Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
sion in the trust movement. It is one
thing- to plan economies and industrial
unities based on certain combinations, cal-
culated upon abstract mathematical data.
It is quite another thing to realize these
things in the concrete. The administra-
tive capacity requisite to superintend the
business of vast concerns is far rarer than
the capacity needed to manage the indi-
vidual concerns which are combined in
the larger aggregations. It is very much
easier to find ten men capable of managing
a single corporation of moderate capital
than it is to find one man capable of man-
aging a combination made up of ten such
similar corporations.
A number of trusts have proved unsuc-
cessful, and now the question of dissolv-
ing the National Wall Paper Co. is to be
submitted to the stockholders at the annual
meeting shortly to be held. It is stated
that the profits have been small, owing to
keen competition which has doubled within
the past few years.
It would seem that there may be other
instances in which an abandonment of the
trust form may be advisable in the interest
of stockholders. The absolute impractica-
bility of forming a piano trust is perhaps
more fully realized to day than ever before.
The promoter would not meet with a very
cordial reception at the hands of members
of the industry when advocating a piano
trust. In no industry would there be the
opportunity for anti-trust operations that
this industry affords.
T H E extraordinary increase of the Amer-
ican exports in the last two years
show what our manufacturers can do in
foreign markets when they try, and there
can be no reasonable doubt when the pi-
ano manufacturers make a serious effort
for foreign trade that they will capture it
quite as easily as manufacturers in other
lines have won their advance. Up to the
present time the demand of the home pi-
ano market has practically engrossed the
attention of American piano manufactur-
ers, and as long as that demand remains
largely unsatisfied and profitable markets
are found within the boundaries of our
own country piano manufacturers will not
seek largely new and untried fields abroad.
unraveling the problem which means busi-
ness prosperity for all?
Recent political events have shown as
never before that the present is an era in
which the business men of our country
must stand close to the helm. To safe-
guard his own interests every business
man must take a continuous and a living
interest in national questions.
The commercial relations of our people,
domestic and foreign, have come to be ex-
tremely complex and delicate. It is only
by the best thought of practical, success-
ful business men that the right legislation
can be suggested for meeting the require-
ments of a great commercial people.
No great' civilization has ever yet existed
that did not depend daily upon the influ-
ence of business men for its development.
The great picture galleries of Europe that
are the pride of civilization are merely the
visible types of the energy and enterprise,
and generosity and sacrifice of great busi-
ness men. The great institutions of learn-
ing all represent the sagacity and generos-
ity of business men.
Why should not American business men
give their time and energy and thought to
ennobling our politics and to assuring the
continuance of our prosperity? The object
is as worthy as any of the other great ob-
jects that have just been named. The end
to be attained is one of the most important
and practical that any man can conceive—
nothing less than that "governmentof the
people, by the people and for the people
shall not perish from the earth," for the
success and peace and prosperity of our
country will probably henceforth depend
upon the amount of influence that business
men are willing to exert in the conduct of
national affairs.
All the ' 'live" questions of the near future
are closely interwoven with business.
There are commercial, banking and labor
problems—all are delicately susceptible to
political influences. This is a business
man's era, an era in which the very finest
brain and brawn of the nation is being
drawn irresistibly into the rich domain of
commerce. The government, after all, is
a big business institution and one run on
correct business lines, and the people have
confidence in it. Every man is benefited
thereby. But suppose it is the other way,
what then?
TRADE AND POLITICS.
F R E Q U E N T L Y we hear the statement
made by business men that they are
too busy to go into the discussion of poli- TT is rumored that one of the large lum-
ber concerns doing business in this
tics. It occurs to us that in order to
trade,
is considering the advisability of
achieve the best results, we must all de-
vote a certain time to the consideration of making extensive shipments of lumber
such questions. That politics have an im- from the Philippines. There are hard
mediate effect upon business cannot be woods there of over fifty varieties, which
disputed, and why should not the business are not equalled in the wide world. Each
man devote a certain portion of his time to of them will take a polish like burnished
steel. There is acle, more beautiful than
either mahogany or rosewood. There is
alintao, similar to ebony. A peculiarly
beautiful wood for pianos is the cama-
gon. It is closely grained, takes a good
polish and its remarkable color combina-
tion makes it especially valuable. The
dinglas can be used as a substitute for
black walnut. The mahogany of the
Philippines comes in a variety of coloring,
shading from yellow to blood red.
TRADE BUREAUS.
1 T would seem that the separate bureaus
for trade information which are now
being formed in almost every industry,
are of infinite advantage to the manufac-
turer and merchant. The Piano Manu-
facturers National Association has made a
splendid move in this direction and with-
out doubt the bureau of information which
now exists will become one of the strong-
est factors in association effort in the near
future. In this work the association cer-
tainly is entitled to praise and to all the
encouragement that can be given.
In the promotion of the Bureau of Infor-
mation intelligent aid is given to the up-
building of the stability of the industry.
Association work at its best is far from
pleasant, but the association germ in this,
as in other industries, is thriving. There
is no profit in a national association for the
members, save a betterment to the indus-
try in which they all share. We should
not expect the impossible, particularly
when the fact is that men in all business
organizations give their time and experi-
ence freely while working out general
trade policies.
T H E advertising advantages of The Re-
view are appreciated even in mid-
summer, and, after all, the belief is becom-
ing more firmly established in this trade
that all seasons.are good for trade adver-
tising. We have, perhaps, taken on a finer
line of artistic advertising in the past year
than ever before, and the manufacturers
thoroughly understand that when an artis-
tic effect is desired The Review is a pretty
good institution to which to apply for aes-
thetic and striking advertising. We have
now in course of preparation some special-
ties which will appear later.
WINDOW SPACE.
QHOW window decoration is frequently
looked upon by some piano merchants
as an unnecessary and thankless task, and
it is frequently asserted that it is impos-
sible for anyone to make a good window
display out of pianos and musical in-
struments.
These are viewpoints that naturally pre-
sent themselves to people who haven't