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THE
TKXJSIC TRHDE
REVIEW
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PRIZE CONTEST.
Another Interesting Essay on the Subject " What Methods can the Dealers' Association Adopt to Stamp Out
Misleading Advertising?"—From the Pen of Joseph Joiner, Of Joiner, Fuller & Broughton, Indian-
apolis, Ind.
the manufacturer? Yes, to a certain degree,
but the real cause is the trade paper of to-
day. Let a man break ground for a new
factory to-day and to-morrow, the trade
papers herald his coming with a blast of hot
air, proclaiming a victory and predicting his
talents, skill and superior workmanship.
And why ? Because he is a prospective ad-
What Methods can the Dealers' Association Adopt to
vertiser. Of course the trade papers have
Stamp Out Misleading Advertising?
to live (and here I wish to state that there
By Joseph Joiner.
is less of that sort of thing in The Review
The query which forms.the subject of this
than any of the others), but it does seem a
composition cannot be objected to on ac-
pity that they cannot be more independent
count of its lack of scope, for it certainly has
and tell the truth. The trade papers of this
a wide range and is of great importance. I
country distribute enough taffy every issue
prefer to deal with the matter in sections and
to give the manufacturers acute gastritis,
they are as follows:
if they take the dose as prescribed.
ist. What example does the dealer have
III. Can this be changed? Yes, the trade
for his advertisements? The answer is the
papers
can do more for this change than can
manufacturer. Most dealers in pianos look
to the manufacturer for advice, help and en- be done through any other agency. Let any
couragement, in much the same way that a one who reads this article glance over the ad-
small boy looks up at his father and thinks vertisements as they appear week after week,
that his daddy is the finest man in the land. if he does not realize the truth of what I say,
A great many dealers start in the piano bus- then I waive everything I have written. Let
iness at the instance of the manufacturer, who, us have cleaner and more truthful advertise-
in order to find a market for their goods, are ments from the manufacturer and 1 feel
willing to act as a foster father to the enter- sure cleaner advertisements of dealers will
prise. A number of those men know noth- follow as a matter of education, example and
ing of the business and they take their cue, as a natural result.
Last week we presented the essay that won
the prize upon the subject, "What Methods
Can the Dealers' Association Adopt to Stamp
(hit Misleading Advertising?"—the second
of the contesting series of essays for the $ioo
in prizes offered by The Review. We give
herewith the second contribution on this sub-
ject, and we feel sure Mr. Joiner's presen-
tation will interest our readers.
IV". I feel most deeply that one of the
main reasons for misleading advertisements
by dealers who handle cheap pianos is a pe-
culiar independence and apparent apathy on
the part of the manufacturers of strictly
first-class and medium grades of pianos.
Why is it that many old reliable makers are
selling a less number of pianos to-day than
formerly? The answer is that many of
them having reached a certain state of satis-
faction, relax their vigilance and before they
Or still another. If a firm exhibits at a know it, dissolution and decomposition have
fair and secures an award for excellence of set in. There are to-day, anywhere from
exhibit, enterprise and originality, they paste thirty to fifty piano factories throwing pi-
facsimiles of that medal all over the poor anos together, that had no excuse for enter-
piano and so much confusion ensues that a ing the field, other than a lack of effort on
prospective buyer is in the predicament of the part of the makers, who became so satis-
a man who after reading Sheldon's book, fied that they did not keep watch, and so
"If Jesus Christ came to-day," scratches his have grievous wolves crept in.
If Edward Bellamy's "Looking Backward"
head mournfully and says, "If the good
Lord should come, he never would find His became a material realization, then all our
Church, for they all claim theirs is the true troubles will be over, but until then, we
way," and everybody's piano is the best on must depend on the trade papers to instill
truthfulness and honesty into their advertis-
the market.
ers and I believe the situation will become
It is a positive pleasure and a deep-seated less complex and difficult. I do not wish to
relief to read an advertisement that is dig- go on record as being opposed to the trade
nified, honorable and convincing, such as one papers. On the contrary, it is a very valu-
sees occasionally, simply stating perhaps able and necessary adjunct and a man who
the name of its maker, date of inception and never reads a trade paper will bear the same
relation to a man that does, as the old horse
possibly the number in use.
II. Wherein lies the responsibility? Is it tramway does to our electric cars of to-dav.
so to speak, from what their godfather (?)
in the piano business, tells them. Well, this
manufacturer fills them full of a lot of rot,
then sits back in his chair and pens a few
advertisements that read like this. "Abso-
lutely without a Peer." "The only pianner
that gits better the longer you use it." "The
Emperor Constantine Piano of 300 A.D.,
upon which the Romans played so tender-
ly, was the best piano in the world. To-day
it occupies the same position."
WM. KNABE & CO.'S GREAT TRADE.
Orders Coming in This Summer as Briskly as in
the Winter—One Day's Orders Aggregated
One Hundred and Twenty-Five Pianos—Straws
Which Show How the Wind Blows.
Wm. Knabe & Co., of Baltimore, Md.,
continue to transact a phenomenal business.
For the past year it has been impossible at
any time to catch up with orders and, not-
withstanding the approach of hot weather,
there is apparently no diminution of the vol-
ume of their trade.
Orders keep pouring in and the hopes of
the company that by the end of July they
would be in a position to fill orders with rea-
sonable promptness are now apparently
unattainable.
For instance, at the close of business on
Tuesday last they had.established a new rec-
ord. On that day they received orders for
one hundred and twenty-three pianos for im-
mediate delivery, or as soon as they could
ship them, from the following firms:
Lyon & Healy, Chicago, 111
84
W. J. Dyer & Bro., St. Paul, Minn
20
Metropolitan Music Co., Minneapolis. . . . 15
E. B. Rogers, Erie, Pa
2
Robelen Piano Co., Wilmington, Del. . . . 1
The Gran Piano Co., Cincinnati, O
1
This speaks eloquently of the popularity
of the Knabe piano, which, by the way, was
never more satisfactory both in design, fin-
ish and artistic musical qualities than to-day.
The present indications are that the Knabe
business for July will equal that of last De-
cember, as they are still one month and a half
behind with orders, not counting those men-
tioned above.
A December trade in July is certainly a
revelation in the piano business. It demon-
strates unequivocally not only the prosperity
of the people of the United States, but that
the year 1902 will establish a high water
mark in the output of such artistic pianos as
those made by Wm. Knabe & Co.
AMERICAN INSTRUMENTS AT CORK.
At the exhibition which is being held in
Cork, Ireland, R. Craig, a local dealer, is dis-
playing a specially fine collection of musical
instruments among which is the famous
"Crown" piano "of many tones'' made by
(ieo. P. Bent of Chicago. The local papers
have been saying very kindly things of the
"Crown" and particularly praise the quality
of its tone as well as its architecture.
The Angelus orchestral piano player is also
exhibited by Mr. Craig, and the demonstra-
tion of its musical possibilities has been the
subject of extended comment. The Irish peo-
ple and the Irish papers have taken very kind-
ly to the American instruments, and it would
not surprise us to find the Crown products
more widely represented ere long in the Em-
erald Isle. Among the other instruments
much admired at the Craig exhibit is a Rud.
Ibach grand.
A gentleman who has just returned from
the other side and who has visited the Cork
exposition says that it is a matter of regret
that American manufacturers are not better
represented there, particularly with a line
of good commercial instruments. He further
added that the Irish people would be glad
to give a preference to American instru-
ments, even at an increased cost, over those
of German or English manufacture.