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publishers' and dealers' associations of a Code of Ethics de-
signed to remedy the matter. The publishers have admitted
that the dealer's store is the logical outlet for their music, but
to have that outlet effective the dealer must carry a representa-
tive stock and render prompt service in his community. The
publishers declare that they would much rather sell through
the dealer and thus limit the number of accounts on the books
than to sell direct and suffer the added expense and trouble.
The fly in the ointment, however, is that all too many deal-
ers carry limited stocks, do not keep them before their cus-
tomers in a manner to attract attention and sales, render little
real service to the local teachers or students and spend little
or no time and effort in direct promotion work. The charge
is broad and does not apply to every music retailer, but it
does apply to a sufficient number of cases to give the publish-
ers a logical argument for their direct selling tactics. The
dealer who operates on the basis that, although carrying only
half a stock, he can order anything else that is needed by a
customer from his publisher is rendering no local service, for
the customer himself can use the mails and save a trip to the
store. The purpose of carrying stocks is not alone to have
the music on hand when asked for but to see that it is prop-
erly and regularly brought to the attention of those likely to
be interested so that it will create sales instead of hibernating
on the shelves waiting for orders.
There are going to be many charges of bad faith made
against publishers during the next few months, but before any
such charge is considered, or even made, the fair thing is for
the dealer to analyze his own affairs and see how he has
measured up in giving proper representation. If the pub-
lisher who is some hundred miles away can dig sales out of a
territory by direct-mail and an occasional call there seems to
be no reason why the local dealer should not be able to do
much more business through the use of that same mail and
the increased opportunities for personal contact. Every time
a teacher or student leaves a music store without being intro-
duced at least to one or more new selections or new books,
the dealer is simply letting go of that opportunity which he
has for years insisted is his due.
This contacting and this proper presentation of not only
new music but outstanding selections among the older stand-
ards requires intelligent salesmanship. The sales person who
handles it is some degrees above the ordinary order-filling
clerk and must be properly compensated for his higher intel-
ligence, his musical training and his salesmanship. The sales-
man for the automobile, for the electric refrigerator, knows
what he is talking about when he is interviewing customers,
so why should not the music salesman be equally able to talk
on a level with the customer and present those intelligent
arguments that will appeal?
At the annual convention of the National Association of
Music Merchants in Chicago last year an entire session was
devoted to a discussion on sheet music departments and it
was the consensus of opinion on the part of those who main-
tained departments properly stocked and staffed that they pay
substantial profits on themselves without taking into considera-
tion their value in building up a store following and bringing
in prospects for musical instruments.
All publishers are not lily white by any manner of means
and there are some who will continue to invade the dealer
territory regardless of his efforts or the existence of codes,
but a great majority are sincere in their desire to insure the
dealer full protection in the territory in which he gives them
proper representation and will, in addition, aid him in his
promotion work to the end that all may profit.
That the sheet music business is a stable business is attested
to by the fact that it has suffered less in proportion than any
other division of the music trade and, for that matter, less
than 90 per cent of the country's industries. Such a business
offers real opportunity, much of which should not be lost be-
cause the retailer is inclined to wait for the business to come
to him rather than put money and effort into going after the
business. The Code of Ethics is designed to give him a free
reign in the development of the territory and it rests upon
him more than upon the publisher as to whether that code is
a scrap of paper or a worthwhile instrument that will mean
the growth of a new era in music sales.
CHICKERING GOES BACK TO
BRADFORD'S IN MILWAUKEE
NEW STATE TAX NOW
EFFECTIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA
Announcement has been made of the ap-
pointment of Bradford's as distributors of
the Chickering in Milwaukee territory. The
arrangements were made with Paul Fink,
representative of the Aeolian-American Piano
Corp., who spent several days in Milwaukee
and stayed the week-end at the summer home
at Pine Lake of Hugh W. Randall, president
of Bradford's. Commenting on the appoint-
ment, Mr. Randall said:
"We were the oldest dealers for Chickering
& Sons in the Middle West. We represented
them from 1872 until 1922, and are very
happy to welcome the Chickering back to
our home again. Many thousands of Chick-
ering pianos have been sold in Wisconsin
by us and I feel that, with its quality being
better than it has ever been, there shall
be a great demand for the Chickering piano
in this vicinity."
Bradford's, whose slogan is "Wisconsin's
Oldest, Largest and Most Complete Music
House," was established in 1872.
Music dealers in Pennsylvania will be
liable to the Retail Sales Tax of one per cent
which became effective September 1, and will
be enforced until February 28, 1933. Re-
turns are payable by retail merchants on or
before April 1, 1933.
The new tax applies to all tangible per-
sonal property. Such articles as food, cloth-
ing, etc., are affected, but not water, gas,
electricity or real estate. The tax will be
collected from approximately 200,000 retail
THE MUSIC TRADE
merchants and is expected to yield betw r een
$12,000,000 and $15,000,000, which will be
used for unemployment relief. This tax is
in addition to the 1-mill mercantile tax levied
annually on all retailers in the State.
Furniture, pianos, radios, and other mer-
chandise handled by music merchants come
under the new tax. Merchants are required
to keep sales records for a period of two
years and broad inquisitorial powers are
conferred upon the State Revenue Depart-
ment for collection of the tax.
Violation of the sales tax law carries heavy
penalties.
HARDMAN, PECK & Co,
Manufacturers of
Fine Pianos for 91 years
New York
433 Fifth Avenue
REVIEW, October, 1932