Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1899 Vol. 28 N. 12

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
that price adhered to, this trade would build
up on a substantial basis from that day,
but as it is now, the dealers themselves
have encouraged the method of departing
from fixed prices.
TOURING the past few months we have
seen men on the floor engaged in
selling pianos bend to the will of custom-
ers, rather than adhering to their own fixed
standard. Now in no other line do such
methods obtain to such an alarming extent.
If one visits a jewelry store to purchase a
watch, there are few indeed who attempt
to jew down the merchant on the original
price asked for the watch. We may say
the same in almost every other line. If
one visits his tailor to purchase a suit of
clothes, he accepts the prices given him by
his tailor, but how many times on the
floors of warerooms have we listened to
ridiculous offers made by possible custom-
ers to piano merchants. Such methods
constitute business insults in other lines.
It was only the other day we were in a
Western city when a lady and gentleman
entered a store and were shown several in-
struments. They were favorably inclined
towards a handsome upright in mahogany
casing the price of which was $400. After
considerable illogical argument, they finally
made an offer of $250 for the instrument.
The salesman seemed rather pleased to
receive any kind of an offer, and instead of
standing up manfully and repudiating with
scorn such a proposition, he smiled rather
approvingly and went back to consult with
his chief, who came out with evidently the
fixed intention of selling that piano, of
getting all he could, but still to make the
sale. We heard much of the conversation
that followed, and noted the result. The
customer secured the piano for $315.
Now, if it was only worth $315 why in
the name of all good business commonsense
should it not have been so listed? It is
just such methods and practices which are
undermining the trade stability.
If the department stores will help to en-
courage the one price system then they
will have materially bettered this industry,
for it is by just such methods of asking one
price, and tumbling a hundred or so from
it before they will permit a customer to
depart that many dealers have cultivated
the belief in the public mind that there are
abnormal profits in the piano business, and
that the dealers themselves attach certain
prices only to fall from them under the fire
. of a customer's argument.
We are inclined to the opinion that the
department store as a factor will never be
a dominating one. We are also inclined to
the opinion that its influence will be rather
beneficial than detrimental to the future of
the trade.
THE CONVENTION IN WASHING-
TON,
T H E time is drawing rapidly near when the
members of the Piano Manufacturers'
Association will gather in the Capitol City
for business and social purposes. There
are many matters of importance which will
probably be brought up before the Con-
vention, matters which directly affect the
welfare of the trade. The annual meetings
of the Association grow in interest; no
other gathering of piano men has drawn
out the previous comment and expressions
of interest that thus far have been heard
over the forthcoming Convention. No
doubt there will be many arguments, and
possibly some hot debating may be held
before the Convention of '99 passes into
history.
It has been stated that the members of
the trade press would be admitted to the
business meetings. There are arguments
to be made for and against this proposition.
Some members of the Association favor
the idea of throwing all the sessions open
to the trade press in order that the fullest
publicity may be given to Convention work.
Others say that if the members of the
trade press are admitted to the business pro-
ceedings, many will be deterred from giving
an open expression to their views through
the fear of the possible effect which their
utterances may have when reported to the
trade outside. They figure that a great
many of their sayings may be misconstrued
if not misquoted, and that the greatest
good to the Association can come through
unrestrained argument.
There is no question but there is a
great deal of truth in that statement. If
some of the members of the Association
knew that they would be reported ver-
batim in their utterances, they would not
say precisely what they would under other
conditions.
An intimate acquaintance with Associa-
tion work for a dozen j'ears has convinced
us that the real work of an association lies
in the committee work. That a few men
can deal with matters of importance quick-
er, keener and more satisfactorily than a
great number, has been demonstrated to
us on more occasions than one, therefore it
may be that all of the matters of trade im-
portance may be thoroughly argued before
separate committees which necessarily hold
private sessions, then when these final re-
ports are made, they will be run through
the association, with little or no argument,
the association accepting its committees'
work. Jf this course should be adopted by
the members of the National Association,
then there would be little or nothing to
prohibit the presence of newspaper men at
the open convention.
A MEMBER of the trade has expressed
the wish that all the trade press may
be heard from at the convention—that a
few minutes of time be accorded each rep-
resentative in which to air his eloquence.
