Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPHJLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
UBO. B. KBM.BR.
W. II. DYKKS.
F. H. THOMPSON.
BUILIB FRANCIS BAUBJL
L. E. BOWERS. B. BRITTAIN WILSON, WK. B. WHITB. L. J. CHAMBBRLIN. A. J. NICKLIN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. TAN HABLINQBN, 195-197 Wabasb ATS.
TELEPHONES : Central 414 ; Automatic 8643
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS :
B>J»H8T L. WAITT, 278A Tremont St.
PHILADELPHIA :
R. W. KAUFPMAN.
A. W. SHAW.
CHAS. N. VAN BUBBN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI, O.: NINA PUGH-SMITH.
BALTIMORE, MD.: PAUL. T. LOCK WOOD.
LONDON. ENGLAND:
69 Basinghall St., B. C.
W. Lionel Sturdy, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office ms Second Class Matter.
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Directory ot Plaao
Manufacturer •
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
found on another page will be of great ralue, as a reference
for dealers and others.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
REVIEW
railroad friend said he did not see any more fairness in exacting a
penalty from the railroads for failure to keep up a certain number
of miles and delivery per day than to demand that a piano manufac-
turer pay a penalty on all orders which may be sent to him regardless
of his w r ishes and of his ability to fill those orders within a specified
time.
Of course every sensible man will admit that it is one thing
to talk, and quite another thing to act, and we are very seriously
menaced by men who talk rather than do things ; but at the same
time the solid business element of the country feels that indifference
must be supplanted by a strong desire to meet with the requirements
of public service better than the railroads are doing at the present
time.
SUBSCRIBER to The Review writes: "I am going on to
attend the trade convention at Chicago as usual. So far,
fun and good fellowship are all that these meetings have netted me
after several years of membership. Has anyone done better?"
We imagine that quite a number of our readers could answer the
question in the affirmative.
Another dealer writes : "The last gathering I attended took
me away from business five days and cost me $81.30, and what did
I get out of it? I took home the memory of three things: A story
about a speckled hen who thought herself a rooster; advice to be
careful of what I said in advertising, and a receipt for my annual
dues. If there was anything else to be had I was not there at the
distribution."
A
O
F course attendance at these associations is expensive, for a
man must necessarily be away from business; he must pay
railroad fares and hotel bills, and if he is a good "mixer" other
incidentals will creep in."
But there is a reverse side to the association medal. There
NEW YORK, MAY 1 1 , 1907
are some good papers read; there are some excellent speeches;
there is a spirit of camaraderie, and there is a desire to do better
things. And while there can be no radical accomplishments by
trade organizations, such as we have in this particular line to which
EDITORIAL
The Review appeals, yet there can be a great deal of betterment
accomplished along reasonable and rational lines. The widespread
discussion of the various topics which come up for consideration,
ROWING interest is manifested in the coming conventions at
and
their splendid dissemination through the columns of the trade
Chicago, and indications point to an unusually large atten-
press,
all have an educational effect upon readers. They cause them
dance. A number of important matters naturally will come up for
to
think
along different lines, and sometimes it gets them out of ruts.
serious discussion, and among others the freight question. Piano
It
gets
them
to thinking that the other fellow in business is not
manufacturers and merchants all over the country in common with
so
bad,
after
all,
and that he deserves fair consideration; in other
others have had their business interests seriously hampered by reason
words
it
broadens
things. But the man who expects to expend
of inadequate shipping facilities. The railroads have been seemingly
$81.30,
and
have
some
other fellow hand him back $145.60 for the
helpless in extending relief to much needed industries, and the
same
money
invested
in
good coin of the realm before he leaves the
business interests of the country as a whole have been crippled by
convention
hall,
is
invariably
saturated with bitter disappointment.
this lack of ability to meet existing conditions successfully on the
He
wonders
where
he
is
at.
part of the great railroads.
trrand Prim
Paris Exposition, 1000 Stiver Merfal.Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal..St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold MedoJ.Lewls-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE—NUMBER 1745 GRAMERCY
Cable address: "Elbill N e w York.**
G
As the two music trade associations are composed of business
men, why not urge in open session the benefit of establishing a time
limit for delivery of freights between all points of shipment, and
if goods are delayed beyond that limit, a penalty should be exacted
from the railroad companies to cover the loss. A move of this kind
must start somewhere, and why should not the piano men set the
good work in motion?
I
T is useless to say that the aim of every railroad is to have a time
limit in freight delivery, and to make that limit as low as pos-
sible. There seems to be absolutely no limit whatsoever, and if
business interests of the country generally were managed in such
a slip-shod manner as some of the great railroads, a good many
men would be out of action.
A railroad man recently said while discussing this matter with
The Review that his company endeavored to serve as large a number
of points with daily through cars to points on his own system, and
to towns off his system as could be possibly arranged; but he frankly
admitted that he was not in a position to regulate the amount of
freight business which he was asked to haul.
1 FREIGHT, of course, is very largely sent out according to market
A
conditions, and so many different things enter into the time of
year which freight is shipped in order that shippers and receivers
can take advantage of what they consider market conditions. Our
SSOCIATION gatherings have been the means of bringing
A
together and engendering a better belief and a better under-
standing between competitors in the same localities. When men meet
at conventions and get acquainted, they find their competitors are
not altogether mean, but are human beings, like themselves—faulty
creations at best, and always ready to meet them half way in any-
thing of mutual advantage.
As a matter of fact the associations have accomplished consid-
erable in eliminating evils which have more or less harassed the
manufacturer and retailer for years. The existence of a grievance
committee has had a deterring influence upon those who formerly
have been classed as rank offenders.
W
E know of a number of instances where price cutting on
competitors' pianos, secured by unfair means, has been
discontinued. This has been done through the influence of more
friendly feeling, and better understanding by members in the same
town, who formerly thought the only way to do a successful business
was to run down every other merchant in their line of business.
This plan is only practiced now by the antiquated merchant.
We rather incline to believe that the average piano man who
attends these various conventions goes home more enthusiastic and
better equipped than when he landed in conventionland. He gets
some ideas that may be profitably adopted in his own territory.