Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1915 Vol. 60 N. 3

Page 4 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
B. BBITTAIN WILSON,
A. J. NicKxiN,
^AKLETON CHACE,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
L. M. ROBINSON,
WM. B. WHITE,
GLAD HENDERSON,
L. E. BOWEBS.
BOSTON OFFICE
CHICAGO OFFICE:
in__ir WiTsnM *94 Wa«hinirtnn St
E. ' • ^' AN HARLINGEN, Consumers' Building
0
4
' " ~""f "' " y"™
S20 So. State Street. Telephone, Wabash 6774
Telephone, Main (J950.
HENRY S. KINGWIIA, Associate,
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham 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,
$3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $3.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts, a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages $110.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
PlaVPP
Jinn and
• lOJCl Pi
1 lailV
auu
t i o n s o f a technical nature relating g to the tuning, regu-
l
i
d repairing
ii
i
d player-pianos
l i
flpnsirtmpntc
lating
and
of f pianos
and
are
v e p d i i i i i e i u a . d e a l t w i t h i w |jj b e f o u n | i n a n o t h e r section 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, 1000 Silver Medal- • .Charleston Exposition, 1901
Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medml..Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LOVO DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 6983—5983 KADISON SQ.
Connecting* all Department*
Cable address: "ElblU, H«w York."
NEW
YORK,
JANUARY
16,
1915
EDITORIAL
T
HE growth and development of the talking" machine industry
has been phenomenal, and it was only a few years ago that
the talking machine—and we use it as a generic term covering all
creations of the phonographic type—was viewed in the nature of
a novelty, having perhaps an ephemeral existence. Developments,
however, have brought about entirely new conditions, and instead
of being regarded as a passing whim, it has become a powerful
adjunct to the development of music in the life of the nation. It
is not only an entertainer of marked powers, but it has carried
the cause of music into thousands of places where it would have
been impossible to have reached the people by any other means.
Some of the largest dealers in the United States have suc-
cessfully sold the talking machine in such quantities that their
annual sales have exceeded those of pianos.
It has brought new money into the business and has helped
piano merchants to carry their overhead expenses in a satisfactory
manner.
It has been known for some time past that the Aeolian Co.,
having purchased the control of certain valuable rights and pat-
ents, was about to enter the talking machine field as a manufac-
turer. The mechanical experts of this great corporation have been
experimenting and investigating until at the close of last year the
new product, the Aeolian Vocalion, was placed on sale at Aeolian
Hall. It met with almost instantaneous favor and the Christmas
sales were exceedingly large. Shortly after the first of the year
formal announcement of the new move was made in the New York
papers. Elsewhere in this issue some amplified facts are given con-
cerning this product, which becomes a matter of material interest
to piano merchants.
The Aeolian Vocalion possesses attractive features which are
new and original, and no one can question that its tonal powers
are of a surprising character.
With the forces of this great music trade organization behind
the hew product, it is but fair to assume that its commercial de-
velopment will be rapid, because with the progressive policy of
Aeolian exploitation it means that the attention of millions of
people will be drawn to it.
.
" . ••'
- , .••,". '•,
It might be we,ll to remark that this is the first time that a"
music trade institution has entered the talking machine field as
manufacturers, and the development of this enterprise will be
watched with exceeding interest.
I
N The Review recently. J. Henry Ling, the prominent-piano
merchant of Detroit, set forth a suggestion which he has
placed before some members of Congress, and which may lead to
a revision of the Eederal laws which prohibit, price maintenance.'*
The suggestion i< that as the law against price fi.ving is to guard
against unfair prices, fixed by combinations in restraint of trade,,'
the Interstate Commerce Commission be empowered to, .grant to ,
manufacturers the ri-jht to fix prices provided the prices are
fair. He would have the manufacturers who apply for license
to fix a price upon their product submit a detailed cost.statement.
1o the Interstate Commerce Commission, and have the commission '
investigate that statement and if the price the manufacturer has
decided upon is found to be fair authorize him- to establish it, -
If at any time the manufacturer desired to change the price of
his product, he would have to submit detailed reasons and another
cost statement before being given permission. If at 1 any time «
the commerce commission believed that the price had ceased to be :
a fair one, owing to changed conditions and ought to be lowered,
it could institute an inquiry on its own initiative.
