Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
tell very clearly what manner of man the
householder or farmer may be. It is won-
derful how some merchants neglect their
opportunities in this line. Surely they
cannot be aware that in no direction are
progress and activity more clearly indi-
cated than in the window dressing. Piano
merchants have not the opportunity to
make attractive windows that is afforded
the dry goods man, but piano windows can
be utilized effectively.
""THE more a man does the more he is
capable of doing. It is easier to
achieve results by a well-directed, deter-
mined effort than it is to fool away the
time in vain wishes.
No man has a monopoly of ideas. No
establishment has a corner on all the good
things.
TT is not necessary to have a large store
in order to do a profitable business.
It isn't necessary to emphasize your
sales capacity in feet in order to draw
trade. A diamond isn't as big as a flag-
stone, but who would stoop to pick up
a flagstone or even to admire its beauty.
Get out of all superfluities right down
to the bedrock of common sense.
I OOK into the history of any great busi-
ness establishment in the United
States and you will find it has risen from
very small beginnings. Its progress has been
brought about by the constant endeavor of
its founders and proprietors to fill a larger
place in the community. Quite possibly,
much of this effort has been uncon-
scious. The opportunity has arisen and
the manufacturer and merchant has almost
mechanically seized it—to find, when he
comes to look back, that, though the thing-
did not seem much at the time, it really
proved one of the important factors of
success. The habit of thought had been
formed and had led to action—action of
the right kind.
It is the same way with the employee.
In these days, when there are scores of as-
pirants for every vacated place, the man or
woman who is content to merely " fill a po-
sition" is pretty sure not to hold that position
long. He or she must not merely "fill,"
but must run over, spreading out and
absorbing other work and other opportuni-
ties. That is the way in which the promi-
nent staff men in office and road life have
achieved success, and if, as in some cases,
the success has not been maintained, it will
nearly always be found to be owing to a
change of mental habit, the development
oi a feeling that one has "got there," can
let the oars drag and take life easy. The
dwindling process had begun, and ere long
Many trusts have fallen to pieces, not
the gentleman's concerns began to shrink entirely through over-capitalization, but
in company with his mind.
through mismanagement. Those under
There must be constant growth: for, if control seem to think that they have the
from hour to hour we do not "ripe and market artificially cornered and at once
ripe," we shall "from hour to hour rot and proceed to raise prices, and the consumer
has become so accustomed to the descend-
rot," as Shakespeare has it.
ing scale that anything in the advance
comes to him in the nature of a shock.
THE AGE OF COMBINATION.
T H E piano industry is happily out of that Hence a great outcry against trusts.
Modern thinkers know that labor-saving
combination known in the vernacular
as a trust. It is true that many attempts machinery, whether controlled by an indi-
have been made to effect that sort of a vidual or a combination of individu-
union, and on no less than four occasions als, must purvey its product to the
it looked to those on the outside as if the masses. There can be no adequate returns
on the capital invested in working for the
move would be fairly successful.
There were some manufacturers who rich alone.
There is no doubt but that the trust
stated emphatically that they believed the
question
to-day is the greatest of the age,
trust would go through, and even recently
there have been several important meet- and the tendency to combination seems
ings of the trade to consider still further almost irresistible. In all departments of
propositions. However, the promoters of life we are in the presence of great combi-
the scheme on every occasion have been nations, and the thinker, the worker, the
looked upon by the solid element of the moralist and patriot, have work to do of a
trade with distrust amounting almost to significance which has never been ap-
proached since the Puritans landed at
suspicion.
Men who were most anxious to dispose Plymouth Rock.
It may be that from the age of combination
of their interests to a trust combination
were the ones who were most in need of will issue a fuller liberty for the individual
having their affairs bolstered up. Those than has yet been experienced, but just at
who own paying enterprises prefer to the present time we do not view it pre-
maintain their own independence by re- cisely in that light. We have to face
maining at the head of them and not re- conditions as they are, and while theory
linquish their proprietary rights for a in some ways may seem satisfying and
small amount of cash and considerable soulful, yet we are impressed with the idea
stock in a corporation the success of which that the average piano manufacturer is a
mighty sight better off in this Dewey year
was full of grave doubt.
in
possession of his plant and business than
Now that prosperity becomes more and
more emphasized each month, many are he would be to hold in its place a lot of
congratulating themselves that they did paper, the value of which might be depre-
not succumb to the blandishments of the ciated in a startling manner.
promoters.
It was Andrew Carnegie who said some
A ND so Morris Steinert the old war horse
ten years ago:
has severed his business connection
"The -fashion of trusts has but a short with the house which bears his name.
season longer to run, and then some equal- Depend upon it if he dovotes his energies
ly vain device may be expected to appear to the Steinertone we shall hear much of
when the next period of depression ar- that invention. When Morris Steinert
rives, but there is not the slightest danger, goes at anything, he goes in to win and
that serious injury can result to the sound nothing daunts him. Recollect how he
principles of business from any or all of floored one Blumenberg some years ago.
these movements. The only people who Brought him down with such cyclonic force
have reason to fear trusts are those foolish that Blumenberg has never got himself
enough to enter them."
in perfect running condition since.
Great citizen, old man Steinert!
The facts in the case as we view
them are, when business is dull, and men
are losing money, they are willing, and at C V E R Y week brings more dealers to
times anxious, to find relief from pecu-
market. Irrefutable evidence this,
niary obligations in industrial combina- showing that the tide of trade has set in
tions. It is not, in the main, the good, early. Wait until we reach the flood.
healthy organizations of the country that Dealers will not stop to even remonstrate
are clamoring for trusts. Of course, many about higher prices. They will be glad
of those which are perfectly sound are enough to get the finished product—for
won over by extraordinary inducements. pianos will be scarce.