Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1916 Vol. 63 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
THE
fflWICT!(ADE
PUBLISHED BY THE ESTATE OF EDWARD LYMAN BILL
(C. L. BILL, Executrix.)
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor
AUGUST J. TIMPE
Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
B. BIITTAIN WILSON,
CARLBTON CHACE,
L. M. ROBINSON,
GLAD HENDERSON,
A. J. NICKLIN, W M . B. WHITE, WILSON D. BUSH, L. E. BOWERS, V. D. WALSH,
BOSTON OFFICE I
*
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone, Main 6950.
'
CHICAGO
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN
^
OFFICE I
Consumers' Building.
220 So. State Street. Telephone, Wabash 5774.
HENRY S. KINGWILL, 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
REVIEW
optimistically of conditions in their respective territories, and
emphasized the point that at no time was there a larger demand
for instruments of recognized standing than today. They pointed
out that price is not the great consideration as in other years.
People are buying grands, uprights and players that are expen-
sive in price, and where cash sales are not the vogue, are paying
larger initial cash payments in time sales.
In the piano trade there is always a slowing up of business
in the summer time, but it is notable that there is a larger degree
of activity prevailing 1 this year than ever before, and this is es-
pecially true where dealers are giving more attention to advertis-
ing and where extra work is being done by the sales staff in the
matter of rounding up prospects.
As we have emphasized time and time again the summer
time need not necessarily be a dull period in the piano trade.
The merchant who has had the foresight to prepare plans for a
summer campaign, and who is carrying them out with enthusiasm,
cannot escape getting good results. Just watch those piano mer-
chants who are as wide awake in the summer as in the fall and
winter months, and you will observe that their business is show-
ing steady strides toward enlargement.
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, $no.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to the Estate of
Edward Lyman Bill.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
Plovoi*
and
rlfljvl ~B Piann
idUU OBU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
p
d e a i t w i t n , will be found in another 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
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma... .Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
KONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable address: "ElbiU, New York."
NEW YORK. J U L Y 1, 1 9 1 6 .
EDITORIAL
A
T last the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce plan is in
the way of actual accomplishment. From a hazy idea pre-
sented something over a year ago, a definite outline for the or-
ganization was formulated at a meeting of representatives of
various trade bodies in February, and last week the plan as set
forth, and the constitution and by-laws, appealed so strongly to
the various trade bodies that the manufacturers, merchants,
travelers and music roll manufacturers' associations all agreed to
join the new body when it comes into being. The formal organi-
zation meeting of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
will be held in February, 1917, and before the annual convention
next year this trade-wide body will have become a thing of
reality.
Paul B. Klugh, father of the idea, is to be congratulated
upon the success of his efforts. When Mr. Klugh first broached
the plan it was practically called visionary by some. There were
various members of the trade, however, who could see its logic.
Hard work and persistent work, meanwhile, has resulted in victory,
and it is to be hoped that Mr. Klugh's ideas regarding the effec-
tiveness of the new organization will work out as successfully as
his ideas regarding its formation.
T
HE acute situation in regard to Mexico has been a more or
less disquieting factor in the business world during the past
ten days, and in the piano as well as other lines, for a time, there
.developed an uneasiness in the business field which happily is
•now rapidly disappearing. Financially and industrially, the
United States is in splendid shape to withstand any demand that
may be made upon it in the matter of war or otherwise, and after
the flurry of excitement which is inevitable in connection with a
discussion on war matters, it is certain that business which has
been so active this year, will continue on its path toward further
achievements.
Piano merchants from widely separated sections of the coun-
try who were in New York last week, expressed themselves most
T
HAT any genuine campaign for trade advancement through
the medium of "Music in the Home" pages of special music
sections in local newspapers should be conducted in co-operation
with the piano trade organizations has been evident on a number
of occasions. Facts and figures regarding the trade should be
accurate—in fact accuracy in all matters is the only basis upon
which a campaign can achieve permanent success, and the piano
men should be called upon to give accurate figures regarding their
industry.
