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THE MUSIC TRHDE
pour into the island, which has been so gen-
erously endowed by nature. There would be
at once a tremendous stimulus given to trade
between the two countries, and we would
find in a short time that our piano manufac-
turers would be developing in Cuba a stead-
ily growing trade. The "small goods'' men
and music publishers would also find a large
output for their products throughout the is-
land. In reply to numerous requests which
have been sent to this office regarding the
possibilities of the music trade in Cuba at
the present time, we must repeat what we
have already said in The Review on the Cuba
situation, that for business the present time
is an excellent occasion to stay away from
Cuba. Trade there is prostrate, and until we do
our full duty to the island, it will remain so.
Unless Congress acts, the sacrifice of the
hundreds of lives and millions of money
which we have ungrudgingly made, amounts
to naught.
The vast total at once becomes a useless
sacrifice.
KINDS OF ADVERTISING.
The c h a n g e in
piano advertising —
Catch lines used —
Displeasing to trade
paper men —A board
of experts to pass upon
advertising ethics.
A F E W years ago pia-
no advertisements
were not conspicuouslv
noticeable, either on ac-
count of their attractive-
ness or the convincing matter presented.
With few exceptions, they were plain and
devoid of interest, but a glance at papers and
magazines of to-day will show that the piano
men have realized the advantage of clever
advertising and that they have entered into
the campaign of publicitv better prepared
than ever before.
be straightened out and at once—even if it
takes ready money.
Piano manufacturers should hand their
advertisements hereafter to a commission
composed of experts who will pass on cer-
tain claims. As the matter stands, they are
getting quite out of touch and sympathy with
the critics, and the readers are being afforded
a liberal education in—what shall we say ?
7
of goods would render the auctioneer amen-
able to the law under the statute which ap-
plies to misleading advertising, there is some
diversity of opinion. The men devising these
schemes say that it is clever work, but not mis-
leading, and that there really is no misrepre-
sentation. Whether this argument would
stand in court or not is a question upon which
we have serious doubts.
A test case should be made.
STRAY SHOTS FROM THE QUIVER.
T" 1 H E advantage of great centers of popu-
lation for manufacturing purposes is
not recognized to the same extent that it was
a few years ago, for many institutions are
seeking locations far removed from the great
cities. Manufacturers figure that low rents,
decreased running expenses and the lessen-
ing possibility of labor troubles outweigh the
advantage of a location in a great city. There
are men, too, just as firm in their belief that
the great industrial centers of America are
the real places in which to manufacture. They
affirm that they are on • the ground and are
ready to • do business" at • all times, : and that
the ease with which they cair secure" help, as
well as additional shipping facilities, more
than-outweigh the-reductions which the out-
side men can*.claim.
So long as both parties'are satisfied, we
hardly think there is an opportunity to intro-
duce an argument. It is simply a difference
of opinion, and in our line, both sides seem
to be doing a satisfactory amount of business.
Piano men who are in the great cities are
doing well.
And the same may be said of those who are
located far from the maddening throng.
T T would seem as if 1902 had established a
record for fires, for although we have
little more than crossed the threshold of the
year, the country has suffered through more
destructive fires than during any year which
we can recall.
Piano dealers have been heavy losers in
Waterbury and Paterson through fire, but
the most destructive of all, as far as the music
trade industry is concerned, was the one
which occurred at Springfield, ()., which de-
molished the huge factory of the Krell-
French Co. This institution had expended
a vast sum of money in rehabilitating one of
the largest factory structures of the country,
fitting it up with machinery of the latest im-
proved pattern, and were ready for business
on a gigantic scale. It is unfortunate that
Mr. Krell and his asociates should have suf-
fered such severe loss at the very inception
of their new business.
H E readjustment of freight rates is a
matter in which dealers take warm in-
terest, and, surely, there should be some-
thing definite accomplished in this direction
by the time of the May convention, if at all.
That big saving that was talked of is still in
the dim, shadowy future.
T"" 1 H E man who takes a narrow view of
Gone to join the trust, maybe.
trade papers lisually takes a contracted
view of life, and of business as well. He dis- D L U M I E has devoted much space to tell-
likes to see the publicity which his brother
ing why Hardman should not use the
manufacturer is receiving at the hands of the expression, "improves with use." The in-
Piano men are now receiving a large
trade papers, and rather than go in and build consistency of his position may be under-
amount of information from trade papers
his business on the same basis, he would like stood when a well-known advertiser in his
concerning just what is right and good and
to pull the other man down to his level. In paper, occupying space on the first inside
true to state in their advertisements. As a
the meanwhile, the most progressive manu- page, has used weekly practically the same
a matter of record, there are some words
facturer is a liberal patron of the best trade words. Hardman is wrong to use the ex-
which are displeasing to certain editors, and
papers, and, as a result, he is forging stead- pression on the outside of the Courier breast-
therefore should be discontinued. What right
ily ahead.
'
.
•
works, but on the inside it is perfectly cor-
have piano men to cause the editors unhappi-
ness ?
'"T H E "house" sale business in New York- rect, and the term "improves with use" be-
comes at once truthful.
None, absolutely none, and their attitude
is being developed along new lines.
.Many of them have catch lines which they
have developed into trade-marks almost by
continuous use, because one immediatelv as-
sociates certain words with certain pianos.
shows utter heartlessness on the part of
the piano men.
It is to be hoped that piano men will be
more careful in the future in the use of ad-
jectives, in all their claims for artistic qual-
ities for their instruments, and submit a
number of their claims for the consid-
eration of critics before they publish them.
The whole subject is getting decidedly con-
fusing and is twisted as to details. It should
The latest plan is for a firm of auctioneers to
rent a house for a month or less, and advertise
a sale of household effects, claiming the same
to be the property of some individual whose
existence is mythical. Of course, there are
the usual number of pianos brought into the
house, which are supposed to be the personal
property of the alleged owner, and are sold
with the rest of the belongings.
Whether or not this method of disposing
Depends entirely in which paper the an-
nouncement is made.
D ETAIL trade in some of the principal
cities has shown increased activity -dur-
ing the past two weeks. Reports which have
reached us from throughout the country,
however, show that trade is not as yet brisk
in the small towns. The condition of the
roads in country places has not been con-
ducive to piano exploitation.