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I'ME
OUR SALES TO AUSTRALASIA.
Some Interesting Facts Regarding Sales of
Musical Instruments for the Past Ten Years
—Some Pointers Regarding How Trade May
Be Secured and the Names of Reliable
Credit Agencies.
(Special to The Review, i
Washington, D. C, Nov. 7, 1904.
A very important consular report has just been
published by the Department of Commerce and
Labor, treating of the marketing of goods in
Australasia, to which country, by the way, the
United States sent $132,586 worth of musical in-
struments last year. While this showed a decline
of almost $20,000 compared with the previous
year, yet there has been a marked increase during
the past ten years.
In 1893 our sales of musical instruments to
Australasia amounted to $36,973; in 1897, $48,595;
in 1901, $135,715. The highest point reached was
in 1902, when our sales amounted to $151,198.
The reports forwarded by the various consular
agents throughout Australasia were in answer
to a circular mailed some time ago by the United
States Government asking for the following in-
formation: (1) the countries marketing goods
therein. (2) how trade is conducted, (3) credits,
and (4) mercantile agencies and commercial rat-
ings. They contain some pointers which will
doubtless interest your readers. Taken in detail
they are:
IVIUSIO TRADE
REVIEW
is transacted through salesmen i>y the United
States and Germany, but not a great amount.
One or two American manufacturers have branch
houses here. With all other countries the usual
channel of buying is through commission houses.
"Wholesale general merchants sell at 2 ( -_> per
cent, discount at one month, or four months' bill;
they buy in London, cash in seven days. Ameri-
can goods, cash against documents, and eastern
goods, six months' bill on London by letter of
credit.
"The credit agencies doing business here arc
Bradstreet's Mercantile Agency; R. G. Dun &
Co.; Coombs & Co. (Ltd.). Bradstreet's report
only on business firms or companies and for
American and European subscribers only, there
being no subscribers in Victoria. R. G. Dun &
Co. report only on business firms or companies
for both foreign and local subscribers."
NEW BILL OF LADING UNFAIR.
So Say Furniture Men Who Join Hands With
the Piano Trade in Opposing This Meas-
ure.
A special committee of the Board of Trade,
with George G. AVhiteworth as chairman, has
prepared a circular letter to be mailed to ship-
pers in Grand Rapids, Mich., and vicinity show-
ing the objectionable features of the new bill of
lading that the railroads propose to adopt for
use after January 1st. I t is felt that, the new
NEW SOUTH WALES.
measure, if put into effect, will do great injury
Newcastle—"Business here is conducted chiefly to the manufacturers, some of the objectionable
through agents in Sydney. The general terms of features being the following: The words "not
credit here are thirty days, with 2% to 3 per cent, negotiable" on the bill of lading destroys the com-
discount, or sixty days (very exceptionally mercial value of the paper. The new bill contains
ninety), with a promissory note, usually through numerous conditions limiting the common law
Sydney houses. The only credit agency doing liability of carriers, and a penalty of 20 per cent,
business here is the Merchants' and Traders' As- increase in the class rates is demanded unless
sociation (Ltd.)."
shippers sign a contract releasing carriers from
SEW ZEALAND.
liability.
Auckland—"Nearly all the foreign countries
Shippers are advised to refuse to sign the new
market goods in this colony. The foreign busi- uniform bill of lading, which has been and con-
ness is chiefly conducted by mail, and in some in- tinues to be so strenuously opposed by the Na-
stances by representatives. The terms of credit tional Piano Manufacturers' Association through
are from sixty to ninety days. There are no its freight representative, Mr. Moore.
agencies which report the financial standing of
individuals, companies, or firms, but any colonial
VALUE OF ADVERTISING.
house will always refer an inquirer to its bank
or banks regarding the same."
Does it pay to advertise? There is pretty sub-
QUEENSLAND.
stantial proof that it does. John Wanamaker,
Brisbane—"Business is almost entirely con- who made an immense fortune in Philadelphia
ducted by salesmen. Very little is done by mail. and was noted as the most liberal advertiser
A large number of the British and German firms there, came to New York and took the old A. T.
have resident salesmen here, who keep large Stewart establishment on Broadway after others
stocks of both samples and bulk goods on the had failed to make it succeed. He advertised
spot. Many of the purchasing firms here have generously and he gained a very profitable patron-
offices or buying agencies in London; a number age in the face of strong competition and under
also have buying agents in Germany, generally circumstances which were regarded as exceeding-
in Hamburg. The European nations generally are ly discouraging. They say business has gone up-
represented by salesmen who visit this district town and that Wanamaker's is too far down
periodically.
