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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
men to make a healthy competition on the
outside and act as a tremendous and im-
pelling power to destroy the effectiveness
of the combination.
The piano trust scheme, revised and up
to date, as outlined in a recent issue of The
Review, is not dead, nor even sleepeth, but
only a little "scotched," troubled with an at-
tack of "that tired feeling."
The independent piano manufacturer is
a unit of strength; multiply these units, and
the result will be an astonishing force—a
competitive force, and that leads the way
back to the thought suggested at the open-
ing of this article—competition.
With a healthy. competition, the output
from the American piano factories will be
largely augmented; with a controlling com-
bination in the trade saddle which should
eliminate competition to a large degree, the
output would immediately diminish. Com-
petition is not only the life of business, but
it is more—it is the whole thing.
THE VALUE OF VENEERS.
' ' [ ACTED upon the
How attractive ven-
suggestion of The
eers sell pianos—Wal-
nut in the lead—Plain
Review
made s o m e
cases call for better
veneers—Special fig-
weeks ago," remarked
ures in demand—In-
creased price.
a piano manufacturer
this week, "and increased my order for wal-
nut veneers. I have been more than grat-
ified because walnut is surely the seller of
the season, as far as woods are concerned."
Again, we have to follow the lead of the
furniture trade, and the demand, as we have
previously stated, for the best grade of fur-
niture to-day is largely in walnut.
To sum up briefly, walnut in dull finish,
with a very dainty gold decoration and little
carving, is quite the thing. Some of our
furniture men are interested in the new
woods in our colonial possessions, and de-
pend upon it, ere long we shall have Fili-
pino fads in furniture.
The race in woods this year is between
walnut and mahogany, with odds somewhat
in favor of the former; mahogany, though,
as a prime favorite, will always be with us.
It is not generally known that as near as
New York is to the mahogany forests of
the West Indies, the best mahogany still
conies to us from Liverpool. The Liverpool
timber merchants have largely the control
of the mahogany trade; they get most of
the best logs from the West Indies, and lat-
terly even from Mexico. Much mahogany,
of course, is brought to New York direct
'from the mahogany ports, especially those
of Mexico, but for extra choice logs New
York importers still look to Liverpool. In-
deed, English timber merchants have a good
deal of the mahogany now lying at the Lewis
street inspection yards. Some of it has lain
there nearly ten years, subject to damage
by the elements, while the British owners
wait for better prices.
Piano manufacturers, as a whole, are
showing much more interest in the selection
of veneers than formerly. Our leading
houses are always on the lookout for rare
logs and have standing orders with noted
veneer men so that their attention is imme-
diately called to some attractive specialty
which the veneer men happen to pick up.
There are, indeed, few men left of the
old school who will leave orders such as a
veneer man repeated to us the other day,
when the firm was quoted as saying, "Oh,
I don't care, so long as it is mahogany. I
can sell it just the same."
With the tendency towards plainer cases,
colonial styles predominating, manufactur-
ers who have hitherto paid but little at-
tention to the selection of their veneers,
must be compelled to in the near future,
because in the plain case, rare woods are
more effectively shown than in the heavily
embellished cases of old. The question of
woods is a mighty important one with the
piano manufacturer of to-day, and the deal-
er can rest assured that veneers out of the
ordinary will cost something of an advance
over the prices of former years. Good ve-
neers are powerful factors in the selling
end of the piano business.
THE POWER
The personality of
successful b u s i n e s s
men—A powerful con-
tributory factor—The
personality of leading
travelers and salesmen
who have achieved
success.
OFIPERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY is a
mighty important
factor in human affairs,
and, in ratio to its
pleasantness or attrac-
tiveness, success in business affairs can often
be measured. It is not enough that a busi-
ness man should be equipped with the tech-
nical knowledge and executive ability to con-
duct a business, but an attractive and pleas-
ing personality makes substantial additions
to these necessary qualifications.
It has been the experience of every one
whose position in the business world brings
him in contact with many people, to feel
that in some way more or less accountable
he is attracted towards certain individuals,
frequently to the extent of desiring to go
to almost any length to reasonably serve
them.
This is due to the personal traits which
these individuals possess, and it goes with-
out saying that if they are our portion or
birthright, we will necessarily attract others
in the same way.
Who has not noted the difference in the
treatment accorded certain individuals, when
perhaps the transaction involved had not
greater inducement or advantages than or-
dinary—as contrasted with that shown to
others—the difference being due in one case
to the pleasing personality, over that of the.
gruff and unpleasant disposition of theJ
other.
':
How necessary it is for every man, par-,
ticularly every salesman, to cultivate this:
attractive and important factor—personal-
ity. It may be hereditary traits of dispo-
sition handicap us to an extent, which, by
comparison with other individuals, would
make us appear on the surface different
from what we really are at heart.
How essential, therefore, it is to give at,
least outward evidence of good intentions,
to cultivate consideration for those beneath
us, cheerfulness, suavity, towards those
with whom we do business, and good fel-
lowship with everyone. That this training
and effort will in time show decided results
is true as a similar effort towards physic '1
development. The athlete can be trained
by special courses of practice to develop
the body to the highest state of perfection:
so can this training be made effective in thai:
results in the full development of that im-
portant feature^ in modern business life—
personality. Lapses and occasional depart-
ures may occur from time to time, and the
ideal of perfection may never be reached,
still by perseverance and determined effort,
a marked improvement is possible.
These thoughts are suggested by recent
conversation with some young salesmen who
felt somewhat discouraged as to the possi-
bility of their business future, and the be-
lief that large salaries are not generally in
evidence in the piano trade.
Our experience teaches us that the men
who develop personality are developing indi-
vidual traits which will pay them well.
Take the important road representatives In
the wholesale department of the industry.
Is not their personality so attractive that
there is an immediate surrender to their win-
ning faculties?
Suppose we take at random a dozen of
the leading men in the retail branch of the
business. Is not their personality so dom-
inant that it actually draws trade, and in-
cidentally creates a large salary for them?
If W. 13. Price had not been long on per-
sonality he would never have become sec-
retary of the Cable Co.
It might be well to develop this personal-
ity side of the business a little stronger.
Successful manufacturers are men of dom-
inating personality, and the young salesmen
never can tell how quickly they may grad-
uate into manufacturers.
A little stronger emphasis on personality
may be helpful.
The personality of William Steinway
made the enterprise of Steinway & Sons
world-famous, and while he lived his per-
sonality overshadowed and dominated every
other in the house.