Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TWENTY-SECOND YEAR.
would be impossible to carry out a scheme
of this sort, but if a regular price were es-
tablished and adhered to with a moderate
amount of persistence, it would operate not
only to the advantage of a manufacturer in
maintaining a prestige for his instruments,
but to the advantage of the dealer as well
who retails them.
In England local dealers have brought
this matter before their association, and
some of the great English makers have in-
sisted upon a minimum price for their in-
struments, or in other words, have demand-
ed an agreement from the dealer not to sell
instruments below a certain fixed price, in
order that the reputation of the maker shall
not be depreciated. They do not state what
the maximum price is, for they figure that the
dealer may get what he considers a fair
profit, but they name a point below which
he cannot go, and retain the agency for their
instruments. The smaller English makers
are not in sympathy with this move. On the
Continent there is no possibility that any
such contract will be entered into in a large
way, but in England the idea of having a
fixed minimum price is steadily gaining
ground. Another topic for the meeting of
piano men to consider next month.
corporated are not meeting with the success
which their promoters fondly hoped. Sel-
dom has an occurrence stirred more comment
or aroused more widespread interest than
the recent great combination known as the
Associated Merchants Co., which was re-
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
cently
launched in this city. The leading
EBITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
merchants of our town take no particular
J . B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
stock in the success of this organization.
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
Executive Staff:
John Wanamaker said that such combina-
GEO. W. QUERIPEL
A. J. NICKLIN
tions—though the order of the day—may
not possibly be so effective as applied to dis-
Pifflflal Every Satnrflay at 3 East 14th Street, New
tribution as in the field of production. In
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico
and Canada, $2.00 per year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEriENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
the management of a successful department
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special discount
is allowed. Advertising Pages |;o.oo, opposite reading matter,
store, for example, is not the individuality
$75.00.
REfUTTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
of its controlling spirit an asset of the first
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter
importance ? Being so, will not the purchase
and amalgamation of various stores eliminate
NEW YORK, APRIL 27, 1901.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, J745-E1QHTEENTH STREET.
those forceful factors to the corresponding
THE
On the first Saturday of each
impairment of their earning power and pros-
ARTISTS 1
month The Review contains in its
pective worth?
DEPARTMENT " Artists' Department" all the cur-
rent musical news. This is effected
Henry Siegel believes that that combin-
without in any way trespassing on the size or ser-
vice of the trade section of the paper. It has a
ation
can have no far-reaching influence
special circulation, and therefore augments mater-
ially the value of The Review to advertisers.
on the retail trade. Louis Stern states that
Claflins could buy a store, and stock, and
The directory of piano manu-
DIRECTORY OF
PIANO
facturing firms and corporations
MANUFACTURERS found on page 22 will be of great
presumably a name, but prestige is not trans-
value as a reference for dealers and others.
ferable.
A directory of all advertisers
DIRECTORY OF
Judge Hilton succeeded to the Stewart
The Review will be found on
ADVERTISERS
business, but of what value to him was that
page 6.
once priceless estate, when bereft of the
founder's genius? We quote these leading
GOING BEYOND SAFE DEPT HS.
EDITORIAL
men to show that even in the dry goods
TT HERE is no mistak-
trade the matter of individuality is strongly
Why the talk of a
ing the fact that
MAINTAINING A MINIMUM PRICE.
piano trust contin-
marked.
ues—Opinions of mer- the whole country has
THE
question of
question
If it is so in a trade made up of thousands
Should a minimum
chants—The strength
got the speculative fe-
price be maintained?
maintaining prices
of individuality.
of
small items, how much more is it in an
Methods of a class of
ver, and because this
is one always pregnant
customers—Of advan-
industry like the piano, where one name
tage to manufacturer
with deep interest for speculative fever is rampant, is one of stands for the entire product, and around
and dealer.
the manfacturer as well the best reasons in the world why the sub- that name is clustered a sentiment which
as the dealer. There are all kinds of in- ject of a piano combination, or trust, con- dates back, in many cases, for more than
fluences brought to bear upon the dealer tinues to be a live one in trade circles. The half a century!
to shatter his fixity of price. There are some stories of millions constantly made by pro- TRADE ORGANIZATIONS WISER.
people who will obtain prices from one deal- moters and operators of new corporations
Interests of employ- J N the consideration
er and employee mu-
er for a certain make of instrument, and capitalized at hundreds of millions, have
of the whole labor
tual—No restrictions
then immediately confer with another deal- caused many people to lose their sound, com-
upon productive pow- question, as well as the
er-Hust be free from
er who represents the same piano in adjoin- mon-sense reasoning.
more concrete problem
labor dictation.
In many villages and cities throughout the
ing territory, stating to the latter that they
of dealing with the va-
land,
people
are
subscribing
for
the
circu-
have been offered such and such an instru-
rious organizations, it appears to be compar-
ment at a figure far below the price which lars of a horde of tipsters who, for a few atively clear that it is largely an educational
number two has placed upon the instrument, dollars, promise to get them rich. Enticing matter after all. Men themselves now see
when, as a matter of fact, possibly dealer tales are told regarding the stupendous rise the wisdom as well as the necessity of the
number one has made no reduction what- of certain stocks, like the Standard Oil, but use of clear and precise language in their
ever in his price. Recently we knew of a the reverse of the medal is never exhibited. agreements, and are more impressed with
lady who claimed that a ridiculously low The thousands who have lost their all in the idea* of excluding unreasonable and il-
figure was offered her on a
piano. The these South Sea bubble schemes are never logical demands. It is so evident a busi-
dealer stepped to the 'phone and a short brought out to view. The extravagant de- ness proposition that the consequent in-
talk with the dealer named convinced him lirium of prosperity is causing a number of crease in the cost of any manufactured ar-
that the lady materially elongated the truth people to go beyond safe depths in business ticle must necessarily be followed by an in-
affairs. Investors in sound properties that crease in its price, hence an immediate ten-
in her statement.
are
yielding satisfactory returns have nothing dency is created to curtail the demand and
If there were a regular price maintained
for certain standard makes of pianos in all to fear, but it is emphatically a time to ex- restrict the output, and the trade organi-
territories there would be less work of this ercise a fair amount of caution and discrim- zations must eventually recognize the fact
that their interest can never be served by
kind and the piano business would lose some ination in stock ventures.
REMEW
of its disagreeable and annoying features.
Of course with the cheap instruments, it
w
E understand that a number of the lat- creating an injurious or unfair condition to
est trust schemes which have been in- their employers. It is a trite but true say-