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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
simplicity and perfect mechanism combined
in the Lyon & Healy harp, which complete-
ly remove all annoyances.
REVIEW—The Presidential campaign, we
presume, accelerates your business in cer-
tain lines?
MR. POST—Except in the band instrument
and drum part of our business the campaign
usually hurts our trade as it does most oth-
ers. At least we have always imagined so.
In this campaign thus far the business in
instruments and drums is not nearly up to
the mark of past campaigns. I suppose
this can be accounted for largely by the
hard times, and also from the fact that this
seems to be a fight of education rather than
excitement, and people demand literature
rather than quicksteps.
in connection with other lines, such as book
stores, jewelry, drug stores, etc., they are
usually sold by their looks; unless the cus-
tomers themselves are able, to try them.
In the latter case, carefully made instru-
ments with perfect scales, where much at-
tention has been given to stringing the in-
strument properly before sending it out,
and other details that go to complete a per-
fect instrument, are apt to be at a great dis-
advantage by reason of the fact that playing
can only bring out their strongest points.
REVIEW—Is the export trade in "small
goods" in a prosperous condition? Do
you consider it capable of great develop-
ment?
MR. POST—Our foreign customers com-
plain of hard times about as much as do
those at home. Especially is this so with
the trade we have in Argentine Republic,
Mexico and Australia, not to mention New
Zealand, South Africa, British India and
other foreign outlets that we have for these
goods. We have a large customer for our
goods in London, but as the English mer-
chants depend largely upon such countries
as I have mentioned for their sales, the
above condition reacts upon us, and busi-
ness is contracted in that direction. I can
hardly believe that this business is capable
of any wonderful developments abroad,
under the most favorable circumstances, as
our prices must always be higher than
those of Germany and France, and we can
only compete upon the ground of quality,
which is not fully appreciated by the
masses generally.
MR. POST—"Well-up" small goods men
are scarce the country over, and a thorough-
ly reliable, well-posted man never need be
out of a position. The only trouble is that
many would-be salesmen in small goods
consider that if they play a little on two or
three instruments, and possibly have played
a violin in an orchestra, or a B flat cornet in
a brass band, that they are perfectly ca-
pable of going behind the counter in any
music store and-selling instruments. Nine
times out of ten such men are a failure from
the start. A good salesman requires as
much ability and tact, as good address,
and as polite a bearing in the small goods
business as in any other I know of. He
must know just when and how much to
play and learn to sell a customer a $30.00
instrument when perhaps that customer's
original intention was to buy one at about
$8.00. Such a salesman is a success.
REVIEW—Do you not honestly think, Mr.
Post, that, notwithstanding the enormous
strides made in this country relative to the
advancement of musical education, and
a consequent heavy demand for musi-
cal instruments, that the next few years
will inaugurate a period of further enlight-
enment in matters musical, resulting in a
good impetus to the musical industry?
MR. POST—I believe that musical educa-
tion in this country is ever on the increase,
and that there will be as rapid advance-
ment in the next quarter of a century as
there has been in the past (barring the bi-
cycle craze, which I hope has reachtd its
zenith, and which has been an incalculable
injury to the small instrument trade). A
piano no longer fills the bill for music for
an entire family, and while it is, and al-
ways will be probably, a necessary article
of furniture, the young people long for a
variety, and the violin, guitar, banjo and
other stringed instruments are required to
satisfy these different tastes. Therefore
the demand for them must steadily increase.
REVIEW—Are the majority of competent
"small goods" salesmen adequate perform-
ers on the instruments they handle?
MR. POST—In the retail branch of the
business in the larger cities, yes. In the
smaller towns where the business is done
Brig. Gen. James A. Guest.
J
AMES A. GUEST, the well-known and
poptilar music dealer of Burlington,
la., and colonel commanding the Second
Regiment, I. N. G., has been commis-
sioned Brigadier General commanding the
First Brigade.
Col Guest's election has
REVIEW—Does the "small goods" de-
partment afford good opportunities for ad-
vancement of those employed, and does the
minimum of failures among retailers com-
pare favorably with other departments of
the music trade industry?
As for the opportunities afforded men of
his kind, they are as favorable as in any
other line of business and will command
as good pay. It has been my observation,
and it has been that of many others, and I
am sorry to be obliged to state it, that the
young men who possess the natural musical
ability for learning a variety of instruments
are apt to be content with that inherited
advantage and therefore remain "short"
on other necessary qualifications for good
businessmen. Consequently they can ad-
vance to about a certain point, where they
usually stop.
It would be hard for me to say concerning
the failures of retailers in the small goods
business, as there are very few concerns
in this whole country that depend entirely
upon the small goods business for their
trade. The business is almost invariably
carried on by general music stores, or with
some other kind of business, and while fail-
ures of such concerns have been, alas, too
frequent in the last three years, they can
hardly be attributed to the small goods
business.
O. A. THIBAULT, music dealer, doing
business under the name of Thibault &
Smith, in Montreal, Can., has assigned at
the demand of Dame S. S. Fontaine.
Liabilities amount to a little over $4,000.
The principal creditors are A. Collette,
$1,700; Featherston Piano Co., $834; Mrs.
O. A. Thibault, $690.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES A. GUEST.
been disputed by Gen. J. R. Prime, who
claims he will prevent him from exercising
any of the powers of Brigadier General.
But as Col. Guest was commissioned and
directed to take command by the Governor,
it is very probable that Gen. Prime's
"claims" will not amount to anything.
We congratulate Brig. Gen. Guest on his
well-deserved promotion after ten years of
service in the State army. We are proud of
our music trade men, and pleased to record
the honors which are being showered upon
them in their different spheres of activity.
Decker & Son.
D
URING the past week Frank Decker
has on two or three occasions had
the opportunity of demonstrating that he
can handle retail customers as effectively
as dealers, with the result that some excel-
lent sales have been made.
The Zeno Mauvais Music Co., of San
Francisco, Cal., who handle the Decker &
Son piano in that qtiarter, wrote to the
New York firm, in a letter dated Septem-
ber 8, to the effect that indications point to
an excellent fall trade.
Hoerr's Duplex Piano.
H
& F. HOERR, the well-known piano
manufacturers, of Toronto, Can.,
have invented a five string octave duplex
piano, which is attracting much attention
at the exhibition now under way in that
city. They claim it is the best invention
of the century in piano building. The in-
strument is patented by the firm, and can-
not be made by any other manufacturer.
Superiority is claimed on account of its
wonderful power of tone and beautiful sing-
ing quality, combined with an excellent
touch, besides being made of the best ma-
terials and by the most skilled workmen.
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