In the excellent four-page supplement issued by the New
York Globe on Friday of last week, which marked the holding
of the trade conventions in New York, the statement was made
that while in 1910 the output was 350,000 pianos, valued at
$100,000,000, "it can be estimated that the output for the current
year will amount to 500,000 pianos and 800,000 player-pianos, bring-
ing to the manufacturers almost one billion dollars."
Juggling with figures in this manner does no one any good,
although the newspaper is not wholly to blame. Even official
figures regarding the piano industry are frequently so glaringly
inaccurate as to be humorous.
i i \ J E R E in our schools should be laid the cornerstone of our
1 1 greatness as a musical nation." In this one sentence is
to be found the kernel of the argument put forth by Prof. Fleck
in his address before the piano manufacturers and merchants at
the Convention last week, in support of the movement for trade
advancement. "How is it possible for the musical world or the
commercial forces of the musical world to enlarge their activities
when they make no effort to create a musical public?" said Prof.
Fleck. "The Jesuitic motto is 'give me the child and you take
the man.' Your motto seems to be 'give me the man and to hell
with the child.' The Church here has made its preparations for
the future.
"It is a self-evident fact that every man expects to do busi-
ness ten, fifteen or twenty years from now. Now, then, the ones
who should be our future customers fifteen or twenty years from
now are the little kiddies who at present are running our streets
and schools, and who are making life generally interesting to
everybody, but not in a musical way. These little human beings
will be the great forces of the future. They will be our prominent
citizens, our active business men, teachers and politicians, and
perhaps piano manufacturers.
"What provisions are you making to mold these young
people a* factors and appreciators in the world of music? What
efforts are you making to influence them as future buyers of
pianos? Nearly everyone insures his life and property. Is it
for the present? Have you insured yourself for your future busi-
ness? Have you done anything to enlarge your possible field of
operation? No, you make a piano today and sell it tomorrow."
Prof. Fleck did not present merely an address, but an ar-
raignment of present trade conditions that should make every
piano man, whether manufacturer or merchant stop, look and
listen.
The members of the trade who heard or who have read Prof.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
GOOD WORK ACCOMPLISHED AT CONVENTIONS
(Continued from page 3)
no thought of taking any advantage whatever of the press, but rather with the expectation of being a
benefit to it.
It was pointed out that recently an important newspaper in New York City, and also one in Cleveland,
both indiciated a course that can be pursued for the benefit of themselves, the music trade industry, and the
general public, and that the music publicity encouraged by these papers, while somewhat dissimilar, has the
same intent.
It is obvious that the success or failure of this entire plan of advertising centers on the matter of
co-operation on the part of the merchants, particularly in the smaller cities, for local papers are not prone
to increase their expense by the addition of a new department, unless the local merchants take a certain
amount of advertising space on such a page. It is clear, therefore, that the whole proposition is dependent
on the closest co-operation between the manufacturers, the merchants, and the special committee having this
advertising campaign in charge.
The cost of the bureau planned by the Manufacturers' Association is estimated at approximately $15,000
for the first year, which expense will largely cover the expenses of the secretary of the publicity bureau, who
will do considerable traveling throughout the country, promoting and developing this idea all along the lines
of helping the entire industry.
This movement marks a new era in association history, for as the Committee on Trade Advancement
properly says, it marks the beginning of probably the greatest work the trade has ever undertaken. The
work, to be thoroughly effective, must be extensive and intensive; there should be complete co-operation by
all in the trade; it should be a movement of many hands with but one heart.
The enthusiasm and interest displayed in this matter of advertising at the convention should not be
allowed to die with the departure of the delegates to their homes, for the subject is one that is vitally important.
