Music Trade Review

Issue: 1926 Vol. 82 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
46
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 2,
1926
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Philpitt States the New No-Discount
Plan Works Favorably in His Stores
SONGS THAT SELL
Declares All His Stores Would Most Energetically Fight Any Return to the Old System of
Fictitious Markings—Methods by Which the New System Has Been Popularized
Remember (Irving Berlin's Latest)
Then I'll Be Happy
A FTER years of agitation, the sheet music
dealer, on a recommendation of the Fed-
eral Trade Commission and with the assistance
of most of the large standard publishing houses,
finally saw complete the practice of marking
music with the net selling price. For the bet-
ter part of two years this form of marking mu-
sic has been in existence and, from the ma-
jority of reports of dealers, is working out suc-
cessfully. In a few instances those who do
a mail order business have felt the effects of
discounts given by competitors to teachers and
others, and these few have been loud in their un-
favorable comments on the printing of net
prices.
The situation is being fast stabilized and
the few weaknesses in the present system of
marking music will doubtless be eliminated be-
fore another season. In the meantime, those
dealers who are affected by unfair competition
must need hold .their ground, because the prog-
ress made is well worth fighting for, and a
little longer fight will see the end desired firmly
established.
A word from a well-known dealer operating
a number of stores, a former president of the
National Association of Sheet Music Dealers
and one of the most constructive members of
the retail music trade, is not only interesting
but is quite important. The letter from S.
Ernest Philpitt is reproduced below:
"December 9, 1925.
"Editor Music Trade Review: I am more
than ordinarily interested in the article which
appeared in your issue of December S, 'Oliver
Ditson Co. Urges Net-no-discount Plan Be
Strongly Supported.'
"I want you to know that I appreciate the
fearless manner in which the Oliver Ditson Co.
has taken the arbitrary stand in favor of the
new net-no-discount price.
"In our Washington, D. C, store, where we
do an exacting business, meeting daily the very
best elements of both teachers and general
musical public, we have found absolutely no
determined opposition to the net system. In a
few cases where protests were made, as a mat-
ter of explaining why we have made the change
and lopped off the 'discount,' we have been able
to convince easily the questioner of the fair-
ness and necessity for such action. The proof
that we have answered these questions and con-
vinced the musical public generally lies in the
fact that a review of our books and list of cash
customers show no marked losses, only the
usual percentage due to natural changes. We
have not lost a single account or cash customer
that we can trace, due to our change of price
marking, nor have we been able to trace a
single teacher who has left us for a mail order
house on account of our change to 'net' mark-
ing. We have had no grouching; the teachers
worth while considering in every case have ac-
cepted our explanations and agreed with us.
We might also say that in the case of most
of our teachers, they had for several years been
allowing their scholars all discounts they en-
joyed. We know this, because the scholars
have been in the habit of asking for 'my teach-
er's discount' and stating that they were in-
structed to ask for it.
"We fight the mail order houses along the
lines of service: we offer a stock ready to hand,
selections as desired, comprising the best of all
publishers (not largely made up of the mail
order publisher-dealer's own publications); we
are able to know the exact kinds of music the
individual teacher or scholar needs and we can
give advice to them as friend to friend. This
is service plus and is what the real teacher
values more than a few pennies one w r ay or the
other.
"We are meeting what little outside compe-
tition we have with a bold front; we frankly
argue the advantages of dealing locally with
any customer who brings up the subject; we
generally succeed in retaining their trade; as
stated above, we cannot trace a single important
loss to the mail order business people.
"Of course, we carry a line of the necessary
numbers of the mail order houses, but we do
not display any of their publications. We con-
sider them a menace if allowed to gain a foot-
hold, and act accordingly.
"We at Washington deplore any movement
looking towards a change of the present sys-
tem of price marking. We cannot see why the
music trade should retrograde to medieval
methods. What other business marks its goods
at one price and knows, together with its cus-
tomers, that it is an imaginary thing, that the
selling price is 'something else again'? It would
look as though the trade ought really to be
ashamed of anything so utterly unbusinesslike
as returning to fictitious price marking.
"We ought to also remember the very im-
portant fact that it is possible every teacher
who resells music for a profit is liable for not
obtaining a license as a dealer; also that the
public has been pretty well informed as to why
net prices were established. It is not inclined
to tolerate profits on sheet music and books
going to the teacher, for it considers the tui-
tion fee all that that party is entitled to. This
seems also to be the view of the best class
of teachers, as previously explained.
"Our Washington and also Florida stores
most energetically oppose any changes in the
present state of price marking. We believe
that any store can accomplish what we have
done by the use of frankness and diplomacy
with customers, both teachers and general. We
have no reason to suppose that we have ac-
complished anything remarkable, rather just the
logical results of proper presentation of the
subject, having nothing but fairness to argue
from the viewpoint of both buyer and seller.
Why do not all of us take the matter boldly in
I Never Knew
I Wish That I'd Been Satisfied With Mary

