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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
prospective purchasers with the fact that
advertising of pianos, or at least, " toned "
much to overthrow the belief of all Eng-
they have something to sell.
down the advertisements to a few lines.
lishmen in the desirability of maintaining
Healthy competition is a good thing as
Every dealer can do the same.
The purchaser simply asks:
"Where
a business incentive, but unfair competi-
In view of the unexampled growth of
our export trade as revealed
in the fol-
can I get the best goods for the least
tion is exceedingly hurtful.
money? "
too much of the latter in the piano trade,
lowing figures we will be interested to note
Acquaint them with
the fact
We have had
their free trade theories.
to
for a long time past, and if the incursion
the position they will now assume.
your one branch, can the best goods for
of the department store into the piano in-
we exported $307,924,994 worth of manu-
the least money be bought.
dustry helps to purify the atmosphere, it
factures as against $279,652,721 in 1897
may be looked upon more as a blessing
and $253,690,533 worth in 1896.
public to the fact that your establishment,
than as an evil.
At the best there is no
figures speak for themselves, and furnish
devoted exclusively to pianos, will give bet-
use in any members of the trade losing
an eloquent presentation of the advancing
ter prices, better quality, better attention
their heads in this matter, or wasting their
industrial conquest of neutral markets by
and better satisfaction. Keep up the quality
time prognosticating dire results.
the manufacturers of the United States.
that in your
establishment, devoted
It will not be difficult to educate the
of your goods and you will win out, depend
'Twere better to recognize that this is
an
on it.
secret of success to-day is not any
more the property of the department
store than of the smallest piano dealer.
If people will take the time to consider the
origin and growth of a successful business
concern, they will find that it is the result
of great forethought, judgment, common
sense, tact and individuality.
The head
of the business possessed a clearness of
evolutionary age—a history creating
period.
stall any unpleasant contingency or take
advantage of good opportunities.
This is
These
They afford further proof that a protective
tariff is not a hindrance to an enlarged for-
eign trade. And yet a couple of years ago the
in order to succeed must be a close student
whole country was in the doleful dumps,
of the changing conditions and be prepared
hundreds of thousands out of work, while
to meet every emergency—to move with
business was dead
the times.
enterprises were suffering with chills, and
and
all commercial
many of them tottering on the brink of
He must be up and doing.
hopeless bankruptcy, and while the West-
IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADE.
ern farmers were in a despairing plight,
T H E Bureau of Statistics has just fur-
the prophets of evil wore one prolonged
nished complete official records of the
vision which his competitors lacked, and
which enabled him to look ahead and fore-
That the business man of to-day
In 1898
export and import
trade of the United
States for the year of 1898.
They reveal
smile.
Famine seemed to fatten, starva-
tion and desperation to gladden them be-
yond measure.
The cry of the sheriff's
auctioneer was everywhere heard in the
a number of interesting facts.
The importations were the smallest in
land, and was their most delicious music.
20 years, with the single exception of the
When our bankrupt sales were so large and
it sounds very easy, but it is very
year 1885, being $100,000,000 less than the
at such low prices that some of the goods
difficult to do, unless nature has kindly
imports.of 1897, and $200,000,000 less than
found their way to foreign shores, their
bestowed the fortunate temperament which
those of 1892.
The reduction is wholly
smile broadened, and they said: "Behold,
assures and secures this happy combination
in the articles free of duty, strange as that
the iron bands of Protection have been
of circumstances.
may seem.
torn from our commerce, and now comes
about all any successful merchant has to
do;
At the bottom of all
solid, lasting success must be sound sense
no wandering off into irrelevant matters,
but a fixed intention of working with a
singleness of purpose which will attain its
end if it is united with ability and intelli-
gence.
There is no witchcraft in it, as
marxy are fond of thinking when reviewing
the life of an eminently successful man; if
he happened to be a merchant, his good
fortune was his ability to give his store
some individuality over others by the goods
The free articles imported
amounted in value in 1898 to $268,362,680,
the fulfillment
against $377,329, n o in 1897.
There was
great Cobden—even America is entering
a slight increase of about $1,250,000 in the
the markets of the world with her manu-
dutiable articles, the dutiable imports in
facturers!"
1898 being $366,595,549, against $365,302,-
T H E statement has recently been made
240 in 1897.
among the great groups, as follows: Arti-
cles manufactured for consumption, $14,-
000,000; articles manufactured for use in
food and live animals, $32,000,000, and
T H E R E is one issue with certain depart-
ment
stores, however, on which a
contest can be made with success.
articles in a crude condition for domestic
These figures explain the beneficial ef-
is the tendency of some department stores
fects of the present tariff law, and, in con-
to. advertise
nection with the present wave of prosperity
which
on examination prove to be low grade.
In
that
commenced
to roll up when
the
doing this they lay themselves open, at
Uingley Bill was enacted, ought by this
least in this state, to the law against fraud-
time to do much to change the opinions of
ulent advertising under which managers of
political economists who declare that free
department stores can be arrested
and
made to suffer severely.
trade is the only key to a nation's pros-
perity.
I T was a year
concerns was reducing the volume of com-
mercial paper, so that many of the smaller
corporations are becoming lenders instead
of borrowers.
One of the largest brokers
in commercial paper said lately:
"Indus-
but I know of banks which have adopted
resolutions refusing to accept industrials
under any conditions.
Some paper-buying
banks look to the borrower first when ap-
plications are made, and if it is a strong
house a fair proportion may be negotiated.
Some out-of-town banks, induced by the
increased rates which can be obtained by
loaning on industrials, do sometimes take
a large proportion, but the general trend
We have had an instance of this recently
in this city, and while the firm who brought
industrial companies of so many individual
trials of standing are, of course, favored,
industry, $39,000,000.
This
"high-grade" goods,
in Wall street that the absorption by
This reduction in imports is apportioned
the mechanic arts, $22,000,000; articles of
offered.
of the prophecies of the
ago
that some of the
is against such securities. "
suit did not succeed in winning their case,
stanchest adherents of the old British
vet it is noticeable that since this suit was
economic school avowed that if we could
QECRETARY of the Treasury Gage has
brought, the different department stores of
show a larger expansion of our foreign
^
this city have practically withdrawn their
trade und.er the Dingley Bill we would do
that or* the advice of the Attorney-General,
notified the Collector at New York