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THE TOVSIC TRKDE
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J . B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO. B. KELLER
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL
A. J. NICKLIN
s» Published Every Saturday at < Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
SUBSCRIPTION (Including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, *2.00,per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount Is allowed. Advertising Pages f 50.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman BUI.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 28, J903.
TELEPHONE NUJ1BER, 1745-EldHTEENTH STREET.
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
THE
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is
ARTISTS
effected without In 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
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora"
pi A N r t
tlons found on page 27 will be of great value as a reference for
MANUFACTURERS b a l e r s and others.
n r
EDITORIAL
HPHAT the music trade industry has been steadily growing in
* importance is obvious to all who are acquainted with its mar-
velous development. But men engaged in the greater industries
such as steel'and iron, are still inclined to speak slightingly of it
in comparison with their own. It is therefore a matter of trade
congratulation that that pioneer of piano making, Jonas dicker-
ing, should be honored by the present generation in having his
statue placed in the colonnade of the Industries Building at the St.
Louis Exposition along with those of Howe, Fulton, Bessemer,
Clarke, Ericsson, Watts, Holt, Hoe and Goodyear. These ten por-
trait statues, which will be of heroic size, will occupy a prominent
position in the colonnade of the principal building which will com-
memorate the Louisiana Purchase.
To have placed the statue of Jonas Chickering in proximity
with other great inventors is in itself a distinct compliment to
piano making, and one that should be appreciated by the entire
music trade of America. The committee who had this matter in
charge have honored themselves by placing the statue of the founder
of the great house of Chickering alongside of others who have
done so much for science and industry.
USINESS conditions throughout the country are most en-
couraging and there is every reason to believe that 1903 will
be ahead of 1902 in point of volume.
W. L. Bush, who has made a careful survey of the field, says
to The Review: "We find that the great majority of dealers are
looking for a continuance of the prosperous times and abnormal
volume of business that has prevailed during the past two or three
years, and there is nothing that will do more to maintain that con-
dition than through the majority of the business men of the coun-
try feeling confident that the prosperous conditions are to be main-
B
tained and so expressing themselves upon every possible occasion.
It keeps up the spirit of buoyancy, and has a much more beneficial
effect upon the business conditions than the wail of the chronic
grumbler, kicker and pessimist."
Mr. Bush hits the nail squarely on the head when he tells of
the benefit of the expression of optimistic sentiments.
T2 N'ERGY and adhesiveness are essentials to business success
•*—' and young men of to-day should see to it that their duties
are faithfully performed. It is the doing well which counts in
building success nowadays.
George B. Cortelyou, the newly appointed Secretary of Com-
merce and Labor, owes his advancement to the faithful perform-
ance of his duties. He began public life as a stenographer and to
his mastery of shorthand he can trace his success.
He was thorough and accurate and won the confidence of
three presidents whom he served in the capacity of secretary. His
reward was promotion to a seat in the Cabinet of Roosevelt.
That kind of recognition of ability should act as an incentive
to encourage many other young men to the faithful performance
of duties assigned. Ability honestly applied will compel recognition.
NYONE who attempts to bribe salesmen to push a particular
brand of pianos is venturing upon exceedingly dangerous
ground. He is not only assisting towards demoralizing trade con-
ditions, but he is tempting salesmen to become dishonest. Bribing
then, too, has its reactionary effects as well and there are instances
we could name where dealers have thrown out certain lines of pia-
nos when they became aware of the fact that attempts had been
made to induce salesmen to push special pianos with the induce-
ment that five dollars would be given them on every instrument
sold of a particular brand.
Naturally dealers figure out that if rebates can be made from
five to ten dollars in piano prices, it rightly belongs to them and
not to the salesmen whom they are employing to dispose of pianos.
Now, if these practices were to obtain in a large sense, pianos
on which alluring commissions were offered would be pushed to
the exclusion of other deserving makes. Merit would cease to be
a part of the piano argument.
A
It is not only a false and destructive business policy, but it is
a dishonest one as well.
IANOS should be sold upon their individual merits and not
according to the size of bribes offered to salesmen to push them.
Men who have encouraged bribery should understand that such
business methods will sooner or later be exposed, and when they
are known it usually follows that the pianos of the man who
offered the bribe are thrown out. In one case a certain individual
promised a manager a commission of five dollars on every instru-
ment of his make sold. The manager listened to the tempting
offer, and that evening reported it to his chief. The money was
paid the salesman, who immediately turned it in to his employer.
This understanding was permitted to go on for some time, and
upon the occasion of his next visit the traveling man was informed
that his pianos could no longer find an abiding place in the ware-
rooms of this piano merchant, and we'question whether this same
man has followed this practice later. It was a costly lesson but
he remembered it. There will be some more costly less'ons for
others unless the bribing habit sinks into disuse.
P