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THE
ROW
J4UJICTOADE
VOL. XLIV. No. 3 .
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 MadisonAve., New York, January 19,1907
PIANOS AND GOOD ROADS.
Wherever Road Improvement Has Been Under-
taken Piano Dealers Report Better Trade—
How This Is Effected—Why the Piano Manu-
facturers and Dealers' Associations Should
Urge Support of Movement.
"There is one question that does not seem to
interest the members of the piano trade, except
such as possess automobiles, but which is vitally
important to their business," said a prominent
representative of that profession to The Review
during the past week, "and that is good roads.
Pianos are being distributed through the rural
districts in greater quantities than ever, and it
is essential not only to have them arrive at their
destination in good condition, but to make deliv-
eries quickly. A rough or muddy road is not
conducive to comfort, and where a delivery is
to be made at a distance and under unfavorable
conditions, it is often postponed until the pros-
pective buyers have got, t6 use a common expres-
sion, cold feet, and the sale is called off. I can
well remember the time when as a dealer I have
waited from two to five weeks on account of the
bad condition of the loadsto make the delivery of
a square, but in those days people did not do things
in the rush that attends the modern business
transaction. Good roads also tend to bring buyers
to the trade centres, and during the fall and win-
ter I have noticed that the rural sections that
boasted of good roads sent in the largest contin-
gents, while sections that were compelled to ride
over ruts or through spring holes only made the
trip when necessity demanded.
"It is for the interest of every piano dealer in
the country to secure as many visitors as possi-
ble to his warerooms, and as the present popu-
lation are averse to putting up with inconve-
niences that their forefathers did, it is necessary
to smooth their path as much as possible. There
is another point to be taken in consideration,
and that is the road salesman of the dealer. In
these days of keen competition it is necessary
for him to call on prospects quickly and as many
as possible in a give,n time. Give him a good
road as against a poor one and he can double his
work. In years gone by I would start out with
a snow shovel and two planks in my wagon or
sleigh. The planks were to put under the horse's
hoofs in case he got in a spring hole in event
of an unexpected thaw and enable him to get
on a firm foundation again. Many is the time
when the wheels would be up to the hubs in
mud for a mile at a stretch and twenty-five miles
was a big day's journey.
"As for making a delivery, it would have been
out of the question. At the present time, in the
same section of country, I can drive fifty miles
a day at any time of the year, and make a de-
livery within twenty-four hours after receiving
the order. There are still thousands of miles of
unimproved roads running through the richest
and most populous farming districts of the coun-
try; and the agitation in behalf of repairing or
rebuilding them should be taken up by all trades,
and the piano trade in particular. The piano
manufacturers, both as individuals and as an as-
sociation, could take this matter up, both with
profit to themselves and to their dealers. The
better facilities afforded the latter, the more
sales by the former, and at the same time the
benefit to the community as a whole means bet-
ter times and more money in circulation. Any
country that is interwoven with easily passable
thoroughfares becomes the best producer, be-
cause of the ease of marketing its wares, and
the consequent prosperity is the inevitable re-
sult. I hope that the next convention will make
this subject a point of discussion, and as a body
co-operate with those members of the trade who
have already taken it up."
SINGLE COPIES. 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
employes of the firm, in honor of their first year's
business in Winnipeg. Twelve sat down to a
sumptuous dinner, after which speeches and songs
held sway. E. C. Scythes, western manager of
the Williams Piano Co., acted as toastmaster.
DINE THEIR COMPETITORS.
Whitney & Currier Co. Show a Broad Fraternal
Spirit.
Buys the Stock and Business of the Treat &
Shepard Co., of New Haven, and Assumes
the Agency for the Mathushek Pianos.
The Whitney & Currier Co., the Toledo, O.,
piano dealers, set a precedent in piano trade cir-
cles in that city recently, when they entertained
their competitors at a rather elaborate dinner
at the Cafe Spitzer. The affair was purely of a
social nature and is expected to go far toward
promoting a more friendly feeling among the
Toledo music dealers.
(Special to The Review.)
BRAZIL'S TARIFF ON PIANOS.
C. H. LOOMIS' BIG PURCHASE.
New Haven, Conn., January 16, 1907.
A quite important trade change has occurred
in this city, Charles H. Loomis, the well-known
piano dealer, having purchased the stock and
business heretofore conducted at 837 Chapel
street by the Treat & Shepard Co. Mr. Loomis
took possession on the 15th of this month and
will conduct the agency of the Mathushek pianos
so long sold by the Treat & Shepard Co. About
$50,000 is involved in the taking over of this
business.
It is an interesting coincidence that just twen-
ty years ago the Treat & Shepard Co. was or-
ganized by the late John L. Treat and the late
Professor Thomas Shepard and Peter T. Rey-
nolds, all of whom were connected with Charles
H. Loomis and his father, the late Clark M.
Lcomis, in the same line of business, which was
then known as Loomis Temple of Music. On the
twentieth anniversary of the Treat & Shepard
Co. Mr. Loomis takes back the business which
originated in his own.
RECENT INCORPORATIONS.
The Standard School of Music, Chicago! has
been incorporated, with a capital of $500,000, for
the purpose of publishing music among other
things. Incorporators, C. H. Wilson, J. B. Schall
and Dan. J. Tyrell.
* * * *
The Monarch Instrument Co., Cleveland, O.,
has been incorporated, with a capital of $10,000.
Directors, J. A. Alburn, C. A. Terrell, W. B.
Droun, B. G. Guthery and E. C. Gessner.
* * * *
The Plymouth County Piano Co. is the name of
a new concern, with warerooms at 28% Main
street, Brockton, Mass. They handle the James
& Holmstrom, Braumuller, Jacob Bros, and R. S.
Howard pianos.
CANADIAN DEALERS CELEBRATE.
A dispatch from Rio de Janeiro states that the
Brazilian Congress, before disbanding on Dec. 31,
authorized the continuance of the 20 per cent,
preferential tariff reduction in favor of certain
products from the United States, among which
pianos are included.
TUNERS SCARCE IN MILWAUKEE.
According to many Milwaukee piano dealers
there is a decided scarcity of competent piano
tuners in that city, owing to the fact that many
of the really good tuners spend a large portion
of their time free-lancing throughout different
sections of the State, much to their individual
profit.
CHAS. L. WILLERD HONORED.
Chas. L. Willerd, the prominent piano dealer
of Buffalo, N. Y., has been elected president of the
East Side Business Men's and Taxpayers' Asso-
ciation of that city. He was instrumental in per-
suading the railroads entering Buffalo to choose
a union station site in the East Side instead of
the downtown section of the city.
THOMPSON PIANO CO.'S NEW FACTORY.
The contract has been let for the new factory
building of the Thompson Piano Co., Genoa, 111.
It will be 50 x 200 feet and two stories high, of
brick construction.
SPERRY AGAIN IN HARNESS.
W. A. Sperry, whose talking machine store at
85 Pratt street, Hartford, Conn., was destroyed
by fire recently, has reopened at 77 Pearl street,
that city, with a complete new line of both Edi-
son and Victor goods.
HOLZAPFEL IN NEW QUARTERS.
(Special to The Review.)
Winnipeg, Man., Jan. 11, 1907.
A very pleasant evening was recently spent by
the members of the firm of Cross, Goulding &
Skinner, representatives of the New Scale Will-
iams piano, and a few immediate friends and
Carl C. Holzapfel, who recently succeeded
Holzapfel & Beitel, music dealers, of Baltimore,
Md., has removed the stock of pianos, musical
merchandise and sheet music to new quarters at
306 North Howard street, that city.