Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NOVEMBER 7, 1925
THE
MUSIC TRADE
Ege Talks on Net Price Marking—(Continued from page 62)
buy music for elsewhere, but that our house,
if we gave service, could get the price. I
argued the point, but I am sorry to say, could
not make the publisher see it.
"In December I received a letter from one
of the big New York publishers stating that
we should hold out for just a little longer;
that something of interest would be announced
early in January; that its representative, who
would call upon us at that time, would give out
the good news. When the representative came
I asked him 'What information have you from
your house that is to be of such great interest
to us?' He said: 'I have nothing; I know noth-
ing.' We were prepared at that time to do
something if the publishers didn't do something,
and it was very evident that they had nothing
in mind for our protection.
"We then notified our teachers we would
allow them a discount of 10 per cent. Now,
mind you, we had no preferred customers. We
played the game. Every teacher received the
same rate and no one could buy one piece of
music for less than somebody else. That in
the face of the fact that dealers in many local-
ities who were professing their faith in the net
no-discount plan were allowing a discount and
we were losing money by maintaining our posi-
tion.
"After we decided to protect ourselves by
meeting the discounts, not only of the publish-
ers who were openly allowing discounts but
those who were allowing it on the quiet, we
were accused by a couple of houses that we
had broken down the plan and that we were
responsible for the plan not having worked.
Was there anything that could have been said
more unfair and unjust, since we had sat down
for six months and over seeing dealers who
were cutting prices take our business?
"Granting that the teachers are not entitled
to a preferential discount, is there any system
by which we can hold our customers in the
face of dozens of other mail-order sheet music
houses, making a very decided effort in our
territory to get business and allowing teachers
a special discount? If there is a system where-
by we can hold our trade in the face of such
competition we would like very much to know
about it.
"Another matter which all publishers prob-
ably have not taken into consideration is the
necessity of teachers keeping in touch with new
publications. If they are to know of the new
material they must go to the expense of pay-
ing transportation charges for music received
on approval, not only in getting it but the cost
of returning what is not suitable for their use.
"It is a fact that we are hopelessly dead-
locked and the only way something can be
done, in my opinion, is to make recommenda-
tions to the publishers which might bring
about a more healthy condition in this line of
the business. Everyone is losing nowadays.
The dealer who cuts makes nothing and the
dealer who does not cut loses custom. May
I ask you, as a dealer, to express your opinion
on this vital question, addressing the National
Association of Sheet Music Dealers?
"Let's hope that we will be able to get the
publishers to mark a price on sheet music that
will give the dealer an opportunity to quote
a better price, if he so desires. We all know
the overhead of all dealers is not the same, but
the plan now followed makes it obligatory for
every dealer to sell at a certain price, regard-
less of his overhead.
"I could, if space permitted, offer many other
arguments in opposition to the one-price no-
discount plan, but I see no reason for doing
so, and concluding, I will say again, I can't
understand the dealers who insist that a certain
article be marked at a price that will permit
of the skimpiest possible profit."
A List of Books That Will Be Good
Sellers in the Dealer's Music Store
Compiled by J. M. Priaulx, of the Charles H. Ditson Co.—A Field Where There Is a Good Volume
of Sales for the Dealer Who Carries a Varied Stock of This Type
M. PRIAULX, of the Charles H. Ditson
• Co., at the suggestion of The Review, has
compiled a useful list of books coming under
the head of musical literature. The list which
is given below is of sufficient importance so
that every enterprising dealer who has given
thought to that phase of the music business will
find it of much interest. This compilation is of
a character that arouses interest among musi-
cians and others. Such books when placed upon
sales counters or used in show windows will
create sales. Schools, colleges, libraries and
students are looking for them.
At this particular period of the year musical
literature of this type will also be found to be
readily salable as Christmas gifts. To those
interested in music no more appropriate present
could be devised than that of giving bound vol-
umes of musical history and similar publica-
tions.
The list includes:
J
"Musical History—Lives of Composers," ctt., by W. J.
Baltzell (Presser), J. F. Cooke (Presser), W. S. Pratt
(Schirmer), E. Dickinson (Scribner), Stanford & Forsyth
(Macmillan), O. G. Sonneck (Macmillan), W. S. P.
Mathews (Church), C. G. Hamilton (Ditson), Topper and
Goetschius (Scribner), P. H. Scholes (Oxford Press) ;
"Music and Musicians,". A. Lavignac (Holt); "Great Musi-
cians," P. A. Scholes (Oxford); "Lure of Music," O.
Downs (Harper); "Chopin the Man," J. Huneker (Scrib
ner); "Contemporary Composers," D. G. Mason (Macmil-
lan) ; "Life Stories Great Composers," R. A. Streatfield
(Presser); "Music Appreciation," C. G. Hamilton (Dit-
son) ; "Ed. McDowell," L. Gilman (Dodd-Mead); "Piano
Music, Its Composers and Characteristics," C. G. Hamilton
(Ditson); "American Composers," R. Hughes and L. Elson
(Page & Co.); "Piano Teaching, Its Problems," C. G.
Hamilton (Ditson); "Story Lives of Great Master Musi-
cians," H. Brown (Stokes); "Musical Progress," H. T.
