Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRKDE
by men who do not pay their bills, is rather Krell then visited Wanamaker to place the
of a tough proposition for the straightfor- agency for the Krell piano wilh him in Xew
York. This was the first move that had
ward man to meet.
ever been made by a dealer to place instru-
T 11 F one price system is steadily gaining ments with the largest of the department
ground among the retail piano mer- stores, although it had been, carried on in an
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
CBITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
chants. Years ago there was a noticeable irregular way in some of the smaller cities.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAQINQ EDITOR.
condition of suppleness in the spinal column
It took several sessions with Wanamaker
( THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND of the average piano dealer.
\ EMILIE FRANCIS BAUER
to induce him to enter the business, but
Executive Staff: •{ WALDO E. LADD
] lis price back-bone was a soft, rubbery ar- Albert KrclTs fund of arguments has proven
I GEO. W. QUEKIPEL
{ A. J. NICKLIN
ticle instead of a firm,tenacious material. His
Published Every Satnrday at 3 East 14th Street, New Yorfc willingness to cut prices was not creditable on manv occasions to be excellent, and he
won with Wanamaker. That was the first
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage"), United StateR,
Mexico ai'-.l Canada, $2.00 per year; all other countries, to himself. There has been, however, a re- great piano move in a department store chan-
$4.00.
ADVERTISEHENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per markable stiffening of the price vertebras
nel, and, as a matter of fact, Krell later lost
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00; opposite during the past few years, and while there
both of the Wanamaker agencies in New
reading matter, $75.00.
REHITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be are manv who will gladly cut prices, there
York and Philadelphia.
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. are still others who exhibit courage in the
Albert Krell has the power of impressing
matter of maintaining prices. It is the only
NEW YORK, MARCH 15, J902.
his ideas forcibly upon hearers, and he was
proper way, and with this department store
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EKJHTEENTH STREET.
the first man who inaugurated on a large
On the first Saturday of each month competition steadily increasing the one price
THE
The
Review
contains
in'its
"
Artists'
I)e-
scale the co-operative scheme among the deal-
ARTISTS
partment" all the current musical news.
DEPARTMENT This is effected without in any way tres- svstem must be more rigidly adhered to by
ers in piano manufacturing. This encoun-
passing on the size or service of the'trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and the regular piano man.
therefore augments materially the value of The Review
tered disaster through the destruction of the
to advertisers.
krell-French concern by fire at Springfield.
DIRECTORY OF
The directory of piano manufac
T H E R E has been very little change in
PIANO
turlng tirniH and corporations fount]
\\
hether or not this possesses the element of
MANUFACTURERS on page 2!t will he of great value as
commercial conditions during the past
a reference for dealers and others.
success remains to be demonstrated.
week ; business has been interrupted to some
extent in some sections by storms and floods, J\/l ARCH appears to be the month of
EDITORIAL
but things are now becoming settled in the
changes in the salesman's staff, im-
disturbed regions.
portant changes and transfers and resigna-
TOPICS OF THE HOUR.
The situation as a whole shows remarkable tions are in line for the month. Some re-
O O M E piano manufacturers accuse mem- activity in production and distribution
corded alreadv, others in line to follow.
bers of the supply industry of fostering throughout the country. Manufacturers are
dishonest competition. In other words, of busy, and some are unable to keep pace with T H E death of (ieneral Estey removes a
granting to unworthy men lines of credit to orders even when taxed to their full capacity,
man who has shed lustre upon the
which they are not justly entitled. These (lood reports come from dealers of the west industry wherein his business life had been
men, they allege, in order to raise monev, sell and south. The Pacific Coast trade too is passed, lie was a man who had been prom-
pianos at many dollars less than their actual nourishing. The spring, on the whole, opens inently identified with a number of important
cost to produce, which makes the hardest well.
organizations covering every range of human
kind of competition for those who meet all
endeavor, outside of the music trade indus-
their business obligations faithfully.
T H E number of department stores en- try, (ieneral Fstey was of the type of man
A concern which was recently sold out un-
gaged in the piano business is being who justifies faith in the average goodness of
der a mortgage foreclosure in this city is said steadily increased by some notable accessions. humanity. Mis friendship was genuine and
to have sold pianos through its representa- Hut a short time will have elapsed before sincere, and in his abounding good nature
tive in different sections of the country at there will be hardly a city in the United there lurked nothing of the sordid. A splen-
twentv-five dollars per piano less than thev Slates of the first class which will not have did man. and no wonder the residents of his
cost to produce.
a piano department incorporated within the native town were .deeply grieved as they bent
Such a concern could not exist, and the store precincts of those colossal modern ag- over his bier. The whole music trade
smash came. Result—the supply men with gregations known as department stores.
mourned with them.
others were left.
The department store situation as it has
Tn the meanwhile a false standard of value developed contains much of interest to the T H E interest in the convention at Balti-
more is steadily growing Recently a
had been created in the minds of the dealers. :.:my of regular piano dealers. They can-
They do not understand the inner condi- not disguise the fact that the department member of the Dealers' Association remarked
tions, and if thev can get a fairly good piano store as a competitor is looming up in a for- that dealers were beginning to appreciate the
fact that reforms could not be accomplished
at a price far below its real value they do not midable way upon the trade horizon.
see whv others, who are honest and meet
As a matter of history the department unless there was some co-operation on the
all their obligations, should not be able to store scheme originated with Albert Krell. part of the dealers, and that association and
grapple easily with that sort of competition. \\ hen the Krell branch proved unsuccessful organization are the onlv lines which the re-
This false standard of values is a mighty in Xew York. Mr. Krell visited Philadelphia tail dealers have at their command to bring
difficult problem to solve, and gives rise to and endeavored to induce Florence Heppe to about remedial work.
There is no doubt but that a few of the
the question, are we lax in granting credit come to Gotham, lease his quarters and open
to unworthv members of the industry?
a general music trade emporium in our city. members of the Dealers' Association have
Regular competition is hard enough for Mr. Tleppe hesitated, was partially won by endeavored to promote the interest of the or-
the ordinary manufacturer to meet, but the the offer, but concluded to enlarge in Phila- ganization in a most praiseworthy manner.
dishonest competition, a competition upheld delphia rather than come to New York. Mr.
The question is, have they succeeded. The