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THE
44
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
publishers' claims, listening attentively to the kind of mental stagnation which has now reached
arguments advanced, in a futile endeavor to in- such an acute stage that each and every one of
duce him to become a party to an agreement to the fraternity seem to be aimlessly waiting for
fix the price of sheet music at a figure to be de- his competitor to make the first move. And as
cided upon at a subsequent meeting of depart- no move is made, each winds up by bitterly
ment store managers and others whose interests abusing the other for his inactivity, while they
were vitally a t stake. "This establishment is ease their minds by railing at trade conditions
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor run in the best interests of R. H. Macy & Co., generally. In six long weary months, and the
and with no desire to harm others," said Mr". writer has no hesitation in pronouncing them the
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Straus, "but if the interests of others clash six longest and weariest months of his career,
with our own then we must naturally protect he has degenerated into a sort of sheet music
J . HAYDEN-CLARENDON, E d i t o r
ourselves at any cost. We have sacrificed thou- "Carrie Nation," wielding the hatchet of abuse
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
sands
of dollars in fighting what is popularly and striking at every head within range. True,
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and
known as the "Book Trust" to prove to the pub- in some cases he has missed his objective point,
Mexico, .fii.oo per year; Canada, $3.50; all other couu-
tries. $4.00,
lic that we put our theories into practice and but for this he is not entirely to blame, pleading
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 Gramercy
sell
lower than any one else in the market. We in extenuation that his arm is somewhat
Connecting all Departments
are quite willing and ready to pay the publisher cramped. Within the next few months, however,
NEW YORK, APRIL 18, 1908
any reasonable price which he demands for his he fondly hopes to do more effective work, as,
music, but we reserve the right to sell at any thanks to constant practice, he is fast developing
price which we might think expedient, adhering an unerring aim.
to our policy of selling lower than any other
Our One Supporter.
department store in the city. Indead, we must
Taken as part of a life, six months is but a
do so, for we are essentially a cash store and
short period, short that is if something is ac-
therefore are obliged to give our patrons the complished in the interim, but to a person of
advantages which in a thirty to sixty-day system optimistic tendencies who has the temerity to
Probably the hardest task which can be allotted would be utterly impossible."
glance back and find himself in practically the
Another Solution Required.
to any man is to chronicle his own failure, more
same position as he was six months ago, the
It is apparent that Mr. Straus' decision is ir- half year magnifies itself into a veritable age.
especially when it comes after weeks of hard
and unremitting work. It is perhaps not gen- revocable and therefore some other means must Fortunately, however, things are not quite so
erally known that during the past month The be taken to fight a condition which has already bad as this, for at worst The Review has made
Review has been endeavoring to bring about assumed a most serious aspect. If any sugges- some progress and it can at least count on one
some sort of satisfactory settlement in the retail tion can be made by the music publishing fra- staunch supporter in its fight for some sort of
rate war which has been disturbing the local ternity it will be welcomed by this department, settlement of the difficulties which now beset the
music trade through the medium of the depart- and the writer places himself, and indeed The music-publishing world. Incidentally, the writer's
ment stores. The firm of K. H. Macy & Co. have Review, entirely at the disposal of one or all definition of a supporter is not one who in the
been held—and justly held—in some measure re- the music publishers of New York should they privacy of his own office waxes eloquent on the
sponsible for this condition of affairs owing to be able to suggest or devise some scheme for the good work being done by The Review and who
their avowed policy to undersell other depart- cure of this, one of the worst of the modern at the same time keeps well out of the fight
ment stores in all staple articles. This re- abuses which have crept into the music trade. himself, for we of this office know full well
The Thanklessness of Reform.
sponsibility is made clearer when we say that
that we are utterly helpless to do good without
the heads of the music departments in each and
The would-be reformer is generally meddle- the support of the publishing fraternity either
every department store in New York some time some, oftentimes a nuisance, and is invariably as a united whole or with a working majority of
back expressed their willingness to abide by any suspected of having some ulterior motive which, their number.
To sum up the entire six
reasonable decision, if a definite and general un- in point of fact, he usually has. The task under- months' work, The Review can count on one re-
derstanding could be reached. Whatever hope taken by The Review, therefore, in attempting cruit who has come fearlessly into the open—a
The Review had of settling the cut-rate difficulty, to reform the various evils rampant in the sheet man who has the brain and energy to work on
however, was dispelled on Friday afternoon music trade has by no means been 1 a palatable his own initiative without waiting to see what
when Percy Straus, manager of the Macy con- one, more especially as up to the present time his nearest competitor is going to do first—whose
cern, flatly refused to consider any combination it has not only proven an uphill fight, but little every action shows a wholesome desire to im-
to fix the price of sheet music or indeed any real support has been vouchsafed by those who prove trade conditions. This man is F. B. Hav-
other commodity. Mr. Straus, who practically should be most vitally interested in the move- iland, and we welcome him as the ablest sup-
placed the entire afternoon at the writer's dis- ment, namely, the publishers themselves. In- port we have yet had in our self-appointed and
posal, was not slow to admit the justice of the deed, the publishers seem to be suffering from a
thankless task of accomplishing what our con-
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