Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1914 Vol. 59 N. 8

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
MEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
B. BRITTAIK WILSON,
A. J. NICKLIN,
CARLETON CHACE,
AUGUST J. TIMPB,
L. M. ROBINSON,
WM. B. WHITE,
GLAD HENDERSON,
L. E. BOWERS.
BOSTON OFFICE
CHICAGO OFFICE:
ToBM H. WILSON, 824 Washington St.
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN Consumers' Building.
_ , , ' , .
„„,,.
220 So. State Street. Telephone, Wabash 6774.
Telephone, Mam 6950.
HENRY S. KINGWILL, Associate,
LONDON, ENGLAND: I C.resham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth 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,
$8.50; all other countries, $6.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $3.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts, a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages $90.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
with> w i l l b c f o u n d
in another 8ection of
this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning which
will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review '
Grand Prix
Diploma
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal. • .Charleston Exposition, 190*
Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medml..Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1906
ELONd DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON «Q.
Connecting- all Department*
Cable address: "ElbiLl, N e w York."
NEW
YORK,
A U G U S T 2 2 , 1914
EDITORIAL
T
H F tying up of ships of the belligerent nations as a result of
the war in Kurope, and the inability of American exporters
to secure ships in which to carry their products even to those
countries which are not at war, has naturally resulted in the
reopening of the discussion on the necessity of a real American
merchant marine, a discussion that will probably accomplish the
desired object to a certain extent at least.
Although the Federal officials are actively interested in the
movement, and are declared to be considering ways and means
for getting quick action in the establishment of a merchant
marine, the many organizations interested directly or indirectly
in the export trade should not be content with letting matters
take their course, but should bring such pressure to bear on
Congress as will produce early results.
While the British have declared the principal ocean lanes
to be free of foreign warships, which would indicate that British
and French ships will be in a position to handle shipments, this
fact should not cloud the real issue brought about by the war—
that the United States should be in a position to send her prod-
ucts to every port in the world in American bottoms and not
depend upon the shipping service of other nations.
When the movement for the rehabilitation of the American
merchant marine was at its height a few years ago the members
of the music trade, under the direction of J. A. Coffin, George
W. Gittins and others, organized the Musical Industries Mer-
chant Marine League for the purpose of lending trade support
to the.movement.
It would seem that the present time should offer great oppor-
tunities for the reorganization of the league for the purpose not
merely of expressing the sentiment of the music trade on this
subject, but of formulating ways and means whereby the piano
trade may enlarge its export trade and supply the needs of those
merchants in South American countries who have been receiving
their goods from either France, Germany or England,
i The progressive men of leading industries in other lines are
REVIEW
getting together for the purpose of taking definite action on the
enlargements "of their foreign trade, and in view of the increasing
exports of pianos and other musical instruments, it is t'mely that
the members of the music trade industry should collaborate in
setting forth the necessity of a merchant marine for the United
States, and the best plans of cultivating larger trade with our
neighbors on'the south of us.
T
] I AT days of long credit in the retail piano trade are passing
rapidly, reports from various sections of the country prove
conclusively. Only last week a Southern house reported that
over yo per cent, of its July business consisted of pianos and
player-pianos sold on terms of twenty-four months or better.
Another dealer in Pennsylvania stated to The Review that he
had adopted a suggestion he heard at the conventions in June
to the effect that the minimum for time payments should be
set at io per cent, cash and at least 4 per cent, monthly of the
purchase price. In both cases the terms had been obtained with-
out any appreciable sacrifice of business, for it was considered
good business to let the other fellow have the dollar or nothing
down class of trade to worry with.
Tt is declared by financial experts that the present conditions
in this country, although only temporary, perhaps, will have the
effect of tightening credits in all lines. The piano man who is
prepared to clean up his instalment accounts in two years or
better has nothing particular to worry about, and can well let
his competitor with the four or five year limit on terms hustle
to meet his obligations.
E
VERY once in so often there is reported the case of a piano
salesman who has attempted to open a temporary store
in a certain town for the purpose of disposing of a carload of
pianos at special sale, and who runs afoul of a local ordinance
directed against itinerant merchants. In some cases the piano
man folds his tent and slips away; in others, he meets the de-
mands for a temporary license, and in still other cases, by far
the most numerous, he is moved, owing to the high license
demanded, to fight the case. The main fact to be considered,
however, is the cause that prompts the local lawmakers to-put
up the bars against the itinerant merchant.
A local piano merchant, in the first place, pays a substantial
rent for a suitable location for his business, has his store prop-
erly fitted up at considerable expense, hires a certain number
of employes who live in and through the distribution of their
earnings add to the prosperity of the town, advertises regularly
in the local papers, gives proper values in pianos because he is
in the business to stay and must be prepared to back up the
statements regarding the instruments sold, supports through
the medium of taxes and assessments in various forms, personal
and general, his share of the civic organization, and, on the
whole, if he is the right sort of dealer, he is a valuable and impor-
tant factor in the community.
Into this town comes the special sale man with his carload
or two of pianos. In the first place, if he is shrewd, he is able
to secure the use of a vacant store for a short period at much
less than the regular rental; his staff, if he has any, are strangers
in the town, and only spend enough in it to represent the cost of
then- living for the few, days or weeks the sale continues, and
outside of the more or less liberal advertising attached to the
sale he leaves little money added to the wealth of the town.
Being without expenses of any considerable size, the special
sale man is in a position to undersell the local merchant, even
on the hitter's own lines of pianos, and in the case, as it usually
is, where the piano handled is of distinctly inferior grade, the
transient can undersell the-permanent merchant by a liberal and
appealing margin, and yet make a profit wholly out of propor-
tion to his investment. Every piano sold by the special sale man
means that much money taken out of circulation in the town,
and incidentally decreases the regular merchant's ability to main-
tain his end in maintaining the prosperity of the community.
