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THE
7VSVSIC TRKDE
13
REVIEW
would only be a short step from the establishment of a retail branch
ETAIL advertising has grown in character and so will all ad-
to the installation of a branch factory, and these are among the
vertising which through its honesty and sincerity wins the
possibilities.
confidence of the public.
Piano men who cling to exaggeration
and untruthfulness in trade advertising will not win.
I T must be admitted that trade ethics have materially improved
during recent times.
It is only fair, too, to credit association
work as being a material factor in bringing about this improve-
ment.
The majority of people to-day are somewhat skeptical of too
alluring advertisements.
The people are becoming better edu-
cated, and while the dishonest piano advertiser may have profited
through the public ignorance of values, he should understand
Since the formation of national associations of piano man-
ufacturers and dealers there has been an unmistakable desire to
get together for general betterment.
that the public are becoming better educated and keener judges of
piano values.
The Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation will continue to exercise a vast influence for trade good.
The dealers' organization, while still young, has given evi-
\ \ 7E appreciate the endorsement which the successful piano
*
men have given this paper during the past year by sub-
dence of a desire to work for the elimination of unclean practices
stantial patronage.
from the retail department of trade.
confidence reposed in the publication.
While there are men who
We appreciate, however, infinitely more the
still indulge in misleading advertising, it cannot be denied but
It is something to control a newspaper, but it is a mighty
that material improvement has been made in this direction,. The
sight better to control a paper which possesses power and influ-
very existence of a court of arbitration, called in association par-
ence ; but, after all, the power comes from its patrons, for a news-
lance a grievance committee, has a deterring effect upon men
paper is only powerful as it is supported by widespread public
who might indulge in the shady practices were it not for the ex-
opinion.
istence of this committee.
A trade paper while of necessarily limited circulation, has tre-
Association work will grow in importance with the passing
of the years.
mendous responsibilities,.
It can build up or destroy reputations.
It is gratifying to us to know that the influence of this paper is
universally conceded to have been helpful to the trade.
*T^HE one-price system is steadily advancing, and piano mer-
*
chants who have adopted the plan of marking their goods
in plain figures and at fixed prices, have been surprised at the
results which they have won by this course.
Our efforts in the future, as in the past, shall be to fairly rep-
resent the interests, rights, opinions and aspirations of this good
old industry wherein The Review has lived, not quite twenty-five
years, but lived long enough to be the oldest music trade publica-
There is no question but that the one-price system is in line
tion in this country.
with modern mercantile rules, and there are excellent reasons
why it should come into general use.
H P H E great West is full of surprises in every line, in the mar-
We do not know of one piano man who has given the one-
price system a fair trial who is not a strong enthusiast in its praise.
*
velous development of its industries and in the variety and
extent of its agriculture.
In the heart of the country there has
The man who places one price on his instrument and sticks to it been steadily going on a peaceful revolution in progress, bring-
will grow in the esteem and confidence of his clientage steadily.
No question about it.
ing about an increase in wealth which is simply astonishing.
In our own line, when we look back over the record for even
I T cannot de denied that the department store as a retail factor
in New York has assumed great importance.
Thousands of
pianos have been sold during the past year from some of the lead-
ing department stores of New York, and it must not be under-
stood that all of the instruments sold "are of the cheap class," as
alleged by some, for they are not; for the department stores of
New York have demonstrated their ability to sell high-grade
pianos. As time rolls on the early prejudice which existed against
selling pianos in general stores will have become eliminated, but
it will be a long time before other cities will contain such piano
distributing factors as New York has to-day outside of what we
may term regular lines.
a decade, the development at once becomes phenomenal and one
in which every American may take a degree of pride.
Chicago
to-day contains the largest piano and organ producing plants on
earth, and they are steadily multiplying in that wonderful city,
where the energy of man knows no halting.
"I "X TE hear much about the young men in business, but let us
* * not forget the old men and the example they have set.
What an inspiring sight it is to see the old men of our times at
the head of great institutions which they helped to found.
What more inspiring sight to the young fellows of to-day
is there than to see W.. W. Kimball, his cheeks rosy with good
health, walk into his great establishment with a cheery "good
IV T OW that the piano player department of the industry has
morning" for all whom he meets!
assumed such prominence, and is steadily growing in point
lames W. Vose, too, old and honored, long past eighty, who
of volume of business as well as in number and variety of players,
until very recently has daily visited the establishment which bears
why would it not be well to have a special department at the S t
his patronymic.
The player
There is John C. Haynes, keen eyed and vigorously alert, and
is of recent development, and it has been brought intelligently
watchful as ever over the many enterprises which he has created.
before millions of people by the splendid advertising methods
There are plenty of other illustrations, enough to fill columns with
adopted by its manufacturers.
names.
Louis Exposition devoted solely to piano players ?
^
It shows that the octogenarian vigor of our piano meii