suspicious VI
the manufacturers Of the West who were Ill i">o'
of awards Belief In the disinterestedness oil om
cago Is not conspicuousy strong In New-iork ana Do
ton Chicago and Cincinnati have OF late developed
panoortc building IN rather an EXTRAORDINARY iashon'
some OF these Western manufacturers are Investing
large sums In advertising connected with the FAR
Houses have rented ard nvititions sent 10 ageh
all over the country TO come TO Chicago ana see 's
big show at the expense OF these energetic mahulact'
urers They are In the enterprise In the nope VI
securing an advantage their Eastern rivals, ana
naturally they are suspicious Of the movements VI
the latter Ii is probable that the opposition 10 IA
derewskl would never have assumed the dimensions
which II did had 1t been believed that II wouio
remain an isolated Only few ingenious per-
sons have taken any stock In the philanthropc p'o'
testaons which accompanied the offer OF his ser
vices the Fair These persons, carried away Nv
the sentimentaity Of the ~ presented by one
side. ready to believe anything, and IL spem,o
shocking to them that there should BE- oblec'i3h 70
bis playing when as they believed. he had onersu
his services out Of gratitude to the American people,
and had postponed his departure FOR Europe ~
order to play at the two concerts. O! course, tms
Is all sentimental nonsense. Mr.. Paderwsh Is ~
kcenly alive TO the main chance as any other man.
lie has always studied the value from an advertser
point OF view Of every step that he has taken ana
has failed b. get quid pro quo Not only MS
left hand. but the whole public has known eA.