Music Trade Review

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MUSIC TRADE
This factory will be a big thing for Lincoln and the west in general.
The company has done no advertising yet, but received a favorable
notice in the Talking Machine World of New York, which was
copied in The Music Trade Review. These two little articles
brought inquiries from Honolulu, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and
from all parts of the United States."
It shows that The Review and the World are not only widely
circulated, but they are read, and after all, that is what interests the
advertiser, because in the circulation is where he receives his returns.
All this silly talk about trade papers and their uses amounts to naught
in face of strong, tangible results, and that is what this institution
has been working all the time to produce.
NE manufacturer states that his designs are pirated by several
other concerns who he alleges are continually on the alert
in season and out to find out the best selling designs with the end
in view of utilizing his discovery.
Sometimes the original is reproduced exactly, but oftener the
imitation is just close enough to deceive all but the most expert
buyers. The designs are usually copied by the men who sell the
clieaper grade of instruments, so that they are enabled to put the
imitation on the market at lower prices than the original.
It is certainly a source of astonishment that manufacturers
would make such an allegation in this trade, where it is believed that
such practices could not be indulged in without a material check
and public exposure.
O
WELL-KNOWN Boston manufacturer said: " I believe the
manufacturers could, if they desired, do much to establish one
price at retail, but when the matter was brought up on the floor of
the convention once or twice, it was discussed in such a manner that
it did not seem to me as if the subject met with the support that its
prominence would warrant in bestowing upon it."
There is no doubt that the manufacturers hold a powerful card
in the one price game, but publicity is also a strong point in win-
ning for any deserving cause.
It was over six years ago when The Review took up the one
price campaign. Up to that time no paper had followed the matter
systematically. We offered a series of money prizes for the best
articles in support of the one price system and in that manner we
drew forth some splendid utterances upon the subject. During all
the months of our advocacy, the special articles were supported by
strong editorials in The Review urging the adoption of one price.
This was the first consistent and systematic effort made in a public
way for the establishment of one price.
A
THER papers have followed our lead and have taken this
matter up subsequently. There is no doubt but that all pub-
licity is helpful towards the attainment of certain ends, but the best
and easiest way to establish one price is for the manufacturers to
fix the prices at which their instruments shall be offered at retail.
In this way the whole system of retail piano robbery and extortion
will be swept away. No man can ask $450 for a piano and sell it
for $200, because the manufacturer will himself place the right price
upon the instrument, and if a dealer is inclined to concede some
price points, it must be at his own personal loss and not the manu-
facturers. He cannot under those conditions buy a $100 piano and
sell it for $350. The piano will be sold in its class. It will be placed
there by the man who makes it, and there will be no chance for the
over-pricing of pianos. Players seem to work out all right under
this plan. Then, most important of all, it will place the special
brand pianos—and by the way that term special brand will long
outlive the term stencil—in the class where they belong.
It will
make the line of demarcation clear and distinct between the pianos
manufactured by regular firms and corporations, and those special
creations bearing the brands selected by dealers in all parts of the
country.
O
T
REVIEW
the growth of this class of trade is having the effect to draw down
the entire piano business to a lower scale, to a position approximat-
ing that of the furniture trade.
This traffic is steadily robbing
pianos of their individuality.
T
HE Regina Co., that constantly broadening trade institution
with headquarters at Railway, N. J., has introduced a number
of novel and interesting features in the manufacture and sale of
its products. J. 15. Eurber, the general manager of the company,
is now offering a series of prizes to salesmen. He has prepared very
interesting rules governing the contests which appear in another
portion of this paper. Mr. Eurber has made an incentive to sales-
men to do good clean work. His prizes are in cash, and the sales-
man who produces results in clean sales, receives an immediate
pecuniary return.
This is encouragement of the right sort, and there is no ques-
tion but that every kind of encouragement given to salesmen is
returned many fold to the employer.
I
N this trade there is a greater demand than ever for good, clean-
cut, ambitious young men, but they must be willing to make
some sacrifices, and not complain of the bitter exactions of a commer-
cial life which compel them sometimes to work a few minutes over-
time. The manufacturer is certainly entitled to get out of the invest-
ment every cent there is in it, and if by a system of encouragement
he can largely increase the salesmen's earning capacity he is get-
ting splendid returns is he not?
A salesman is hired to sell goods, and a traveling salesman picks
up in the course of visiting different towns and talking with various
merchants, a good deal of information which has a practical value.
It is a sort of by-product of keeping men on the road. The keen,
deserving salesman will note every point possible, and will profit by
it, and if he is encouraged to do so, he will impart to his house much
valuable information gained in his visiting hours. He naturally does
not feel disposed to tell the people home their business, but there is
no doubt that the observant traveling man has a fund of information
which is most valuable to his employers if it can be properly drawn
out. In place of the order slips why would it not be a good plan
to have a slip printed so that a report be made of the business con-
ditions surrounding every institution upon whom a traveler calls.
There are a number of kinds of prospect blanks in the retail piano
trade, and why would it not be a good plan to amplify some of these
in a form so that they could be adaptable to the wholesale trade.
I
N looking over the subjects which the piano merchants are to
consider next month at their convention in Put-In-Bay, it is
noted that the parcels post scheme has not been listed. Now, it is
true, the parcels post bill will benefit not alone the mail order houses,
but the large department stores as well, and it is bound to inure to the
disadvantage of the small country retailer. It will go far towards
putting the small goods man in country towns completely out of
business. It will increase the business of the big mail order houses,
who can send small musical merchandise to every section of the
Union at reduced prices, and it will help to the elimination of the
smaller dealer, by the concentration of merchandise in the hands of
larger institutions, principally the catalogue houses.
T
HERE is another legitimate ground for opposition to the estab-
lishment of a parcels post in this country. It is estimated
that the rural free delivery service is largely responsible for a deficit
in the post office department for the fiscal year ending June 30, of
about $16,000,000, and this enormous sum is but trifling compared
to the expense which would be involved in the establishment of a
parcels post. The mere organization of the service including the
purchase of stabling, premises, wagons, horses, would involve the
expenditure of the enormous sum before a single package could be
delivered. Still there are powerful forces behind the bill, and it
would seem that the small music dealers should raise their voices
in protest against the establishment of this scheme, which will mean
their complete ruin.
It is important that the subject be recognized by the Dealers'
Association.
HE manufacturers at their convention did not take this matter
up for serious consideration, and our Boston friend did not
hesitate to say that in his opinion they overlooked an important
point which has strong bearing upon the future of this industry.
Now the Dealers' Association will be glad to act upon this sub-
T is said that within the near future there will be a number of
ject, and a series of interesting talks will be the result.
inside players added to the rapidly growing list, and that some
It must be admitted that the special brand pianos play an
important part in trade distribution to-day. There can be no important concerns will also have their product exploited in the
hyphenated way, which seems to be growing in vogue.
question that this influence in the minds of those who have watched
I