Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TWENTY-FIRST YEAR.
jt jt EDWARD LYMAN B I L L J * J*
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage). United States, Mexico
and Canada, $2.00 per year ; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special discount
is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite reading matter
$7S°°-
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, AUQU5T 11, 1900.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
T H E KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month The Review
oontains a supplement embodying the literary
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. The amalgamation
is effected without in any way trespassing on
our regular news service. The Review con-
tinues to remain, as before, essentially a trade
paper.
EARLY TO MARKET.
'"FHE appearance in our midst of a num-
ber of Western dealers, shows that
preparations are now being made for fall
trade, and all indications point to a trade of
satisfactory proportions. It is the wise
merchant who orders stock early, and
from present indications there is going to
be a dearth of manufactured pianos in this
country during the fall, and in proof of
this we may state that we can name some
factories in New York that have been run-
ning full time and have thus far been un-
able to accumulate any reserve stock what-
soever for future orders. Their entire
product being absorbed week after week.
Again a tour of the entire factories in
the East will disclose the information that
there is a comparatively small stock of pi-
anos held in reserve. Trade has been so
unusually good throughout the spring and
summer, manufacturers have been unable
to hold much in reserve for fall delivery.
The wise dealers realize this, and are tak-
ing the opportunity to slip into market
early and arrange their deals so that their
interests will not suffer by delay later on.
BUSINESS TRUTHS,
jP\O the stories of floods, fires, etc., in ad-
vertisements pay?
That is a question that many a dealer
revolves anxiously in his mind many times
during the year. Is it better to have the
fire, flood and famine sales, or to come out
flat-footed with the unvarnished facts?
Will not a man dispose of his stock quite
as readily and add to the public store of
confidence and business integrity as well
by adhering to plain facts? Are not busi-
ness facts and truths worth more than
many dollars added to a bank account by
underhanded advertising?
John Wanamaker claims that it is poor
policy for any merchant to advertise a fire
sale, bankrupt stock and all of that, and
the history of Wanamaker proves that he
is not only an expounder of sound busi-
ness principles but that he is able to put
them into successful operation.
|\ A ORE labor meetings. The work of
Dold in the past is bearing fruit,
and already delegates are being chosen to
represent the different branches of the
Piano and Organ Makers Union at a
national meeting.
VULNERABLE SPOTS.
""THINKING' men have invariably met
the alarmist on the trust question
with the argument that a trust, or a com-
bination manufacturing a staple product,
cannot maintain itself for any length of
time, unless it possess a monoply of the
source of raw material, or is the owner of
patent processes of manufacture, or is able
and willing to dispose of its product at
prices so low as not to invite competitors
into the field.
The argument against the danger of
trusts to which we have referred has re-
ceived a somewhat remarkable illustration
in the workings of an important textile
combination. This concern, formed some
two years ago for the purpose of combin-
ing a number of large mills, appeared for
a time to be exceptionally prosperous. It
controlled so large a portion of the output
that it was enabled to take a very firm
position. For example, it was customary
with the corporation in question to notify
merchants at the beginning of each season
that pressure of demand prevented its re-
presentatives from visiting them, and to
advise prospective purchasers to visit the
New York office and place their orders.
This prosperity had its natural result.
New capital was attracted into the indus-
try, and during the last twelve-month a
large number of mills for the production
of goods similar to those made by the cor-
poration have been erected. These mills
appear to have found favor with the trade,
many of them, we are credibly informed,
being so busy that they cannot fill their
orders. The trust, on the other hand, has
found it necessary to temporarily close
some of its plants, and three important
works are now shut down, while another
large factory has only just re-opened after
a month's inactivity.
Further evidence that the trust is not
having it all its own way is presented in
the delay which occurred in the opening of
its samples. This opening, which occurs
in New York, did not take place until the
first of this week, although the date orig-
inally set was July 9th. It is also inter-
esting to note that the company on this
occasion, instead of, as heretofore, noti-
fying the trade that owing to pressure of
business at the main office salesmen would
be unable to visit manufacturers at their
offices for some weeks, and that, therefore,
buyers would do well to come to head-
quarters and place their orders, now has
its salesmen actively engaged in soliciting
business.
As a matter of fact, the trust octopus
which we feared a few years ago and which
at one time threatened to absorb the piano
industry, is revealing many vulnerable
spots which are pierced by the sharp
lance of competitive organizations.
T H E suppression of the stencil is not
half as difficult a problem as to find
that "open door" to Peking.
CHANGING CONDITIONS.
T T is interesting to note how completely
the ideas of men have changed during
the past few years regarding the future of
the piano industry. We have only to go
go back three years to find a very depressed
condition existing in the trade. Men were
prone to feel discouraged regarding its
future. Then came the formation of a
tentative piano trust, and it looked for
awhile as if this industry would partially
succumb to the conditions which were
honeycombing all other industries. The
day of the small man seemed almost of
the past both in manufacturing and retail-
ing. But a few years of prosperity has
clarified the business atmosphere to such
an extent that the indigo-hued visages are
no longer apparent in the great piano
army.
The fact is the small manufacturer has
been busy and has made money. He feels
more independent to-day than ever before.
Then again the small dealer has found
that the great concerns cannot control all
of the trade, no matter what methods they
adopt. The result is, the country dealer
has been making a little money; what is
better still, he has been saving it and is to-
day more independent in his business
action than ever before, and he no longer
stands in a peculiar position where he is
liable to be absorbed by the greater com-
binations that threatened him some few
years ago.
"TO our certain knowledge there has ap-
peared in our local papers forty-three
columns of matter relating to the theft of
a few violins and harmonicas from a Brook-
lyn dealer who hitherto was unknown to
fame. Is this dealer branching out and
working a new advertising scheme? It
looks suspiciously like the story of the
wondrous jewels stolen from the actress.