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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
with radius respectively of 50, 150, 300, 600,
THE PARCELS POST AND THE MUSIC TRADE INDUSTRY. zones
1,000, 1,400 and 1,800 miles. In reality, though
(Continued from page 9.)
talking machines, light-weight piano stools, music
racks, etc., are a few of the eligibles in addition
to the already-mentioned indispensables—rolls, rec-
ords, folios and sheet music. All thse latte have
heretofore been admissible to the mails in weights
up to four pounds, but under the new system
there will be a proportionate saving in the cost of
carriage and the tremendous convenience of being
able to place in one package all the items of any
ordinary order.
Parcel Post as Sales Aid to Trade.
Considered as a sales aid in the music trade the
greatest virtue of the parcels post lies not so much
in what it will do as in where it will go, if it may
be expressed in that way. The new system ought
to convert into live customers throughout the
year millions of people whose purchasing power
has been more or less dormant for weeks or
months at a time. Reference is made, of course,
to the farming class of the community, particu-
larly the rural residents not located in close prox-
imity to any town, and to such more or less iso-
lated music lovers as miners, lumbermen, ranchers,
etc.—persons who have money to buy what they
want if only they had the opportunity to make
purchases. It has been easy enough since the
establishment of rural free delivery, for most of
these persons to order by mail any small instru-
ments, music, rolls or records that might be de-
sired to help beguile the weary hours of winter
isolation. But to get possession of purchases has
usually been quite another matter. If the weight
of the musical merchandise ordered exceeded four
pounds it could not be transmitted by mail but
must needs come by express. This latter is apt
to mean all sorts of inconvenience. In the coun-
try districts or in the sparsely settled districts (for
example in the South and West) the nearest ex-
press office is likely to be located many miles from
the home of the long-range musical customer and
to secure a package that has come by express thus
involves a long, cold drive—an ordeal that may,
worse yet, devolve into a fruitless quest if the cus-
tomer has been misinformed as to the time an ex-
press package should arrive. In many localities
the country roads are virtually impassable for long
periods so that a trip to the express office is out
of the question whereas on the other hand dur-
ing active season such as the spring planting time
and the autumn harvest season all hands are so
busy that it is equally out of the question to spare
time or the use of a team for a trip to the express
office.
Getting Close to the "Ultimate Consumer."
The result of these conditions, as many musical
men well realize, is that farmers have simply given
up the attempt to order staples such as rolls and
records at the very time when their interest would
be keenest and when, having the most leisure to
enjoy mechanical music, they might be expected to
order most liberally. But with the advent of the
parcels post a transformation should be worked.
This means an era of mail delivery as well as mail-
order business, With the farmer, the rancher, the
miner, the lumberman or other isolated resident
RUDOLF
PIANOS
are conscientiously made, good
instruments; in other words,
the sweetest things out.
RUDOLF PIANO CO.
347-349 Rider Ave.
NEW YORK
there are nine zones, for everything outside the
1,800 mile zone (including the Philippines and all
our new possessions) forms another zone added to
those above listed and there is a special low rate
for delivery within the limits of the city where a
parcel is mailed or delivery on any rural mail
route leading out from such city so that each
local community in the country will, in effect, con-
stitute a parcels post "zone" for the business men
of that particular locality.
This special rate of five cents for the first pound
and one cent per pound for additional pounds for
local delivery is likely to prove a boon to local
music houses everwhere and particularly those
having a heavy trade in the agricultural districts
surrounding their city. Just by way of suggestion
of the possibilities imagine what it will mean to
both
farmer and dealer when the former can call
What the parcels post will do to encourage a
mail trade in winter in the farming and isolated up the latter on the rural or long-distance tele-
districts it will acomplish in like measure in the phone in the morning and receive by parcels post
resort region and the vacation country in sum- that same afternoon a package of talking machine
mer. Musical instruments have, thanks to the lib- records or player-piano rolls, selections which, may-
eral advertising of the past few seasons, been hap have been decided upon in equally up-to-date
placed in the position of indespensables for sum- manner, namely by listening to them over the
mer camps and cottages and yachts and house- telephone when the order was given in the morn-
boats. Only heretofore, the dealer has usually ing. Some dealers, in anticipation of the parcels
had to content himself with such business as could post are already preparing special cartons or con-
be garnered ere the vacationist set out for his tainers to be used as receptacles for parcels post
summer headquarters. Not so in future, however. packages and the idea is assuredly an excellent one.
