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THE 7VtUSIC TRKDE
ing political in the Prince's visit, we must
admit that it was a clever move on the part
of the Emperor to cultivate friendly relations
with this Republic, and when the Prince re-
turns to Germany he will undoubtedly carry
back pleasant recollections of his sojourn in
the "land of the free." His welcome will be
warm everywhere on his own account, for,
as a man, he is entitled to all respect, inde-
pendent to the interest which centers around
royalty. Hoch der Prinz Heinrich !
G to the almost impassable condi-
tion of the roads throughout many sec-
tions of the Union, trade has been disap-
pointing for the first two months of the year.
It is no time to talk of drumming trade for
pianos when a heavy snow 7 storm is raging,
or when the rain pours from early morning
until late at night, or when the mud is hub
deep in the country.
We have known of recent instances where
it has been impossible to deliver pianos for
some weeks after the sales had been actually
closed. For the past few weeks there has not
been a vast decrease in the retail piano stocks
in small towns owing to climatic atul road
conditions.
P7 INI) a piano store that is clean and at-
tractively fitted up and the stock kept in
good condition, and invariably you will find
an establishment that is prosperous. With a
bright store, piano stock in good condition,
even then business may not come waft-
ing through the door easily; but the man
who shows the ability to make his establish-
ment attractive, possesses also the ability to
work his trade successfully on the outside.
The manner in which a store is kept forms
a good index of the business character of the
individual, and the poorly kept store indi-
cates that the forces behind are not up to
date.
How many men who pass a store daily
are attracted by cleanly, bright and well-
kept windows. Then, too, it looks inviting
inside. They enter and are cordially received,
because, invariably, the man who keeps an
attractive store knows how to receive his
customers. It makes no difference whether
the store is located in a large city or in a
small hamlet, the principle is all the same,
and there is no excuse for a poorly kept stock
and an unattractive store nowadays. Any
man who can afford to be in business can af-
ford to run that business on up-to-date lines.
IS ANSAS, a State whose crankological
contribution to United States history
had been somewhat remarkable until pros-
perity changed the cranks into plutocrats, is
now out with a proposition to compel piano,
organ and sewing machine dealers to take
REVIEW
out a license in that State. The proposed
license is to cost $100 per county.
Kansas is nothing if not original.
I T is oftentimes amusing what peculiar con-
struction may be placed upon certain ad-
vertising matter by one not kindly disposed.
What percentage of advertisements will
stand a careful analysis? All advertising
matter is written with a specific purpose, and
as long as it accomplishes that without fraud
upon the purchaser, who is the loser?
Wherein is the wrong?
T" 1 HERE are some concerns in New York
which are doing business contrary to
law, and, presumably, the proprietors them-
selves are ignorant of the existence of the
statute regulating concerns, which was passed
in 1900.
Every concern doing business under the
title of "company" which is not incorpor-
ated, should file at the office of the Clerk of
the County Court in which the business is
located, the names of the persons who con-
stitute the company and who are responsi-
ble for the indebtedness contracted.
The maximum penalty for failing to com-
ply with the provision of this law is one
year's imprisonment or $500, or both. The
law is plain upon this subject and no evasions
can be made. ,
\ I 7 E frequently hear the expression that
the piano business is overdone and
that there are too many pianos made. Such
expressions usually originate from men who
have failed to grasp the piano situation of
to-day correctly. The men who are con-
stantly adding to their factory facilities are
not prone to give vent to such expressions.
They do not overlook a single opportunity
to extend their business; they leave no stone
unturned, and their time is too much occu-
pied to voice any pessimistic sentiment.
jVT EW styles of pianos are constantly being
introduced, but how few out-of-date
styles there are in the piano business. In
what other line of manufactured goods is
there such a small shrinkage, in what we may
term out-of-date styles? Talk with cloth-
ing, boot and shoe manufacturers, and par-
ticularly manufacturers of specialties, and
they will all tell you that too frequently they
have been caught long with out-of-date
goods, and what piano manufacturer or deal-
er ever loses in this way?
I T is true, the manufacturing departments of
all businesses possess some unpleasant fea-
tures, but they are steadily becoming elim-
inated with the passing of years. To a stu-
dent of music trade history it must be per-
fectly plain that affairs in this industry are
progressing steadily in the right direction,
T"* HE logic of Blumie plainly is not of that
kind "that improves with use." We
referred last week to an advertisement, which
he carried on the first inside cover page, of
a piano that "improves with use." The term
distresses him greatly when used by Hard-
man, Peck & Co. On the inside of the back
cover he had an advertisement containing
the words "highest standard of merit." This
is another term, the use of which by the
Fischer house has caused him much unhappi-
ness.
Consistency, thou art a jewel never seen
by Blumie, who figures that three or four
pages a week, served up on Fischer and
Hardman advertising is quite the thing. Aw-
fully jolly, is it not?
C O M E time ago in The Review announce-
ment was made that the New Haven
Piano and Music Dealers' Association con-
templated broadening the scope of the asso-
ciation to take in some adjoining cities. At
the meeting held last week this was decided
upon, and the piano and music dealers in
Waterbury and Bridgeport have now been
invited to become members of the association.
This is an excellent move, more especially
because the association already has accom-
plished much for the benefit of the trade, and
a wider diffusion of its principles can only
work benefit to the dealers and the industry
at large.
A BILL has been introduced in the Legisla-
ture at Albany to impose a tax of y^ cent
a square foot on billboard advertising. The
press of the country has been long agitating
for suitable protection of our landscapes and
our cities from the abuse of posters, but lit-
tle attention has been paid to such appeals,
due in all probability to the fact that the press
would largely gain by such suppression. At
last, however, the protest has been echoed at
Albany, and it now looks as if some regula-
tion of the nuisance would materialize.
In many cities and states billboards are
limited to a certain area, but in New York
there is no restriction. Nowadays no one can
pass along the streets of any large town
without being compelled to gaze upon adver-
tisements enormous in size, and not infre-
quently offensive in character.
Here is a public franchise that has been
for years going for naught. The wonder is
that our law-makers, who take such pleas-
ure in worrying piano dealers and others by
endeavoring to tax them $1,000 per year for
pursuing their calling, did not consider this
matter at an earlier date. But then, legis-
lators rarely do the necessary thing. They
seem to mark out the peaceable business man
as an "easy thing" to worry and, if possible,
to "bleed."