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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
occupy an official position take some pride in the organization and
are willing to make sacrifices to push it along to success. They are
invariably criticised by the men who hold aloof from participation
in active work. They are ofttimes accused of running the organiza-
tion for personal aims and glorification, but some one must stand
this criticism and do the work as well, so music trade organizations
and the men behind the guns are subject to the same rules of criti-
cism which are operative in all other lines.
Men, however, who are over-sensitive to criticism are not as a
rule happy in occupying positions where they are brought into the
limelight of criticism which seems inseparably associated with an
office, whether elective or appointive.
I
F you use a photograph of any individual in your advertising
matter in this State be sure first that you obtain his consent,
either verbally or written, else a suit may result.
A young lady has brought suit under the recently-enacted State
law claiming damages of $5,000 because her portrait was made use
of in an advertisement by a bath-tub manufacturing concern. Clean-
liness may be next to Godliness, yet few modest women would care
to have themselves exhibited in "the scandalous costume of the Greek
slave," as Artemus Ward called it, even if the side of a bath-tub
did conceal the nudity implied.
This is the second action under the existing law, and advertisers
of all kinds must exercise care when they use faces in connection
wttn their lines of publicity.
T
HERE are a number of piano manufacturers who have been
exceedingly disappointed at the results which they have
obtained through agencies placed with department stores. Some
of them have listened to the persuasive eloquence of the trade paper
representative interested in bringing about the alliance and finally
consented to go in. They have suffered from subsequent disap-
pointment. First in the character and quantity of sales and some
of them, at the pleasure of seeing their stock slaughtered in a way
which has had an effect far from pleasing upon their outside trade.
T
HERE was a recent advertisement of a Philadelphia depart-
ment store offering an entire stock of new pianos "$100 less
than the manufacturers' retail price."
Such business announcements as that are serious indeed, but
piano manufacturers who enter into an alliance with a department
store should never lose sight of the one point, that a department
store's success lies in a measure in its frequent bargain offerings,
and why should not pianos come in for the same treatment as other
lines of merchandise? It is but natural.
It is plain that department store connections have a lessening
power of attraction for pianomen.
A
PROPOS of the World's Fair awards, a pretty good story was
told the other day by a well-known manufacturer of high-
grade pianos, who considered that the value of awards had de-
preciated since the Chicago Exposition, where they were distributed
freely to the makers of various grades. He said: "The position
of the high-grade pianos and those of lesser quality entered for
competition at the great expositions remind me of a story of a
thoroughbred trotter whose owner was accosted one day on the
race track by an old farmer, who said he would bet $100 that his
bull could beat the trotter upon the race course."
"Did you accept his offer, and take his hundred?" inquired the
listener.
"Accept! Of course not. There would have been no credit
in beating the bull, but just for one moment imagine where I would
have been if the bull by chance should have beaten me."
W
HAT varied architecture fthe furniture manufacturers are
producing is always of more or less interest to the piano
industry, for it may be truly said that the manufacturers of furniture
mould our opinions, so that piano architecture must harmonize with
the various designs of the furniture men.
We are becoming more critical as to home accessories.
The trend of the time is more and more to have the entire room
in complete harmony as far as furniture and fittings are concerned;
there must be but one dominating school of architecture. To-day
the Colonial leads, followed by the Chippendale, She
mission.
rows.
UJKAKY,
FOUNDATION*.
T
HE greatest demand for pianos comes for instruments built
along Colonial lines. There is no question as to the dom-
inancy of the Colonial in everything relating to home furnishings.
In the higher priced instruments the Sheraton and the Chippendale
are much in vogue.
T
HERE will be practically no change in the designs of furniture
during the present year, and furniture manufacturers predict
that for some time yet the trend of public sentiment will be along
Colonial and closely allied lines. These will be the dominating
styles for years, and their general adoption may result in bringing
about a steady increase for the dull finished instruments. The wide
unornamented surface which is associated with the Colonial types
will necessarily show cracks and scratches more than the carved
or ornamented surfaces, hence more manufacturers will be desirous
of adopting some finish which shows climatic effects and general
wear and tear less than the highly polished surfaces.
T
HE outcome of this all will be, in our opinion, a greater demand
for the art finish. What manufacturer is there who has
reached satisfactory results in the dull finish who desires to go
back to the one commonly in vogue ? The dull finish has been very
properly designated as the art finish, and it will steadily grow in
favor with our people. Enter a furniture store and ample evidence
will be shown how the dull finish has steadily grown in public
favor.
OW, when nearly all of the furniture in a room is finished in
a handsome dull coating, why should, the piano continue to
have its mirror-like surface, inseparably associated with checks and
scratches ?
The public taste will not go back in the furniture to the highly
polished surface, and the tremendous influence of the furniture men
in cultivating this taste must very naturally bring about an in-
creased demand for pianos with a similar exterior finish.
N
STAFF dinner at intervals seems to be popular with some
pianomen who desire that all men working for their interests
should be brought into closer connection with each other.
There is no question that this plan is of the highest value. It
keeps the men interested and brings all members of the establish-
ment into closer union. It is a getting together plan that must
prove a splendid help in building up the business of an establish-
ment which adopts it.
A
GENTLEMAN states to The Review that inasmuch as we
were first to suggest this plan some time ago, possibly we may
have some other suggestions along the same lines.
There is a form adopted by some retail dry goods houses which
has met with considerable success, and that is having employes send
in each week suggestions for the good of the business. In some
cases these suggestions form a basis of a regular weekly talk with
the proprietor on the part of the firm to the men. Some firms offer
a prize each week to the employee who turns in the best suggestion.
The suggestions deal with such matters as pushing the older goods
in place of the new, greater efforts to interest customers, more
interest in showing goods, attention to customers immediately upon
entering the store, a closer interest in the peculiarities and needs
of customers.
A
LL of these points are directly applicable to the piano busi-
ness. But there is one weak point about this plan of requir-
ing suggestions from employes, and that is after the first enthusiasm
is worn off interest is too frequently permitted to lapse. When
the suggestion box is first nailed up in a conspicuous position then
everyone feels an inclination to put in a slip, but after it has been
running a few weeks the suggestions become fewer. The employes
have used up their stock of glittering generalities, and suggestions
that deal with concrete conditions occur less readily to them. Still
there may be something in the suggestion box proposition. It has
;
been tried with success in other lines.
A