Kinck (Presser); "Music Club Programs," H. Elson (Dit-
son) ; "Evolution of the Art of Music," C. H. Parry
(Appleton); "Education of a Music Lover," E. Dickinson
(Scribner); "Some Essentials in Musical Definitions," M.
F. MacConnett (Ditson); "Education of the Music
Teaclier," T. Topper (Presser); "Art of Touch," T. Mat
thay (Longmans Green Co.); "Young Peoples' History,"
J. C. Macy (Ditson); "How to Listen to Music," H. E.
63
REVIEW
Krehbiel (Scribner); "How Music Developed," W. J.
Henderson (Stokes); "Essentials of Piano Playing," C.
Johns (Ditson); "Musical Education," A. Lavignac (Apple-
ton); "Piano Mastery," two vols., H. Brown (Stokes);
"From Song to Symphony," D. G. Mason (Ditson); "Piano
Playing Questions Answered," Joseph Hoffman (Presser) ;
"Introduction to Music Appreciation," D. T. Moyer (Dit-
son); "Piano and Its Music," H. E. Krehbiel (Scrib-
ner's); "What to Play, What to Teach," H. Brown
(Presser); "From Brain to Keyboard," W. M. Smith
(Ditson); "Music Art and Language," W. R. Spalding
(Schmidt); "Musical Analysis," A. J. Goodrich (Church);
"Interpretation of Piano Music," M. Venable (Ditson);
"Science of Musical Sound," D. C. Miller (Macmillan) ;
"Sound and Its Relation to Music," C. G. Hamilton
(Ditson); "Fundamentals of Music," K. Gehrkens (Dit
son); "Orchestra and Orchestra Music," W. J. Hender-
son (Scribner); "Orchestral Instruments," D. G. Mason
(H. W. Gray); "Musical Instruments," Edgar S. Kelley
(Ditson); "Instruments of Modern Orchestra," A. E.
Johnson (Carl Fischer); "Technic of the Baton," A.
Stoessel (Carl Fischer); "Essentials of Conducting," K. W.
Gehrkens (Ditson); "School Orchestras and Bands," G.
H. Woods (Ditson); "My Long Life in Music," L. Auer
(Stokes); "Violin Playing as I Teach It," L. Auer
(Stokes); "How to Master Violin," P. L. Bytovetzski (Dit
son); "Encyclopedia of Violin," A. Bachman (Appleton);
"Violin Mastery," F. Martins (Stokes); "Violin Masters'
Works and Interpretations," L. Auer (Carl Fischer);
"How to Sing," L. Lehman (Macmillan); "Resonance in
Singing," T. Fillebrown (Ditson); "Singer and His Art,"
T. Moriski (Appleton); "Your Voice and You," C. K.
Rogers (Ditson); "Vocal Art Science," Dr. F. E. Miller
(Schirmer); "Early History of Singing," W. J. Hender-
son (Longmans Green Co.) ; "Simple Truths Used by Great
Singers," S. R. Duff (Ditson); "Art of Singing," W. T-
Henderson (Scribner); "Voice Education," E. McLellan
(Harper); "Some Staccato Notes," M. Withrow (Ditson);
"Ear Training and Sight Reading," two vols., G. A.
Wedge (Schirmer); "Ear Training for Teacher and Pupil,"
C. A. Alchin (Ditson); "Singing," H. Witherspoon (Schir
mer); "School Music Hand Book," Cundiff-Dykema
(Birchard); "Common Sense of Music," Dr. S. S. Spaeth
(Boni & Liveright); "Behind the Scenes at the Opera,"'
M. F. Watkins (Stokes); "First Aid to Opera Goers,"
M. F. Watkins (Stokes); "Opera and Its Stars," M.
Wagnalls (Funk & Wagnalls) ; "Opera Stories," H. Mason
(Willis); "Opera Goers' Guide," L. Melitz (Dodd-Mead);
"The Opera Book," G. Kobbe (Putnam); "New Encyclo
pedia of Music and Musicians," W. S. Pratt (Carl
Fischer) ; "Music Lovers' Encyclopedia," R. Hughes (Dou-
bleday, Page & Co.); "Elson Dictionary," L. Elson (Dit-
son); "Dictionary Musicians," W. J. Baltzell (Ditson);
"Dictionary of Music and Musical Instruments," J. Perl-
ver (Dutton); "Survey of Contemporary Music," C. Gray
(Oxford Press); "Success in Music and How Won," H. T.
Finck (Scribner's); "Story of Symphonic Music," L. Gil-
man (Harper's) ; "Standard Concert Guide," G. P. Upton
(McClure); "Piano Playing Mechanisms," \V. B. White
(Edward Lyman Bill, Inc.); "Art of Player Piano," S.
Green (Dutton); "Modern Piano Tunim; and Its Allied
Art*," W. B. White (Edward Lyman Hill, Inc.).
You Can't Go Wrong .
With these FEIST Soitgs
FIVE FOOT TWO-1
EYES o F B L U E ,
HAS
NOVELTY FOXTROT
Cyxic iyLEWIS WY0UN6 1
iKwfc - ^ \ ^ O E R S O N
w
m^fPmm
fflrdu
WaJt,
*
«*
>N
/
^ r &*****
nt*2
^ ^, SO/
ibuCantGoWron
With Any Ff/STSon