Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
Even the adoption of some such system as above suggested
will not suffice unless constant care is exercised by those in charge
of a business to the end that these mistakes, which in the main
show lack of supervision, are prevented. This is seemingly a very
minor matter, but it is most important when one considers how
very seriously our business friends in other countries consider the
writing of letters. They are not only affected by the absence of
sufficient postage, but even our brisk, crude manner of writing
letters seems to offend them. In the hurly-burly of things, and in
keeping with the time-saving trend, the American business man
has been "boiling down" his communications, with the result that
the old time literary style and courtesy of expression has largely
disappeared. In this field, too, there is abundant opportunity for
reform,
Legal Questions Answered for the
Benefit of Review Readers
*JWe have opened a Department wherein legal
questions, which have direct bearing on music
trade affairs, will be answered free of charge.
•iThis Department is under the supervision of
Messrs. Wentworth, Lowenstein & Stern, attor-
neys at law, of 60 Wall Street, New York.
^Matter intended for this Department should be
addressed plainly, Legal Department, The Music
Trade Review.
R
EPORTS of general business from over the country are de-
cidedly optimistic, and the opinion of shrewd observers is
that feeling is so buoyant that it is breaking up through the crust
of overlying repressive influences and may boom even before Elec-
tion Day. Dun's Review of Trade says: "Business continues to
expand conservatively but steadily, with accumulating signs of a
year of more than average activity. Elements of the situation
which have been heretofore prominent are being largely ignored,
and business sentiment centers in the increasing confidence created
by the steadily maintained industrial activity, the improving condi-
tions in merchandising, and the brightening outlook for the crops.
Both East and West there are multiplying evidences of the widen-
ing scope of financial and industrial recovery from past depression.
The prevailing excellent weather is one of the present factors of
the situation that are working for greater trade distribution and
for. works of construction. Reports from the leading cities all
speak of a normal development of business, often in excess of
anticipations. The activity in the iron and steel industry, which
has reached the point where new business in sight is actually in
excess of the large capacity of the mills, is communicating itself
to other branches of business which have hitherto been very slow
in responding to reviving influences. The Government statement
shows a high percentage for Spring wheat, with the promise that
its vield will more than offset the deficiency in winter wheat."
REVIEW
plicated, but even the most cumbersome is better than none at all,
and there are many storekeepers who scarcely know the meaning
of the word.
"System of sales records, system of stock keeping and of store
accounting are pretty nearly as important as the sales and the
stock, since it is only through some of them that the retail man can
know where he stands."
W
HILE the number of square pianos received in exchange
for pianos and player-pianos of more modern design is
steadily growing smaller, as are the stocks of those instruments in
the hands of dealers, it is interesting to note that a Pennsylvania
dealer has discovered a method for disposing of even the small
number of squares at a profit and at the same time saving pianos
of other classes.
The dealer in question, for the past few years, has done a
large business in renting pianos for use in summer homes, either
in the woods or on the shore, and discovered that the damage many
of the instruments received during the season killed practically all
the profit of the renting business. Exposure to the weather and
general carelessness were bound to play havoc, even with uprights
of uncertain quality and the refinishing operations in the fall were
OME interesting facts regarding corporation growth and its expensive.
influence on the individual manufacturer were disclosed by
The dealer solved the problem in part, this year, by persuading
Dr. Talcott Williams, director of the School of Journalism, founded a number of his customers to purchase squares for their summer
by Joseph Pulitzer, in an address made to the graduating class of homes and camps, the prices for the old style instruments being
Adelphi College, Brooklyn, N. Y., last week. He said in part: lower than the aggregate rental of an upright for the season.
"Is economic initiative decreasing in the United States through the When the squares were all sold, attractive propositions resulted in
creation of great combinations and great corporations? One test the sale of a number of used uprights. The dealer's rental busi-
must be the number of separate firms doing business in the United ness has diminished, but he has cleaned out a quantity of dead stock
States. The general organization of trusts and railroad combina- and will have no trouble about refinishing pianos this fall.
tions on a modern scale began in the '8o's. Since then the number
of firms in the country has grown from a million to a million and
HE bill recently introduced in Congress by Representative
a half. Plainly, taking the growth of the number of firms, the
Sulzer, providing for the placing of the consular service on
opportunities of individual initiative have increased and not dimin- a strictly business basis with the consular officers chosen by exami-
ished.
nation and according to their ability rather than for their political
"Economic quality requires fair, equal and increasing, oppor- affiliations, is a measure that deserves the support of every Ameri-
tunity for economic investment. The wealth of the country has can business man, whether or not he is engaged in or contemplates
doubled since the reign of the great corporations began. Savings engaging in the export trade. The consular officer is maintained
banks deposits have increased from $1,000,000,000 to $4,000,000,- chiefly for the purpose of keeping in close touch with the business
000. The number of policies in ordinary life insurance has grown conditions in the country where he is stationed for the purpose of
from 900,000 to 7,000,000, and the amount represented by these pointing out opportunities for the exploitations of American goods.
policies has increased six-fold, from $2,250,000,000 to $13,227,000,- His business knowledge and experience is much more essential
000. Industrial insurance has grown nearly fourteen-fold in the than his knowledge of political conditions, for the latter matters
number of policies from 1,780,000 to 23,000,000, while the amount are looked after by the higher diplomatic officers. In Great Britain
at stake has grown in a still larger proportion from $190,000,000 the consular and diplomatic service is a career for which special
to $3,000,000,000."
study is required and in which promotion comes slowly and only
when really deserved. Germany has won her prestige in the export
O catalog all of the things that are necessary to make a retail fields largely through the thorough training of her consular agents,
business successful would, perhaps, take a pretty good sized who are able to furnish to their home country business information
book, and it would be impossible to say just which of the things that is based on actual knowledge rather than guesses. There are
are most important, because conditions vary with the stores. "But many American consular officers who are doing excellent work, are
there is one thing that should never be overlooked," said a promi- energetic and efficient and wholly desirable in other ways, but they
are in the minority and always face the possibility, and, in fact, the
nent merchant, "and that is the value of system in all things.
"Now, I know that the criticism is just that in some instances probability, of being replaced by others who are inefficient, just at
it takes more time to follow out the system than it does to do the a time when their work is beginning to secure results and recog-
job, but that is exceptional. There are systems that are too com- nition.
S
T
T