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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A brief chapter defining "stencilling"
comes next in the book. This is followed
by a history of the stencil movement, clos-
ing with the Washington resolutions. Ex-
tracts from the press occupy a few pages
and the finis of the work is an invitation
TWENTY-FIRST YEAR.
for a general expression of views.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL-
Editor and Proprietor
Briefly that sums up the stencil situation
to
date. The committee have placed valu-
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
able data in condensed form in the hands
3 East 14th St., New York
~"
of stencil opponents and the idea is now to
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States,
Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per year; all other countries, invite all members of the industry whether
$3.00.
ADVERTISEflENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per stencil or " antis " to an open expression
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read- of opinion. It certainly is a long stride
ing matter $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should towards reaching a desired goal.
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Nothing can be gained by abuse, but sub-
»Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Clast Matter.
stantial
ground can be won by logical ar-
NEW YORK, JULY 29, 1899.
gument and in the stencil case the heavy
TELEPHONE NUMBER, . 1745-.E1QHTEENTH STREET.
end of the argument rests with the stencil
THE KEYNOTE.
plaintiffs.
By all means let us discuss the
The first week of each month, The Review will
contain a supplement embodying the literary subject from a broad vantage ground and
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation not one of petty prejudice.
will be effected without in any way trespassing
Let us have all kinds of opinions and all
on our regular news service. The Review will
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
kinds of literature. All will help to cul-
trade paper.
tivate a strong sentiment against the sten-
cil traffic.
THAT STENCIL BROCHURE.
And that word sentiment to our minds
D E F O R E u s lies the brochure entitled
4<
The Stencilling of Pianos" just gotten is the key to the stencil strong box.
out by the stencil committee of the Na- Once turn the tide of healthy sentiment
tional organization of piano manufacturers. against the stencil and it will sink into
The first impression is most favorable, that desuetude which is at once innoc-
for the style in which the printer's art is uous.
displayed in the little volume is obviously
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
above criticism. There is character dis-
many weeks, in connection with the
played in its make-up, but we must confess
daily advertising announcements of
to a feeling of disappointment in that a
the
department
stores of New York, there
perusal of the volume fails to bring to
light any possible panacea to cure the sten- has been no mention made of pianos. It
cil evil. We were looking for definite is reported that in the early fall Wana-
plans and suggestions but in making sug- maker will have some extended comments
gestions the committee would have ex- to make in public mediums, concerning his
ceeded its scope, from thefollowing excerpt: piano department.
It is not intended that in this pamphlet
a working plan for the regulation or to ef- T H E American piano manufacturer is the
fect the cessation of stencilling shall be
most progressive in the world. En-
suggested. To supply reliable data to as- tirely untrammeled by tradition, he is con-
sist in the solution of the problem is the
object of this little book. All that is now stantly seeking to approach higher ideals
required of the committee by the National musically and architecturally.
Association is to present information which
This is in direct contrast to the attitude
will induce intelligent discussion and fur-
nish matter for such study as will enable of the European piano manufacturer, who is
the committee to suggest, and, later, the apt to think that it is not only useless but
Association, should it see fit, to adopt and
promulgate such definite plan of action, wrong to try new methods which are a
based on justice to all reputable manufac- radical departure from the old. The same
turers, as may serve, when put in operation,
practically to eliminate opportunities for system is in vogue in European factories
fraud, as far as possible, in connection which was there years ago.
with marks on pianos.
When our manufacturers pay more at-
In other words, the plan of procedure tention to foreign trade they will beat the
considered most advisable was to supply European in his home markets.
stencil data and throw open the subject to
trade discussion, for the little volume is pvON'T work by the hour. Don't build
accompanied by a letter which is candid
for to-day. You expect to be in
and forceful, asking that individual opin- business next week and next month; you
ions regarding the stencil, the best means hope to do business next year and for
to regulate and suppress the traffic, be sent many years to come. Then do your part
in no later than August 24th.
so well and so thoroughly that it will work
for you and help you in the time to come.
This is the only way to make progress.
Work done to-day that has to be patched
up or done all over again to-morrow is
what makes a man take the dust of his
competitors.
OMPETITION in trade is a good thing
only so long as it is wisely conducted,
but it cannot be said that all competition
is of this sort. The only manufacturer
who can be sure of profits very long is one
who can steer clear of competition—that is,
who can make goods and sell them at his
price, without regard to what other people
in the trade may do. The moment a
manufacturer reduces his prices to prevent
others from underselling him, or in order
to undersell other concerns, he invites a
struggle in the trade in which every man
tries to make the lowest prices, and the
result is likely to be demoralization and
the failure of many to make profits. This
goes on until somebody is too badly hurt to
continue in the race.
r*\EALERS in and manufacturers of
American goods desiring to build up
an export trade with foreign countries
would do well to heed some advice thrown
out by our vice-consul at Frankfort, Ger-
many. These suggestions are to be found
in a recent report to the State Department,
and from their tenor one would readily
assume that Americans having goods to
to sell were in the habit of advertising
their wares by what might be termed
"circularizing"—that is, no direct person-
al effort being made by agents sent from
this country. For instance, the vice-
consul states that the American manufac-
turers who have been successful in acquir-
ing a large export trade to Europe are
those who have sent agents from home to
exploit and work the foreign fields. These
agents, he says, should not only be familiar
with the character, quality and technical
features of the products which they offer
for sale, but they must have culture, busi-
ness tact and full command of the language
of the country in which they will operate.
We have plenty of young men who were
born or educated in European countries, and
these are the proper pioneers to open a
path for American exports.
""TO the man or woman who passes along
the street there is no better evidence
of a merchant's business ability than his
store windows. One does not have to be an
expert window dresser to get a pretty good
idea from these as to what kind of a man is
keeping the store. The window is like the
lawn in front of a man's house or the fences
that separate a farm from a highway. They