That Certain Party
In the Middle of the Night
I Wish't I Was in Peoria
Venetian Isles
Yes, Sir! That's My Baby
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
Yearning
Ukulele Lady
I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
Cecilia
Sonya (Yup Alay Yup)
My Sweetie Turned Me Down
Don't Wait Too Long
Alone at Last
Silver Head
When You and I Were Seventeen
On a Night Like This
Ida, I Do
Waitin' for the Moon
So That's the Kind of a Girl You Are

BOOKS THAT SELL
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 10
Special Edition for 1926
X

Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumit
SONG GEMS
from the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
A Little Bungalow
Florida By the Sea
'
We Should Care
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
hand and not again degenerate into playing into
the hands of the few publishers who sell direct—
those 'goblins who'll catch us of we don't watch
out'?
"Sincerely,
"S. ERNEST
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Progress has been made in the production of high-
class music books and the MOST POPULAR
is the highest so far attained
Wire for descriptive catalog—order from jobber or direct from publisher
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc., Publishers, New York City
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JANUARY 2, 1926
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
47
ig Rirade OF HITS/
>
CAN'T GO WRGAK? 4
WITH ANY FEIST SONG
Richmond on the "Banks of the Wabash"
and on a Visit to the Hoosier Capital
Head of the Richmond Music Supply Corp., New York, Finds the Music Stores of Indianapolis
Replete With Charming Femininity and Naturally Has a Wonderful Time
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., December 23.—At-
*• tractive Indianapolis is friendly, entertaining,
interesting, prosperous, cultured, artistic and a
healthy city to live in. Indianapolis is con-
servatively estimated to
have a population of
m o r e t h a n 360,000.
D o w n t own Indian-
apolis, according to ex-
perts, is one of the best
planned of all cities.
There is not a street
less than ninety feet
wide and the one hav-
ing the heaviest traffic
is 120 feet in width.
The Hoosier capital is
Maurice Richmond
easier of access from
every corner of the nation than any other city,
due to that great transportation fabric which
is woven through this, the center of population.
If you would know the meaning of the true
Hoosier hospitality, come and see for yourself.
No visitor remains a stranger long in Indian-
apolis. The origin of the word Hoosier comes
from the common pioneer greeting "Who's
Yere?"
This is the home of famous authors. In-
dianapolis and the near vicinity have produced
many great writers, such as James Whitcomb
Riley, Booth Tarkington, Meredith Nicholson
and George Ade. The famous composer of that
immortal song "On the Banks of the Wabash,"
Paul Dresser, received his inspiration on the
shores of that famed river at Terre Haute, not
many miles from here. The ability of these
men reflects most clearly the literary talent and
appreciation of this community. The Hoosier
town has many schools and colleges of learning,
including the Indiana College of Music and Fine
Arts and the Metropolitan School of Music.
Fuller-Ryde Music Co.
The Fuller-Ryde Music Co. at 27 East Ohio
street is the headquarters for the famous Conn
line. Here you will find a complete line of
them—"Everything in Music"—the Victor and
Brunswick phonograph lines and radio. The
store is particularly attractive, being odd in
size. It is approximately ISO feet in depth and
twenty feet in width. I had the pleasure of
meeting Mr. Ryde who showed me through it.
To the right there are eight phonograph booths,
used as salesrooms, many showcases and wall
fixtures of musical instrument displays. On the
opposite side is where the sheet music depart-
ment is located—and what a department! Mr.
Ryde said: "We've enjoyed a good Fall business
and a substantial increase in every department."
Friends and fellow-dealers in the music trade
let me introduce to you Miss Gladys Alwes
(pronounced "Always—Glad-ys") and she surely
looks the part. She is one of the ladies of the
music trade who likes an occasional glimpse of
Broadway and comes to the conventions quite
regularly. In fact, she has attended all but the
last of them. A short time ago this talented
lady wrote an article for one of the trade papers,
