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12
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
or less malignant form. First and most offen- than many of the more enlightened, less easily
sively malignant to our regular dealers comes gulled and more discriminating customers upon
The Subject of a Disquisition by W. L. Bush, the cancerous stencil piano of the cheap mail whom you depend, and to whom you must look
of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Preparatory order house. This form is objectionably malig- for the sale of your piano to-day.
Why do we not as an association do more to
to the Convention of the Piano Manufactur- nant, because it is so contagious and so many
ers to be Held in June.
people get it direct from the mail order house educate the great army of future piano buyers.
without catching it from the dealer, and this, of Why don't we flood the country districts with
I'L'his is the fourth instalment of an article by W. L. course, hurts the dealer and robs him of a por- the real truth, the real story of the stencil, its
Bush, which he Intends shall cover various phases of
the Stencil Piano vs. the Legitimate Piano, and other tion of his legitimate income; but the people who uses and abuses, its actual value, its grade or
matters directly vital to both associations that will
lack of grade, its quality or the want of it, its
convene In New York next June. The writer says : "My get it this way at least get it cheap, but they
purpose Is not to engender personal feeling, but is abso- get it in the same place, just a little east of
origin
now hidden in mystery? Trace it back
lutely and conscientiously for the good cf the associa-
tion and the Industry itself, and 1 want to bring out the top of the spinal vertebra, and the discov- home—the poor foundling—and give it a father's
an expression in argument that shall be both sane and
devoid of Ill-feeling on the part of those who enter into ery usually comes too late. This form of sten- name. But the cheap mail order stencil is only
it, concerning the absolute merits or faults to be found in
my proposed solution of the stencil problem, by legitima- cilitis cannot be choked off by force or inter- one of the offenders, and of course is the one
tizing every piano made by any member of the associa- fered with by trade press criticism, for the trade that bothers the average dealer the most and
tion by attaching thereto In the plate and on the fall
press circulates merely among dealers and appears to him as an unbidden, unwelcome in-
board the manufacturer's name, and discouraging the
manufacture by members of the association of a piano manufacturers, and some of these manufacturers truder in his field of activity, failing to recog-
that does not bear these legitimate indications of Its
nize, however, any dishonesty of fraud or mis-
origin. I believe that this matter ought to be thor- are the very men who make these mail order
oughly thrashed out by both associations, and that a house stencil pianos, and they cannot afford to
representation in the manner in which he is push-
final rule and by-laws should be inserted in the consti-
tution and by-laws of both associations that will settle have this cash-with-order business in mail order
ing
some obscure illegitimate piano. The dealer
this thing positively and forever without future dis-
is the man who holds the key to the present
cussions—either recognizing the stencil piano, which stencils harshly criticized or interfered with. I
does not bear any indication of its origin, as an indis-
pensable factor in the legitimate business of those who admit that any piano that does not bear the situation. The manufacturers are more or Ies3
constitute the membership of the association, or else name of the manufacturer who makes it is a at the mercy of the dealer. If Mr. Dealer or
denying It a place which it has assumed and a posi-
Mr. Dealer's association will come out strongly
tion which it has attained I claim largely through the stencil piano, and one stencil is just as much a
negligence and oversight of the association.]
stencil as another. In spite of the fact that one in a flat-footed manner and say "manufacturers,
(Continued.)
stencil may possess a different and much better quit stenciling," "put your name on the plate,"
I entered the office of one of the most promi- quality in the matter of construction, both as "stop making mail order stencils," "we are the
nent dealers in St. L/Ouis a few days ago and to material and workmanship than another, and backbone of this trade, we are the dealers, the
read a neat little sign as follows: "The man for that very reason I have specified as the most stencil is a malignant growth, cut it out, we
who minds his own business invariably succeeds malignant type of stencil the one that is put out want no more of it, the unscrupulous members
because he has so little competition." Now, I under a meaningless name by the cheap mail of our trade practice every form of fraud and
wondered how to interpret the meaning of this order house, and I claim is doing more injury to misrepresentation in its use and ruin legitimate
sign, and whether there were so few men in the integrity, honor and stability of our great business," "put on your name, Mr. Manufacturer,
business who do attend to their own business industry than any other form of stencilitis. cast it in your plate, we will sell the piano."
strictly that there is no competition in that spe- Shall I refer to this as another industry alto-
Last year there were over 200,000 pianos sold
cial, viz.: attending closely to one's own busi- gether, which threatens the stability and integ- and, according to a prominent statistician of the
ness, and that the man who does not attend rity and future of our noble piano industry?
