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THE MUSIC TRADE
steadily improving. Our reports indicate a bettered condition in
the retail trade and this is immediately reflected in factory activity.
Business for the last half of September and thus far in October
has been somewhat indicative of old times. During the past two
weeks collections have shown a decided turn for the better and
money is much easier. The best sales, however, are being made
in the Central West. The reports are very good which come from
the Pacific Coast and from the South, while New England trade is
still dull.
T
H E main reasons why the average American exporter does not
sell more goods abroad may be readily summed up. He pays
little or no attention to the little things which often turn foreigners
against him. American goods shipped abroad are too frequently
wretchedly packed, correspondence is carried on in English instead
of the customer's language, catalogues are often printed in English
instead of Spanish, and other languages, and another thing, lack of
sufficient postage on letters is one of the most common complaints
of foreign merchants against American concerns.
Foreigners are often irritated by being addressed in the Amer-
ican manner, and a letter which would pull wonderfully well in this
country would fall flat in the Latin countries, just as the French or
German method of advertising would not be successful here.
Considered first, insufficient postage seems a small matter, but
it annoys a foreigner more perhaps than anything else. It seems to
demonstrate to him that the American exporter does not care a hang
how he treats him. It shows want of care, engenders bad feeling
and is a source of loss of trade abroad. The first of the month the
two-cent letter rate went in effect between this country and England.
The task of mailing letters is relegated to an office boy who is
ignorant of the postage rates, and the foreign letters generally go
out in the same mail with domestic letters and, as a result, foreigners
turn against the Americans who hope to interest him. The Ger-
mans have won the big piano business in Latin-America. Their
pianos are all shipped in zinc lined boxes and reach their destina-
tion in perfect condition. Every care is shown by foreigners in
working up South American trade and the Americans who bid
for business in other countries must show care at least equal to
competitors.
Ludwig Ullmann, the Knabe European representative, remarked
in an interview with The Review this week that there was a splendid
opportunity for American piano manufacturers to develop a trade
in foreign countries, only, he added a statement which The Review
has repeatedly made, that pianos must be made to satisfy the tastes
of the people of the various countries. In other words, we must
give them what they want.
Q
UITE a number of financial institutions, such as banks and
trust companies', are now advertising far patronage. This
condition was practically unknown a few years ago and it was con-
sidered that a bank was too dignified an institution to advertise, and
if it did advertise, it must be along such lines that looked more like
an undertaking announcement than a real live business advertise-
ment that was calculated to draw trade. The advertising of finan-
cial institutions was formerly done along dull and listless lines.
There was no snap or ginger whatever in their meagre announce-
ments. Now, however, the iconoclast is abroad in the land and he
is demolishing some of the cherished gods of the financial people
among which are the time-honored theories that banking institutions
should not advertise.
The savings banks were the first to feel the effects of this
change. Then many old conservative institutions gradually un-
wound themselves and are now treading along the advertising path,
where, if they keep on going they will eventually see more light.
Why should not financial institutions advertise and why should they
not advertise intelligently? They are after business and they wish
to appeal to business men, and how can they do it better than in an
advertising form which will attract the attention of wide-awake,
progressive people, and that is the kind of people whose trade they
desire.
The publishers, of course, will welcome this kind of advertising,
and without doubt they will do all that they can consistently to
encourage them along the good old track which has been followed
by successful business men in all other lines. Advertising is the
great lubricator to the business machinery.
^
REVIEW
m
Don't listen to the man who knocks.
A strong man is never heard to exaggerate his difficulties.
Confidence is a plant of slow growth and is easily frosted.
A padded expense account is the sign that somebody's sense of honor
has shrunk.
Keep hard at work—the days of your fitness to hustle and increase
the bank account won't last forever.
Miss Gusher—I understand, professor, that you have mastered all
the modern tongues.
Prof. Wise—All but my wife's.
THE WONDERFUL BABY.—Fond Mother—I wonder what baby is
thinking of?
Fond Father—He is not thinking; he is listening to hear if his first
tooth is coming.
AN ENCORE.—The Man—Ah, Miss Snooks, I used to know your
mother when she was a girl.
The Woman—Would you mind repeating that in a louder tone of
voice so the rest of the people can hear it?—^Cleveland Leader.
POOR HENRY.—"Henry, do I look like you when I have your hat
on?"
"I don't know, M'ria; why?"
"I wore your hat out in the yard to-day and mother told me it made
me look like a fool."
THE ACCUSATION.—Johann—I have fifteen children. And you,
Hans—how many call you father?
Hans—Eight, Johann.
Johann—What! And are you, then, one of those infidels who believe
in race suicide?—Jugend.
BUT NOT TO WORK FOR.—"Do you like peaches?" asked the kind-
hearted farmer.
"Sometimes," replied the tramp, cautiously.
"Only sometimes, eh?"
"Yep. I like 'em fine when they're already picked."
WANTED TO KNOW.—"Excuse me," said the city boarder in the
country, "but in which part of the garden does the succotash grow? I
thought I would like to pick some."
Hastily recovering from the shock, the obliging farmer showed him
the sweet peas.—Milwaukee Sentinel.
IT COOLED HIS COURAGE.—Wifey—Henry, I want you to go and
discharge the cook; she's intoxicated.
Hubby—Certainly, my dear. Where is she?
Wifey—She is in the kitchen waiting for you.
Hubby—Waiting for me? Then there's no hurry.
EMBARRASSING EXPLANATION.—"Why do you charge me twenty-
five cents, when your sign says 'First Class Hair Cut, 15 cents?'" de-
manded the indignant customer. The small French barber shrugged his
shoulders and lifted his eyebrows.
"Pardon, monsieur," he returned softly, "but it is not all who come
to me that have the first-class hair."
BROTHER DICKEY'S SENTIMENTS.—I don't want poverty, en I
don't want riches. I des wants money enough ter pull through.
De worl' is des ez God made it, but some folks is sorry dat dey
wuzn't dar ter give Providence instructions.
We all time waitin' fer de long lane ter turn, w'en it frequent turns
so sharp it tilts the wagon over.
I hears many people talkin' 'bout science, but de best science yit is
dat what teaches a man ter do good en keep at it.
Misery likes company on de road, but w'en you sees him comin', dea
tell him dat ain't de day fer you ter feel sociable.—Atlanta Constitution.
THOSE HAPPY DAYS.—"Alfred," said Mrs. Wolcott over the tele-
phone at 10 a. m., "our cook was taken ill a few minutes ago, so I intend
to cook dinner myself. We will have a plain meal of steak, potatoes and
perhaps pie, if I have time—just the sort of meal I used to cook when
we were first married and started housekeeping. Now, I wish you would
bring somebody from the office home to dinner. I want your friends to
know what a practical woman you have for a wife."
"All right," replied Wolcott, "I'll bring Jones."
"But I thought you said the other day Jones was your worst enemy
at the office!"
"Well," replied the fond husband, 3s he rang off, "he is!"