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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
This is a hopeful sign when we compare
the present situation with, say ten years ago.
Then public sympathy somehow or other al-
ways gravitated toward the employees, whe-
ther right or wrong. In the steel strike, the
question of wages was not an issue; the
broad principle at stake was whether a man,
a firm, or corporation, have the right to em-'
ploy men—to run their own business—or
whether they should delegate that right to
their employees.
If an effort had been made to force wages
down, or to grind the workmen, our sym-
pathy would be with the wage-earner, but
the proposition, which was latterly faced, that
employment of men be restricted to those
who belong to unions, is most demoralizing
and subversive of all good qualities in men,
and indefensible even on the grounds ad-
vanced by labor leaders that more men are
thus given employment, because the uni-
versal application of : such a rule would de-
prive many men of the opportunity to earn
an honest living.
To manufacturers in this industry the fail-
ure of the steel strike is important, inasmuch
as the success of the steel workers, in view
of their unethical position, would stimulate
the workers in the piano and other indus-
tries to make demands that would be as un-
fair, if not more so, than those made by the
steel men.
The relations of employer and employee
are complex and difficult of adjudication,
but. the more they are discussed, the greater
the necessity appears for the exercise of lib-
erality on the part of the unions. They
have, it must be conceded, accomplished good
results in certain branches of trade in which
great reforms were needed, but they have
succeeded, and are succeeding, best wher-
ever the leaders have recognized natural lim-
itations.
Unfortunately, many labor unions learn lit-
tle from past defeats; at regular periods the
radical element gets into the saddle and be-
comes so dominant that it enforces its views
not by reason, but by intimidation.
There remains, happily, a vast number of
organizations who do not thrust themselves
into public prominence through strikes and
broken contracts. Their ways are largely
those of peace and conciliation. Hence, to
those to whom organized labor is more than
a passing phrase, there comes a hope that the
acute phase of the trouble is slowly passing
away to be replaced by a quieter and more
orderly course.
A FRIENDLY CHAT WITH DEALERS.
C X P A N S ION, the
Expansion, not in-
flation, the policy for
policy of the mar-
the fall, season—Old
and new ideas com-
tyred President, William
pared — Success and
McKinley, will be un-
expense —Economics,
real and false.
questionably the coun-
i!try's keynote during the administration of
President Roosevelt, as it will be the policy
of the business world during the fall season
now opening"
_,
•'
J
Mark you, expansion, but not inflation,
for there is a heap of difference between the
two.
How about your business, Mr. Dealer?
Is it primed for expansion? Are you con-
templating changes that will positively lead
to solid growth and enlargement; or have
you done all you can, got to the end of your
string of effort and endeavor, so to speak,
and simply have to trust to general influ-
ences?
How about a fine new modern front this
season, a renovation of the interior, or spec-
ial piano or music rooms,—anything new
and up-to-date to meet and greet the good
times? •--..-
Business wouldn't permit, you say?' Why,
the trade-drawing difference, between a dingy
old-fashioned exterior and. musty interior,
and a modern equipment is more than suffi-
cient to pay all expenses itt short order..
It is true it takes all kinds of people to
make a world, and all kinds of people have
all kinds of opinions. In this piano industry
we have for instance some old time merchants
who do not believe in the so-called up-to-date
methods, modern store equipment and ar-
rangements.
They believe in leaving well enough alone;
that if any radical change is effected it will
drive away the steady growing trade that the
store has been building up for years. To
them, "up-to-date" means increased ex-
penses—a clever scheme to wheedle so much
cash away. They forget that the old steady
going trade will, in process of time, if through
no other cause, die off, and that unless new
trade is continually added, the days of their
business are surely numbered.
In order to do a successful business to-day
and keep it ever in the path of progress, the
confidence of the public must be secured.
Nowadays people have little confidence in
the piano 'warerooms or any other business
institution that does not make some preten-
sions o:f being uprto-date. They have an
idea, and it is a pardonable one, that the men
who run it are themselves behind the times.
The appearance of a wareroom has much to
do in making a good impression, and an er- •
roneous impression once formed is th > hard-
est thing 4o overcome.
One of the bugbears that often stands be-
tween a man and success is expense. Now,
Mr. Dealer, have you ever seriously con-
sidered what expense means—what it is?
Stocking a store with pianos, organs, or
small goods is an expense and sometimes a
pretty big one. Clerk hire is another large
item of expense, so is rent, heating, lighting,
advertising, tuning, cartage, etc. The big-
gest amounts are usually dignified with the
term "investment." The little fellows are
simply called "expense," and every merchant
makes; it his business to cut the latter as much
as ! possible. But why not call them all rn-
vestments, treat them as such ? You will be
more likely to get profitable returns. Try
it. Think it over.
Economies, real and false, are important
subjects in the conduct of any business. The
piano trade is amenable to laws economic as
much as any other comm rcial enterprise.
A great point in this connection is that
spending considerable sums of money is fre-
quently the best form of economy to meet a
condition.
True economy means laying out money in
the best way-'.-to accomplish the desired result
with most profit and. least loss. In many
piano transactions large sums of money are
required to effect a certain purpose. Many
a big house has been saved by putting forth
quickly a goodly sum, while other concerns
have been weak in the knees and feared to
expend an investment in goods, advertising
or other essentials.
The old idea of economy was to save, to
make things last as long as possible, to defer
wareroom improvements, to hire cheap help
when desirous of cutting down expenses, to
stop advertising and to avoid moving: into
larger quarters even when increased trade
demanded it.
To the merchants' minds a few other ideas
will suggest themselves as belonging to this
old idea of rigid economy. But the best in-
terpretation of economy according to the au-
thorities is "the avoidance of all waste and
extravagance, and the application of money
to the best advantage." Doesn't this strike
you right?"
In the music trade field spending money is
oftentimes saving it. Sometimes the dealer
who uses two inches single column space in
the daily paper wastes money, where if he
used fifty or one hundred inches, the results
might be a great increase of his business, an,d
consequently a considerable profit beyond the
i
expense of his advertising, besides the cumu-
lative result in building up trade.
I
The proper economy in the broad conduct
of business is to continually seek new meaijs
to spend money in its up-building. There
must be a constant growth—new brancheis,
new departments, new conditions, new addi-
tions to the .house wherever possible, in order
to present not only to the public mind but to
the public pocketbook new evidences of the
sincere purpose of the. house to increase \\s>
popularity in the community.
' j
Don't you think so, Mr. Dealer?
j
HE Piano Trade Association honored ilt-
1
self in honoring the memory of the
late! President McKinley on Wednesday. {