Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Are you working the cash principle in
just the way that you should?
Are you emphasizing the large cash pay-
ments, or are you rushing that end of your
business which tends towards the elusive
installment piano dollar?
Have you improved the class of your
trade in the same way that you have "jol-
lied" the piano traveler regarding the im-
provement of his wares.
Have you boiled matters down in a busi-
ness way and gotten rid of all business that
doesn't pay? Are j^ou cumbering up your
books with a lot of cheap installment paper
given by dead-beats, slow-pay-may-be-
good-some-day customers?
Are you loading your books and your
mind with transactions that don't pay?
You can better afford to shut them off
now anyway, when business is good, than
at any other time.
It is better far to do less business and
have that profitable, than it is to do a big
business and fool yourself by a magnifi-
cent showing of assets purely on paper.
A rational, conscientious, care-taking
business man watches all of these things,
and why should he not?
Work for cash.
More piano money.
D ETAIL piano advertising has improved
materially within the past few years.
There is more taste used in the selection
of types used and in the display and ar-
rangement of advertising than ever before.
Then again, in many cities we notice the
smart and snappy style has obtained
to a considerable degree.
Piano merchants are beginning to learn
the value of symmetrically arranged "ads."
Good advertising has never been ap-
proached in a greater degree than at the
present time, and the exploitation of pianos
in the retail field is to-day carried along
attractive, well-balanced lines.
THE ONLY BUSINESS MENACE.
"THE business prospects of the country
were never more brilliant than at the
present time, and for but one contingency
there would not be a cloud on the commer-
cial sky as big as a man's hand. There is
one possibility fraught with great danger;
let us hope that possibility does not be-
come a probability.
We refer to the possibility of Bryan's
election.
In weeks of travel we have not met one
democratic business man who would can-
didly admit that he hopes for Bryan's vic-
tory.
There is not one man that we can
name who would have the slightest fear
regarding the future of his business were
he assured beyond the peradventure of a
The ONLY music TRADE paper which
received any award at the Paris Exposi-
tion of 1900 was The flusic Trade Review
which was given the GRAND PRIX, the
HIGHEST official recognition obtainable
for any exhibit in any division of art, me-
chanics or industry.
mahogany, but in the meanwhile mahog-
any is climbing up.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
T H E itinerant tuner is getting to be a
decided nuisance. If tuners of this
country would perfect an organization
and demand from every member a certain
doubt that the present administration is necessary qualification before a certificate
to remain in control of governmental func- of membership should be issued to him, in
tions.
a little while they would then be able to
The great danger to business interests drive the irresponsible, fraudulent tuner
is not wholly the fear of the debased silver from the field.
dollar. That to our minds is only an inci-
A number of reports have reached us re-
dent. The real menace is the man him- cently from dealers whose territory has
self and what he stands for. For Bryan been infested by a source of irresponsible
not only stands for silver but for popul- tuners. No one should permit an unknown
ism, Tillmanism, Altgeldism and all other tuner to touch a piano. Tuners who have
isms. By his utterances he is endeavoring the indorsement of their local music trades-
to array the so-called masses against the men, and no others should be employed.
so-called classes.
A ND so the Annex is making another
Labor against capital. No man, save
flop accompanied by the usual amount
Bryan, who has ever run for the highest
of
stage
thunder. It is now the ''vaude-
office in the gift of the American people
has attempted to introduce and encourage ville extra," and we rather incline to the
belief that the members of this industry
a class distinction in this country.
will hardly care to have their wares ex-
TT is extremely probable within the near ploited in a publication where vaudeville
future we shall be able to announce a affairs take precedence over those of the
new move made by a gentleman who re- industry. The staid members of the trade
cently disposed of his holdings in a large will care very little whether Bessie Bone-
hill has a couple of daughters in the chorus
Western music trade corporation.
at Weber & Fields', whether Dick and Kit-
VENEERS GOING UR
ty Kumminshave resigned from the Indian
CANCY veneers are advancing in price. Maidens Company, or whether Jennie
There are a number of reasons given Joyce has resumed her stage work at the
for this condition, and one of the repre- earnest solicitation of Teddy Marks.
sentatives of a large veneer house recently
'"THERE is no question but an attractive
stated to The Review that the new method
business establishment pays in more
of decorating walls in veneers instead of
ways than one. People are naturally
tapestry had much to do with this.
drawn toward up-to-date establishments
Of all the different varieties of wood
which have an appearance of prosperity.
both native and foreign, such as mahog-
The man who looks prosperous and self-
any, birch, rosewood, Hungarian ash, ma-
reliant has some of the attributes of suc-
hogany has been the most popular, and is
cess. People like to rub elbows with pros-
used more than all the others combined.
perity, provided prosperity is not arro-
Six or seven years ago, all the mahog-
gant. And so a prosperous appearance is
any used in this country came from South
productive of piano prosperity.
America, Mexico, Cuba or Porto Rico.
The wood gradually became too popular TJOW would piano manufacturers enjoy
paying taxes in every state to which
for the supply, and new fields had to be
they
ship
pianos?
found. The veneer men found that ma-
That according to Mr. Bryan is the way
hogany was growing more and more scarce,
and at last Africa was selected as the most to get at trusts—make every corporation
likely source for the best mahogany and pay a license to the secretary of state when-
now a large portion of our mahogany comes ever it transacts business outside the state
from there. Mahogany is becoming more where the corporation was formed. Every
and more popular for offices and legal incorporated piano concern according to
chambers, and it has come to be used Bryan should pay tribute to every state
largely in private dwellings. Veneer peo- where it conducts business.
ple, however, are looking for a substitute IT is now definitely settled that the allied
for this popular wood in Porto Rico and
music trades of this city will be repre-
the Philippines. It is believed by many sented in the Business Men's parade, which
that our new colonial possessions will fur- occurs a week from to-day. Indications
nish a variety of woods with just as fine a are that our industry will make a very
figure, capable of just as high a polish as creditable showing.