Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1901 Vol. 33 N. 2

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
tHE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
While at first this may seem somewhat PERSISTENCY OF TRUST RUMORS
is interesting to
The work of the
of a novel venture, yet, when analyzed, it
press agent-^Fake re-
note that in other
possesses many points of merit. Austria
ports made to influ-
ence—Piano t r u s t
lines
of trade there are
has now .1 floating exposition well under
schemer getting wor-
ried as the fat com-
trust rumors which are
way. Manufacturers pay for the space their
missions fade from
view.
circulated with the same
goods will occupy, on the ship and allow a
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
commission to the directors on all orders persistency, containing about the same per-
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR.
received. The exposition will come to New centage of truth, served up with about the
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
York first, thence to San Francisco, and same quantity of sensationalism, that has
Executive Staff:
GEO.
W. QUERIPEL
A. J. NICKLIN
then on to large cities in the far away Orient. been noticeable in piano circles during the
Some American piano manufacturers have past two months. Articles with scare heads
Published Every Saturday it 3 East 14th Street, New York.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico
been approached with the object of interest- have been published in New York recently
and Canada, $2.00 per year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEnENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special discount
ing them to the extent of taking space for concerning the formation of a giant umbrella
is allowed. Advertising Pages $JO.OO, opposite reading matter,
$75.00.
their pianos on the proposed floating ex- trust, controlling not only the trade of this
REfllTTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
position. If the enterprise be honestly and country but also that of Great Britain. A
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter
capably managed it should result in a con- concern was organized with several millions
NEW YORK, JULY 13, 1901.
siderable increase of trade for the American capital and this was heralded in the press,
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
manufacturers who participate in it. Aus- but, despite all the newspaper reports that
THE
On the first Saturday of each
ARTISTS'
month The Review contains in its
tria has set the pace, and it is worth while the corporation had obtained options on the
DEPARTMENT " Artists' Department" all the cur-
rent musical news. This is effected
for our own manufacturers to take note of largest plants both in this country and Eu-
without in anv way trespassing on the size or ser-
all these movements of their rivals. Our rope, not one of the principal manufacturers
vice of the trade section of the paper. It has a
special circulation, and therefore augments mater-
European competitors are in the race in in this city knew anything about it, other
ially the value of The Review to advertisers.
earnest, and they will leave no stone un- than what they had seen in the daily papers.
DIRECTORY OF
The directory of piano manu-
PIANO
MANUFACTURERS f a c t u T i n g firms and corporations
turned to strengthen their position wherever One man remarked: "We consider that
found on page 18 wrll be of great
there is a great deal of promoter gas about
value as a reference for dealers and others.
it is possible.
the
whole proposed combine, and we have
DIRECTORY OF
A directory of all advertisers
The American manufacturers at first are
ADVERTISERS
i n The Review will be found on
been unable to find out that any of the
prone to view a matter of this kind as a big
page 5.
prominent houses would really go into an-
junketing trip, but is it not, after all, a
other trust.
shrewd, intelligent business scheme for the
EDITORIAL
"The memory of the umbrella trust of a
expansion of export business? Our own in-
few
years ago is too fresh in their minds.
dustry is concerned in all of these moves,
THE EDUCATIONAL POWER OF
and it would not be a poor business invest- The old combination was responsible for the
EXPOSITIONS.
very serious conditions which prevailed in
I T cannot be denied ment for some piano manufacturers to com-
Great factors in our
the umbrella industry, nearly ruining a num-
industrial g r o w t h —
but that American bine and send a representative out on the ber of firms, and broke itself as well."
Will the award system
expositions have been first floating American exposition to foreign
be a b a n d o n e d ? — A
Regarding the piano trust rumors, the reg-
floating exposition—
powerful
contributory shores.
Piano manufacturers
may participate.
