Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
they are conscientious in their efforts to earn exactly what is
paid for.
This logic may be sound, although usually a man's estimate of
what work is worth is not very accurate; but it is about as dangerous
a mental attitude as a wage-earner can well take.
If a man is not worth more than he is getting, it stands to
reason that H E WILL NEVER GET MORE.
As long as he is earning his present salary, his employers have
no object in paying him one which he doesn't earn. When a man
who owns a business raises a salary, he does it because he finds it
profitable to himself to do so. There is very little sentiment con-
cerned in the transaction. The employer doesn't pay a lazy man any
more money in the hope to make him industrious. That hope would
never be realized.
SALESMAN connected with quite an important institution
remarked in The Review office the other day, "I have no con-
fidence in the pianos we sell, and we ask too high a price for them,
but that is the old man's policy."
Incidentally he stated that he had just closed a sale for a
piano for $350 which cost $98 wholesale. Frankly, we do not see
how a man can be enthusiastic in a proposition of that nature un-
less he proposes to wear the highwaymen's cloak and wield the
bludgeon as a profession. How is a man expected to become an
enthusiast with a line of goods he is selling which he knows are
offered to the public at dishonest prices? How can he present any
honest arguments from a retailer's standpoint to force his sales?
To succeed, men must feel enthusiastic in the wares which they
offer, particularly, wares in which personality cuts such a large
figure as it does in pianos. A salesman must believe in his product
and honesty will grow out of that belief. He must believe the in-
struments are right, whatever the price asked. Confidence in one's
own wares is the first essential to good salesmanship.
A
T
H E plan of holding cabinet meetings at stated intervals at
which time all matters may be discussed which affect the in-
terest of every department is steadily growing. The Aeolian Com-
pany, with its allied interests, have long made it a point to hold
regular meetings after meals at some one of the principal hotels,
where the heads of the various departments express their views upon
general conditions, and suggestions are made as to possible better-
ment which may be accomplished. The views of the salesmen and
managers must necessarily be helpful; after an hour at the banquet
board salesmen will feel freer to talk than if discussions were held
during rush business hours.
These meetings which are held for the purpose of talking busi-
ness over are of obvious help to the managers, salesmen and to the
business. They stimulate men in their work, and they bring oui.
many points which operate to trade advantage, which otherwise
would not be brought to the surface.
T
W O interesting and important decisions have just been handed
down by the Commissioner of Patents under the new 7 trade-
mark act. They illustrate principles of the new law which should
bo carefully borne in mind by trade-mark owners.
The most important of these cases was a contest between a
manufacturer who had registered the word "President" as a trade-
mark for suspenders, and a firm who had employed the same mark
on half hose supporters. The two claims were for the same mark,
though for somewhat different articles, constituted what is tech-
nically known as "interference." The examiner of interference
reached the conclusion that while the half hose, manufacturers were
the first to employ the trade-mark upon their product, the suspender
manufacturers used theirs upon suspenders, and he decided that
they could not be prevented from continuing its use so long as they
did not vise it on half hose supporters.
T
HE appeal from this ruling was taken to the -Commissioner of
Patents, whose decision is so comprehensive that it will be of
interest to all trade-mark owners.
The Commissioner explains that the articles do not conflict,
and that after reviewing the evidence in the case, he reaffirms the
examiner. In all trade-marked articles it is the evident opinion of
the patent authorities as well as of the courts to protect individuals
and corporations in their trade-mark rights. But one thing is cer-
tain, no man can have a monopoly of any particular word outside
of a particular line of trade. It will pay manufacturers to have
their names registered under the new law. It will afford them the
kind of protection which will be strengthened with the passing of
the years.
FIRM of typewriters have just inaugurated an interesting
bonus system for rewarding long and efficient service on the
part of their employees.
Like many other manufacturers of large plants where skilled
labor is required, they recognize the desirability of offering some
definite and perhaps pecuniary incentive to diligence and faithful-
ness, and some tangible inducement for their employees to remain
with them. Incorporated with the service is a badge system, and
the badges are marked in figures to designate between ten and
twenty years' service. The badge is not merely a decoration, but
every badge wearer is entitled to participate in the bonus distribu-
tion which consistes of fifty dollars in gold for a man contingent
upon loyal, diligent and uninterrupted service. This concern dis-
tributed nearly twelve thousand dollars in June. They also offered
prizes for good suggestions, with the intention to encourage thought-
fulness and ingenuity among all employees. Such methods indicate
that the tendency of the times is to encourage the employee to think,
to have men work with their heads as well as their hands, and in this
way to arouse the intellectual interest of the entire working force.
In a number of our piano institutions there has been concerted
effort on the part of a number of manufacturers to improve the
conditions of their men. For some years the A. B. Chase Co., of
Norwalk, have offered annual prizes for suggestions in the various
departments of the factory. All of this kind of work must succeed
in building up a higher standard of efficiency among the men.
A
T
HERE is a piano manufacturer in the State of New Jersey who
caters entirely to retail purchasers. His advertisements
which appear in various publications of wide circulation, empha-
size "the saving which the purchaser can make by getting the instru-
ment direct from the factory, thus avoiding a dealer's profit." Of
course that is the same principle upon which the catalogue house
trade has been built. It has been the alleged cutting out of an inter-
mediate profit and in most instances the instruments purchased have
been of the cheapest quality, for which people have paid good round
prices, believing they were getting them extremely cheap and that
belief influenced their patronage with the catalogue house. But
to return to the New Jersey manufacturer. This man is als
dent of a National Bank. He sends out letters which nre supposed
to be confidential, addressed to "my dear friend." In this communi-
cation he endeavors to convey the impression that while he is Presi-
dent of a bank he is willing to make a draft upon his time to help
in the selection of an instrument which may be purchased by "his
dear friend."
H
IS wording is somewhat enthusiastic, and even exuberant
at times, and he says he "cannot overstate or overpromise,"
but he is willing to go into the wareroom, after laying aside his duties
at the bank, and select a piano for his "dear friend." Is this manu-
facturer not pursuing rules contrary to those recommended by the
National Banking Association? The natural inference upon read-
ing his confidential letters would be, to those not posted, that it was
an unusual concession on the part of a President of a National Bank
to select a piano for them personally. They might be a little flat-
tered by such attention, but to those who are posted, the thought
would occur that the man was playing rather a smooth game, com-
bining banking with piano making, in a misleading way. It is the
only instance that we have ever known where the President of a bank
sent out just this kind of literature.
N
OW that peace has spread her white wings over the warring
legions in the Orient, it is certain that the commercial inter-
ests in those countries must thrive in a manner which will benefit
American manufactures of various kinds. While we may not mar-
ket many pianos in Japan, Corea or Manchuria for the next few
years, yet there will be a live market there for many of our products,
which will cause the wheels of industry to spin round at a rapid
pace. The part that has been played in the last act of this great
drama by the President of the United States will be helpful to Ameir-
can interests everywhere, for this country stands out in strong re-
lief not only as a peacemaking nation, but a colossal power amid
the Governments of earth.