Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
Ono. B. KKLLJDR, W. H. DYKES,
L. B. BOWERS,
B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
F. H. THOMPSON,
A. J. NICKLIN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
J. HATDEN CLARENDON,
AUGUST J. TIMPH.
CHICAGO OFFICE
BRNBST L. WAITT, 100 Boylston St.E. P. VAN HARLINGBN, Room 806, 156 Wabash Are.
PHILADELPHIA:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
Telephone, Central 414.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
ADOLF EDS-TEN.
CHAB. N. VAW RPRBN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. II. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI. O.: BERNARD C. BOWBN.
BALTIMORE, MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON. ENGLAND: 69 Raslngnall St., B. C.
W. LIONEL STURDY, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post OMce as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (Including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50 ; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS. $2,00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount la allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter. $75.00.
REMITTANCES. In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Music Publishers*
An interesting feature of this publication is a special depart-
Departmcnt ?»• ^» ment devoted exclusively to the world of music publishing.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal. Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma. Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 19'U
Gold Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4877 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Departments.
Cable a d d r e s s : "Elblll, N e w York."
NEW
YORK,
DECEMBER
19, 1 9 0 8
REVIEW
The Hales 1'iano Co., Medford, Ore., say: "Permit me to
congratulate you upon your straightforward and conservative mus-
ical paper. I think you have the very best publication in that line
for the piano industry."
Another adds: "Your paper with its different departments is
absolutely indispensable to our business. Everyone here reads The
Review from cover to cover each week."
A Southern dealer writes: "I have always been a close reader
of The Review editorials and I profited by them. I recollect years
ago, yours was the first publication to advocate one price and un-
doubtedly the early seed which was sown has resulted in bringing
a good harvest later on, for the one price policy is steadily grow-
ing."
There is no question in the minds of those who are well in-
formed as to trade conditions that the one price policy is steadily
growing, and its benefits are becoming more and more apparent to
such dealers who have hitherto held aloof from a rigid adoption
of this policy.
It may be truthfully said that The Review was the first music
trade publication to urge the adoption of the one price system by
the piano dealers of this country. Aided and encouraged by our
advocacy, interest in this vital principle became accentuated, and to
encourage that interest, we offered a series of cash prizes for the
best articles on the one price subject. Then the Dealers' National
Association took up the one price question for discussion, and
gradually all dealers have become interested in it.
It is not adopted everywhere, but nevertheless it is steadily
growing in trade favor in every section of the country. One price
is excellent—is a move in the right direction, but it is a mighty
sight better to have that the right price, and then business will be
on a stable foundation.
If the manufacturers of this country would themselves estab-
lish retail prices at which their instruments should be offered to the
public, a long stride would be made towards placing the one price
system on an unassailable foundation. It is better to have a fixed
price than to have price elasticity, but if that price be the correct
one, then the piano business is placed where it should be among all
modern trades.
EDITORIAL
T
HE piano manufacturers of this country could settle at one
fell swoop the status of the special brand or stencil piano if
N The Review of last week, there appeared a complete report
they
would
advertise the prices at which their instruments could be
of the proceedings of the meeting' of the piano player manu-
bought
everywhere.
Then the special brand piano would find its
facturers at Buffalo. When we consider that this is the first time
true
position.
It
would
not bo sold out of its class.
that the manufacturers of piano players ever came together for the
There
are
many
dealers
who have agreed with the editorial
purpose of discussing a matter of vital interest to all, it must at
policy
of
The
Review
and
there
is one concern out in the new State
once be conceded that the meeting was a success in every way.
of
Oklahoma
which
is
making
a
strong fight for one price and to
Standardization in the piano player field is a condition to be
establish
the
true
status
of
the
special
brand piano. We refer to
desired and the result of this meeting will no doubt be far-reaching.
Armstrong,
Byrd
&
Co.,
of
Oklahoma
City.
That concern is car-
Up to the present time, there has been two distinct schools of opinion
rying
on
a
fight
in
favor
of
one
price,
and
that
price for the manu-
regarding the eighty-eight-note question. The advocates of each
facturer.
M.
B.
Armstrong,
president
of
the
company, in dis-
system have made fair claims, but now it is conceded that the nine-
cussing
this
subject
recently
with
The
Review,
remarked:
perforations-to-the-inch music is to be the standard for the eighty-
"We have always been advocates of the one price system, but
eight-note player.
r
w
e
don't
believe that the one price system will ever prevail in the
Surely, the player manufacturers should know what suits the
piano
business,
unless the manufacturer sets the prices. We will
present situation best, and L. L. Doud, secretary of the A. B. Chase
agree
with
you
that this can be done and we don't see why they
Co., is certainly to be congratulated on the success of the gathering
don't
do
it.
which he called for the purpose of discussing player music roll
"We know of a few houses who profess to be one priced which
problems. It is possible, now r that the player manufacturers have
are no more one priced that we are. They will tell a customer, in
gotten together, that further moves may be made which will tend
order to reduce the price, that the piano has been used a little, or
towards a standardization of player parts, but some would argue
they will scratch the piano and then claim that it has been damaged,
that there are objections to this—that the individual players will lose
the reduction. We claim that
a certain character if the standardization is carried too far. We and for this reason they are giving
T
it
is
more
dishonest
to
do
this
w
ay
and that the thing to do is to
shall see.
come right out and be square with the customers and tell them that
r
I "HERE is ample evidence which proves that the progressive
you are not a one price house.
JL dealers of this country rely more than ever upon reputable
"We have always believed in doing what we advertised we do
trade publications, and we are in constant receipt of communica-
and are careful to make no misrepresentations to customers in sell-
tions from dealers endorsing the policy of The Review in its ad- ing pianos. We don't believe it is necessary. And, if the piano
vocacy of particular trade reforms.
manufacturers would all set the price on their pianos there would
Here is a letter from the Jones Music Co., Brookfield, Mo.,
be no trouble in maintaining the one price system, because custom-
who in enclosing a subscription add: "We take a great delight in
ers could go into stores all over the country and find the same
reading The Review. Tn fact, we cannot get along without it.
pianos at the same price. But, unless the manufacturers do set the
A mechanic may just as well try and build a house without tools
prices, why we might adopt the one price system and some piano
as for a music dealer to run his business without a good trade
house that had a branch store here would decide that they wanted
paper."
to take on the same line of pianos we had, and in order to make
I