Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-15


on that matter. The regulation of prices
is also matter for the manufacturer to
handle, and If he will discontinue making
stencils he regulate it.
THE piano business should be put on a.,
absolute basis of the trueSt commercialisrn
for the severe competition of the future will
not be between piano and piano. but be-
tween commodity and commodity. The au-
tomobile and the talking machine and the
music box are competitors that rob the
piano of its heritage at every moment
Other commodities have been put in DO
sition to best protect their positions by COM
binations of capital Far be 1t from me to
suggest such remedy to the piano man.
for trust is as remote possibility as we
can imagine at this moment in our trade,
although five or six great houses now pro-
duce, and five or ten SELL one-third of the
total output of the country
The piano man Is liberty-loving being
but vigilance is required to protect the lib
erty he now has. Methods must improve,
not to prevent q trust but to stop the
wasteful use of our resources of capital
and ability
Upon the conclusion of the presidents
address Mr.. James G.. Miller of Philadel-
phia rose to a question of highest priv
ilege. and In a brief speech presented to
President Werlein handsome token of the
respect and personal esteem of the conven-
ton in the shape of a golden harp badge
Engraved on the back of the badge were
<he words, Presented by the National AS
ISOLATION of Piano Dealers of America to
Philip Werlen, President. Mr. Werlein
expressed his thanks for the testimonial
and said amid applause, that 1t marked
his transfer from the ranks of the acting
youngsters to the band of patriarchs
Mr.. G. a Grinnell of Detroit presented
the report of the committee on membership
The total list now numbers 637. One of the
members OF the committee was resident
of San Francisco, and reference was made
in the report to the western disaster and
% its influence on the membership
Report on Resolutions
Mr.. Ide of Detroit read the report of the
committee on resolutions, which included
an expression of thanks and greeting to
the Piano Manufacturers Association
The resolution recited that the thanks of
the National Association of Piano Dealers
of America are due and are hereby most
cordially rendered to the National Plano
Manufacturers Association of America for
their splendid efforts, which have recently
been crowned with success in the adoption
of special classification rates on pianos
placing the same on a more favorable basis
for the entire retail trade. thereby saving
considerable money to the entire piano In
dustry.
THAT our association will continue to CO.
operate with the National Piano Manufac-
turers Association in it's efforts to fur
Their adjust rate classifications on the most
favorable basis possible
A resolution of thanks to former Secra-
tary George G. Bradueck of MiddIetown
N. Y, and to d. G. Pfeiffer of Washington
was offered by Mr.. Byrne of Chicago and
passed
Mr.. B. B. Crew of Atlanta read the re-
port of the executive committee He out
lined the work of the committee during
the past year; gave details OF the difficult
ties the association had met and surmount-
ed; discussed the work of the freight bu-
reau and gave due credit to those members
~ No rta lnJ
faithful service in aid OF the objects of the
association.
Mr.. James C. Miller of Philadelphia. of
the advisory committee, composed of for
mer presidents of the association reported
that in view of the manifold duties of the
secretary, an assistant should be employed
by the association. The report also Gov
cred complaints and grievances of divers
sorts
From the beneficial results of the settled
grievances during the past year. the COM
mittee congratulated the convention on the
good fellowship existing between its
members. Mr.. l.. NJ. Ide read resolutions
of respect in regard to the death of
Charles II. Elmendorf and Horace A
Moody. members of the association, who
have died since the last convention. Sec
rotary Foster read the report of the press
committee.
The report was signed by Mr. D. E. Wool
ley chairman, and expressed the thanks
of the association for the publicity to con-
ventions and meetings by the newspapers of
the country and the trade press and also
the Associa ted Press.
Election of officers.
The report of the nominating committee
for officers for the year, from May 49, 1896,
to May Is, 1907, was as follows:
National officers for 1908-01-Presdent, J.
P. Byrne, Chicago, H.; first vice president.
b. B. Crew, Atlanta, Ga; second vice pres
ident, W. Fl. Currier Toledo Ohio; third
vice president, c. A. Grinnell, Detroit,
Mich; fourth vice president, E. H. Droop,
Washington, D. c.; secretary, C. r. Put
nam, Boston. Mass; treasurer, d. E. Wool
ley Philadelphia, Pa.
Executive board-R. T. Cassell Denver
Col; Percy S. Foster, Washington, d. c.. ].
T. Wamelink. Cleveland, Ohio; j. P. Sim
mons, New Orleans La.
Membership committee. o. Twtcheli,
Chicago, ILL.,; Plat p Gibbs, Chicago Ill., !;
c. Q. Chase, San Francesca Cal Press
committee, consisting of three members TO
be appointed by the president; resolutions
committee. consisting of three members to
be appointed by the president; freight bu-
reau consisting of five members to be APP
pointed by the president.
The convention then instructed the secre-
tary to cast the vote of the convention for
the nominations In full as reported by the
committee This was done, the convention
having accorded generous applause to the
mention of each of the names of the in
coming officers.
Thanks for Honors Conferred.
Mr. Byrne. the new president, was
cheered as he took the platform, and said,
In reply to the conventions greeting:
II wish to thank you more deeply than
words can express for the honor you have
conferred upon me. This means more to
me than / can tell would be more or
less than human did not appreciate the
honor of being made president Of this asso-
citation, reaching, az 1t does. from Canada
to Mexico and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. 1t Ia very fortunate that we meet
at the national capital this year during q
period of the longest prosperity this coun-
try has ever seen. We are not the only
people who are prosperous--we prosper
when others prosper.
II win say that do not understand why
you picked me out q field OF so much
promise am here to do your Bidding
your willard pledge you whatever abil-
ity have to carry 1t through to the end.
OF myself am nothing, but, with your ap-
prevail, am ready for any emergency,
Mr.. B. B. Crew, the first vice president:
Mr.. II II: Currier, second vice president.
and Mr.. G. Al. Gr1nmei. third Vice presi-I
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