Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
of an easy, quiet manner, and a courtesy of the old school, the busi-
ness moves along without unpleasant friction. Whenever the ex-
aggerated claims of piano salesmen react upon the establishment he
leaves the office to adjust matters with complaining customers, and
everyone departs from his presence with pleasant thoughts of the
chief. The policy of the head of the house has permeated the very
soul of the working force, to which he is not the "boss," nor even
"the old man," but simply the chief, who believes in extending fine
business courtesy to everyone high and low. It pays, and it is sur-
prising that there are people in business to-day who do not fully ap-
preciate the true value of the words, business courtesy.
ECEPTION has no place in successful merchandising. Every
.man, firm, or corporation to succeed in business must deliver
the goods every time. Making fair promises which are but partly
kept explains the finish of many merchants. Information spreads
too rapidly in these days for such practices to remain long un-
covered. Publicity and travel soon lift the lid, and it is all off with
the man of shady methods.
D
ND now Mexico is falling into line with the centennial cele-
bration procession. President Diaz is arranging to com-
memorate the one hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the
revolt against Spain which led ultimately to the independence of the
republic. The celebration will begin on September 15, 1910. The
exposition germ still thrives. The Jamestown Exposition is not at-
tracting a large share of attention, and as far as the music trade is
concerned it cuts no appreciable figure.
A
OSTMASTER-GENERAL MEYER is now favoring the par-
cels post plan, and it is proposed, according to his sugges-
tions, to send articles which will weigh as much as ten pounds by
mail.
The parcels post scheme has been periodically up before
Congress, and it has been believed by many that the great catalogue
houses were behind the ocheme at various times, because if they could
ship bulk merchandise by parcels post to the country towns, they
would soon be able to put the country merchant out of business.
With their perfect system, enormous purchases and vast capital
always at command, they could sell many things which are usually
sold by the small merchant at a good round profit. The catalogue
houses figure on a net profit on a great volume of trade, and when
a house does thirty or forty million dollars of business annually,
ten per cent, on the total makes a pretty fair yearly income, and yet
what country merchant is there who could do business on a ten per
cent, margin?
P
HE parcels post legislation occupies a different position now
than in other years when the subject has been agitated, for
it is the first time that any postmaster-general has himself favored
the plan, and it is therefore believed that when Congress convenes
again we shall see more agitation regarding the new postal laws than
for the past few years. While it cannot affect the piano business
greatly, because it is a long time in the future before we will be
able to deliver pianos by mail, yet the increase in weight of mailable
packages would at once affect the sale of small goods and acces-
sories. Even under the present conditions it is generally admitted
that the catalogue houses have secured a large slice of the small
goods trade of the country. They are selling thousands of people
who formerly made their purchases from the nearest music store.
They have a strong argument on their side, for the cry in all lines
of trade to-day is, the boiling down of expenses, and the catalogue
house people claim to save the middle man's profit.
It certainly cannot be denied that they sell merchandise at low
prices, but how about the product? Certainly the pianos which
they offer for $87.50 do not cut much figure; but the tendency of
the times is concentration, and these colossal business organizations
which have developed so rapidly within the past few years are des-
tined to exert a greater influence than ever upon the mercantile
interests of the country, for it cannot be denied that they have a
perfect system, enormous capital and great power behind them.
They may be likened unto the Standard Oil and competing interests.
Then there are always so many ways in which rebates may be
made in purchases and in transportation, favoring the larger and
more influential competitor.
T
REVIEW
Whenever you run across a man who works overtime shouting "I'm
honest—honest I am"—look out for him. It's a good idea to let the other
fellow trade horses with him.
REDUCED FROM ONE DOLLAR.—Mrs. Byers—Mrs. Cassidy next
door was talking to-day about her Irish blood and "the struggle of '98."
I wonder what she means by that?
Mr. Byers—Sounds like a fight at a bargain sale.—Catholic Standard
and Times.
VENTNOR'S CHARM.—An advertisement of the charms of Ventnor
contains the following statement taken from a distinguished writer:
"Best of all, the place is certainly cold rather than hot in the sum-
mer time."
We see nothing very exceptional in this.—Punch.
Slowly, TWV* great /&*'*£.
If
a bod -y trust a bod-y'
And foil to Ret prompt pay.
1
J.
J
May a bod-y
-
„
JVJ m I i t
a tody
to - day?
There is a clever dentist in
Delhi, N. Y., who has a rubber
stamp of the musical parody repro-
duced herewith, and he uses it as
an attention arrester on his month-
ly duns.
Guest—I'm sorry, waiter, but the bill for this meal takes all I have
and I can't tip you.
Waiter—Let me count it up again, sir.
ALMOST HUMAN.
Oh, what are the wild waves saying? They wonder how Jinks can afford
The thirty per week he is paying for a seven-by-nine and his board.
They own that young widow is pretty, but wonder where she gets her
bleach—
Does she have the stuff sent from the city, or buy it right here at the
beach?
Oh, what are the wild waves saying? They say it's a sin and a crime
The game that Miss Flirty, engaged to six men at a time!
They say that Tanque's wife is home walking the floor while he guzzles
and soaks;
In brief, the wild waves do their talking quite after the manner of folks.
—Washington Herald.
ALL A MISTAKE.—"Didn't you tell me the other day that Mrs.
Screecher had lost her voice?"
''Yes. Hasn't she?"
"Not by several octaves. I heard her using it on her husband this
morning. She still has it, and it's worse than ever."—Chicago Tribune.
REGULAR SOLDIER.—Patience—She's engaged to a military man.
Patrice—Is that so?
"Yes; a captain."
"Regular army?"
"Of courser. You didn't think he was in the Salvation Army, did
you?"—Yonkers Statesman.
EASY.—"It was Atlas, wasn't it. who was represented as supporting
the world on his shoulders?"
"Yes; but that was easy compared to the task of supporting an auto-
mobile wife on a motorcycle income."—Chicago Record-Herald.
SHREWD.—Two duellists were taking the early train for Fontaine-
bleu, their place of meeting.
"A return ticket," said the first duellist to the ticket agent.
"Single for me," said the other man, quietly.
"Aha!"' blustered the other, "you are afraid you won't come back, are
you? As for me I always take a return."
, "I never do," said the second man, "I always take my return half
from the dead man's pocket."—London Opinion,