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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
his veins a little of the pulsing energy of
our industrial conditions. Or^e thing is cer-
tain, unless he turns very quickly he is
lost; his brother, the man full of earnest-
ness and who is working heart and soul,
body and mind for the interests of his es-
tablishment, is forging far ahead. Every-
body is thinking hard how to corral the best
trade. We say everybody; we mean live
and energetic merchants. They are look-
ing for the people with the bulging purses
and trying to generate a spirit of piano
enthusiasm in their minds, trying to
make them feel good and bountifully dis-
posed.
We notice, however, that these lively
fellows, these chaps that are really success-
ful, are the ones who are giving their busi-
ness all the publicity which they possibly
can. They are keeping the trade ball roll-
ing in good form and are getting out of
the old stereotyped method of retail ad-
vertising.
It pays; just pump in the publicity. It
pays to take a plunge, get out of the old
cut-and-dried phraseology which does not,
unlike the Hardman piano, "improve under
usage." It pays to cater to the masses as
well as the classes. It is true the classes
have much money, but their usual custom
is to draw their purse strings a trifle
tighter than the masses.
Piano bargains? Of course give piano
bargains. Make a show; get people to
talk about your business. There may be
hundreds of visitors enter the portals of
your establishment during the next three
weeks who never knew of it, or never
thought of pianos before. Freshen up
your piano talk. Polish it a bit. In fact
let your entire business be conducted not
merely for immediate gain, but in such a
way that people will look upon your store
favorably ever after.
Some people would be impressed favor-
ably, and some unfavorably, with you and
your methods, as the case may be. You
can't draw a prize in every package and
sometimes the first impressions are a trifle
"sticky," like some actions. But get up a
good, responsive impression. It will act as
a drawing card for you. Have your store
present an attractive, inviting, novel ap-
pearance.
The dust on some pianos
is thick enough to draw a map of the
United States upon. Brush the dust off;
don't make people think you are running a
second-hand junk establishment, but a nice,
attractive, inviting, effectively arranged,
entertaining, up-to-date, cash piano store.
Such a store charms, warms and en-
thuses. Don't think that we have taken
to preaching, or berating. We have not,
but we feel just in a mood for a little plain
Will they? Well, rather; don't permit
yourself to be sidetracked for one moment
by any argument that they will be other-
wise. Prices are bound to advance on
everything. You can't down the rising
prices. There has been in the last few
days another tremendous advance on wool,
AN ANTI-TRUST SUGGESTION.
which makes, taking the rise for the last
""THE other day while discussing the sub- few months, an advance of thirty per cent,
ject of piano and other trusts, William on finer wools.
R. ' Gratz, the eminent musical instrument
This naturally affects piano felts. Man-
manufacturer and importer, advanced some
ufacturers will have to pay more for finer
rather novel and original views.
felts, in fact for everything that enters
According to Mr. Gratz, the best way to
into a piano.
combat the growth of trusts is by presi-
"Will they be higher?"
dential action. Mr. Gratz suggests that
. Why, bless you, they are killing off sheep
there shall be a government board to han-
in Australia to send to the British soldiers
dle the trust matters to whom all com-
in South Africa, and the South African crop
plaints shall be made from every state
of wool, owing to the little row with Oom
where trusts exist, and whenever a trust
Paul, is practically cut off. Wool will be
or combination becomes so avaricious that
higher.
it has absorbed everything in sight, and is a
How about iron ? There is not enough
menace to the people, that upon complaint
material on hand to fill half of the con-
the board shall investigate the charges
tracts. Architects have now to redraw all
made against the trust. If it is found
plans in order to leave structural iron out
that it controls an industry, is unfair in its
of their buildings. Lumber, up, up, up!
methods, eliminates competition, then the
"Will they be higher ? "
President shall not only be instructed but
You
can't stop them, and we will all get
compelled to admit free of duty everything
of whatsoever nature that is included in adjusted to these conditions after a while
the particular trust combine. In other and then happiness will prevail.
words, when it is fairly established that a
WANAMAJCERIAN SUGGESTIONS.
sugar trust, we will say, is exorbitant, the
T H E testimony of John Wanamaker
duties on sugar be immediately removed.
before the Industrial Commission at
Mr. Gratz' idea is that following this in a Washington on the subject of Department
broad way, the manufacturers themselves Stores, reached almost the dignity of an
would be unwilling to join a trust combin- essay. Mr. Wanamaker affirmed that the
ation because the smashing process would department store is the natural evolution
immediately occur the moment the doors from conditions that exist as the result of
were removed and all competitive articles fixed trade laws. That executive capacity
be admitted free of duty.
combined with command of capital finds
It certainly is a novel theory and one opportunity in these conditions which are
which we have not heard advanced thus harmonious with the irresistible determina-
far in the entire line of trust arguments.
tion of the producer to meet the consumer
In order to make such a law as Mr. directly and of merchandise to find distri-
Gratz suggests effective, it would be neces- bution along the lines of the least re-
sary to carry through a constitutional sistance.
amendment empowering the President to
While admitting that the great stores
act in this matter. This could be easily eliminate the small shop-keepers, he says
done, because when it came to a vote with their interests are small in comparison
the people anything in the nature of an with those of the great masses of the peo-
anti-trust amendment would sweep the ple. He claims that the stores are just to
country.
both sexes, and that the men receive as a
It was Havemeyer who claimed that whole greater returns for their labor than
" the tariff was the mother of trusts," but in the smaller stores—that it opens and en-
Mr. Gratz' idea is to grant free trade on larges new avenues for the employment of
articles at will holding governmental regu- women.
lation over such articles of commodity as
Mr. Wanamaker does not believe that it
may be at any time pooled into what we pays a merchant to be a manufacturer.
term in the vernacular a trust.
Years ago he believed in this, but aban-
doned the idea and thought it was much
"WILL THEY BE HIGHER?»
A DEALER writes: "What do you more profitable to go into the open market.
This item alone will be of especial inter-
think about prices? Will they be
est to the music trade, for we are aware of
higher ?"
talk. We know some fellows that this
will strike with a regular Jeffries blow.
Others it will not touch at all.
•
No lives lost.
No bones broken.
Now go in and win.