trade press, "75 per cent, were stencils." My
strictly to his own business, is such a
estimate is just and safe—45 per cent.—but
I
have
been
told
by
a
fellow
manufacturer
rare exception that virtually no one is
either way, I say that 200,000 or more pianos can
who
makes
and
sells
a
lot
of
these
pianos
to
mail
competing with him in that particular oc-
be sold under the additional legitimacy and the
cupation. Or, if it was the advantage these order houses, that I had better mind my own banner of the manufacturer's name cast in the
business,
or
to
"drop
it,"
meaning,
of
course,
my
few possessed who mind their own business,
plate. Give this creature of trade a father's
thereby arousing no especial trade animosity or perfectly legitimate, fair and impartial and un- name, and origin and place of birth attached as
prejudiced
presentation
of
this
great
stencil
antagonism, being thus allowed to thrive un-
a credential that would give it welcome to any
molested as it were. But, either way you inter- menace which confronts every legitimate one- home in any city, county or state, foreign coun-
name
manufacturer
of
good,
better
or
best
pret, it does not appeal to me. It is weak in
try, principality, empire or province, where it
expression and uncertain in meaning. I would pianos on earth, who is actually confronted might stand unblushing through all the years
with
the
engulfment
or
partial
destruction
of
rather read the more familiar sign, "What is
to come, dispensing such sweet melody and such
everybody's business is nobody's business." Or, his most carefully nourished and slowly erected sweet harmonies as might come within its legiti-
commercial
monument,
consisting
of
"prestige,"
reverse this, "What is nobody's business is every-
mate compass. Some of the other forms of sten-
body's business." But for me, the good old one name, reputation, following, high grade, cilitis, no less dangerous put possibly less viru-
familiar quotation, "Competition is the life of quality, artistic embodiment and various other lent and malignant, I hope to have the satisfac-
trade," is good enough. And, if we in the piano things that have been acquired at the expense tion of discussing in my next article.
industry could by the precept of a good example of endless time and energy and thousands of
add to that quotation just one word, "Honest dollars, by the false claims, misrepresentations,
ANENT NEW CUSTOMS BILL.
competition is the life of trade," I could forgive palpable lies, printed and told a score or a thou-
any man in our trade, even myself, for meddling sand times every time one of these cheap mail
The Senate Finance Committee has agreed to
or butting in to other people's business to the order pianos are sold.
Stop and read the handwriting on the wall an amendment to the Customs Administrative
extent of injecting into our industry more of
the noble principle of honesty. More of the of the future, and if you are a member of the bill, which has been passed by the House of
square, fair deal for the public than exists at National Association of Piano Manufacturers Representatives, the effect of which is to con-
the present time in the piano business. I claim carefully scrutinize this one form of malignant tinue the present routine appeal from the Gen-
that the greatest share of the responsibility and trade cancer, and do not blind yourself to the eral Board of Appraisers to the Circuit Court in
misrepresentation in our trade rests directly and fact that some of your own dealers and your classification cases, with a change from the pres-
indirectly upon the stencil piano. I say the agents are being confronted with this mail order ent arrangement to the extent of requiring all
greatest responsibility, but there are other form of stencil competition every hour, every the evidence to be presented before the Board of
things that have some bearing, but they are all day or every week, as I can affirm from some of Appraisers. As the bill passed the House it pro-
more or less contingent. But, the real "living my own observations and experience in the vided for appeals directly to the Circuit Court of
lie" that has become common in our industry is great state of Texas, in the states of Mississippi, Appeals, which aroused much objection from im-
the illegitimate stencil name on pianos, that not Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, and other porters and others.
only does not indicate its origin, but in the ma- localities where we have conducted our own re-
The recently organized Star Music Co.,
jority of cases actually and deliberately misleads. tail business.
Oh, ye great manufacturers of one-name pianos, Waynesburg, Pa., have purchased the music store
We are confronted with it everywhere in more
do not hug yourself in fancied security because of L. G. Call in the Sayers building, that city,
possibly you think you stand far up on the and will considerably enlarge the scope of the
Realize, As Have Thousands
pedestal
and above any such competition. Re- business.
The Great Value of Our
member that the farmer who has paid $115, $125,
Low Down—Short Tarn
or $160 possibly, to a mail order house for a
PIANO WAGON
IT WORKS LIKE MAGIC
Reynolds 1M7
mail order stencil piano, no matter how cheaply
COMB. PIANO MOVER
ON PIANOS
or
badly
it
may
be
constructed,
has
received
let-
PIANO HOIST
After eleven years of re-
ters, testimonial reproductions, pamphlets, bank
search UBIAH MCCLINCHIB
give* to the Piano Trade the
and mercantile references and carefully exag-
greatest
CLEANING COM-
POUND OP T H I PBESENT AGE.
gerated and voluminously worded descriptions of
It Cleans MAHOOANY, BIBD'B-
this cheapest of cheap pianos that has virtually
EYK MAPLE, GOLDEN OAK,
FLEMISH OAK AND W H I T E
convinced Mr. Farmer that his cheap stencil
ENAMEL, leaving a polish
equal to the first finish from
piano is just as good or better than yours, and
the factory. This Cleaning
at one-fourth, one-third or one-half the price;
Compound is NOT INFLAM-
MABLE; it will not burn. For cleaning and polishing
but remember that this same farmer could pay
pianos IT HAS NO EQUAL.
$300, $400, $500 or even $600 for a high-grade
Sample Half Gallon Bottl«, Price. $1. F. O.B., New York
legitimate one-name piano of genuine value and
URIAH McCLINCHIE, Mannlactorer
E. 234 Street
NEW YORK
REYNOLDS MFG. CO., * > DcKalb, III. quality easier and with less financial discomfort
STENCIL VS. LEGITIMATE PIANOS.