Such a plan, Mr. Ling contends, would make the one-price
system a guarantee to the public that the price was equitable.
Any manufacturer who might'decline to submit'a'cost statement
to the commission and fix a price upon his product would b? at
least suspected of attempting to sell his goods at unfair prices,
even if he would not actually be confessing it by his tactics.
For this reason Mr. Ling believe that nearly every manufacturer
would apply for the right to fix a price upon his goods, and that
none would dare to try to fix too high a price when he knew that
his price was to be investigated. Thus no elaborate investigations
would be necessary, and the bureau to be established within the
commission to handle the licensing need not b? large or expensive
even though hundreds of thousands of manufacturers came in
under the law. A small license fee would easily pay the expenses.
Mr. Ling believes that some such law as this would tend to
prevent much of the misrepresentation that now prevails in the
way of selling cheap pianos as high-grade instruments, thus in-
juring the reputable product as well as doing an injury to the
purchaser.
........
C
ONSIDERABLE opposition is springing up in well-informed
patent circles against a bill drawn up for presentation to
Congress by the American Patent Law Association providing for
the temporary extension of the time of filing applications for letters
patent and registration in the Patent Office and fees therefor.
This bill is broadly drawn, in order to cover all possible contin-
gencies growing out of the war, and purports to follow closely a
law passed in Germany since the outbreak of hostilities for ap-
proximately the same purpose. It has already been considered
and favorably reported by the House Committee on Patents, prin-
cipally because it is liked by the Patent Commissioner.
The present wording of the bill, however, affords to the Ger-
mans, as well as other foreigners, more definite advantages than
are given to American inventors, or other interested persons, by
the German act. In addition to this, the wording of the bill is
said to discriminate in favor of foreigners in that it offers them
the chance of pleading that, owing to their financial condition on
account of the war, they were unable to file their applications in
good time, whereas citizens of this country, who are also adversely
affected in a financial way by the war, might not be granted simi-
lar privileges.
So apparent are the advantages offered to foreigners by the
present bill that the Merchants' Association has appointed a sub-
committee to consider a more satisfactory wording of it.
I
N view of conditions in the piano trade bearing particularly on
the trade-in or used piano, it is interesting to note how our
friends in the automobile industry are handling- the trade-in or
used-car problem. For the used car, like the used piano, is rapidly
assuming an important position in the automobile field, and a
prominent automabile man, in discussing this vital situation, said:

Page 5 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
APPROVE ADOPTION OF NEW CREDIT SYSTEM.
(Continued from page 3.)
trial heads who favor the establishment of a definite credit basis. It will come. There is no ques-
tion of that, and the plans will be crystallized in such a manner that their adoption will be heralded
with joy by all branches of the trade, for under the new system piano paper will carry with it in-
creased value and dignity in the financial market.
There is no move which can be made that will make more for business solidity than to have the
selling systems reformed and reorganized on a systematic and scientific basis, where selling will be
safeguarded in such a way that sales will be genuine, and not for the purpose of the flotation of
paper.
-
Obviously, radical plans may not be acceptable to everyone at the
start, but as I read the handwriting on the wall it is clearly discernible
that new forces and new conditions will be introduced in this trade
within the very near future which wall substantially assist trade sta-
bility and—best of all—net profits.
,
How United States Consuls Help Manufacturers
A /I ANUFACTURERS who are in a position to take advantage
IVJ. of the opportunities that are open may derive considerable
free advertising for their products through the medium of the
United States consular offices throughout the world. Or perhaps
it would be more exact to say that they can have the benefit of
demonstrations of their wares at these consular posts—for, of
course, any manufacturer can gain a certain amount of advertising
by merely filing his catalogs and printed matter at each consulate.
But that is a form of publicity which, naturally, is not so forceful
as visual appeal to foreign prospects.
