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THE MUSIC ^TRADE REVIEW
cause of this "complex" question. There is
a shadow on the wall which portends serious
difficulties for the coming fall, not before,
for labor troubles do not usually occur when
there is that stagnancy of business such as
usually exists during the summer months.
Whether or not, the piano industry will be
hampered by reasons of labor troubles next
fall is one of the secrets which the future
holds, and at the present time she does not
propose to divulge it. Recent developments
show that the labor agitators are not inter-
ested wholly in disseminating truths. On
the contrary, deception appears to be a large
portion of their stock in trade.
If we take the recent speech of Chas. Dold
at New Haven, it will be seen that when com-
paring the Eastern workman with the West-
ern workman,, he was noi: desirous of stating
the true condition of affairs to the men whom
he addressed. The industrial philanthropists
are beginning to conclude from the present
status of affairs at the model plant at Dayton,
Ohio, that industrial Edens are not apprecia-
ted by labor agitators.
The question of labor is a commercial one
between the individual employer and his em-
ployee, governed only by natural laws and
varying with conditions and localities and it
may be that it is an exceedingly difficult ques-
tion for an association to deal with ; yet the
National Metal Trades Association is form-
ing itself into a powerful organization, and
will undoubtedly be a strong offset to the
unionizing of the labor forces in their indus-
try. This organization comes out squarely
in its express recognition of the right of any
man to belong, or not, to any religious, politi-
cal or economical set as he may see fit; also
his right to leave at his free will, his right to
sell his labor at the best price he can com-
mand.
The members say further that their inalien-
able right to employ a man, whether or not
lie belongs to any organization, and his dis-
charge at their discretion exists and will be
insisted upon.
The management of a shop is in the hands
of the employer, who is financially responsible
for it, and its management should not be in-
terfered with by the employees who assume
none of the responsibilities. Labor is quite
as necessary as capital, and without it noth-
ing can be accomplished, but it must not be
elevated to the throne of power where it can
dictate to the men who, by ambition, applica-
tion and talent have developed great enter-
prises.
Capital and labor are strong links in the
chain of human progress, but a chain is no
stronger than its weakest links, no matter
how large and impressive the larger ones may
be, for when the strain comes the weakest
ones snap; and if the labor organizations are
going to make the industrial link so weak by
their unwarrantable interference with busi-
ness affairs that the chain snaps, then there
is nothing le r t for the workman or for the
owner. It is well to adjust matters so that
when the strain comes there will be no weak
links, and the time to strengthen them is now
before the strain occurs.
'"THE Review policy, while perhaps not
generally endorsed by its competitors,
seems to satisfy its clients. A paper, after
all, is a business institution, and must ren-
der a fair equivalent to the men who sup-
port the enterprise. We have never paid the
slightest attention to the silly little criticisms
which emanate from jealous competitors, be-
THE MEAT OF THE COCOANUT. cause we hold that our constituency cares
CLIENT in writing little or nothing whether this paper is liked
Why we do not be-
lieve in Special Edi-
to The Review or hated by its competitors. The advertis-
tions—Of little value
to the advertiser—Dif.
asks, "Why do you not ers are looking for values, and they have
ference in p i a n o s—
Business prospects for
bring out special edi- found The Review to be a paying medium.
1901.
tions? You did for- It delivers a value, and there are no schemes
behind our moves. We are not engaged
merly."
True, indeed, and The Review was only in the piano brokerage business; we do not
issued twice a month "formerly." Times believe that it mixes any better with correct
have changed since "formerly" and the pol- journalism than the house organ, which is
icy of business institutions should change not even first cousin to journalism. In some
with the times. Yes, we have issued a great cases we have considered that we have given
many special editions in days agone, but we too great a value to our advertisers, and
ask to be forgiven for our past sins, and consequently raised our card rate to a fair
price. Some demurred, claiming that some
promise never to repeat them.
other papers would give them several times
Many years ago The Review issued Christ-
the amount of space which The Review of-
mas numbers. In '89, after one of our trans-
fered for practically the same amount.
continental trips, we published a California
We rqjlied by saying that there was
edition; again, at the time of the Midwinter
Fairanother California special. Wealsoissued perhaps as great difference in papers as in
special editions covering every part of Amer- pianos, and while we did not insist upon a
ica, but we believe to-day that the value of man purchasing our wares, yet if he did,
big, voluminous publications has greatly de- he must pay the valuation which we placed
preciated for the advertiser. This is an ac- upon our space. No investment in adver-
tive age—an age of concentration—and pi- tising can be too large if it brings a profit
ano merchants do not pay as close attention in proportion to the amount invested, and
to the individual announcement of manufac- Review advertising has been found to be
turers in papers which contain a hundred an excellent investment.
A MANUFACTURER desires the opin-
pages or more.
ion of The Review upon the compar-
Readers of trade publications, nowadays,
ative
volume
of business which will be trans-
want condensed space, boiled down bits in
everything, and the individuality of an ad- acted this year and last, in musical instru-
vertiser is lost in a huge publication wherein ments.
A
there are fifty or a hundred more pages re-
lating to competing wares. It is too much
to expect of a reader that he will wade
through and digest such a vast amount of
advertising matter, and, believing that, we
discontinued the "special" habit several years
ago. We believe the interest of the ad-
vertiser is best served in an ordinary edi-
tion of the paper, wherein his announce-
ment has a fair chance of being seen, and
not lost among scores of other similar an-
nouncements.
Working on that basis, we have main-
tained a publication of from forty to fifty
pages weekly. There has been no spurt
for a month or two, but in season and out
The Review has swung along at about that
pace. Every advertiser has an excellent
showing for his money, and we believe the
treatment he receives in our regular edi-
tions is eminently more satisfying than if
he were bunched with a great many others
in "special" editions.
While we do not aspire to a prophetic
reputation, yet we never have refrained from
expressing an opinion upon a possible busi-
ness future, and we say unqualifiedly that
we believe that 1901—in the first year of
the reign of Pierpont Morgan—will be the
greatest year in point of volume of business
which this country has ever seen. The fall
will open early, and it will be a record-break-
er in every respect. Business through the
summer will continue fairly excellent, and
the man who does no more business this
year than he did last will be losing ground,
because there is more business to be done this
year. Depend upon it we are not far from facts
in expressing ourselves as we have. Watch
the developments and see whether we come
near scoring the bull's eye or not.
HE proverb that "the pen is mightier than
the sword" is now obsolete. It is no
longer a question of pens and swords: the
scene has shifted, and the contest now rests
whether the linotype machine is mightier than
the Maxim gun.
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