Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1908 Vol. 47 N. 7

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
GEO. B. KBLLBB,
L. D. BOWERS,
W. H. DYKES,
F. H. THOMPSON,
J. HATDKN CLARENDON,
B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
L. J. CHAMBERLIN,
A. J. NICKUN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE
ERNEST L. WAITT, 100 Boylston St.B. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Room 806, 156 Wabaah Ave.
PHILADELPHIA:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
Telephone, Central 414.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
ADOLF EDSTEN.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. II. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI, O.: BERNARD C. BOWBN.
BALTIMORE, MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 69 Basinghall St., E. C.
W. LIONEL STUR»Y, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office 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 IB allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
I.yman Bill.
Music Publishers'
An Interesting feature of this publication Is a special depart-
Department ^» V 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, 1904
Gold Medal. .. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Departments.
Cable a d d r e s s : "ElblU, N e w York."
NEW YORK,
AUGUST IS, 1908
EDITORIAL
Q
UITE a number of manufacturers have not hesitated to say
that they have felt the cheering effect of early fall business.
A number of orders have been sent in which indicate that the deal-
ers are getting ready for the business harvest. There is nothing
like being in a state of preparedness. The merchant who is up to
date realizes the truth of this statement. He must be prepared for
varying results. No business which is dependent upon the patron-
age of the public can expect the same amount of business each day.
The proprietor of a store which deals in necessaries, groceries for
instance, will tell you that there are many days which bring him
little trade and at other times his business seems greater than he can
possibly attend to, but by keeping everlastingly at it fourteen hours
a day, six days in the week, he makes the general average very
good. You cannot sell the same number of pianos each day, but it
is the average which it pays to keep up. Some of the best managers
of retail piano establishments say that their most profitable work
has often been accomplished immediately following a protracted
period of fruitless labor. Sometimes prospects which are followed
closely up do not seem to materialize into sales—in fact, the whole
business atmosphere seems blue. People are away or the salesmen
who have been following up prospects bring in a tale of woe that
they cannot make sales, but the energetic manager after listening
to such a tale of woe gently but firmly insists upon going ahead, and
lo, the tables suddenly turn, and what seemed a weak month de-
velops into a splendid business month. It is this point that should
be impressed upon salesmen. If there is a tendency on the part of
the outside salesman after a few days of unsuccessful effort to be-
come discouraged and carry on work in a listless, half-hearted way,
this, of course, is disastrous. No piano man can make sales unless
his heart is in his work, for the good results which are sooner or
later to follow bright, intelligent and persistent effort will come.
But let us take a leaf from the life of the grocery man. Is he any
less attentive or polite to his customers on Saturday because his
business was dull on Friday? Oh, no; not at all. He is even more
active in striving to please them in order that he may make up as
REVIEW
much as possible for the dull days. The solicitor is entitled to more
credit for working earnestly and enthusiastically, with every energy,
through a period which brings him little profit than for pushing his
work when everything is prosperous and encouraging.
I
F you are doing your part every day, success must come even-
tually and discouragement should not be permitted to linger in .
the mind of a piano salesman. There is not much hope for a
salesman who, because he does not do as well as he expected,
blames his lack of success on the business, the territory or the
pianos. Such a salesman never improves, but loses ground daily.
If you do not succeed, the fault is in yourself. It is your busi-
ness to make a study of your methods of work and correct your
weaknesses in them. At the close of each day, carefully con-
sider each case where you failed to take an order. Think just
why you did not get the order, just what objections were made
that you could not answer. Fortify yourself with that particular
point until you can overcome it successfully, as you will surely meet
the same objection again. This is the secret of improvement and
true success. Every piano dealer and every piano salesman should
meet intelligently every argument which may be presented to him.
Make a mental note of everything which is brought up so that in
future a ready reply may be made, because, after all, while there are
new problems coming up daily. The number of questions, the kind
and character of questions propoumled to salesmen are frequently
repetitions of other statements which have been made previously.
Perhaps they may be propounded differently, but a keen mind can
find an immediate application.
T
HE new English patent law with its stringent regulations cov-
ering the rights of all aliens is of particular interest to in-
ventors and manufacturers, particularly piano player manufacturers.
After the 28th of August, any person may secure the revocation of
a patent of three years' standing if he can show that the article is
made or the process carried on exclusively outside of territory con-
trolled by the British government. The American ambassador has
asked for a modification of this provision on the ground that the
United States protects all patents equally, without regard to owner-
ship or place of manufacture, but favorable action on his. request
has been held up. The only way, therefore, to protect patents is to
manufacture in Great Britain, and it is said that a good many
German producers, particularly of dyes and chemicals, are equip-
ping factories to comply with this Act. Some American piano
player manufacturers have also equipped London factories in order
to protect their patents in Great Britain. A number of others are
having their products built by contract in some of the English fac-
tories. This solution has been adopted by several of the industries.
