El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-02
Floods Ruin Many Pianos
Manufacturer Seek to Guard Buy
ers From Frnuds-U nfted States
Exports Many Instruments.
BY Frederic j. Hnstrfn-

~ LEVELAND. Ohio. June 2.-Prac.
.t.-rr-- ---.- n-

- LEVELAND, Ohio. June 2-Prac-
tically every branch of the musi-
{ cal trades in the United States
/ Will be represented in the great con-
/ VentlOn which meets in Cleveland to-
( day. The National Association Of Piano
/ Merchants of America. the National
! Piano Manufacturers association the
| National Association of Piano Travel
/ ers and statesmen, and the Piano and
/ Organ Supplies Trades association are
! holding their conventions simultane-
l Ously in the Ohio metropolis in order
that a closer cooperation may be Sc
! cured between them, looking toward
! the mutual advantage of all In ad-
I d1t1On to these representatives Of the
| American Guild Of Piano Tuners. which
I viii hold its convention in Cleveland
/ IN August, VIII be In attendance at the
| business meetings of the piano dealers
I and make some. addresses regarding
matters upon which a better under
| standing is desired between the tuners,
merchants and manufacturers.
Pianos Ruined IN Floods.
One Of the matters which has at
| tracted the attention of both the piano
| dealers and manufacturers this spring
is the enormous number of pianos
ruined in the floods. In Dayton alone
over $1,000 600 worth of pianos were
destroyed The loss to dealers in the
Z entire flood region amounts to several
million dollars 1t has been tacitly de-
by any reputable firm to repair flood
damaged pianos for the reason that It
would be impossible to guarantee the
I quality of an instrument which had
. been exposed to the flood and in at
least one town the piano dealers
burned the pianos in public. NOtWith-
standing the fact that the manufac-
turers have stated that flood pianos
could not be repaired, basing their de-
clSlOn partially upon the attempts made
after the great flood at JOhnstOwn. II
has become known TO the members Of
the different trade organizations that
unscrupulOus persons have already be-
gun TO canvass the flood territory with
promise of either repairing the piano
or, more frequently, Of exchanging il
for another instrument for cash pay
menL The instrument delivered under
these conditions can only be Of in
feriOr quality as the flood soaked piano
has no value and the matter Of pro-
tecting the people Of the flood region
from this Misrepresentation will be one
Of the matters discussed at the cOnven-
ufacturers Of pianos.
Guard Against Frauds.
The piano merchants are actively
working toward securing legislation
against false or misleading advertising.
Laws penalizing fraudulent advertis-
ing have been under the consideration
OF legislatures in several states and
the piano merchants organization IS
price selling system and methods for
extending it, is another subject Of in
terest to the merchants and also to the
statesmen. While the custom Of buy
ing pianos on credit must continue. the
methods Of securing larger payments
at regular intervals Will be another
matter under discussion. The fact that
piano is now recognized as a neces- I
slty in home, rather than a luxury,
makes IL essential TO place ia means
OF securing one within the reach OF
moderate incomes Often a fun cash
payment is impossible but a reputable |
piano merchant can make an arrange /
ment which Will be in keeping with the
ethics Of well conducted business. and I
at the same time give a family the use
OF an instrument while IT is being paid |
Manufacturers VIctimized. I
There are few articles sold regarding
which the average customer is so likely Z
70 be deceived as a musical instrument
because only an expert is capable Of
judging values. The piano manufac-
turer is a great sufferer also from
fraudulent schemes because thousands
OF pianos are sold each year by un-
ScrupulOus dealers which may have the Z
name of a reputable maker stenciled on
them but in reality are the product OF I
a third grade factory. The buyers OF f.
such instruments secure no real value .
Tor the money invested The low price E
at which they are sold binders the sale 1
OF reliable instruments and the honest !
manufacture whose name is stolen,
suffers because an inferior article sold I
under his name. tends to lesson con- I
I1dence in that name.
United States Exports Many Pianos
The United States has become recog-
nized because Of the quality and num- /
Der OF its musical instruments which /
are exported 70 other countries. Amer
lean pianos are popular in court cir
cles IN every European country. The
export trade in pianos last year ap-
proXimated S5.0OO.O 900 and the instru-
ments were shipped to South Africa
and the Orient, as wei as to Europe 4
and South America. Several innovations
in piano manufacture originated by
American manufacturers have been
copied by those Of other nations. The
tact that America is supposed to be
behind Europe in musical intelligence
seems at variance with the rank taken I
by the american manufacturers Of mu-
steal instruments The iron frame in
the grand piano which was invented by
OnaS Ch1cker1ng nearly 80 years ago, I
marked new era in pianos. Now an
Ohio man claims to be able to produce I
an all iron piano with the proper mel
lOwness of tone. The "alI wood" piano
Is no longer OF first rank.
Electrical Attachments.
The newest idea in piano manufac-
ture is the introduction OF electricity
to yibrate the strings. A small cleo
-rO magnet is placed in front Of each
This electrical addition makes possible
unusual results in orchestral. pipe or
gan and vOx humane effects A
Pennsylvan1an has used electric power
10 operate a. drum and cymbals which
be has attached TO a piano. These at
-achments are controlled by the pedal
of the piano and with them the ef-
feet OF a fun brass band can be pro-
1uced by a single player.
Harp f. In Favor.
One Of the Oldest piano manufactur- I
srs in America recently started TO re-
rive the clavichOrd and the old fash ;
Oned harpischord. The harp is again I
finding its way into favor as a must
al instrument in the home. A musical /
professor of Kansas has invented 1
lew style harp having keys resembling I
hose Of a piano which strike the wire I
strings Its tones resemble those of a
riOlin. A factory is now being built
n Topeka. Kans-. for the manufacture I
Il these new instruments which il is
believed will come speedily into pOpu-
arity.
Protest against Tariff
The manufacturers of musical instru-- Z
nents have much interest in the tariff ,
evisiOn of its effect upon the raw
used I'm their products. At
he coming convention the members OF J
he Piano Manufacturers association ]
viii be asked to enter protest AGAINST %