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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Ui 125th street, while huge piano factories dot the isle of Manhattan
and the Boroughs of the Bronx and Brooklyn.
O
UR special reports from the patent offices show the activity
of inventive minds in the development of piano player mech-
anism. The 88-note player now seems to be attracting a great
deal of attention from inventive minds, and several concerns are now
preparing to exploit the 88-note player.
PIANO merchant who conducts a large and profitable busi-
ness recently remarked to The Review: "I have been con-
ducting this business for the past year o*n an absolutely one price
basis and I am more than pleased with the results. When I say
'one price' I mean that there are no special discounts to anyone. I
consider the special discount plan only a way to whip the devil
around the one price stump." There can be no one price if special
discounts are permitted, and it is useless to look at it from any other
viewpoint. One price should mean absolutely the same to all
people on the same day, unless there has been an actual value
delivered by some party who is entitled therefor to some considera-
tion at the hands of a piano merchant. It is better, however, to
make this consideration a cash one rather than to allow a special
reduction on a particular instrument.
A
T
H E discount plan is worked in many ways and in many trades
throughout the country, and when a man has made up his
mind to run his business on a one price basis absolutely, the further
he stays away from special discounts the firmer will be his position.
When he has made up his mind to shut down absolutely on the
discount proposition it will be well for him to circularize his com-
munity, or in other words advertise the fact that he intends to do
business on a strictly one price basis. We are getting down to better
business rules all the time, and the more the one price, no discount,
principle is encouraged, the better it is for every trade. Men
respect business institutions which are run on a clean-cut, syste-
matic basis, and when they learn that there are no special favors
accorded to anyone their respect will materially increase for that
business establishment.
W
E can name some mighty good pianos that are not adver-
tised sufficiently to be well-known, and the manufacturers
have been wondering why business has kept growing smaller instead
of larger each year. We also know some men who do not make
as good pianos and whose business has shown a tremendous increase
each year. They do not spend their time wondering why people
do not come falling over each other clamoring for their product.
They put a little ginger in their work, advertise their piano's, make
them known, and it is a fact that the American people had rather
trade with a progressive, up-to-date man, even if he does indulge
in a reasonable amount of red light in his business methods, than
to buy from some pessimist who is all the time howling about unfair
competition. Men have no time to-day to buy of pessimists. They
had rather buy from men who are up-to-date in their methods and
whose business lights shine clearly and distinctly so that he who
runs may even read their advertising.
A
BUSIVE trade journalism obviously is dying hard and now
the piano action manufacturers must stand a few playful
kicks from the decadent who still hugs the fond delusion that men
will walk up to the captain's office and settle as in days agone. He
still imagines that his mouthings will have some effect upon readers.
A man whose name has been a stench in the nostrils of decency and
a violator of decent journalistic traditions for a quarter of a century
cannot injure any reputable firm by slandering its product, nor can
he assist that product by praising it, for whether he damns or
praises it amounts to one and the same thing. One well-known
manufacturer remarked recently that he thought it goad advertising
to be assaulted by the thug journalist. We think he errs because an
editor who will attack a reputable, decent manufacturer has no
power to injure. His despicable character is too well-known by his
limited number of readers to have any effect whatsoever and his
abusive mouthings cut no figure. It is rather pitiable after all
when a man has reached such a position of mental incapacity that in
1908 he figures that hold-up journalism will still win in this in-
dustry. What a vulgar, conscienceless insult to an entire industry!
And the wonder of it is how such scum of earth should be permitted
to enter the presence of cleanly men.
The man who works is the man who usually wins.
Don't belong to the "knocker" class. It doesn't pay, and it isn't nice.
Did you ever know of a real lasting success accomplished through
deceit?
The eighty-eight note player seems to have the center of the trade
stage at the present time.
It is safe to say that the man who feels above his position is in a
place that is a little too high for him.
Success! Yes, that's another name for hard work. Did you ever
know anything that was worth the winning that came easy?
Are you doing what you should to help restore prosperity?
coming back but we can all assist in its return in many ways.
It is
Politics will not cut as much of a figure as in times gone by during
the years in which Presidential elections have occurred. The gap is clos-
ing up between the two great parties.
BEATS ANY COW AROUND HERE.—An Oklahoma newspaper ad-
vertises as follows: "Full-blooded cow for sale, giving milk, three tons
of hay and a lot of chickens and several stoves."
OLD-FASHIONED HAND PRESS.—Nobody else around the news-
paper office appreciates the power of the press so much as the green office
boy does when he gets his fingers squeezed in one.
Trade is bracing up. Of course it is, and this is being accomplished
by men who have confidence and faith in the country's future, and not by
the men who see everything through indigo-hued glasses.
A FEAT.—-"Don't you imagine it possible for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle?'' asked the piano salesman.
"Oh, I wouldn't be surprised. You know how large my wife is?"
"Yes."
"Well, she goes through my pockets regularly."
HER GREATEST NEED.—"Dr. Stiles insists," said Mrs. Woodby,
"that I must spend the winter in Florida. He says I need a change."
"Yes," replied her husband, promptly, "you do need a change—that's
a fact."
"Ah, you admit it, then?"
"Yes, you need a change of doctors."
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.—If you wish to raise a good crop of
bachelor's buttons, it will first be necessary to see that there are no
widow's weeds in the vicinity.
A good hay rake has about fifteen teeth—dependent, of course, on
the age of the rake.
Do not drain off your swamp land. Plant tadpoles and raise frogs,
and ship the hops to Milwaukee. Here we may say that the hop is some-
what larger than the skip, though not so large as the jump.
A deaf old gentleman dined with a family of a piano man where
grace was always said. When the guests were seated the host bowed his
head and began to repeat the accustomed verse In a subdued, reverent
tone. "Eh? What's that?" demanded the deaf old gentleman, who sat
beside him. The host smiled patiently, and began again, in a louder, more
deprecatory voice. "Speak a little louder, I don't catch what you say,"
the old gentleman persisted. A low ripple of laughter went around the
table. The host, his face crimson with embarrassment, raised his voice
and repeated the verse. The deaf old gentleman did his best to hear, but
failed. He placed his hand upon his host's arm. "What did you say?"
he demanded irascibly. The piano man finally cast him an angry glance.
"D—n it, I'm saying grace," he snapped.
DIDN'T USE HIS OWN GOODS.—William J. Bryan, on his last visit
to New York, declined to answer one of a Washington correspondent's
questions.
"I shouldn't know my business if I answered such a question as that,"
said Mr. Bryan, smiling. "Every one must know his business; otherwise
failure follows; and I'm sure you wouldn't want me to fail like the young
salesman of fountain pens.
"There was, you know, a young fountain pen salesman who, to his
great joy, succeeded on his first trip in persuading a stationer to order
five hundred pens. But all of a sudden the stationer's manner changed
to the young man.
" 'I countermand that order.' he barked, and hurried into his private
office, slamming the door behind him.
"Later in the day his bookkeeper said to this stationer:
" 'May I ask, sir, why you so suddenly countermanded your order for
those fountain pens?'
" 'The young salesman,' the other answered, 'booked my order in lead
pencil.'"