Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
ITHE
MUJIC TRADE
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPHXANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff x
Q BO. B.
W. H. DTKHS.
P. H. THOMPSON.
J . HAYDHN CLARENDON.
B. BBITTAIN WILSON,
L. J. CHAMBHELIN,
A. J. NICTELIN.
L. D. BOWERS,
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. VAN HASLINGEN. 105-197 Wabash Ave.
TELEPHONES : Central 414; Automatic 8«45
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
RRNBST L. WAITT, 278A Tremont S t
PHILADELPHIA 1
B. W. KAUITMAN.
ADOLF EDSTBN.
SAN FRANCISCO:
CBAS. N. VAN BUHEN.
69 Baslnghall S t , B. C.
W. Lionel Sturdy, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entertd at tht Ntw Ytrk Post Office ms Stand Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (Including postage). United States and Mexico, |2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS. $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Directory ol Piano
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
~
:
~
found on another page will be of great value, as a reference
M m m e f r c r s
f o r dealers and others.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prim
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal. Charleston Exposition 1902
Diploma. Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal... St Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. . . .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 4«77 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Department*.
,
Cable address: "Elblll New York."
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 21, 1907
EDITORIAL
A
WELL-KNOWX dealer in a Western city, in commenting
upon an editorial in last week's Review, writes: " I was
much interested in your leading editorial hitting at the men who
attempt to undermine the value of artists' testimonials. I read
your article carefully and it seems to me that you have touched
upon a very important subject and I hope you will not cease in
your efforts until you have made the people who are endeavoring
to belittle the good work of piano manufacturers heartily ashamed
of themselves. I know that one dealer in this city has been in-
dulging in the kind of advertising which you hit so hard in your
article and I don't believe that the article made very pleasant read-
ing for him.
"As you say, we owe a great debt to the piano manufacturers
for the work they have done in maintaining the artistic side of the
industry. This they have done through the employment of great
artists and every dealer has profited by the advertising and ex-
ploitation which the artists and pianos have received in the columns
of the various daily papers and trade journals throughout the
Union. I believe with you that the publicity alone has given tre-
mendous impetus to the selling end of the business and I con-
gratulate you upon the clear cut way in which you have presented
the true inwardness of the situation."
W
it has resisted to a certain extent many of the encroachments of
commercialism. Cut out the artistic piano element—the artistic
environment, and what is there to sustain piano making and selling
above other lines of special trades, furniture for instance? With
the commercial forces hammering away to cheapen the product and
to cheapen methods, and with other elements hammering away to
endeavor to destroy the value of artists' testimonials, we would
have a fine condition in the trade if both of these forces should
succeed in demolishing the very bulwark of the piano industry.
All honor to the men whose enthusiasm has been clearly manifest
along lines of artistic development and who have never hesitated
to support their sincerity in piano making by enormous monetary
expenditures.
We should be pleased to receive from our readers copies of
any local papers containing advertisements which are calculated
to undermine the value of artists' testimonials.
S. H. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento S t
CINCINNATI. O.: NINA PUGH-SMITH.
BALTIMORE. MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON. ENGLAND:
REVIEW
E may say in this connection that we have received a num-
ber of communications written along similar lines to the
one from which the above excerpt is quoted. Too much credit
cannot be given to the great leaders of the piano industry who,
whether times were good or bad, have never faltered in their
earnest, praiseworthy endeavors to place their creations before the
public through the mediumship of the greatest artists in the world.
Suppose that for the past half century the work of concertizing
had not been carried on. What position would piano making and
the instruments themselves occupy in the estimation of the public?
It has been the artistic work carried on by the great piano manu-
facturers which has kept piano making on an elevated plane where
T
HE usual souvenirs for the New Year in the shape of superb
calendars are now beginning to put in their annual appear-
ance. It is a question whether all of the money which is laid out
for beautiful calendars at the first of the year is wisely expended
or not. In the piano line a dealer cannot find space in his office
for all the handsomely gotten up calendars which are sent to him
else the walls of his office would be pretty well covered with them.
They are too expensive to give away to the retail purchasers, there-
fore if these calendars which cost so much money find their way
to the waste basket or are hung in some obscure place the money
is unwisely expended.
Of course everyone sending out a calendar trusts that his will
be the one which will occupy the place of honor, but it must be con-
sidered that all cannot hold the leading vantage ground and that
some must be relegated to a rear position. We are rather inclined
to believe that there are other ways in which advertising appropria-
tions could be laid out to much better advantage than for calendars.
There are so many clever and useful souvenirs which can be almost
in constant us"e throughout the year. We have in mind at this time
of writing three which appear on the desk from which this article
is dictated—a rule, a paper cutter, and a paper weight. These three
articles, which bear the manufacturer's name, have been in use for
a number of years, and they are likely to be in service for some time
yet. The advertising benefit of such articles is seen in the fact that
every time one uses them the eye usually notes the name across the
article. Perhaps we can say of advertising what the Kentuckian
said of whiskey, "There is no poor whiskey but some of it is a
powerful sight better than others.*' Now there may be no poor
advertising as long as the name is mentioned in connection with
the advertisement, but it is certain that there are some kinds where
a man should get much better returns for his money than in others.
T
H E utterances of Governor Hughes upon the business situation
as recently voiced at a banquet in this city are well worthy
of perusal by every business man in this country:
"We are," he said, "passing through a period which tries men's
souls. Speaking with reference to the institutions of the State of
New York, where the trouble has been most acute, I desire to say
we have reason to congratulate ourselves that the State financial
institutions have so far withstood the unprecedented strain, and
in our criticisms of the few we must not forget to recognize the
soundness of the many. And in order that any needed changes in
the laws regulating the banks and trust companies may be made
we have taken steps to obtain the best expert opinion and the most
thorough consideration.
"It is a time for the exercise of sagacity and business prudence
and I believe the highest sagacity will be found in the endeavor to
see not to what extent credit may be restricted, but how far it may
be granted; to see not how many plants may be shut down, but
how many may be kept open; to see not how many men may be
discharged, but how many men may be employed; to see not how
many orders may be cancelled, but how much work can be car-
ried on.
"It is idle for those to lament the evils of general distrust who
fail to avail themselves of every opportunity to diminish it. Of
course every man will act with decent regard for the interests con-
fided to his care, but if the desire is to avoid any unnecessary
contraction of effort and individuality, to the fullest extent possible,