As a matter of fact, there seems to be increased trouble all along
the line to have one's patent rights and trade-mark rights protected
in other countries. There has been a great deal of trouble over
copyrights in various countries and now England and Japan have
arranged a new convention fdr the protection of British trade-
marks in the east, the Japanese government having ruled that no
trade-mark known and used in Japan before the enactment of the
law of '99 is entitled to protection unless it was registered in the
Imperial patent file. A great many concerns who have been doing
business in Japan have been surprised to see a replica of their trade-
marks placed on goods of Japanese manufacture, and they have
received no redress from the courts when they have sued fo'r pro-
tection. It will be recalled that the Review has had from time to
time letters from a Japanese correspondent who has stated some
particular instances where there has been a most flagrant disregard
of trade-mark rights by the Japanese. It is now stated that negotia-
tions are nearing completion which will insure better protection for
foreign patents in Japan.
I
S it not a mistake to call in travelers simply because trade is dull,
and is it not a great mistake to keep them out of their accus-
tomed territory when the manufacturer has all the orders on hand
that he can fill with promptitude? We know of some piano manu-
facturers who have followed the above rules, and according to our
ideas they have made mistakes on each one, for keeping in touch
with customers is more of a necessity to-day than it ever was, and
dealers everywhere are keen students off conditions. They are going
to be better judges of the style, quality and value of products.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
Hence, the necessity of the manufacturers to take up quality and
value of products and the ability to meet any kind of competition
which may materialize. It is a mistake to think because results
worked out satisfactorily in business a few years ago they will con-
tinue to do so at the present time. Conditions are changing and we
must change with them, and to-day the keenest business minds of
the country realize fully the necessity of keeping close to the
retailer, and supplementing the work of the salesmen by the right
kind of support from the factory and counting room.
I
N dealing with customers the salesman necessarily stands for the
house. On his character depends largely the concrete results,
for the trade, not only for this season, but for the next season. If
he possesses intelligence, personality and a knowledge of the busi-
ness, the house can safely trust its customers to his intelligence*
The square deal follows on his intelligence. The longer such a
man calls on dealers, the greater his influence becomes, and it is a
serious mistake to think that such a man can hold his customers at
a distance without frequent calls upon them. He cannot, because
his competitors are keen and salesmen who' are competing with him
are anxious to keep close to the good dealers all the time. It pays
to cater to the good dealer and the piano merchant learns to trust a
reliable, straightforward salesman as a friend and an adviser.
Sometimes he learns to' trade with the salesman rather than with
the firm he represents. Keep close to the trade, and when dealing
with a successful salesman, remember that the retailer is bound to
consider him an important factor in his relations with the firm. In
other words, the salesman who is doing conscientious work has
made himself so completely a part of the manufacturing machinery
that he is looked upon by the dealer as a business counselor.
T
H E R E have been all sorts of plans evolved by theorists and
thinkers along lines of profit-sharing. But few of these plans
have worked out satisfactorily because, while the employes were
willing to share the profits, they have not been willing to share the
losses. There is, however, a notable exception and the operators
in the huge Fall River cotton mills have accepted a wage-cutting
of 18 per cent., a reduction impossible in any other organized in-
dustry without a protracted and costly strike. This is incurred in
an agreement made in 1907 that wages should be adjusted twice a
year, on the basis of the average difference for the preceding six
months between the cost of materials and the price of staple cloth.
The reduction for the current half-year falls heavily on the hands
for the reason that the mills run on abo'ut half-time from November
to June, while wages at the time of the agreement were higher than
ever before. Despite this fact, the workers stand by their contract
and the industrial world is given an object lesson in the equitable
adjustment of wages and prices of products. Application of the
plan to 4 other industries may be impracticable for the present, but
the Fall River arrangement points to a scientific basis for the settle-
ment of labor disputes.
