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MUSIC TRADE: REVIEW
business seems enticing, and it is rather hard for some to turn down
the orders which come to them, but is it worth while to sacrifice a
solid business future for the few dollars profit of to-day ? Is it well
to replace the substance with the shadow ? These are matters
worthy of the serious consideration of every piano manufacturer
and every dealer, and they should not be lightly disregarded.
W
E hear the term frequently used nowadays that such and
such a piano man is a hustler. Now, hustling qualities
are eminently proper, but the hustling should be confined to sys-
tematic lines. It was not so long ago that we heard a very dis-
tinguished railroad man boasting to another railroad official of the
ability of his general manager of a local trolley line. He said "his
tremendous industry is spent in twelve hours a day at the plant,
and he always comes down on Sunday. He has indefatigable
loyalty. Why when two or three of our special cars were missing
the manager trampled around the freight yards two days until he
found them." The big railroad man listened and calmly remarked,
to his friend, that he should get a new manager. "If your present
one," he continued, "has to spend twelve hours a day and Sundays at
the office and tramp around looking for his cars, he isn't up to his
job/'
T
HE larger and more successful railroad man recognized at once
that the manager was unable to create a proper system and
if there be no proper system any one man's energy amounts to little.
Mere human energy is cheaper than horse power, if it is a matter
of energy; one man might as well praise another man for running,
upstairs instead of taking an elevator. See how a young boy will
run across from the bank and dodge a cab, or hurl himself in front
of an automobile, fling himself on a street car—most praiseworthy
hustle it is true, and in this case the young man as a messenger
is receiving perhaps twenty-five dollars a month, and at the present
time is worth no more.
I
N the corner of the bank in a very comfortable room a man sits
at the desk, doing nothing much excepting to talk at ease with
callers and in the intervals glance over a balance sheet, ringing for
a subordinate, give a few directions all in a leisurely, unruffled
sort of way. He receives $25,000 a year, and is likely worth
double that. He has a system and knows how to control the energy
of a hundred or five hundred men thereby.
See Chas. H. Steinway leisurely taking a few whiffs at his
morning cigar without the slightest trace of excitement upon his
features. No hustle or energy apparent, and yet he is at the head
of the most remarkable enterprise of its kind in the world, control-
ling great factories in Europe and America, and he does it all calmly,
methodically and without apparent exterior hustle, and yet behind it
all is system. Business is coalescing in larger and larger units,
bigger and bigger machines which means steadily increasing need
of perfection in the system, and it means greater prizes for the man
who has the ability to develop the right system.
T a recent trade convention a merchant said that many retail
concerns were more successful because of having certain
valuable clerks than for any great ability in the proprietors.
This is partially true, but a merchant shows his greatness in
no better way than by surrounding himself with salesmen and clerks
of ability. There is no question but that one of the most available
assets that a retail business can have is good salesmen, and every
merchant can profit much by investigating frequently the work of
each salesman.
A
9
OME dealers in the small towns have written us that they find
competition in the larger cities very difficult to meet. This
means that in every case the smaller merchant has not displayed the
right kind of talent in the conduct of his business. No active man
in business to-day should say that he is unable to meet fair compe-
tition, and certainly the smaller piano dealer has some natural ad-
vantages over his larger competitor in the great cities who must
necessarily be conducting his business under greater expense. When
a man complains about competition, and is unable to meet it, it is an
open confession that he is going backward and no good business man
will admit of such a condition.
S
T
HE man who figured that the Russian Government was behind
the scheme to buy pianos in this country for Russia was
following the wrong trail. It may be all very nice to build a fine
spun theory that the pianos intended for Russia were to be removed
from the boxeh and in their place munitions of war substituted.
That's all right from a stage standpoint, and some of the piano
manufacturers who supplied pianos to Gradstone & Steinhaus would
be very glad to learn that the Czar was behind the move. They
would feel a mighty sight surer of their pay.
It was said during the early stages of the Boer war that the
Boers received war material in piano boxes which were permitted
to pass through the lines. But the same rule does not apply to the
Russian case.
T
HE suspicion of some of our manufacturers was first aroused
by the fact that it was an unusual thing to order pianos shipped
to Russia when that country was plunged into a costly and expensive
war. The Russian people would have, indeed, but little need for
American pianos in such times.
The result of the whole matter will be that the manufacturers
will carefully investigate in future the orders which come from
unknown export firms. It is not probable that this scheme will be
repeated in this trade, and if it is there will be a disinclination on the
part of piano men to swallow any kind of foreign bait easily.
PIANO recital of more than ordinary interest was recentl)'
given at the grand salon of the New York State Building at
the World's Fair. Miss Maidie Watkin, the beautiful daughter of
Will A. Watkin, the well known dealer of Dallas, Tex., was at the
piano. Miss Watkin is not only richly endowed with physical
charms, but she possesses musical ability which must bring her
into great prominence. She was frequently applauded, and her
graceful playing elicited the warmest praise from a select audience
which gathered to listen to her bring forth the marvelous wealth
of tone of the Steinway "Wave" piano which, by the way, is one
of the most remarkable creations of the famous Steinway house. It
has been minutely described in a former issue of The Review, and
it is an object of great interest to the daily visitors to the New
York Building. The paintings on its side faithfully depict the
waterways of New York from the entrance to the harbor following
along the Hudson through the Mohawk Valley, thence the Erie
Canal to Buffalo.
A
NE dealer wrote to The Review last week: "The longer I stick
to one price the better I like it, and the smoother my busi-
ness seems to run."
There is no doubt but that this is the experience of many. One
price, and that the right price, on all pianos offered is simply an
adoption of sound business principles which are recognized by mer-
cantile leaders in all trades. There is no good reason why the
T is not always the amount of sales, but it is the quality of sales
piano industry should fail from falling into line with rules which
which count for business betterment, and if the salesman finds
are conceded to be correct. The closer we adhere to correct busi-
that his work is appreciated, his head will not elongate to the swelling
ness principles the nearer we approach to business success, and it
point if he is the right kind of a man. But every man whether en-
must be admitted that one price, after all, is steadily finding favor
gaged in selling pianos or any other kind of work likes to find ap- with piano men.
preciation of his work, particularly when he is endeavoring by hard
HERE are some inconveniences in having quarters in the
and constant work to merit advancement.
largest office building in the world, particularly when that
Money is one essential to business success. Brains and manage-
building is in a chaotic condition, brought about by new and exten-
ment is another. A management with brains will not allow a first-
sive building equipments. The Review callers during the period
class salesman to get away to the other fellow. Such a manage-
of upheaval in this office building will find a Fourth Avenue en-
ment will want to see a good man satisfied with his position. It
trance as well as elevators in the center of the building available
might be well to look over your staff Mr. Piano Merchant, and see if
in appreciation of good work you have lacked in any particular. Do
until the starting up again of the elevators near the Madison Avenue
not let such a shortcoming develop into a habit.
entrance.
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