It would certainly be a good advertisement' ular weekly menu has been changed some-
factors to the marvelous
what, but it is said the promoter's face
increase in our foreign trade. The Cen- for the piano industry, and if we are pre-
has grown haggard and drawn—a condition
tennial Exposition in 1876 accomplished pared to build instruments such as the for-
not wholly due to the warm weather of the
great good in its way, but the Chicago Ex- eign purchasers desire, why then the ex-
past two weeks. He is getting exceeding-
position of 1893 gave, perhaps, a greater position would, no doubt, be instrumental
ly weary as the fat commissions fade steadily
impetus to our export business than any in securing large orders abroad. The con-
from his enamored view. The bluff and
other single factor during the past quarter sensus of opinion of those who have given
buncombe behind this move is pretty thor-
of a century. The Exposition at Buffalo, the possible future of the American piano in
oughly appreciated by piano manufacturers,
too, will accomplish desired results along Europe careful study is to the effect that
but we understand there are only two or
we must build pianos specially for that trade
these same lines.
three men who have even given the matter
As we have previously stated, the expo- —that is, if we desire to secure it in goodly serious consideration. In the meanwhile, the
sitions of to-day would be more illustra- slices.
promoter rants in his publication about hav-
tive of the present condition of the man- That has been the belief of The Review ing seventy-five millions at his command,
ufacturing interests of this country if the all along. The time is coming, not far dis- but we have not learned of his putting up
award system were wholly abandoned. We tant, when we will take up the subject of any of that when he desires to secure an
have outgrown that system, and, from the pianos for export in a more serious way than option on a plant. That section of the trade
better grade of manufacturers themselves we have in the past.
press which is warmly supporting him in his
One deterring influence has been the
in all lines comes an, expressed wish that
move to crush two-thirds of the industry
no awards or official recognition of exhibits richness of our home market compared with still continue their accustomed publicity of
others.
The lucrative trade at our own
be given.
doors is more preferable than an uncertain this man and his methods in their columns.
One of the latest exposition schemes is
trade thousands of miles away. But we are
A CALL TO CEASE FIGHTING.
that originated by the chief of the Bureau moving on to world-wide conquests in every-
I T is a remarkably fine
The abuse of com-
of Statistics of the Treasury Department, thing, and why not in pianos? The Amer-
petitors' wares —A de-
line of distinction
who desires to secure an old naval vessel, ican organs are the standard of the world
sire on the part of
piano merchants to
which
some men draw
and, with the co-operation of American man- and in all countries there is no good and
remove that element
between "business ex-
entirely—The work of
ufacturers, send out this ship loaded with valid reason why the American piano should
dealers' organizations.
aggeration" and down-
samples, which would move from port to not move well up to the point occupied by
its sister product.
right misrepresentation. Perhaps it is easy
port in distant countries.
TWENTY-SECOND YEAR.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
enough for the dealer whose consience per-
mits him to enter that particular trade field,
to get his soothing dose from the smooth ar-
guments which run after the fashion that
imaginative flights are permissible in order
to gain a legitimate business end. But it
is something more than imagination which
allows a dealer to maliciously malign his
competitor's wares, particularly when they
are acknowledged by the entire piano world
to be above criticism.
As one leading piano dealer recently re-
marked : "The piano business is what we
make it"—and a man's inmost convictions
must sooner or later raise his merchandiz-
ing notions into the realm of stability and
fact, provided he keeps up a reputation in
which there is a semblance of honesty left.
There are more jealousies and petty war-
fares indulged in in the retailing of pianos
than almost any other lines of merchandiz-
ing, and in some cases there is no halt be-
fore all sorts of virulent personal abuse is
injected in the fight.
That there is a desire to-day to eliminate
entirely that element which we may term
degrading, is evidenced by the formation of
dealers' associations in different parts of the
country. The National Association of Deal-
ers stands for the promotion of the best in-
terests of the trade.
It was plain from the sentiment expressed
at a recent informal meeting of the Brook-
lyn dealers that there is a desire in that city,
as expressed by W. S. Denslow, "to quit
fighting one another and devote the same
energy to the up-building of business insti-
tutions."
There is no doubt but that local associ-
ations will do much to extinguish entirely
some of the reprehensible practices which
have been indulged in too frequently in
years past. The retail conditions of the
country are destined to improve until they
repch the full standard of twentieth century
merchandizing, embodying an honesty and
a carefully measured presentation of real
facts.
We have information of at least a dozen
more associations composed of local music
-trade dealers being formed in as many lo-
calities during the coming fall months.
Let the good work go forward at a good
round pace.
PROTECTION OF TRADEMARKS.
HTHIS industry, like
The music trade has
suffered from t r a d e -
many others, has
mark thieves—An or-
been infested with a
ganization through a
systematic combina-
class of poachers who
tion will protect—Of
interest to all.
have sought to profit by
the work of others. Great names have been
imitated and spurious articles been vended
as the genuine. In a thousand different ways
has the individual or firm been defrauded
of rights through deception practiced upon
the public.
