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12
THE
7VT\JSIC T R H D E
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
be in line to reap all the benefits that accrue, and not the men out-
side who seek to belittle it, and who lend nothing toward the fur-
therance of its aims.
T \ TE do not know that there will be any scramble or heated con-
* "
certainly the organization is acting properly when the nominations
for the office of President and other leading offices are made in the
open meeting.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
EXECUTIVE STAFF ;
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
GEO. B. KEI/LER
W. MURDOCH LIND
test for the principal offices of the National Association, but
This course will certainly do away with the plan of rotation in
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL,
A. J. NICKLIN
* Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
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REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
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Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
office, and it will, perhaps, create a little friendly rivalry for lead-
ing positions now and then, thus adding to Association interest.
The President, too, has greater power under the new constitu-
tion, for he has the appointment of his own cabinet—that is, the
executive committee.
The members of the nominating committee, as well, are elected
on a common ballot, so as far as the new officers of the manufac-
turers' association is concerned, none of us know absolutely who
NEW YORK, MAY 2, J903.
they will be until after the election is over.
TBLEPHONE Nll/IBER, I745-E1QHTEENTH STREET.
This, after all, is much better than the old way, and the new
THE
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in Its
ARTISTS'
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is
•* ' \ ~
effected without In any way trespassing on the size or service
DEPARTMENT of the trade section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
DIRECTORY
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora
r\e B i i u n
tlons found on page ftT will be of great value as a reference for
MANUFACTURERS balers and others.
constitution and by-laws shows that the men who arranged it have
made rules regulating the Association's actions which are in entire
harmony with other up-to-date organizations.
\ \ WESTERN dealers hustle hard for trade, and their hustling is
V »
generously rewarded. During a chat, Henry Eilers remarked
while in The Review offices, that less than a half dozen years ago
EDITORIAL
he began business in Portland in a store for which he paid $40 a
T ^ H E Convention of manufacturers and deakrs which occurs
month rental.
this month in Buffalo promises to he in many respects the
To use that expressive Western term, he hustled, and he tells
nust interesting gathering of music trade men which has ever
us he controls to-day three superb piano stores located in three im-
occuired upon this continent.
portant cities, trades over a territory fifteen miles in length, and
*
Certainly there will be lively times in Buffalo during Convention
week when the piano men gather six hundred strong.
The manu-
that he intends this year to market more than thirty-five hundred
pianos.
But Mr. Eilers added:
facturers' organization has, notwithstanding the repeated attacks
"Our trade is harder to get than your
made upon it from a disreputable source, augmented steadily in
Eastern trade, at least I am so convinced by my observations in this
membership, and not alone in membership—because mere numbers
part of the country."
This young man who has built up such a remarkable business
do not count for everything—but it has ad v'anced in working ca-
pacity and has developed a concrete strength which it did not pos-
sess a year ago.
in the West stated that advertising had been a large factor in his
success. He added: "We have traced sales from advertising placed
in one San Erancisco paper to the Black Hills of Dakota."
1 \ 7HILE there have been some withdrawals during the past year,
* *
there also have been substantial accessions which have out-
numbered the resignations, and there is every evidence that the man-
In the case of Mr. Eilers this vast business did not come to
him easily, but he has built it up through prodigious efforts and
never-ceasing toiL
ufacturers' organization has not only come to stay, but it will play
a more important part than ever before in trade affairs.
Even those who have remained aloof from participation in Asso-
ciation work have not hesitated to profit in a measure by its influ-
ence, and it is said that a number of non-association members will
have business headquarters in Buffalo during Convention week.
Such an attitude seems in direct contradiction to the statement that
the Association is worthless and amounts to nothing in its influence.
A READER of The Review writes: "I am glad that you make
**•
the statement that some people do not know what it costs
to manufacture pianos."
Well, it is a fact, is it not?
We may say that the recent collapse of a music trade institu-
tion was predicted a short time before it occurred by a well-known
gentleman who was visiting this office—an expert figurer, by the
way—who remarked that that firm could not live and sell pianos at
O U R E L Y one point which it accomplishes in bringing members
^
such prices.
of the trade together is not overlooked by outsiders on account
He was correct. The concern succumbed, and there are others
of the business opportunities which it offers. Now, the men who are
that are treading on that same dangerous ground of not knowing
active workers in Association matters and are instrumental in con-
what it costs to produce.
tributing to the growing strength of the organization should
younger and inexperienced firms in order that they may get a foot-
Price cuts are invariably made by the