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THE
MUSIC TRADE
HOW TO ACCOMPLISH T H E CURE.
NUMBER of our readers have asked our opinion regarding
the best way to suppress this evil.
We believe that the piano dealers of Minneapolis found the
best solution of the problem when they called upon the publishers
of the newspapers in that city and presented a clear statement of
the conditions to them.
The editors themselves learned that their columns were being
used in a way which reflected somewhat upon the honesty of the
papers and they refused to accept advertising from piano houses
containing guessing contests.
Thus at one fell swoop the publicity channels were closed to
the men who desired to follow the coupon system.
Then they had to fall back upon circulars and other methods
with which to reach the public.
If the dealers in every city throughout the land would use some
argument with their local papers they could go a long way towards
stamping out the contest schemes.
Even in New York seven of the great papers have acceded to
the wishes of the trade and have positively refused to accept coupon
advertising.
Another dealer says that there are 100,000 pianos manufac-
tured in this country annually for which there is not a reasonable
demand, and that through this great over-production illegitimate
methods of forcing pianos upon the public have been the natural
outcome.
He believes that just as long as this vast number of pianos are
made we will have to face methods which cannot be recognized as
legitimate to put these pianos out among retail purchasers.
We can hardly agree with that theory.
Wanamaker with his immense distributing forces in Philadel-
phia and New York has never found it necessary to resort to scheme
advertising to put out many thousands of pianos annually.
Other great concerns have found that it paid to adhere to
straightforward business methods, using only means which are
recognized as correct in order to place their wares in the homes of
customers.
We trust that our friends will continue to use our columns be-
cause our purpose is to draw forth an open expression of opinion.
If anyone desires to support the practice his communication
shall have the same publicity as that received from the man who
unhesitatingly condemns it.
In this way we shall arrive at a true state of affairs and we
shall be best able to use the most effective remedies in solving the
problem of the removal of the coupon advertising evil. Let there
be no halting in this discussion until every phase of the situation
has been freely and openly discussed. It is a question which in-
terests all and the issues at stake are too vital to be ove T looked.
A
. T H E LIVE MANAGER AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.
LIVE manager in the retail store is a most important factor
in the success of the establishment.
If the manager be watchful and understands his business he at
once becomes a power which makes for an incentive in every one
of his staff to hustle.
If a man is managing a number of salesmen he has to be not
only a pretty good student of human nature, but he has to exercise
a keen business judgment at all times.
A manager means something more than the title and sitting
down to a desk and drawing a manager's pay.
It means plenty of good, steady, genuine hustle, and it means
an active acquaintance with everything that is going on inside the
store.
There is no incident too small to escape his notice and the atti-
tude of men towards callers is a very important function in the
line of duty of a manager.
How many establishments are there' where there is absolute
proper attention paid to callers?
We have seen a good many wherein the attitude of salesmen
acted as a repellent force rather than as a drawing force, and that
sort of thing cannot go on if there is a good, keen manager at the
head.
A good manager is worth good money to any establishment.
He is a vital necessity.
He is worth while.
A
REVIEW
IN LIGHTER VEIN
INDIGNANT DENIAL.—Patience—Are you very fond of bouillon,
dear?
Patrice—Why, the idea! I've never met him!
FLOWERY.—It was in the old parlor. "My rose," he whispered,
pressing her fair cheeks against his own.
"My cactus," laughed the pretty girl, noticing that he needed a shave.
And yet they say women have no sense of humor.—Chicago News.
BITTER COLD.—A south side man claims that the janitor of the
flat building in which he lives is the meanest janitor on earth.
"He never gives us half enough steam during the day," said the com-
plainant, "and at night the conditions are simply awful. Why, I fre-
quently wake up and hear my wife's teeth chattering on the bureau."
HIS FIRST TRAIN RIDE.—During the early hours of Sunday morn-
ing, a long and lank native boarded 'Frisco train No. 104 for his first ride
on the cars, his destination being Kansas City. He was decidedly nervous,
but was determined not to show it, and attempted to cultivate an air of
familiarity with his surroundings. He sought a position in the middle
of the chair car, placed his grip on the floor and braced himself against
the side of one of the plush chairs.
"Won't you have a seat, sir?" asked the porter.
"Nope," the young man answered. "Dad's cuts m' hair, an' I shave
m-self."—Saline County (Mo.) Citizen.
MOMENTARY LAPSE OF MEMORY.—"Gentlemen," said the toast-
master, rising again to his feet, "we have with us this evening a—an
eminent gentleman whom I am sure you will be glad to hear; a distin-
guished exemplar of—of, in short, of his well-known line of human en-
deavor; one whose name is a household word all over this broad land of
ours; one who will both instruct and entertain you. I have the pleasure,
gentlemen, of introducing"
Here he stopped to take a drink of ice water.
"I have the pleasure, gentlemen, of introducing"
At this point he was seized with a fit of coughing.
"Of introducing, gentlemen"
Here he took another large swallow of ice water. "The pleasure, gen-
tlemen, as well as the honor, of introducing—er—the Hon. Blwghprrjmin
Wgzrxklnmnoopqustst, who will now address you."
NATURALLY BASHFUL.—Many happy marriages have been made
on short acquaintance; nevertheless, it is unwise to recommend very short
courtships as a general rule. A writer in Tit-Bits relates an instance of
the extremely brief wooing of a certain English maid who had gone to
America. One morning she appeared before her mistress and announced
that she had named the day and would become a wife at the end of the
week.
"Are you going back home, then?" the lady asked.
"Oh, no, ma'am; it's an American gentleman," replied the maid.
"But," remonstrated her mistress, "you've only been here a fortnight."
"That's no matter. He wants the wedding to be on Saturday."
"But can't you get him to postpone the marriage just a little till I
can get another maid?"
"Well, ma'am, I'd like to oblige you, but, ye see, I don't feel well
enough acquainted to ask him to do that."
"FOLLOW THE LEADER."—A nervous commuter on his dark, lonely
way home from the railroad station heard footsteps behind him. He had
an uncomfortable feeling that he was being followed. He increased his
speed. The footsteps quickened accordingly. The commuter darted down
a lane. The footsteps still pursued him. In desperation he vaulted over
a fence and rushing into a churchyard threw himself panting on one of
the graves.
"If he follows me here," he thought fearfully, "there caa be no doubt
as to his intentions."
The man behind was following. He could hear him scrambling over
the fence. Visions of highwaymen, maniacs, garroters and the like flashed
through his brain. Quivering with fear, the nervous one arose and faced
his pursuer.
"What do you want?" he demanded. "Wh-why are you following me?"
"Say," asked the stranger, mopping his brow, "do you always go home
like this? I'm going up to Mr. Brown's, and the man at the station told
me to follow you as you lived next door. Excuse my asking you, but is
there much more to do before we get there?"—Ladies' Home Journal.
A LIVELY SQUIRREL,—An old negro who lives in the country came
into town one day and saw an electric fan for the first time in his life.
The whirling object at once attracted his attention, and after gazing at it
for several minutes with ttie greatest astonishment and curiosity he
turned to the proprietor of the shop and said:
"Say, boss, dat suttenly is a lively squirrel you got in dis yeah cage,
but he's shu'ly goin' to bus' his heart if he keep on makin' dem resolu-
tions so fas'!"—The Housekeeeper.