Music Trade Review

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THE
REVIEW
13
usually turns out bad for the salesman. As a delay, as in the past goods intended for holiday
rule, a salesman who has been nurtured and trade were released in February or March of the
Inclement Weather Has Hurt Trade—Piano trained by one company can't go to another com- following year. "The matter," said he, "was
Men, However, Optimistic—Why Salesmen pany with different prospects and do such good taken up by the Merchants' Association, and we
Change Positions—A Number of .Trade work. As a result, many of them within a few had to rake the trade with a fine-tooth comb to
Callers During the Week—Other Items.
months after they change positions are looking get men to serve on the committee that had the
matter in charge. Then we found out that the
for another job.
(Special to The Review.)
More than once some system in the way of concerns which were loudest in their complaints,
Indianapolis, Ind Jan. 16, 1907.
regulating the "hiring away" of salesmen by while openly in sympathy with our efforts to
J. Pluvius is the worst business competitor the competitive firms has been suggested, but so far create better conditions, quietly took occasion to
Indianapolis piano men are having just now. the piano concerns have not had the temerity to send letters to the appraiser, in which they be-
First it rains, then it snows, then it sleets, and organize.
stowed praise upon his administration.
the public takes to the firesides and the piano
"This shows the cowardice of the average busi-
Trade callers served to brighten the dull mo-
men sit. in their stores "customerless."
ments of piano dealers this week. The city was ness man, and the too general desire to obtain
Not since January 7 has there been a ray of unusually well blessed with traveling salesmen. unfair advantage, no matter by what methods.
sunshine in Indianapolis. On the seventh day Among "those present" were: B. S. Kimball, What we need is to get back to commercial in-
of January "Old Sol" showed his face for a brief president of the Hallet & Davis Co.; B. R. Laug- tegrity. No honest man can ask for more than
half hour. Since then, or for nine days, he has head, of Hallet & Davis, and Frank B. Rowe, of the preference, all things being equal; and when
remained in obscurity. The piano men are won- the Kimball Co., all at Fuller & Currens; Frank business men, as a class, refuse to stoop to unfair
dering what the end will be.
Taylor, of Bush & Lane, and Mr. Chickering, of and dishonest methods, then there will be a gen-
But Indianapolis piano men, as a rule, are not the Chickering Co., at Carlin & Lennox, and How- eral improvement all round. The traveling men
pessimistic. They have "nerve," and in spite of ard Whitney Swope, at Fuller & Currens and of this country should take the stand that there
the unfavorable weather conditions they are go- Carlin & Lennox.
is such a thing as integrity, and that it does pay.
ing ahead laying their plans for a great year's
In a word, they should preach common honesty
business. Nearly all of the piano companies are
between man and man."
CONVICTION
FOR
GIVING
A
TIP.
hiring all the efficient salesmen they can get, and
In regard to the piano trade we might say,
are mapping out an extensive work in the State. Solomon Ballin Fined Fifty Dollars Under the however, that as a whole its members are willing
"We are hiring all the new men we can get so
Saxe Law Passed by the New York Legisla-
to spend both time and money in furthering a
long as they are efficient," said H. T. Spain, of
ture Last Winter.
worthy object as the freight concession and other
the Starr Co. "This weather can't keep up al-
victories illustrate.
The first conviction under the Saxe Anti-Tip-
ways, and we will be prepared when the sun-
ping law, which seeks to prevent the bribery of
shine does come."
DR. STEMPEL'S GOOD WORK.
"We never complain," said E. G. Hereth, of employes intrusted with the purchase of goods,
the D. H. Baldwin Co. "Last year we had our was had Monday in the Court of Special Ses- In Forwarding the Interests'of the American
gloomy weather in March. For days and days it sions. Solomon Ballin, of the manufacturing
Piano in Mexico—Making Headway Despite
was cloudy and rainy and snowy. Let us hope firm of J. H. & S. Ballin, No. 508 Broadway, was
Strong Opposition—American Piano Co., of
that we are getting the worst of it in January fined $50 for giving a bribe to John McGuinness,
Which He Is Head, Have 23 Agencies
Throughout the Republic.
this year, and the spring weather will be excel- a buyer for a department store. He admitted
his guilt.
lent."
