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TH
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J . B. S P I L L A N E
MANAGING EDITOR.
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
TTTOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
r, 1:0. n. K K I X E R
W. MURDOCH LIND
A. EDMUND HANSON.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL,
A. J. NiCKLIN
Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) , United States, Mexico and Canada, f 2.00 per
>ar; all other countries, |4.00.
year
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00 ; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
I'.ntered at the New ]~ork Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, JUNE 6, 1903,
TELEPHONE NUnBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
THE
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This In
ARTISTS
effected without iu any way trespassing on the size or service
DEPARTMENT of the trade section of the paper. Jt has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
DIRECTORY
tor P I & i\irt
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora-
tiona found on page ?9 will be of great value ag a reference fOL-
MANUFACTURERS
EDITORIAL
USINESS for May did not bring up the average for 1903 thus
far to the point necessary to make it equal to the trade of a
year ago. There are a number of manufacturers, however, whose
trade has exceeded that of the past year, but taking the trade as a
whole there has been a shrinkage—not alarming, and not of such
magnitude as to keep down the record for the year, provided the
fall months open brisk.
It is useless to deny that the strikes and lockouts have not con-
tributed towards clouding the business horizon.
REVIEW
T
HE story has been told to The Review that a well known dealer
who is a member of the National Piano Dealers' Asso
ciation, while visiting a certain Western town, endeavored to pur-
chase several pianos which were sold by his strongest competitor
in his home city. It is alleged that he represented himself to be a
ranchman who desired these instruments for his friends, and trie
evasive answer which he gave to direct questions aroused the sus-
picion of the dealer from whom he tried to purchase to such an ex-
tent that he refused to sell these instruments.
The identity of the "ranchman" became known later to the local
dealer.
Before presenting names we shall require an affidavit from the
dealer who claims this, and if it be true, the scheme certainly will be
shown up in its proper light in The Review. No reputable dealer
can afford to wear disguises while making purchases of competitor's
wares in distant towns simply for the purpose of having them
shipped to his own store and use them in a manner calculated to
injure the standing of his competitor's pianos.
If incontrovertible evidence can be produced, showing that a
member of the Dealers' National Association adopts these methods,
then it will be time for the organization to act, for it cannot afford
to shield any member in work of this kind, no matter how powerful
the influence may be behind him.
XT G\Y that the summer months are on there is a general tendency
^ ' among piano merchants to curtail advertising expenditures.
Now is this good business?
Would it not be far better to place an added emphasis upon
advertising during the summer months?
Not that kind of advertising which is reckless and without
point, but direct advertising relating to special bargains!
It may be well enough to say that people know that you have
a piano store. That is all right, but the memory of the public, like
that of the individual is short, and persistency in advertising is
necessary to keep alive the public interest in any special line of
merchandise.
^1
successfully carried on where a part, of the population is more or
Business success, that is a large measure of it, comes through
keeping the business constantly before the public eye, and per-
sistently in the public memory.
Advertising, however, should not be of that aimless kind. It
should be definite and reasonable, care should be exercised to pre-
pare a striking, readable advertisement. Recollect, advertising is
the great modern force in merchandising, and while all advertising
should pay some, it would pay better if properly managed.
less constantly unemployed, where riots keep peaceable citizens in
T should be the aim of every piano man to avoid presenting
The cloud, however, does not threaten to overcast the mag-
nificent prosperity which we have been enjoying, but there is no
use in trying to fool ourselves by stating that these things do not
effect business.
T
They do and very seriously.
HE labor problem is the one which in point of interest dwarfs
all others and the business of a store or factory cannot be
their homes and bar out new enterprises.
Sober reflection will show that when labor disturbances be-
I
clumsy advertisements, and those of a slipshod indefinite char-
acter.
w
__
come general and acquire the magnitude which now characterizes
Advertisements should be written which will appeal to the peo-
them, the entire question becomes one of deep interest to every one
ple where the papers circulate, containing its business announce-
engaged in manufacturing and retailing.
ments.
Some concerns have established a profit-sharing system so that
One successful piano man in the West remarked to The Re-
its employees have become partners in the concern, to the extent
view that he was not so particular about the use of elegant Eng-
that profits are distributed.
Trouble, however, in this particular
lish in his advertising as he was to hit the nail squarely on the
The reasonable adjustment between em-
head. He remarked that he knew what appealed to the people of
ployer and employee is a question which transcends in importance
his locality, he knew their particular form, and if a story was told
all others that are before the country to-day.
them in homely language, it appealed to them, and he followed out
has not been avoided.