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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
That is the intention of the men who will supply the necessary
capital, and these gentlemen are imbued with the possibilities of a
distinctly artistic product, and they propose that under the reor-
ganization the Mason & Hamlin banners shall be planted on higher
points than has been hitherto reached by this distinguished con-
cern. The line of demarcation will be clearly defined between the
artistic and the commercial product.
While it is true that members of the Cable Company will sup-
ply the capital necessary to develop the Mason & Hamlin business
along legitimate lines, the organization will be complete and dis-
tinct from the great Chicago corporation. Of course this new
move means a good deal to the Cable Company, for with their asso-
ciated lines they control perhaps greater variety of musical instru-
ments than is manufactured by any other concern in the world.
The Mason & Hamlin pianos will continue to be made in the
old Boston factory and the Masons will be prominently identified
with their manufacture.
P ) ECENTLY we have had a request from an advertiser to send
' ^- The Review to some of his branches, with the understand-
ing that no subscription bills be forwarded. We have refused to
accede to this proposition, holding that an advertising contract does
not include several subscriptions unless so stipulated at the time of
the business arrangement.
The advertising and subscription department of this paper are
entirely distinct, each one being conducted upon its own system:
The subscription department furnishes a splendid equivalent for a
modest investment of two dollars, and we do not propose to
cheapen the paper by giving it free to any one.
I T is a simple business proposition, and if a subscriber does not
* desire to continue The Review, he can easily drop it. That is
his right, and we are not desirous of forcing the paper upon any
one. But we cannot consistently supply any number of free copies
to branches throughout the country.
We are in receipt constantly of letters embodying sentiments
like the following from the Curtaz firm in San Francisco: "We
wish to assure you that we take great pleasure in reading The Re-
view, as it invariably contains many points of interest." Another
from A. C. Mueller, Omaha, who writes from Florida: "I have
run away from the piano world, but send The Review to my ad-
dress, including last week's issue—homesick without it." And
from J. F. Chaffin, Fitchburg. who says, "I am well pleased with
your paper, as being very fine and giving things as they are."
*T~ HESE are letters taken at random from the letters we are re-
' ceiving daily from subscribers who enclose their checks in pay-
ment of The Review; and a paper which has advanced to a point
where it is indispensable to the dealer, has indeed won a proud
position. And we cannot afford to cheapen it by giving it away in
quantities to advertisers as a sort of a sop for their business. The
advertiser gets his value equivalent in having a knowledge of his
wares conveyed to thousands of people in all sections of America
weekly. Here is an extract of a letter received from a conservative
concern, the F. L. Raymond Co., of Cleveland, O., who say, "Since
beginning our advertising with you we have received some results
directly traceable to your paper, which is an entirely new experience
for us/' The interests of. the advertiser are fairly served.
w
E wish to increase our subscription list by all legitimate
means, and we are willing to spend time and money to do
it, but we cannot increase it by giving away copies free to adver-
tisers indiscriminately.
We would like to add the names of several hundred piano
salesmen to our subscription list, but we cannot send them the paper
free. There is information between the covers of The Review
weekly, which is worth many times its annual cost to them. A good
many salesmen have sent in subscriptions. We are glad of it and it
shows appreciation of our work. At the same time we give them
good value for two dollars, but we do not propose to give them the
paper for nothing.
w
E are proud of The Review's growth, but we are not satis-
fied with it. There may have been lack of ability
in the conduct of this paper, and sometimes we have thought there
has not been due appreciation of the support that the journal was
giving to matters of vital moment to the trade. We have been ever
anxious to seize opportunities of serving the trade welfare, because
we have realized that only by being useful could we expect to be-
come a power. We have had our disappointments, have made mis-
takes, many of them, and shall probably make more in the future,
as we have in the past, but we shall make no mistake by sending
The Review free to whomsoever asks. We shall stick to this no
matter how big a failure we shall score during 1904.
A FTER all, a paper which is asked for by leading members of
* ^ the trade, some of whom request that it be sent to their
homes, shows that it is cleanly, that it is readable and helpful. And,
perhaps, such a condition does not show a desperately bad failure.
The Review will continue to grow, because it has a better or-
ganization behind it than ever before and because it is the trade
newspaper of the thinking element of this industry. It will con-
tinue to grow, not because of any superior ability in those who con-
duct it, but because, in so far as limited intelligence will permit, it
actually works for the interests of its readers and clients. That is
all there is about it.
1 F there were no tariff walls between the United States and Can-
* ada, we might have sold our cousins across the border about
ten thousand pianos during 1903. Not quite ten, for the entire out-
put of the Canadian manufactories would not reach that figure, and
some of them were sent to other lands. There are a number of fac-
tories in this country which produce annually more instruments
than are turned out from all of the piano factories in Canada.
Figures show that the trade there has not reached large propor-
tions. The government records show that quite a number of
American instruments of the better grade were shipped to Canada
last year. It was not so long ago that our manufacturers enjoyed
a good trade there in the cheaper and medium priced instruments.
The Canadian factories, however, have supplied this demand, .so
that the sale of our lower priced instruments has, owing to the
increased tariff, fallen off to practically nothing.
USINESS for February thus far has shown a decided improve-
ment over the preceding month, and judging from the re-
ports which we have received from different trade centers, the out-
look for spring business is decidedly encouraging in all branches of
trade,
B