May the Lord preserve us from such a cal-
amity, for if ever there was a ridiculous
parade of trade editors, it occurred at Man-
hattan Beach where, one after another,
they were led out like a part of a wild West
show. This was done, presumably, in
order that one editor might not feel jealous
of the prominence given another.
As far as we are concerned, we should
be glad if the honor of replying to a toast
were given to any one of our centempora-
ries who is in good standing, but to have
more than one would be assuming, to our
mind, a ridiculous attitude in order to
avoid precisely what the managers tried to
prevent at Manhattan Beach—a jealous feel-
ing among the editors. The trade papers
of this industry are engaged, in the main,
in laudable work, and it certainly cannot
be inappropriate if one editor were selected
to reply for the trade press as a factor in
promoting industrial growth.
THE RISING TRUST TIDE.
\ \ J E reproduce in another portion of this
paper, excerpts from an article ap-
pearing in the Saturday Evening Post of
Philadelphia written by Chauncey M. De-
pew on '' The Growth of the Modern
Trust."
As Senator Depew has been a member
of the Vanderbilt business household for so
many years, it would hardly be expected
to find in him an opponent of the modern
trust, and yet Mr. Depew says regarding
trusts:
" There will come a reaction, due purely
to business reasons. It is inevitable that
these combinations should become very un-
wieldy and tremendously over-capitalized.
Already we see a disposition to swell the
capitalization of some combinations to an
unreasonable limit. When this has gone
on for a time independent men with capi-
tal, energy and business brains will find
that they can succeed in competition with
these large concerns which have too much
capital, particularly as the big concerns are
run by salaried officers while the individual
will be conducting his business on an
economical scale doing largely his own
work while having the assistance no doubt
of his people and living within a very
modest income,"
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The whole article of Depew's is a sur-
prise, because he practically admits that
twenty-five years ago the conditions were
more conducive to general good than those
of to-day.
Depew is credited as being a man of great
shrewdness, and he sees plainly that the
trust movement is being largely overdone
in America, and that already a reaction is
setting in. He is not only a business man,
but a politician as well, and he fully realizes
the truth of the resolution adopted by a re-
cent political Convention declaring its belief
that "the greatest menace at the present
time to American civilization and to the in-
dustries and political liberties of the people
consists in the growing tendency to place
the business of the country in the hands of
combinations and trusts."
"T^HIS is what Bradstreet's has to say this
week on the matter of trusts: "It is,
perhaps, not a subject for regret that the
promotion of new industrial corporations
has recently experienced a chill. In quar-
ters where this new industry has been most
active, the opinion is now freely expressed
that the suitable material for consolidations
has been measurably exhausted, and that,
on- the other hand, the financial public
shows some disinclination to digest the
enormous mass of new securities which
have been created since the beginning of
the movement. It is, therefore, probable
that to a large extent the time and money
which are still being spent in obtaining
options upon establishments in particular
lines of business will be wasted."
LEGISLATION IN GERMANY,
HPHE smaller retail merchants of Ger-
many have apparently taken pattern
by the efforts of many of their brethren in
this country to check the development of
the department store. Although the Ger-
man storekeepers have succeeded in inter-
esting the Government in the movement,
it is questionable whether their efforts will
be more successful than those made here.
A bill has, however^ been introduced in the
Reichstag providing for the contribution
by the large stores of a larger proportion to
the governmental revenue than the small
stores.
The bill divides the branches of trade
into five groups, namely, food, drugs,
clothing, furniture and glass and jewelry.
Establishments trading in two of these
groups and employing more than twenty-
five persons are to be required to
pay 10 per cent, of their profits in tax-
ation ; those handling three groups, 15 per
cent. ; four, 20 per cent. ; and five, 25 per
cent. Stores engaged in three groups and
employing twenty-five persons are to pay
an annual tax of 20 marks for each one of
the twenty-five, and ten marks for each
additional employee. Stores having branch
establishments are to be treated as if all
were under the same roof, but co-operative
stores are to be taxed under the new law.
The bill is certain to meet persistent oppo-
sition in the Reichstag and is said to be
regarded in commercial circles as arbitrary
and senseless.
It will be interesting to know whether
the movement in Germany meets with any
more success than the efforts of a similar
character which have proved abortive in
more than one State in this country.
