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THE
RMDY
flUJIC TIRADE
V O L . X X X V l . No. 9 .
Published Eyery Saturday by Edward Ljman Bill at l Madison Avenue, New York, Feb. 28,1803.
BETTER SHIPPING RATES NEEDED.
[Special to The Review.]
Winston-Salem, N. C, Feb. 22, 1903.
Speaking of business conditions, Geo.' H.
Snyder, of the Piedmont Music Co., says:
"As to our own business we can say it was
nearly double that of 1901. The average
sale price in general was about $275 or $300;
about for.ty per cent, was sold for less than
$300. Our terms are $25 and $10 a month
on instalments; very few for less. The
average time is about twelve months. Re-
tail methods are better in some parts of
this State, but in other sections it is very
much worse, with 'fake' factory sales and
unfair competition. These sales are gener-
ally fun by salesmen who have no regard
for the truth. Yes, there will be an increase
in sales this year. We expect to double our
last year's business if not more. The trade in
general is in better condition than ever before.
"We do not think the department store will
ever affect this section as we have no cities
of over 25,000 in the State, and trade can
only be had in this section by going after it;
very little comes to the store, and it takes
hustling to get it. Our stock is about same
as last year, but better stock of small goods
and our sheet music trade has increased over
200 per cent, in past six months, and is, we
think the best in the State at present, having
a splendid mail order trade.
"We think the most practical thing the As-
sociation could do is to get a better shipping
rate on pianos, and especially the local ship-
ping rates. Our rate is ninety-six cents from
New York and local rates for say seventy-
five miles is about forty-eight cents, but we
are saving a great deal of this local rate by
having our pianos shipped from factory to
the customer direct. But it looks to us like a
combined effort of the dealer and manufac-
turer might do something along this line.
We don't see why pianos and organs should
bear such a heavy rate when nearly every
other kind of goods are damaged more in
transportation than pianos.
"The trickery of trying to break sales or
to make sales in competition by libeling the
competitor and his piano should not be al-
lowed by any dealer, but it is done to a con-
siderable extent in this State.
"It is usually done by the poorest class
of salesmen, who know nothing about a
piano, neither theirs nor their competitors,
and who believe that their ability to
'talk' is the greatest accomplishment of
a piano salesman and they must talk, and it
is easier to run down a competitor and his
piano than to show up their own instrument.
In fact, it is impossible for them to show
up their own instrument intelligently. Such
salesmen as this should not be countenanced
by dealers or manufacturers.
"No, there are only a few 'stenciled' pianos
sold in this State and they are mostly sold
by the dealers of factory agents, as they claim
themselves, outside of the State.
"The dealers in North Carolina as a rule
handle a better line of goods and sell at
lower prices than the concerns from other
states, who make 'special factory' sales here
to work off their job lot stuff. We work the
country trade largely with wagons, sometimes
delivering pianos thirty-five to forty miles
through the country on our own wagon, spe-
cially built for the business. We expect to
put on several extra salesmen with wagons
this year and work a much larger territory.
"We wish The Review much success."
HART SECURES THE SOHMER AGENCY.
The Hart Piano Co., of Cleveland, O., held
their first annual meeting last week when the
following officers were re-elected: John G.
Jennings, president; H. H. Hart, vice-pres-
ident; S. P. Hart, secretary and treasurer.
The foregoing with the following constitute
the board of directors: H. Paul Mehlin, of
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, N. S. Calhoun, Prof.
C. F. Olney and H. Albrecht. The business
report submitted for the year was exceedingly
satisfactory. It was decided to take on the
Sohmer pianos in addition to their present
line.
FELICITATING H. K. WHITE.
H. K. White, founder of the Wilcox &
White Co., has just celebrated his eighty-
first anniversary. He was warmly felicitated
by a host of old friends as well as by the em-
ployees of the factory. Mr. White takes a
keen interest in the progress of the house
which he founded, and which is scoring such
great accomplishments these days under the
able management of James H. White. That
the respected founder of this house may
reach the century mark is the wish of The
Review.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
WOULD TAX MAIL ORDERS.
Biirto This Effect Introduced in Wisconsin Legis-
lature—* Bill That Will be Heartily Supported.
Assemblyman Loebs, of the Wisconsin
Legislature, now in session at the capital,
Madison, has introduced a bill to require all
department stores and mail order houses to
pay a license fee or a tax upon all mail order
business they transact in that State.
The bill is directed mainly at Chicago es-
tablishments, which send out catalogues so-
liciting mail orders for pianos and other
goods carried by the majority of local mer-
chants. Mr. Loebs believes they should be
required to pay a tax or license fee for the
privilege of doing business in a foreign State.
Mr. Loebs' plan is now in the hands of the
Judiciary Committee and the Attorney-Gen-
eral, who will decide whether the law would
conflict with the interstate commerce law and
whether it is constitutional and practicable.
FORTY PER CENT INCREASE ON COAST.
[Special to The Review.]
San Francisco, Cal., Feb. 21, 1903.
It is the opinion of Henry J. Curtaz that
forty per cent, more pianos were sold in this
locality in 1902 than in the year preceding,
the average price being $250. The terms
generally made were $8 per month, and sev-
enty per cent, were sold at less than $300.
Mr. Curtaz looks for a substantial increase
in sales this year as compared with 1902 and
reports trade generally in a very healthy con-
dition. It is his opinion that the subject of
one price is the greatest single question that
the Piano Dealers' National Association could
take up at its forthcoming convention to be
held at Buffalo, N. Y.
THE HAZELTON PIANOS.
Hazelton Bros., of this city, whose name
has ever been identified with the highest type
of piano making, are now giving much atten-
tion to the matter of art designs, for which
there is a growing demand in the piano world.
The Hazelton pianos have always been artis-
tically cased, and many of them in special
designs have won their way into the homes
of
some of our wealthiest people. Hence
MARDI GRAS FESTIVITIES.
there are good reasons, in view of the general
The piano dealers of New Orleans were trend, why a special department devoted to
as usual prominently in evidence in connec- art pianos should be immensely successful.
tion with the Mardi Gras festivities which
have brought crowds to New Orleans this The Hazelton in special or regular design
week. Notwithstanding the holiday spirit is an instrument of which the manufacturers,
prevailing there were numerous callers from and indeed all the dealers handling it, can
out of town at the piano warerooms and a well feel proud. It splendidly maintains the
reputation of its founders.
number of good sales reported.