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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
close credits is when there is plenty of business—when the good
can be sorted from the bad. It has been said that no business is
ever ruined by too much economy. Although this statement is
rather broad, the fact remains that little harm can come from a wise
economy in the granting of credits.
HRISTMAS business is now but a memory, although a very
pleasant memory to be sure, and the members of the music
trade,
particularly
the retailers in the leading cities of the country,
EDWARD LYMANBILL - Editor and Proprietor
have much reason to be gratified with the results of their efforts.
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
The holiday business does not just happen—it must be worked for,
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
and the efforts put forth by the members of the trade in developing
B. BKITTAIN WILSON,
CARLKTON CHACE,
L. M. ROBINSON,
GLAD HENDERSON,
A. J N ' - n i H ,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
WM. B. WHITE,
L. E. BOWEIS.
interest and a demand for musical goods, affords an interesting study.
BOSTON O F F I C E :
CHICAGO O F F I C E :
In the creation of this demand dealefs in many cities through-
JOHK H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
- *• VAN HARLINGEN Consumers' Building,
2 2 So S t a t e S t r c c t
Telephone, Main 6950
° -
- Telephone, Wabash 5774.
out the country have had considerable advantage over those
HBNRY S. KING WILL. Associate.
located in metropolitan cities, for newspapers in various sections
LONDON, ENGLAND: i Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED W E E K L Y BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
have seen fit to devote many pages of editorial space to the music
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
trade of their respective cities in support of the piano and talking
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New YorH
machine dealers who use their columns for advertising. In Cleve-
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
land, for instance, an entire section of the Cleveland Leader was
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
given
over to the announcements of local dealers and to an abund-
ADVERTISEMENTS, $3.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts, a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages $110.00.
ance
of
text matter regarding the histories and accomplishments of
HKMI'rrANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
manufacturers whose lines are handled in Cleveland, as well as to
interesting matter regarding the instruments themselves, and to pub-
Pi An A itnil
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
• lauv auu
tions o f a technical nature relating to the tuning, refu-
licity regarding the local houses.
pnnrfntPnfc
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
e p a r i u T C M S . d e a l t w i t h i w i l l b e found in another section c thit
St. Louis also fell into line with a ten-page music section in the
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information cone rning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
St. Louis Star, well edited and handsomely illustrated, the issue in-
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
cluding among other things a full page story regarding the new
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
home of the Field-Lippman Piano Stores of that city, together with
Uiploma
Pan-Amcncan Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
elaborate illustrations of the various departments.
£OITO DISTANCE TELEPHONES—KtTMBEBS 5982—5983 MADISON SQ.
Various prominent lines of talking machines and a number of
Connecting- all Departments
Cable uddrew: "ElbiU, Hew York."
prominent makes of pianos were also strongly featured both in the
advertisement and in the text. The editorial treatment was par-
NEW YORK, JANUARY
1916.
ticularly interesting, leading off with "An Ode to Music," by Robert
Ingersoil.
Youngstown, O., came forward with a talking machine review
EDITORIAL
in the Daily Vindicator, Victor, Columbia, Edison and Pathe ma-
chines both being featured in the advertisements and in the text.
HANGED conditions alter perspectives. To the pedestrian
All this is in the general nature of a local application of "Piano
the driver of a motor car is often a heartless fiend with the
Week"
idea as advocated by The Review, and the demand stimu-
desire to kill as many people as he can. When the pedestrian him-
lated
by
these local sections in the daily papers has proven to the
self becomes the driver of a motor car those who travel on shank's
dealers
so
favored that organized publicity of the right sort can
mare become a decided nuisance and an impediment to progress. It
really
create
business, not only during holiday times, but also dur-
all lies in the altered point of view.
ing
any
other
season of the year. It makes the public interested
The same situation prevails in business. The man who is
in
the
proposition
of music in the home. It teaches them to think,
forced to retrench looks upon his fellow merchant who takes
and
once
started
thinking
the ultimate sale is a matter of course.
chances in business as a menace to the trade to a certain extent; but
let a wave of prosperity strike the little fellow, and he has greatly
HERE are, unfortunately, not a few people who have no idea
changed opinions regarding conservatism arid considers the man who
of the general value to the community of efficiency in all
is over-careful in his dealings in the light of a "poor sport" and a
private undertakings and affairs. They have no conception of the
hindrance to business expansion.
In the piano trade we have this altered condition to contend widespread, indirect, community benefits of wealth, wherever
owned. Distinguished men, leaders in public life and acting
with and will have it for the next few months at least. While we
guides to social progress, have been known to declare that the
have not really been stricken with the proverbial seven years of
economies of certain modern methods of production were of small
famine, the period of depression has been altogether too long,
value because the benefits were absorbed in a few large fortunes.
although not without its benefits in the form of cleaner and more
compact stock, more fixed ideas regarding closer credits and all This idea is at the bottom of much of th> antagonism to large
organizations; a brief that even though they are more efficient,
that goes with nursing a business through a ticklish period.
the
efficiency benefits only a few. But the progress of the world
With the fall months there came a wonderful revolution. Piano
is
made
by the changes in methods which enable a given task to
factories that for months were all but closed became swamped with
be
performed
in less time than before, so that either the volume
orders. In many cases it was necessary to operate night and day
of
a
given
product
may be increased, or a portion of the labor
shifts to meet the demands of the dealers. On the other hand, the
previously
employed
may be transferred to other purposes. The
dealers with their depleted stock have been hard put to secure suf-
community
is
interested
in the multiplication of products; the more
ficient instruments to take care of the unexpected boom in trade.
there
are
the
greater
the
general distribution will be, and the more
In the rush of selling pianos and players and getting real money
capital is accumulated and used in production, and the more
for them, the resolves of many dealers and manufacturers to con-
effective the organization of industry is made, the greater the sup
tinue to practice the conservatism so well begun during the lean
ply
of products will be. Every economic achievement has its final
time are apt to be lost and forgotten. This is no time to sound a
result
in more products.
"solemn note of warning." But it is not amiss to suggest that
We
deplore the destruction of property and waste of energy
piano men should take account of themselves immediately after the
in
the
war,
because we see it putting a check upon production,
holidays and see that the lessons learned at such a heavy cost during
raising
the
cost
of necessaries, and halting the progress of thr
the depression have not been learned in vain to the end that the new
world.
And
yet
the
waste of inefficiency and mismanagement, of
year is started right.
failure
to
use
the
most
effective agencies and methods, is as real a
Carelessness in credits is liable to be the first step, and yet to
hindrance
to
social
progress
as the waste of war.
the thinking man it is readily understandable that the real time for
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