ENTRE NOUS.
IT is said that Philip Armour will devote
a portion of the vast machinery under
his control to the manufacture of piano
felts in the near future.
We have heard a great deal of the possi-
bility of Armour entering into competition
with the present manufacturers of felt for
the piano trade, but owing to huge orders on
hand from foreign sources, he has had lit-
tle or no time to mature plans for the man-
ufacture of piano felts. It would be very
nice if the felt trust could arrange with
Armour so that he would leave the piano
field entirely alone, while they in turn
might agree not to enter as competitors in
certain lines which Armour now controls.
However, Armour does not seem favorably
inclined to this idea, hence there may be
lively times ahead in piano felt competi-
tion. Things point that way at the pres-
ent time.
T H E annual dinner of the Boston Music
Trade Association was announced to
have taken place last night at the Copley
Square Hotel. Advices from Boston state
that there has been a postponement of the
dinner, and that the future date has not, as
yet, been decided upon.
Conn Purchases Benary Stock.
The latest stroke of C. G. Conn enter-
prise is the purchase of the entire A. E.
Benary stock. Mr. Conn made the pur-
chase on Tuesday and the taking of the
inventory began on Wednesday morning.
The stock consists of a full line of small
goods and, since Mr, Benary's death, has
been in the hands of the Home Trust Co.,
who were appointed receivers for the prop-
erty by the Courts.
In conversation with Mr. Conn on Wed-
nesday, he stated that it was his intention
to leave the stock at 62 White street, the
Benary headquarters, for the present, and
will sell from that point. He has not yet
formulated plans in this connection, but
will have something to say on the matter
in the course of the next few weeks.
New York to have a Great Fair.
PLAN TO ESTABLISH A PERMANENT EXPOSITION
WHOSE BUILDINGS SHALL COVER EIGHT
BLOCKS OF GROUND—SHOW TO COST
$25,000,000
BUSINESS MEN
ARE INTERESTED.
If the Legislature passes the bill now
before it incorporating the Industrial and
Commercial Exposition Company of New
York, and if the plans of some of the lead-
ing business men of the city materialize,
New York in the spring of 1900 will have
an exposition which will cost $25,000,000,
and which will have a floor space one-third
greater than that of the World's Fair in
Chicago.
The bill to incorporate this company has
been presented to the Legislature by As-
semblyman Samuel Scott Slater, of New
York, and it was said yesterday by its in-
corporators that there was every reason to
believe that it would go through.
The plans for the big exposition build-
ings already have been made, the ground
on which they will be built has been se-
lected, and an option has been secured on
it. As soon as the Legislature incorporates
the company engineers will begin work, and
in less than a month the exposition build-
ings will begin.
The plans for the buildings provide that
they shall cover eight blocks, or an area of
more than 2,000,000 square feet. When
the profits have repaid the backers, it is
proposed to turn the exhibition over to the
city of New York. The purpose is to
make the exposition permanent.
The incorporators include men eminent
in the business affairs of New York men
whose association with the affair insures
its success. The Merchants' Association
also is interested in the plan, and will lend
every possible aid. The money for the
project, it is expected, will be raised
without difficulty.
Manufacturers and
jobbers of New York are interested and all
will subscribe for the stock, which it is be-
lieved will be a paying investment.
The purpose of the exposition is to have
an open exhibition and a central market.
The exhibitions will be confined to Ameri-
can manufactured goods solely. Goods
will be so placed on exhibition that buyers
can make their purchases in the exposition,
thereby saving manufacturers or wholesale
jobbers the expense of agents.
In speaking of the exposition yesterday
Edward L. Cushman, one of the promoters
said:
"We have every reason to believe that
the exposition will prove a great success
and a great benefit to merchants and man-
ufacturers. The money will be forthcom-
ing as soon as the Legislature incorpo-
rates the company, and work will begin at
once."
Miss Minnie Pyle was the piano soloist
at the twelfth recital of the St. Cecilia
Choral Club, Dallas, Tex., given the early
part of the month. She used the Fischer
concert grand. Both player and piano won
high praise from the local papers. The
Will A. Watkin Music Co. represent the
Fischer in Dallas and locality.

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