C
HEAPER and more convenient means of communication stim-
ulates trade between countries, and close upon the record-
breaking trips of the great ocean liners comes the announcement
that letter postage between Great Britain and the United States will
be reduced, on October 1st, frdm 5c. to 2c. an ounce. This is the
second radical reduction within twelve months, the International
Postal Union cutting the rate last year by doubling the weight a 5c.
stamp would carry and providing that each additional ounce should
pay but 3c. German merchants and manufacturers have already
petitioned their government to" duplicate the Anglo-American ar-
rangement with both England and the United States, and it is
likely that France in turn will follow suit. It shows how keenly
alive the progressive Germans are to the fact that cheap postage
means an aid to business, and they do not wish to see Great Britain
gaining on Germany in securing American trade. There is another
point to be considered, aside from cheap letter postage, for un-
doubtedly the lowering of rates will promote mail order methods in
foreign trade, and it should redound to the advantage of American
producers on account of their expertness in loVig range salesmanship.
Should a cheaper postage be extended to the principal foreign coun-
tries, the opportunities for increased selling by mail would be
greatly augmented. In the music trade line, the cheap postage
would have but little effect upon the merchandise—possibly talking
REVIEW
machine discs and music rolls—but it would have the effect of
developing trade by correspondence—in other words, the American
music trade man might be inclined to spend more money in cir-
cularizing Europe for business.
IN LIGHTER VEIN
SQUELCHED.—He—But the worst of you Americans is that you
have no leisure classes.
She—Indeed we have. We call them tramps!
INSURMOUNTABLE.—She—What a foolish reason!
marry you on account of your family.
He—No; and I only had a wife and one child.
So she wouldn't
NO USE FOR THEM.—Mr. Parvenu—They tell me if we sail now we
will have the benefit of the trade winds.
Mrs. Parvenu—Law sakes, John, we're out 0' trade now; we rton't
want nothin' so wulgar.
IN SELF-DEFENSE.—"Great soil you have around here."
"You bet."
"Your corn must be twenty feet high."
"And we have to plant a dwarf variety to hold it down to that."
ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT.—"Gwain to lain your boy the fiddle, are
"ee?" asked one Cornishman of another.
"Iss," was the reply.
"He wain'L never play the fiddle 'tall."
"Ow shouldn't aw?"
"Cos his head's too big."
"Go on with 'ee! The bigger the head the more tunes he'll hold."
CURE FOR LOVE.—"I remember once," says Prof. Grange, "hear-
ing two very ordinary men, a bricklayer and a plumber, discuss love in
a smoking car.
'"I hold,' said the bricklayer, 'that if you are terribly in love, the
way to cure yourself is to run away.'
"The plumber shook his head and sneered.
" 'That will cure you,' he said, 'provided you run away with the girl.'"
HE GOT UP.—A well-known piano traveler, who put up for the night
at the leading hotel in a email town, had, before retiring, left explicit
instructions to be called for an early train. He was very much in earnest
about the matter, and threatened the clerk with all manner of punish-
ment if that duty was neglected.
Early in the morning the guest was disturbed by a lively tattoo
upon the door.
"Well?" he demanded, sleepily.
"I've got an important message for you," replied the boy.
The guest was up in an instant, opened the door, and received from
the boy a large envelope. He tore open the envelope hastily, and found
insMe a slip of paper, on which was written in large letters:
"Why don't you get up?"
He got up.
MUTUAL CONFESSIONS.—As the last chord of the "Wedding March"
filtered out of the church vestibule and away into the great beyond, the
driver of the nuptial chariot whipped up his animated cats' meat, and
the fair young bride within, flinging her arms around her newly-acquired
husband's neck, sobbed as though her little heart would break.
"Will you ever forgive me, Narcissus?"
"Forgive you, sweetest? What on earth for?" asked the astonished
bridegroom.
"There's lots, of things I ought to have t-told you and I h-h-haven't!"
"What things? For heaven's sake explain yourself, Ethelinde!"
"We-we-well, I«I-I've never told you I know scarcely anything about
cooking!"
"Is that all?" returned Narcissus, in tones of intense relief. "Then
calm yourself, my love, and don't worry about that. You seem to forget
that I'm a poet. There'll be precious little to cook!"
A BOY WITH A FUTURE.—Farmer Jeames was a skinflint. He
had already put by thirteen pounds in thirteen years, and confidently
expected to die a millionaire. One day he hired a country youth to help
him with his work, and as the boy turned up at 6 o'clock, he was at once
set down to breakfast.
After the boy had eaten his fill, the farmer suggested that while
they were at it they should eat dinner. The lad agreed, and managed
to get down a little more.
Seeing that his new helper was by this time quite replete, the foxy
Jeames suggested eating supper, and thus get the meals through and
done with.
"Righto!" murmured the boy, and swallowed half a crust of bread.
"And now," cried the happy farmer, flunking with glee of the saving
in food that he had just effected, "let's get to work."
"Oh, no," answered the boy slowly; "I never work after supper! I
go to bed!"

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