Dr. J. H. T. Stempel, in charge of the Cable
Ballin wrote to Mr. McGuinness offering him a
Aside, from the weather the worst proposition
the Indianapolis dealers are up against is the commission of 5 per cent, if he would influence Company's interests in Mexico., was a recent
an order. Mr. McGuinness promptly showed the visitor to New York, his home city. Speaking
lack of efficient salesmen.
It seems that when a salesman "makes good" letter to his firm, and the matter was reported of piano trade conditions in our sister republic
with one company managers of other stores to the Retail Dry Goods Association. The buyer he said the principal competitor of the American
single him out and make him an offer of a little was directed to give an order to the Ballin firm. piano is the German instrument of inferior qual-
more salary than he is getting. This is a dis- Solomon Ballin gave him a check for 5 per cent, ity, which possesses a very poor tone. These
comfiture for the dealer he is working for, and of the amount of the order, and was arrested for instruments are rather elaborate in design, and
violating the Saxe law. Magistrate Sweetzer decidedly showy; in fact, the values are all on
held him for Special Sessions, and the fine was the outside, as Mexican piano purchasers are rap-
the result. The proceeding was in the nature of idly discovering.
a test case, and those .interested feel that the
Although in Mexico but a year, Dr. Stempel
constitutionality of the law has been established. has been most successful against bitter and often
unscrupulous attacks on his line by some Mexi-
can houses.
METZ RAPS SOMEBUSINESS MEN
He is the head of the American Piano Co., and
Especially Those Who Cry for Reform But has the entire Cable Company line, including the
Never Help to Secure Them—Their Lack of agency for the Mason & Hamlin instrument. So
far, twenty-three agencies have been established
Interest Is Retarding Mercantile Advance.
and the amount of American piano advertising
The New York State Division of the Travelers' reaching Mexico through the medium of various
Protective Association held their annual meeting magazines has influenced prospective purchasers
at Reisenweber's in New York recently, and much to such an extent that nearly all the agencies
transpired during the evening of great interest report a very heavy business.
If you have not familiarized
to travelers and merchants in general.
As a means of publicity in his own locality, Dr.
Among the reforms advocated by the Travelers Stempel issues the "Mexico Musical," printed in
yourself with the fine qualities
are a two-cent-a-mile passenger rate on all rail- both Spanish and English, which affords inter-
roads of the country and better freight facilities. esting reading and also forwards the cause of the
of the Lauter PLAYERPIANO, you
As was aptly said, it is ridiculous that it American piano. Concerts, at which prominent
are probably losing the highest
should take freight two w'eeks to cover the same artists appear, are also held frequently in the
distance that might be traversed by a passenger rooms of the American Piano Co.
class trade that you might secure
in less than a day.
Hon. Herman A. Metz, Controller of New York
COLD FACTSJFROM MAINE.
if you had this beautiful instru-
City, when called upon to speak, dwelt at length
upon the lack of real effort put forth by business Even a Waltz Froze Up There, But It Thawed
ment on your floor.
men to forward the reforms they advocate, and
Out Next Day.
his words could be applied with profit to certain
Like our GRANDS, SMALL
A despatch from Bar Harbor, Me., says that
members of the piano trade. He said:
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS, it is an
"I regard the business man as the easiest prop- the temperature thereabouts ranged from 23 to
osition going. I find in this city that all appear 52 degrees below zero Thursday. At Otter Creek
artistic production in every
to be hollering for local improvement, but I have they held a dance at the town hall to keep warm.
not seen a case where a proposition to this end It was 42 below, according to reputable citizens.
particular.
was backed up as it should have been by the The sound of the music froze. About noon next
business men. As a consequence of this lack of day it thawed out, and persons living near the
We invite correspondence.
interest, the official tendency everywhere has hall heard the strains of "Home, Sweet Home.'
been to retard rather than aid mercantile in- It was the last waltz of the previous night. Next!
terests. Business interests are neglected by the
The H. C. Hendrickson Co., music dealers, of
authorities, and it is the business man's own
73 West Seventh street, St. Paul, Minn., have
fault."
In illustration of his remarks, Mr. Metz re- fitted up a complete repair shop in connection
ferred to the efforts being made to pass imported with their store, and will devote special atten-
goods through the Custom House without undue tion to band instruments and talking machines,
TRADE NOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS.
.
MUSIC TRADE
TnTLAOTO
'LATERPIANO