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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
expense in the matter. They shoulder
it all upon the manufacturer, which is
manifestly unfair.
Manufacturers naturally have stood these
losses with half concealed remonstrance,
because they have always preferred to ad-
just the matter rather than have a falling
out with a good customer. The claim de-
partment of the business, though, has
reached such a point that manufacturers
themselves feel that it is high time to
block the torrent of reckless demands
which are made upon them.
NEED OF ORGANIZATION.
| N Pennsylvania and Michigan the music
dealers have been endeavoring to block
legislation which if permitted to go upon
the statutes would be seriously detrimental
to the piano merchants' interests. As a
matter of fact, bills by which certain mer-
cantile interests would become jeopardized
if passed appear in almost every state leg-
islature. They are introduced usually by
men who are using their political position
as a means for private gain—in the lan-
guage of Croker, they are working for their
pocket-book all the time.
A talk recently with a well-known dealer
in Indianapolis elicited the information
that a year ago a man who introduced a
bill which seriously threatened the install-
ment business of the state was side-tracked
in his work by an arrangement entered
into with certain men who bought off the
legislator.
Still an iridescent dream the purifica-
tion of American politics.
There are too many men in political life
in America who promote certain measures
simply with the end in view that they will
be bought off by those whose interests are
threatened.
Nearly every year at Albany we hear of
a proposed antagonist in the shape of a
rival to the telephone monopoly. Consid-
erable talk is made of the matter in the
newspapers, and there the matter ends.
It is whisked out of sight with an abruptness
that fairly lakes one's breath away. There
are always schemes behind such moves,
and the men who introduce the measures
t o frequently profit thereby, being bought
off by the opposition whose interests are
threatened. In fighting legislative measures
which are adverse to the piano interests it
is necessary that funds be available, and
there is no easier way to raise money for
any purpose than through organization
work. Men will pay dues to an organiza-
tion who never subscribe one cent directly
towards legislative work.
Piano dealers themselves would serve
their own interests if they would form as-
sociations in every State in the Union.
They would be then in a position not only of America are not so dense intellectually
to uphold their interests through the vari- as some may believe, and when they re-
ous State Legislatures, but they would ceive a piano from some of the catalogue
also be in a better position to stamp out houses and their neighbors compare it with
fraud whenever it appears on the trade instruments that they have paid more than
surface. In almost every city there is double the figure for they will begin to ex-
fraudulent work carried on, and the re- ercise their minds in a reflective way.
spectable portion of the trade can easily That is but natural.
stamp it out if it will. It generates and
The men who are clogging the good piano
thrives through indifference on the part output—who are injuring the business both
of those who hold the power to right the in character and in volume are those who
wrong, and in no way could they do it are selling the commercial pianos at dis-
more effectively than through associated honest prices.
effort.
Now there should be a reasonableness
about
the operations of all men who are
AIDING THE CATALOGUE MAN.
T H E men who are making the incursion seeking public patronage, and while in
of the catalogue house establishments making this statement we do not by any
in the music trade domain, a comparatively possible stretch of imagination mean to in-
easy one, are those who are selling the com- clude the dealers as a whole, there are
mercial piano in other than its proper class. some to whom these words directly apply,
While recently visiting a certain dealer, and they are the ones to whom we propose
in the West, one of his salesmen enthusi- to apply the red-hot iron of argument
until at least they are seared a trifle and
astically reported another sale of a B
piano. The dealer rubbed his hands glee- a»"e distinguishable from their fellow mer-
fully as he contemplated the sales slip, and chants who ran upon honorable lines.
An illustration from real piano life:
finally said that those were the pianos on
In the Northwest there was a regular
which he made his money. '' Think of it,''
he added; " that is $300 for that piano, the dealer who had offered to a fanner a well-
second one to-day. Yesterday I sold one known Boston piano in exchange for a
for $325. Those are the goods to handle; pair of horses and $250. The farmer was
very much pleased with the instrument,
real money in them!"
As a matter of fact the pianos to which but thought it a trifle more than he cared
he referred were of a brand which ordin- to pay upon that occasion. It was one of
arily wholesales at $110 or $115, and still the plainest made by the Boston firm,
this man deliberately enticed people into and the agriculturist could not fully ap-
his store for the purpose of buncoing them. preciate the real worth of the instru-
No other word is fully applicable. His ment. About two weeks later he came into
business was old-established and ostensi- the same wareroom, and after looking
around came upon a large upright piano
bly highly respectable in character.
The people who came into his ware- of Chicago manufacture, ranking in what
rooms had a right to suppose that they we may term the commercial class. It
were receiving the same honest treatment possessed a highly attractive and showy
that they would get in any mercantile exterior, which captivated the farmer.
house of honor, but they were not, for by After expressing his admiration in lan-
no manner of intricate reasoning can that guage in which there was a modicum of
dealer demonstrate his mercantile honesty profanity as well as eulogy embodied, he
in exploiting a piano for $325 which costs asked the price. The salesman immedi-
wholesale a trifle over $100, and which ately followed up this enquiry with a line
could be duplicated in scores of factories of red hot argument which placed the old
for the same figure. He is robbing the fellow upon his mettle.
The salesman closed his speech with the
customer, for he is not delivering the value
which the purchaser is entitled to receive statement:
"Why, it would probably be useless for
when paying such a price.
me
to quote you the price on that piano,
It is this same kind of cut-throat work
which is making the course of the cata- as it would be far in excess of what you
logue man a very easy one. To-day, it is would be willing to pay, as you could not
piano which I
true, the catalogue houses buy the very pay the figure for the A
asked
upon
the
occasion
of
your last
cheapest pianos which are made in Amer-
ica. It is true, too, that they sell them on call."
"Well," the old fellow finally drawled
a very low margin of profit, a profit which
out, " what in thunder do you ask for the
would not satisfy the ordinary retailer.
The catalogue man carries no stock. He instrument, anyway? Maybe I could meet
ships from the factory direct, thus saving you. You can't always tell how far a frog
even his cartage. Now, the rural portion will jump from its looks."