The committee in charge of the development of this proposition should receive the heartiest support in
its efforts to achieve results. There should be substantial assistance in the way of subscriptions and encour-
agement in submitting ideas and suggestions that will be of practical value.
The Review hails with delight the plan as proposed by the committee, and rejoices that the idea embodied
therein—an idea which had its inception in the columns of this paper—gives e\nery promise of a consummation
which w r ill be of lasting benefit to the music trade.
Fleck's address should have the salient points indelibly impressed
on their minds. Although a teacher and director of music, an
idealist to a certain extent, and an outsider so far as the trade is
directly concerned, the professor analyzed conditions as they are
with a faithfulness that was startling to most of those who lis-
tened.
In other words, while trade advancement plans for today,
with the object of reaching people who can now buy pianos is a
worthy object, it must not be overlooked that one of the success-
ful plans is that which will reach the children through the schools,
inculcating a proper understanding, appreciation and love of
music. With such a musical training, conducted by the state or
city and with the co-operation of piano manufacturers and mer-
chants, the trade advancement campaign will not be a thing of
the moment but rather an earnest work for the future.
To build for posterity requires broadminded courage in car-
rying out an idea that in some of its phases is idealistic, and a
generosity of spirit required to invest money for the possible
benefit of someone else in the future. Will the piano men meet
the test?
OHN WANAMAKER, whose knowledge of the fundamen-
tals of merchandising has enabled him to build up one of
the largest and most • complete retail organizations in the-
United States, addressed an open letter to the delegates in at-
tendance at the convention of the Associated Advertising Clubs
of the World, which met in Philadelphia this week, in which
he points out, among other things, the opportunity awaiting
the advertising men of this country to correct some of the most
salient evils which have crept into the general practice of ad-
vertising and merchandising. Among these evils Mr. Wana-
makor mentions the practice of claiming to sell goods for prices
which are much less than the goods are reasonably worth, and
the pernicious influence of so-called "sales-experts" who go
about organizing special sales, club schemes, and other selling
stunts all more or less at variance with the basic ethics of real
merchandising. While it is true that the advertising men of
this country can do much to eradicate these evils, they cannot
J
completely stamp out questionable methods in selling and ad-
vertising until the merchants of the country unite in an effort
to stamp out those practices which cast discredit on honest mer-
chants and cheapen honest merchandise in the eyes of the pub-
lic.
In the piano industry alone there is a fertile field for improve-
ment, a field which can and will become wonderfully productive
when the weeds of shady methods have been uprooted and de-
stroyed. This work is progressing continually, as witness the
increasing difficulties which confront those piano sellers who
stick to the old and threadbare puzzle scheme as a substitute
for more legitimate endeavor—as witness the agreement being
made between piano merchants all over the country, even in
localities where competition is keenest, not to place on sale a
second-hand piano of standard make, handled by some other
dealer in the town, without first giving the dealer carrying that
particular instrument an opportunity to take it off the hands of
the dealer in whose possession it may be, and even after that
opportunity has been given, not to advertise the piano without
specifically stating that the piano is second-hand—as witness
further the gradual elimination of advertising which claims that
a piano, offered at a certain price, is worth much more than the
price asked.
Advertising clubs, piano and allied organizations, and indi-
vidual dealers of integrity and public spirit are doing all in their
power to eliminate the evils to which Mr. Wanamaker referred
in his open letter, yet the thinking man may well wonder why
such evils have ever been allowed to come into being. The
public, no matter how susceptible it may have been in the past
to the methods popularly attributed to the late P. T. Barnum,
is no longer in that frame of mind, if indeed it ever was. To
offer a piano at a price which is claimed to be half of what the
instrument is worth is to lessen the public regard for all pianos,
to offer to give away a piano for the mere solving of a childishly
and intentionally simple puzzle picture or rebus is to lead the
public to scoff at the real worth of all pianos and to believe that
all dealers are as unethical and tricky as is the one dealer who
uses that particular form of catch-penny publicity.

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