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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
, ^-EDWARD LYMAN
Editor and Proprietor
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
There are many vital and vexatious ques-
tions which prevail in the ramifications of
nineteenth century merchandising, the good
and bad points which might be made clearer
through interchange of ideas, so that from
this "coming together" methods may ma-
terialize that will secure the greatest good to
the greatest number.
3 East 14th St., New York
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ADVERTISEHENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read-
ing matter $75.00.
REMITTA^CFS, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, HARCH 19 t 1898.
TELEPHONE NUMBER,
1745-EIGHTEENTH STREET
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review will
contain a supplement embodying the literary
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
trade paper.
SPRINGTIME ZEPHYRS.
CROM present indications it looks as if the
meeting of the National Piano Manufacturers
Association to be held in Boston the early
days of June will mark the accession to mem-
bership of many leading firms who have hith-
erto held aloof.
We live in the days of« systems and meth-
ods, and an organization for mutual protec-
tion is absolutely necessary. Manufacturers
are constantly realizing that the many evils
that hinder the prosperity of the trade can
alone be remedied by concerted action.
The National Association of Manufacturers
if well supported and wisely directed should
be able to carry to a successful issue such
reforms or measures as trade conditions de-
mand, and it certainly can perform tasks
impossible of accomplishment by spasmodic
or scattered efforts of individuals or sets of
individuals.
We have advocated the formation of a Na-
tional Association for many years and have
pointed out the salutary influence which it
would exercise in elevating the industry in
dignity, and compelling a proper acknowledg-
ment of its proper position in the commercial
world.
Although the National Association is yet
only in its first stages of infancy, there is a
growing feeling abroad which encourages us
to think that it will be effective in attaining
and bringing about certain results which will
be prolific of much good to the industry at
large.
No one can question the value of trade as-
sociations. They are based on common
sense and common duty, and the apathy
manifested by some in this matter is censura-
ble, as it is censurable in every other case of
neglected interest that calls for attention.
SENATOR G. A. DAVIS introduced a bill
in the Senate at Albany last Tuesday with
the object of restricting the business of the
department stores. It has been prepared by
the Single Line Dealers' Association of the
State of New York. It specifies twenty-five
groups of businesses, and prohibits a dry
goods store from conducting more than one
of them except by paying into the public
treasury an annual tax of $100 for adding the
second group (clothing), $5,000 for the third
group (jewelry), $10,000 for the fourth group
(groceries), $20,000 for the fifth group
(meat), $40,000 for the sixth group (wines
and spirits), $80,000 for the seventh group
(furniture), and $100,000 for any other
group.
1
Musical instruments, not being specially
" grouped," would come under the latter
proviso.
Just think of it, a tax of $100,000 a year
for the privilege of selling pianos, organs and
small goods!
Of course this bill will not be passed, but
nevertheless it furnishes an idea of the strong
spirit of antagonism to the department stores
which prevails. Earnest efforts are being
made to enact similar legislation to the fore-
going in six or more other States.
T H E R E is one thing in connection with this
antipathy to department stores which is
apparently overlooked. It is this: Were
small dealers generally imbued with the spirit
of enterprise which seems to be character-
istic of the proprietors of department stores
they would have no reason to fear their com-
petition.
The majority of dealers of the old school—
and we find plenty of them in the music
trade—forget that this is 1898 and not 1868,
and instead of studying the trend of the times
and keeping " i n front of the procession"
they intentionally or unintentionally prefer
to educate themselves to the belief that their
inability to move ahead is due to exterior
conditions and not to their own indifference.
The proprietors of department stores are
to-day making money because they are able
to grasp the business problem as a whole,
and to solve it. Dealers and manufacturers
must recognize that experimental or half-way
measures will not keep them in the front rank.
They must be sure of themselves, sure of
their methods, and they can feel sure of suc-
cess. Knowledge is power, and it behooves
every one to study the peculiarities of their
trade; thus they can provide for eventual-
ities.
gOMEBODY has said that, old-fashioned
merchants and poets alone seem to be so
particularly well pleased with their own
methods and ideas, no matter how antiquated,
that the efforts of others in their line are
usually either ignored altogether or treated
with ridicule.
Who ever knew a merchant to give a com-
petitor credit for a brilliant move? If it is
successful and appreciated by the public the
other will be sure to find fault on account of
its being unbusinesslike, extravagant or fool-
ish, or he may hint that it is only a catch-
penny scheme after all, and liable to do more
harm than good.
The only lead he is likely to follow is the
price-cutting one. That he follows every
time as blindly as one sheep follows another,
clear over the precipice of bankruptcy, to the
bottom-most depths of disaster and ruin.
ROBERT C. OGDEN, the resident partner
of John Wanamaker, gave a talk on "Ad-
vertising as a Business Force" at Wednesday's
meeting of the spring convention of the Mer-
chants' Association in this city.
Among other good things Mr. Ogden said
that he regarded advertising as the dynamic
power of a business. "Under present condi-
tions," said he, "no business can be con-
ducted successfully without advertising."
Right you are, Mr. Ogden. The failure to
recognize this truth has resulted disastrously
for many a firm.
It is a significant fact, by the way, that the
houses in the music trade industry who be
lieve in publicity and persistently keep them-
selves in evidence through advertisements,
have but few complaints to make about lack
of business.
Advertising is the foundation upon which
is built the superstructure of business success.
g L S E W H E R E in this paper will be found
particulars of the terrible catastrophe
which occurred in Chicago on Wednesday,
resulting in the death and injury of many per.
sons and the destruction of property running
way into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Occurring in the very heart of the piano
center of the Western metropolis, the ac-
counts of the fire, which appeared in the
newspapers, were perused with avidity by mem-
bers of the trade in this city, and little else was
talked about during the past few days.
For a time rumors were general about
the death of or injury to well-known mem-
bers of the trade connected with some of the
concerns burned out, but from later accounts,