Broadway to attract trade. Yet Mr. Wanamaker
"The general terms of credit vary from on de- not only proposes to remain where he is but is
mand drafts to drafts at ninety days' sight. An putting up an immense new building adjoining his
increasing amount of business is being done, present Quarters which will cost over $3,000,000
where business has been satisfactorily estab- He does this on faith in his ability to hold the
lished, on 'sight' drafts. The credit agencies in business he has and to gain still more. He has
Brisbane are T. M. Hall & Co., and the White accomplished great things by advertising and he
Mercantile Agency."
expects to accomplish greater.
11
PIANOS SHOULD BE PERFECT
Whether High or Low Priced When Placed 09
Exhibition—A
Recent Happening Related
to The Review That Points a Moral.
Recently we heard a dealer express surpr«*«
when he learned that a certain manufacturer
stood well in the trade as a maker of good me-
dium class pianos. He said he visited the ware-
room accidentally while looking for goods, and,
as he had heard of the line, hp thought he would
look it over.
The first instrument he looked at was much
defaced, the regulation of both action and keys
was wretched, yet the salesman said: "We never
send out goods that are not perfect, so you are
safe in placing an order."
But the new buyer did not leave an order be-
cause the samples showed up so badly, and yet
that house made goods that are considered unusu-
ally safe to buy.
It is a serious drawback not to have piano sam
pies up to the stock, because it is such an unnec-
essary blockade to trade. It is less harmful than
piano samples that are better than the stock, for
such trade is easily lost, while the customer who
finds his goods better than the samples has cour-
age to buy in spite of the poor showing.
There is no excuse for a manufacturer allow-
ing his show room to run down until it fails in
doing the work it was created to do. When pianos
are placed on exhibition in either wholesale or
retail salesrooms they should be up to the mark.
Don't let them injure your business. They should
be builders, not wreckers.
HALLET & DAVIS CO. ENTERPRISE.
(Special to The Review.)
Cleveland, O., Nov. 7. 1904.
A typical example of progressiveness in the
music trade is the local branch of the Hallet &
Davis Piano Co., of Boston, which has been with
us for almost a quarter of a century. Their re-
tail trade has grown so large in the past fe^r
years that they now do the largest retail trade of
any exclusive piano house in Ohio.
Last month they altered their entire store at
26-28 the Arcade and 359-361 Superior street, and
took in four thousand extra square feet, which
gives them the largest display warerooms in the
city. These warerooms have been pronounced the
finest of their kind in the United States, and
are certainly a credit to our city. This firm Hell
in addition to the Hallet & Davis ten other makes
of pianos and the Angelus piano player.
HOFFMAN BROS. IN JOPLIN, MO.
Hoffman Bros, are making preparations to open
a music house in Joplin, Mo. They have leased
the quarters at 632 Main street, and have ordered
several carloads of pianos and organs for their
new store. The Webb City store will still con-
tinue to be headquarters for musical supplies for
the Twin Cities, while the Joplin store will b«
headquarters for the Southwest. Lewis Hoffman
will manage the Joplin store, while S. F. Hoffman
will retain charge in Webb City.
TASMANIA.
Hobart—"Business is almost entirely conducted
by salesmen; that no open credit is given, pay-
ment being made by drafts at thirty or sixty days
against documents; and that there is no credit
agency doing business in the district."
VICTORIA.
Melbourne—"Great Britain furnishes the bulk
of the imports of Victoria, and the leading mer-
chants of Melbourne (the distributing point for
the State of Victoria) either have their own rep-
resentative in London, who do the buying, or they
purchase through general agents and commission
houses. A few leading English manufacturers
have representatives or agents in Melbourne who
carry stocks. Almost all the buying from the
United States and European countries is done
through the London representatives or agents of
Melbourne firms, and through general commis-
sion firms located in Melbourne. Some business
This is suggestion for inventory time. Sur-
plus stock should be cut down. Stock which has
been hanging fire should be moved out and the
actual working investment will then be left for
the merchant to figure on.
By keeping the dead stock whittled down, the
inventory is simplified, and the results are more
encouraging.
C. G. SMYTHE COMPLIMENTED.
Carroll G. Smythe, of Smythe & Benzinger,
was the subject of a flattering tribute in the
Binghamton (N. Y.) Herald of recent date. It
was accompanied by a handsome portrait of this
gentleman, who is not only a first-class piano
dealer, but a musician of prominence.
BEHR BROS. & CO.
PIANOS,
29th Street and 1 Ith Ave.,
NEW YORK.
HIGHEST STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE.