Hi Babit didn't work in a piano factory, but he did work as a roll
arranger for QRS and Aeolian.  I asked him to comment on the working
conditions in the factories.  This is his response:

"I was a piano roll arranger for about twenty-five years.  I worked for
Imperial Industries [sic] in the Bronx, N.Y., before Ramsi Tick bought
the company and moved them to Buffalo, N.Y.  Most of the employees that
worked in the Bronx moved with the company.  Rudy Martin, who only
worked the master machines in the Bronx factory moved to Buffalo to
make piano roll masters like I had done.  Dick Watson, who worked with
me in the Bronx, didn't move to Buffalo either.  I gave Rudy some idea
in making piano rolls.

"The conditions in the factory in the Bronx were ideal.  They were
never icy conditions or dark conditions.  I don't know where that idea
came from.  They had a great working factory in Buffalo as well.  I
should know, since I had a key to that factory and I made a couple
hundred rolls there.  I did not live in Buffalo, but traveled there
when they needed rolls made.  Dick Watson sent up written arrangements 
and Rudy cut the rolls from his arrangements.

"I liked visiting Buffalo to make my rolls since I had friends there,
and it was an excuse to get away from New York.  I'm sure that even now
the working arrangements in the factory is [sic] good.  Why should they
change that?  Anything else you would like to know, just contact me at
hibabit@juno.com.geentroep or babichh@bellsouth.net.geentroep [deleting
.geentroep in both cases]."

Note Hi's use of his real name, Babich, in the second email address.

Vincent Morgan