As an illustration of what might almost be termed involuntary
promotioTi via consular channels, Printers' Ink cites the fact that
the Dick Co. has within a comparatively brief interval sold fifty of
its steel safes, or safe cabinets, so-called, in the South American
Republic of Uruguay as a result of the installation of one of these
steel cabinets in the office of a United States consulate in that
country. The Macey Co. has been enabled to make heavy sales of
sectional bookcases to foreign customers whose trade was cultivated
in like manner, and similarly the Globe-Wernicke Co. has found
new outlets overseas for its record and filing equipment with no
more effort than was required to furnish quotations, etc., to the
prospects referred to them by the various United States consular
officers.
The American consular offices abroad have' not as yet reached
the status which it is hoped they will one day attain, when every
such establishment will include what might be termed a "perma-
nent exposition" of American goods likely to interest the people
of the particular locality in which the consulate is located.
In the meantime, then, the only opportunity for the exhibition
and demonstration work which begets business is found in the
every-day use of such furnishings, equipment and supplies as are
required by the consular officers in the regular discharge of their
business. That is how it comes about that certain lines have
already benefited by commercial "missionary work," which was not
designed to display favoritism in behalf of any particular trade.
Even this plan of making our consular officers practical as
well as theoretical trade-getters is of comparatively recent incep-
tion. It was only a few years ago that the policy was adopted of
furnishing all United States consular offices abroad with articles
of American manufacture instead of permitting the outfitting of
the offices with such utilities as were afforded by the local mercan-
tile establishments. The result has been seen in the stimulated
sales abroad of American products.
It should perhaps be made clear that the advertising attained
by American goods installed in the United States Government's
"branch offices" abroad is distinctly of the object-lesson variety.
It is not the province of a consular officer to go out into the high-
ways and byways and inveigle people in to see American goods
which are on display or in use in his office, but it so happens that
in the natural course of business a large number of residents of
the community—particularly those engaged in mercantile and com-
mercial pursuits—have occasion to visit the American consulate.
If these callers are at all keen for innovations and improvements,
their attention is likely to be attracted to some of those specialties
in the production of which Americans excel. Even at that the
consular officer does not assume the role of salesman. He simply
gives the prospect the address of the manufacturer in the United
States, or supplies him with a catalog.
"Not more than two years ago the dealer in new cars was
inclined to rid himself as rapidly as possible of all the used cars
which were forced upon him in trade. To-day he realizes that
he is in the used as well as the new car business, and, instead of
dismissing the used-car problem, he is trying to solve it and make
the best rather than the worst of it. He no longer dumps his used
cars in the lap of the second-hand man, but instead finds he can
repair and paint the cars he takes in and dispose of them to much
better advantage. If they are of the same make as he is handling
in new cars, he now thoroughly overhauls them and offers them
with full guarantee.
"This is doing a great deal for the dealer and more for the
buyer of used cars, aside from placing this vehicle in a higher
category. Every old model now has a standard market price,
which is being rapidly standardized among all dealers, regardless
of what they are compelled to allow for these cars on a trade deal
for new cars. The market price of all used cars is being carefully
watched by dealers' associations in various large cities, and these
prices go to make up a market report on which all dealers will
shortly base the figures they set upon repaired and rebuilt cars.
All this means that the used car is a permanent fixture, and will be
handled as such in the interest of both merchant and buyer."
This discourse is illuminating and contains a moral for the
piano man.
NOVEL feature of this issue of The Review is the Salesman-
ship Section, or magazine, which will bring The Review
A
closer to the sales forces of this trade. It is simply another
feature of Review service, in conjunction with "Who's Who in
the Piano Industry," which is of obvious value to the selling end^
of the industry.
/'Who's Who" contains a list of the piano manufacturing
firms and corporations in the United States, together with con-
siderable interesting data.
"Who's Who" will clear up a good deal of misinformation
and clarify the trade atmosphere on a number of important points.
Such features are along the lines of constructive work. They
aid manufacturer, merchant and salesman, and we feel confident
that the latter will be particularly pleased with what this issue of
The Review contains in relation to practical salesmanship.

Download Page 4: PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.