riIEiERE is no section of tbe public so .^extensively galled and taken in as that portion - com prising tbe musical classes. We refer particularly to piano* purchasers, although it occurs to some degree in the case ; of other musical Jnatrumenta. Tbe advance of music daring tbe last ten years amongst tbe middle: claseeß of English people has been a grand opportunity for palming off worthless pianqa to persona who, in the majority of cases, never bad a piano before, but wpald like their children to " learn music." ■ In Germany, there ia a very low clasß of piano manufactured especially for export to England and Australasia— a so-called piano which any fairly-educated German, would not attempt to get music out of. This "machine" is made by inferior workmen in their own private houaes ; wood bought anywhere, irrespective of seasoning, and, if it will bold together six months, it is considered qnite satisfactory by tbe merchants, who buy them up and ship them to England and tbe Colonies to supply the demand for a cheap piano. Anyone would imagine that it would be a hazardoQß proceeding to retail these instruments, but they are usually sold by persons trading under some name whereby the actual proprietors cannot be reached without a lot of trouble and expense which tbe purchasers are not usually in a position to go to; or they are - palmed off on to furniture dealers, Bewing-macbine dealers, or auctioneers, who retail them with every confidence. One cannot take up an English or Colonial- paper without seeing pianos advertised under the most extraordinary - soanding foreign names, which even the most experienced man in tbe trade never heard of. , In the. .case of firms trading as tbe Timbnctbo Piano Manufacturing Company, bead office Dreabargv Vr any other nice-soundiug name, Jsvhi«i\keepß the actual proprietors of Ihe^onofcrn dtmi ; and also leads the puojicßfc berate tbVp are purchasing fijpm the muaXmakef', when, as aunattar of fzk\ tneV~«rre retailers of V verY low-lcla 88 piano. These fictitioiVfirmV we^ijndeystand, even go the- leateth oiVnaranteeiog tbe instruments for\nv letagth of time, their Security layW in\he fact that 'they- cannot be easro found. Another favourite mode of silling them is in country towns, through innocent but ignorant agents. Such trading as this, we may mention, is not allowed by law in Germany. It would seem that the best security tbe piano-purchaser has is to buy from established dealers, whose guarantee is of value, and whose interest it is to Bell genuine instruments. . There ia also a large amount of injury done to the trade by men calling themselves tuners, who travel the country and prey on the unwary people who possess pianos. These men usually offer to put tbe piano in order for a few shillings. If ..the ' public were only aware of the fact, it would pay them better to give the man £5 to leave the instrument alone. In some cases irremediable damage is done, the piano completely unsettled, the delicate mechanism disarranged, and the tone almost spoilt. The injury done by theee men to valuable instruments is so great that some of tbe largest English and Colonial houses have greatly increased their tuning staffs, and are undertaking tbe tuning of their own pianos throughout the country. If musical "people were more conversant with the complicated construction of tbe modern pianoforte they would hesitate before allowing a valuable instrument to be tampered with by itinerant tuners, and would employ only legitimate tradesmen, whose efficiency is guaranteed by the piano-manufacturer or a local in-strument-dealer of standing. Extract from the English and Colonial Pianoforte Gazette, Jan. 1892. JJ^ COLLIEE AND OCX's PIANOS PIANOS I. iFBOM FEOM 26 Guineas 26 Guineas TO TO 100 Guineas. 100 Guineas. SUPERIOR ENGLISH AND CONTINENTAL PIANOS FBOM 26 GUINEAS 26 GUINEAS T.O 100 GUINEAB 100 26 GUINEAS ' 26 GUINEAS TO l • ' ri 'iOO 'GUINEAS 100 * Gall be purchased on our DEFEBRED PATMENT SYSTEM 6/- peb Week. Genuine Guarine Violins, highly recommended by Remenyi. Write- to Wanganui Office for lists and illustrations. Hawera and district visited .regularly by our Tuner, Mr. R. W. Thompson, Certificated Tuner from, *&■ instead 13.1 3. Pianos , tuned singly or oy the year. H. COLLIER & CO., Mtsic Wabehouse and Piaho Jmpoktebs, Wanganui and Palmerston North. jpEOOF.OF PUBITST t- , j-J3viden.ee:, 'of Excellence. BUCHANANS House Commons . . , WHISKY. -Official Appointment. , , Messrs^AjMEs Buchanan and Co have. received the. Official Appointment •!;O supply Scptch. Whiskey to the House j'of Commons, as the following attests :•— ' "To Messrs James Buchanan arid Co., 20, Buoklerabury, London, fi.C. — Gentlemen,— l have tbe pleasme to inform yea : that tbe -Chairman of ti>e Refr*"ili merit Committee, th« Hon. Sydney Herbert, iLpT.rias instructed me to appomi j><>u "tp.. supply So6t;cb Whiskey to. tbi« departmerit until further notice. Eoclooed please find official order for. quantity at prasent required. — (Signed) w . ChbichTON SAUNDE2S.' TT.SB MA- UR U for Neuralgia, \J Chilblains, Rheumatism, Sciatica, Sprains and any pain. MA-tTRU is genuine. •■.HA-trRU grows and ia prepared in New Zealand. Ask your Chemist for Ma-übu. . Prepared for the Proprietor by A. A. GOWER, Qhemist and Pharmacist, Patea.
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Bibliographic details
Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XIX, Issue 3229, 20 September 1892, Page 4
Word Count
839Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XIX, Issue 3229, 20 September 1892, Page 4
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