Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
price of pianos with marked distrust. We Association action should be taken in re-
were led to believe that the department gard to this important matter.
store element would have a tendency to
The question of prices with the manu-
stiffen the one-price system rather than facturer to-day is a deep and vitalizing
weaken it. We have it on the authority one. His business prosperity rests upon
of a Philadelphia dealer that Wanamaker it, and no adequate reason can be given
is cutting- prices in this way: by making why the manufacturer upon whom the
liberal reductions for certain instruments vast supply element of the trade is de-
which have been played upon two or three pendent, should pay more for every part
times by the Angelus.
of his goods and receive just the same
price
for the finished article which he did
If this is true, then surely the depart-
ment store element follows the practice during the low-priced era. It is only ow-
adopted by many dealers rather than at- ing to the isolated condition of manufac-
tempting- to build up a solid mercantile turers and their unwillingness to take any
plan for the retailing of pianos. If they action which possibly might cause the
propose to use the old dodge of "slightly dealer to interpose objections, that holds
used pianos," then we fail to see wherein them to the old schedule.
their influence will be felt in an appreci-
It is wrong, fatally wrong; the manu-
able way towards the betterment of con- facturer has catered for years to the in-
ditions in this particiilar field.
terests of the dealer. He has granted
from time to time unusual concessions,
A DISTINGUISHED ASSEMBLAGE.
and the intelligent piano dealer must un-
A T the International Commercial Con- derstand that the manufacturer can no
gress which began its sessions last week longer continue to pay the high-water price
in Philadelphia, an interesting body of men for supplies and receive the low-water
is in attendance. International diplomatic price for the finished product. There is
and scientific congresses are no novelties, neither justice nor reason in pursuing
nor are national conferences called to con- such a course.
sider the interests of the commerce of par-
SELL WHAT IS WANTED.
ticular countries. In the Philadelphia
A
NOTED
writer, Prof. F. B. Crocker,
gathering, however, we have a congress
who recently returned from a trip
consisting of delegates from every na-
around
the world by the way of Japan,
tion having a commerce to promote. It
comprises forty envoys from foreign China, the Philippines and India, con-
governments and delegates from some cludes an interesting talk on his journeyings
two hundred chambers of commerce. with a warning to American manufacturers
It numbers among its members men that has been uttered times without num-
from the extreme confines of Asia, ber and in forms innumerable, but which
Africa and the archipelagoes of the nevertheless should be given many times
Orient, and delegates from our late antag- again and with all possible emphasis:
" Undoubtedly the most serious obstacle
onist, Spain, even, are not missed from the
roll of its delegates. The calling of the to the development of American export
congress is in itself a recognition of the trade is our failure to cater to the wishes
fact that the commercial policy of nations and customs of the foreign buyers of our
should be based not upon the idea of iso- goods. At home all that is necessary is
lation, but upon that of interdependence, to make a good article, well adapted to its
and that every gain of one country in com- purpose, and the purchaser is generally
merce or industry does not necessarily in- satisfied to take it. If it is different from
volve the loss of another or of all the what he is accustomed to, so much the
others. The century may well be ac- better, since he will probably consider it
counted fortunate in its close which wit- an improvement. The foreigner, is in-
nesses within a single year two such gather- tensely conservative, with deeply rooted
ings illustrative of the progress of civiliza- ideas concerning the sizes, shapes and even
tion as the Peace Conference at The colors of articles that he wants. It is
Hague and the International Commercial essential to conform to his notions, even
though they may be founded upon nothing
Congress at Philadelphia.
but ignorance or prejudice. Some colors
may be highly popular and others tabooed.
HOLDING FIRE.
QOME months ago The Review advocat- The way that goods are packed makes a
ed Association action regarding the great difference in their marketability.
raising of prices on musical instruments. The writer has heard complaints of our in-
While no official action was taken by the dependence in this matter all over the
New York Piano Manufacturers'Association world—in Europe and the West Indies as
last week, yet it was the unanimous con- well as in the Eastern countries. The Ger-
sensus of opinion that concerted action or mans avoid this mistake by humoring the
whims of their customers, and thereby get
ahead of our countrymen in very many cases.
"The proverbial quickness of Americans
should soon bring them to an appreciation
of this point after a little more experience
in exporting manufactured articles, their
trade being confined heretofore to food
products and raw materials for the most
part. Their natural shrewdness will then
make them endeavor to accommodate the
wishes of their patrons in every possible
way, thus securing a mutually satisfactory
condition of affairs."
"LEGITIMATE COMPETITION."
A SUBSCRIBER writes: "I have heard
so much about the 'legitimate com-
petition' I would like to ask who are the
legitimate competitors?"
Briefly, we may say, those men who ad-
here to legitimate methods in conducting
their business, but the illegitimate competi-
tor of to-day may become a legitimate com-
petitor to-morrow. A dry goods store is just
as legitimate a competitor as an exclusive
piano store, provided it adheres to sound
business rules in the conduct of its affairs.
Is the competition not more legitimate for
a dry goods store to offer reputable instru-
ments at fair prices than for some alleged
legitimate competitor that is a regular dealer
toofferthe "Steinberg"and "Miller" pianos
as the highest triumphs of industrial art?
All honest competition is legitimate com-
petition, and any method of turning an
honest dollar is the right of humanity. "
This cry about department store compe-
tition being illegitimate is entirely uncalled
for. There are plenty of pirates in the
regular music trade business, and if the
dry goods store adopted some of the meth-
ods which are rife in certain quarters, then
the public would very quickly cease trad-
ing with them. There have been bitter,
bloodless battles fought all along the line
between stoves, bicycles, crockery and
clothing. There are some things that can
not be fought down by abusive words.
Right is not forever on the scaffold, nor is
Wrong forever on the throne.
THE WEEKLY REPORT.
T H E trade report for the week may be
considered satisfactory in every re-
spect. In the wholesale field the activity
which set in some months since shows ac-
celeration in all piano centers. While the
retail trade for the early weeks of October
has not been up to the previous month.
yet inquiries this week have brought forth
responses of a character going to show that
purchasers are evidently making up for
lost time. The reports from the central
and far West all indicate that this satis-
factory condition of things is general.