proving without a doubt that a woman is just
as capable of managing a music department as
the male. She proved it, not in a bravado tone,
but, on the contrary, demonstrated it through
tangible facts. Since I have seen the store and
her department I am fully convinced. Miss
Alwes was born with a smile and it is still with
her. Dependability and exactness are written
all over her face. In her department she serves
a discriminating public. With the true Hoosier
spirit she said, "Just remember that you are
always welcome 'way back in old Indiana. We
are sorry that your visit was so short, but hope
you will do better the next time." Gladys asked
me which was the easiest and which the hardest
instrument to play. After scratching the few
hairs on the top of my dome, I said: "I give up."
She gave me the answer: "Tootin' your own
horn is the easiest and playing second fiddle is
the hardest." Gladys plays the piano. She
sends her best wishes to all her New York
friends.
Carlin Music Co.
Back in the late nineties I can recollect the
old firm of Carlin & Lennox Music Co.; in later
years, the Carlin Music Co. Frank Carlin is the
big boss. He is the proprietor, the owner; a
kindly disposed, hospitable fellow. This is the
home of the Cable Company line of Chicago,
as well as the Lester pianos, Holton band in-
struments and Edison and Columbia phono-
graphs. A high-class repair department for real
service is intelligently operated. That famous
composition, "Valse Caprice," by Newland, as
well as many other compositions by this com-
poser, are published by the Carlin Music Co.
Upon my entrance to this home of music I
found a lot of new faces. I made a bee-line for
the music department and met L. W. Tinsman,
who is in charge. He gave me a very pleasant
"hello" and introduced me to a few other nice
young Hoosiers.
J. H: Remick & Co. of Detroit
The L. S. Ayres Co. has a very high-class
music store within its department store oper-
ated by Jerome H. Remick & Co. Having
heard a good deal about this music department
I was anxious to give it the once-over. Without
a bit of exaggeration it certainly looked good
to me. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Ger-
trude Buttz, head of the department, and Miss
Jessie McWhirter. "Our sales are increasing
over last year," Mrs. Buttz said, quite enthu-
siastically. "So far as the Remick catalog is
concerned, we are certainly getting splendid re-
sults with our big songs: 'Sometime,' 'If I Had
a Girl Like You,' 'By the Light of the Stars,'
'I'm Going to Charleston,' 'Let's Wander
Away' and 'Bam, Bam, Bammy Shore.' The
latter two are the big sells for the Fall. This
department will stand the test of severe criti-
cism, due to Mrs. Buttz's ability. She surely is
painstaking and faithful in the performance of
her duties. My friend Harry Werthen, the big
chief in charge of the Remick stores, certainly
picked a winner in this little lady.
"Floreine Waltz"
A two-million copy success, entitled "Floreine
Waltz," the first syncopated waltz on the mar-
ket, is published by Warner C. Williams, of
this city. Mr. Williams wants it known that this
publication has never been out of print. It is
just that he is interested in another line of
business and quite often he finds it pretty hard
to take care of the orders for his sheet music
publications, particularly since he is his own
shipping clerk, bookkeeper, stenographer, etc.
He wants the trade to know that copies may be
had from all the jobbers. The publication is
printed as a vocal arrangement, as well as for
band and orchestra.
The Music Shop
At 25 Monument place, "On the Circle," one
of the best spots in the Hoosier capital, is this
model music store owned and operated by Miss
L. E. Black. The space occupied by this shop
is about twenty-five by thirty-five feet. Mi-^s
Black is not new to the music business in In-
dianapolis. She has been in it for quite a few
years and she deserves a lot of credit for having
branched out for herself, particularly so since
(Continued on paye 48)
School, Lodge and
Assembly Marches
March Victorious
(Mabel Metsrer-Wrlrht)
Pacific Patrol
(Mabel M«ti*er-Wright)
Reliance March
(Clifford)
Victorious Eagle
(Roaey)
American Beauty March
(Williams)
Knights of Columbus March
(Clifford)
Valiant Volunteers
(Mabel Met*»«r-Wrlrht)
Order Through Jobber or Direct
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc.
Publisher*
New York City

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