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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
5
N
which immediately followed the Columbian Exposition, but St.
O matter how parliamentarians may differ as to the vote taken
Louis moved steadily on in its business development after the gates
at the piano dealers' Convention at Richmond, the fact ire-
of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition had closed.
mains that there is nothing on the records of the association to
The smaller fairs at Portland, Norfolk and Spokane have
show that it has adopted any of the rules by which legislative
had no depressing effect upon those cities.
organizations are governed.
Without doubt a World's Fair in New Orleans would be of
The fact stands out clear and distinct that every member knew
great advantage to-day to that city.
what he was voting for, and the vote discountenancing the use of
It would call the attention of the world to its wonderful possi-
certificates and coupons in piano selling was overwhelming.
bilities and presumably new capital in large sums would go into the
Three to one is a significant voting record and it does not
city for investment.
matter whether the votes were taken according to Cushing or
So far as San Francisco is concerned it would call the attention
Roberts, or according to any other manual which deliberative bodies
of the world to what has been accomplished by American skill and
have a right to adopt as governing rules.
> ]
spirit, undaunted by fire and earthquakes.
The vote taken showed an overwhelming sentiment against th£
The rebuilding of San Francisco at once constitutes a great
coupon-certificate-prize system of piano selling, and probably the
triumph to the unconquerable spirit of the men whose history has
men who will continue the use of this form of piano selling would
been linked with the marvelous development of the Pacfic Coast.
not give a rap how the association stood because they would refuse
CONDITIONS are steadily changing in the music trade and it
> does not take a close student to see how some manufacturers
are relying more and more upon their own branches to absorb their
entire factory output.
If this course is pursued in a large way it will in the end elimi-
nate the dealers who will have to become manufacturers or else be
snuffed out.
Now, why is this?
A manufacturer was asked by The Review to express his
opinion regarding the establishment of branches.
He replied he did not care to go into the matter exhaustively,
beyond making the statement that it was not his policy to establish
branches where he had dealers.
He did not hesitate to say that he would rather have dealers
represent him than to put in his own branches, but he did not pro-
pose to do practically no business in territory from which he figured
that he could get good returns.
Probably others have been influenced by exactly those same
motives, and because there is an unmistakable trend in the direc-
tion of making wasted territory live and profitable should cause
dealers to sit up 'and take notice.
Manufacturers are not going to see wasted territory all about
them; neither are they going to have certain dealers retain the
agency for their instruments and do nothing with them.
Then, too, there is a plain policy adopted by some dealers to
secure the agencies of leading pianos and hold them for purposes
of attraction only and not for sales.
In other words, they are used to attract piano purchasers to
the store while the "just-as-good" instruments are praised in the
strongest possible terms.
Why?
Simply because the "just-as-good" instrument perhaps bears
the dealer's own name and trade mark, which is purchased at a
very low price and affords him frequently an abnormal or dis-
honest profit, whereas the high grade instruments give him only
a legitimate profit.
It is the lure of the gold which causes this, but it is quite time
that some dealers considered these matters seriously.
Manufacturers will not sit calmly by and see their instruments
worked on the stool pigeon basis.
Certain territory must pay them reasonably well, else why
should they not establish their own branches?
Then, there is the reverse side to the medal.
There are some manufacturers who are also won over by the
lure of gold and they establish branches directly under the noses
of some dealers whom they undersell and through their adver-
tisements they emphasize the fact that by buying from the factory
direct they can save the dealers' profit.
Now, that kind of a policy in the end can have but one result.
It will compel the manufacturer who adopts such policies to
market his entire output, through his own branches, because these
things percolate swiftly through trade channels, and dealers will
not be inclined to push the product of manufacturers who are using
their "factory-to-fireside" arguments to undersell them
That's not human nature and we could hardly expect that such
a policy would be enthusiastically applauded by dealers throughout
the country.
C
to be governed by rules which the association might put forth.
It cannot be denied, however, that the Dealers' National Asso-
ciation has gone on record as officially condemning the certificate
form of piano selling and to deny that is quibbling of the smallest
order.
It beats peanut politics.
IN LIGHTER VEIN
The famous Doctor Johnson was discovered one day, by Mrs. Johnson,
kissing one of her serving-maids. "Why, Doctor Johnson," said the wife,
"I am surprised." "No," said the recreant husband, "that is not exactly
right, dear. / am surprised; you are astonished!"
• '
"Phwere hov yez been this avenin?" asked O'Tunder of O'Toolei
"Sure, I've been playin' Bridget whist." "Bridget whist? An' how dd
yez play thot?" "I sit in the kitchen wid Bridget an' ate pie an' cake an'
chicken, an' whin Bridget hears th' missus comin' she says 'Whist!' an' I
hide in th' panthry."
1
EDITORIAL WORK.—Former Employer—And so you are a newsi
paper man now, Thompson?
*
Thompson—Yes, sir; I'm the editor of the job department.
j |t
Former Employer—Editor of the job department?
< :
Thompson—Yes, sir; I carries in coal and scrubs the floor and
cleans the windows and all such editin' as that, sir.—London Graphic.
ARTISTS' JEALOUSY.—First Hurdygurdyist—Lumme, 'Orace, don't
it make yer heart bleed to hear of that Paddywisky chap gettin' thahsands
o' pahnds fer thumpin' o' his pianner?
'
Second—Not 'arf it don't. An' 'e don't 'ave ter bloomin' well lug his
pianner abaht wiv 'im neither!—London Opinion.
A small boy who had recently passed his fifth birthday was riding
in a suburban car with his mother when they were asked the customary;
question, "How old is the boy?" After being told the correct age, which
did not require a fare, the conductor passed on to the next person. The
boy sat quite still as if pondering over some question and then, conclud-
ing that full information had not been given, called loudly to the con-
ductor, then at the other end of the car: "And mother's thirty-one!"
,
MUTUAL COMPLIMENTS.—At a certain church it is the pleasing
custom at a marriage for the clergyman to kiss the bride after the cere-l
mony. A young lady who was about to be married in the church did not
relish the prospect and instructed her prospective husband when making
arrangements to tell the clergyman that she did not wish him to kiss her.
The bridegroom did as directed.
"Well, George," said the young lady when he appeared, "did you tell
the clergyman that I did not wish him to kiss me?"
"Oh, yes."
"And what did he say?"
"He said that in that case he would charge only half the usual fee."
—Tit-Bits.
RESOURCEFUL.—The teacher had. called upon Freddy to tell the
.'lass a story in fifty words. Accordingly, Freddy rose and began as
follows: "I have a little sister. Her name is May. May likes pussies and
dollies. One day May saw a pussy in our garden and she said: 'Here,
pussy, pussy, pussy! Here, pussy, pussy, pussy! Here, pussy, pussy;
pussy, pussy!' "
And Freddy sat down with much satisfaction. There was a moment's
silence, and then a voice (evidently that of the class mathematician)
called out from a rear corner of the room, "That's only thirty-eight
words."
i
Up stood Freddy again, unperturbed, and continued: "Here,
^
pussy, pussy! Here, pussy, pussy, pussy! Here, pussy, pussy,
and then he sat down.—Harper's Weekly,
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