The local lawmakers in many towns, especially in the West,
have learned what effect the work of the transient merchant has
on the local trade, and have acted accordingly. The only solu-
tion of the problem has been the assessment of tax heavy enough
to discourage the transient, or, if he pays it, to put him on the
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
CLEANER METHODS IN MERCHANDISING.
(Continued front page 3.)
large trade organization which has millions of assets, and yet cannot offer a standardized article
at a less price than the small dealer who may occupy an obscure position in a great city.
If the dealer is selling unknown products under his own name he has a perfect right to set
a price; but when he is selling somebody else's goods, the name of which the owner may have
spent millions to establish, then there are other rights involved, and the owner of that name has,
by his investment, created in it certain property rights and certain guarantees to the public, and
these rights should be respected.
I have held that if price standardization were absolutely enforced
by twenty-five or thirty of the piano manufacturers of this country,
it would do much to place the business on a firmer basis than ever
before.
The Effects of the War on Business.
T
HE effects of the great European war upon American indus-
tries of every nature are far reaching. In fact, it would
be difficult to locate a single industry which is not directly or
indirectly affected by the conflict which is now raging in Europe.
So far as the war directly affects the piano business, there
is no question but that the longer it continues the greater in-
fluence it will have in many ways.
There are many piano supplies which are secured from
European factories, and with the industries shattered in the war-
torn countries, as they will be probably for an indefinite period,
it may mean that a difficult problem will confront piano manu-
facturers in the way of securing some supplies which are vital
in piano making.
Surely there is room for American inventive genius just
now, and no doubt there are many brilliant minds which are
now experimenting as to substitutes in the various lines of trade
which are directly affected by the European war.
Surely with such abundant natural resources Americans
should be able to meet in a fairly satisfactory way certain emer-
gencies which will be forced upon them by war conditions.
We have relied upon other countries to provide us with
many essentials which presumably could be created within our
national confines, and now that the emergency has arisen it is
believed that American ability will measure up to the situation.
There are all sorts of predictions regarding the effect of the
war upon American trade. There are some who feel that this j
country will be materially benefited, owing to the fact that the
European countries will need a vast amount of supplies which,!
America will be in a position to provide.
.''
Others figure that the war, which involves all of Europe,
cannot benefit this country materially, no matter what the out-
come may be.
'
One thing is certain: at the present time the war is causing
the people to be more careful of their expenditures, and the
policy of conservatism is evidenced in almost every trade.
Business men feel that Latin America will be now the most
fertile field for American trade exploitation for years to come,
and if we have the proper ships to carry our cargoes it may be i
that we shall obtain a firm trade foothold in the countries which!!
lie south of us.
|;
The reduction of the imports naturally has a depressing'*
effect upon business, more particularly in the vicinity of such
ports as New York, where there is so much capital and labor
engaged in handling the imports in various directions.
basis of the local and established merchant as to expansion.
When the piano man, or other merchant, shows that he
realiy intends to locate in the town permanently the itinerant
merchant ordinance will hold no terrors for him. The' special
sale proposition in a town lacking in a piano store is legitimate,
and should be welcomed. In other cases, however, the estab-
lished dealer, the man whd is bearing his share of the town's
burdens, is desreving of consideration.
in the small town, with his orders for perhaps only a dozen or 1
two pianos during the year, is, in the majority of cases, a mighty i
good man to tie to. With the proper support he will confine |
himself to one or maybe two lines of instruments, does most of j
the selling himself and knows personally the great majority of
his customers, which means fewer credit risks.
Dealers who sell only a score or so pianos each year, if there
are enough of them, mean good business for any manufacturer
when they have sufficient capital and business ability to stay
beyond the consignment stage of doing business. The manu-
facturers who have tried the experiment of keeping a traveler
working in a single State, and going over that State with a fine-jj
tooth comb, have been surprised at the results, especially in thejj
number of dealers doing business from their own homes, perhaps,
who have been dug up by that method.
With the usual support from the manufacturers the business!
of such small dealers can be. and is, developed at-a rate that is!
really surprising, and the advice from the traveler and his supe-
riors on selling and financing problems falls on fertile ground.
The "Pullman jumps" of the trade "Ambassador" will prob-'
ably be continued as formerly, but will not be the exclusive priv-
ilege of the majority of the traveling men. The surface crop- [
pings have been pretty well cleaned up, and now it is a case off,
digging for ore.
.!
The Europeans, with their limited territory, have long been
forced to resort to intensive development of business, which has
resulted in producing wonderful sales efficiency. The conditions'
in this country now demand the same attention to the smaller'
details, the practice of making every hamlet produce its share'
of income.
T
HE very bigness of the United States, the extent of its
acreage in proportion to the population and the growth
of the population have always had the effect of influencing the
average business man to do things in a broad way, to disregard
the many things that may lie underneath and to take only that
which has lain on the surface, for it has generally proved suffi-
cient. The idea of intensive cultivation, of getting all possible
business out of one section before passing on to the next, has
not prevailed until comparatively recent times, because there
was apparently no real need for it.
In the piano trade, for instance, the big cities and towns
provided about all the business the majority of manufacturers
cared to go after, and the little dealer in the town of two, five
or even ten thousand inhabitants, although not exactly over-
looked, was expected to place "his business unsolicited.
• Within the past couple of years there has been a noticeable
change in the business getting methods of the manufacturers.
The dealers in the big centers are still catered to in the usual
way, but the travelers are also being sent into the various States
for the purpose of digging out the interior trade.
• It has been found by actual experience that the little fellow

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