The parcels post will carry musical merchandise to esecially when, as in the music trades, the com-
the depths of the wilderness; into the mountain modities would be liable to damage in transit un-
fastnesses or to the most remote seashore village; less properly prepared.
enjoying the boon of the delivery of his purchases
at his very door, there will be no reason why his
indulgence in this line should not extend to the
limitations of his pocketbook, provided the mer-
chants in the music trades will reach out after
such business. And to help this new trade cause
there is the circumstance that the parcels post
system is to have the C. O. D. feature. Hereto-
fore all business of this kind had to be done on
the cash in advance plan but under the parcels
post scheme a customer need not pay until the
goods are delivered at his door. Uncle Sam will
charge a little extra for this service, but it will be
well worth it to the merchant if it stimulates trade,
as it undoubtedly will.
Helps Trade at Winter and Summer Resorts.
and a steady flow of orders may be expected if
the exiles on pleasure bent be kept informed of
the "new things" that appear during the dog days.
Specializing on Rules and Conditions.
There can be no doubt but that every music
house which expects to do a volume of business
worthy of the name under the parcels post system
will do well to detail one or more employes to
specialize on the rules, regulations and conditions
obtaining in this new field. For there will be
many pitfalls for the unwary, the penalty of which
will be those delays in delivery which are almost
as serious as an outright loss of trade. By way
of illustration of the points to be borne in mind
by shippers it may be pointed out that aside from
the general rule that no parcel shall exceed 72
inches in length and girth combined, there will be
regulations regarding the amount and character
of packing that can be used. These latter regu-
lations have not as yet been formulated by the
postal officials, but will be in due course. It will
also be exacted that metal parts, etc., can be sent
by parcels post only when so wrapped that there
is no possibility that they will do injury to any
postal employe or to other pieces of mail in
transit. Yet another point to be watched is that
the regular issues of postage stamps must not be
used on parcel mail. Special parcels post stamps
are to be placed on sale at the opening of the new
year and these must be affixed to parcels deposited
in the mails. Shippers will also be called upon to
decide in the case of each parcel dispatched
whether or not it is desired to insure the p;ck-
age. The parcels post law provides that Uncle
Sam may reimburse shippers for articles lost br
damaged in transit but at this writing the postal
officials incline to the belief that a small addi-
tional fee should be charged for this insurance
feature, just as in the case of registered mail at
present, .and consequently it will be up to the ship-
per to decide in each instance whether or not to
invoke the safeguard.
Some Suggestions Worth Noting.
Aside from all these details to be ever borne
in mind the parcels post shipper should have always
before him a large scale map, or, better yet, n
mental map, that will familiarize him with limita-
tions of the various "zones" of our parcels post
territory. For, as all bur readers doubtless know,
the parcels post is not to be operated on a flat
rate per pound basis as is the case in so many
foreign countries but on a zone plan whereby the
postage charge on each package will be determined
not only by the weight but also by the distance it
is to be transported. The law prescribes seven
KNIGHT-CAMPBELLCO.TO TAKE PART.
(Special to The Review.)
Denver, Colo., Sept. 30, 1912.
The Knight-Campbell Music Co., and the other
prominent piano and music houses of this city
will take an active part in the Festival of Moun-
tain and Plain, which will be held in this city on
Oct. 15-18, and have arranged to have attractive
floats in the parade to be held during the celebra-
tion.
COTE CO. DECLARES DIVIDEND.
The Cote Piano Manufacturing Co., has de-
clared an initial quarterly dividend of 1% per
cent, on the $250,000 cumulative preferred stock
of the company, to be paid on Oct. 1 to stock-
holders of record on Sept. 19.
BEALE&CO.,Ltd.
ANNANDALE, near Sydney
AUSTRALIA
PIANO MAKERS, largest piano factories in
the British Empire.
VENEER MANUFACTURERS from choice
Australian and other woods, for export.
IMPORTERS of Music and Musical Instru-
ments, and Talking Machines.
IMPORTERS of Interior Players for Pianos.
MAKERS of fine Cabinet work.
The only musical-instrument firm having
its own branches in every State of the
Commonwealth.
Particulars of anything connected with the
above lines, and of labor-saving methods and
machinery, always welcome. Give fullest de-
tails in your first letter, so as to save time.
For the guidance of intending suppliers, illus-
trations of our factories, with full description
of the work and method, may be inspected at
the office of our Agents upon presentation of
business card.
AGENTS IN U. S. A.:
ILSLEY-DOUBLEDAY & CO.
Front Street
NEW YORK