The usual way to fight this class of thieves,
compared with whom the housebreaker has
points of honor, has been by recourse to the
courts. Men have sought by long and ex-
pensive legal battles to protect their rights,
but even before their proprietary rights have
been established they have been great losers.
In truth, they have no adequate knowledge
of the extent of the injury done their busi-
ness by the fraudulent imitators before they
are finally rounded up in the courts of law.
All branches of the music trade—piano man-
ufacturers, makers of small musical instru-
ments and novelties, music publishers, have
in turn been preyed upon by imitators who
have used names closely resembling the orig-
inal, in order that they might profit by the
work of others and trade upon their repu-
tation.
Our attention has recently been called to
a concern which has been organized to
guard the legitimate interests of all who have
trademarks, copyrights and designs to pro-
tect.
It has been the work of years to outline
a comprehensive plan in order that the en-
tire country be systematically covered and to
immediately ascertain where, and to what
extent fraudulent wares are being exploited.
It is the purpose of this new trademark pro-
tective organization to speedily accumulate
evidence against all infrlngers, and if found
necessary in order to protect the interests of
their clients, to bring the malefactors before
a legal tribunal.
The value of such an institution will be
obvious to all whose preserves have been
poached upon and whose troubles in this di-
rection have been long drawn out owing* to
the imperfections in the present method of
ferreting out the origin of the falsely-brand-
ed products and securing sufficient evidence
to base a conviction upon.
This trade mark concern have perfected
their plans to such an extent that, through
thousands of agents in all sections, they are
at once enabled to secure data concerning
any possible infringements. Suspects are
immediately placed under surveillance, and
in every way are the interests of clients care-
fully guarded, so that infringers are speedily
removed from their special field of activity.
That there is need for such special ser-
vice will be admitted by all. No local or na-
tional trade organization can successfully
handle matters of this kind. It requires spe-
cial machinery to do this, and we are inclined
to the belief that the International Trade
Mark Protective Co., 320 Broadway, N. Y.,
has a brililant future ahead, when its aims
are generally understood by those whose in-
terests it is organized to protect.
OUTSIDE THE BREASTWORKS.
'T'HE readiness with
The question of in-
dividuality i n
the
which the Ameri-
piano business — Its
strength and value—
can people take up, pop-
The trust as a leveler
ularize and standardize a
and destroyer of posi-
tions won.
brand of anything is re-
markable, and worthy of philosophical study.
It is a characteristic which speaks louder for
the intelligence and remarkable adaptability of
the American people than almost any other
national trait, and right here lies the secret
of success in advertising. It is not alone to
make a good article, but to advertise it well.
The position of the famous old houses
of Chickering and Steinway was never
achieved without the judicious use of all
legitimate channels of advertising, and what
a tremendous impelling force those channels
have become with the passing of years!
The piano business, too, is unique in many
ways. The individuality of each piano has
given it a distinct following and a distinct
recognition among the people in all parts of
the country. This standing could not be
won within a few years, no matter how su-
perb the instrument. There is a certain
"something" which is acquired by persist-
ently placing before the people a standard
article and exploiting it in a proper way for
a term of years.
A man may bring out a new brand of
soap or tea, or some home accessory, and,
by a liberal use of printers' ink obtain for it
an enormous sale, but in the piano business
a reputation grows slowly, and when once
acquired it is indeed difficult to destroy.
Note the vicissitudes which some of the
well-known names associated with the piano
industry have gone through and note their
vitality to-day!
It is the element of individuality which
has been won by many in the piano business,
that would have a deterring influence upon
any combination of the industry"into what is
commonly known as a trust. The individ-
uality would be at once lost, and all of those
on the outside would quickly say that the
trust had been a leveler and that all pianos
were practically of the same brand, having
the same source of parentage.
That is one reason why some of the shrewd-
est men of the industry to-day would like to
see a trust in existence. They affirm that
it'would be the best thing for their own in-
dividual interests, and of course they would
stay on the outside, but how about the man
wha had sunk his own individuality into
that of a trust and had received in pay for
his name and property some beautifully en-
graved chromos ?
He would be well outside the piano breast-
works.

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