Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
MFW
EDWARD LYMAN DILL.
Editor and Proprietor.
J. B. SP1LLANE. Managing Editor.
EXECVT1VE STAFF:
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND,
W. MURDOCH LIND,
A. J. NlCKLIN,
BOSTON OFFICE:
ERNEST L. WAITT, 255 Washington St.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER,
GEO. B. KELLER,
GEO.
W. QUERIPEL.
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
R. J. LEFEBVRE.
5T. LOU 15 OFFICE :
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCR'PTION (including postag.), 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 read-
ing matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
n i » i r r n o v . f PM«in
The
directory of piano manufacturing
firms and
found o n a c 7 2 wiU b e of
reat value a s a
l' S
dealers and others.
«
corporations
"^rence for
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK, MAY 28, 19O4.
T
HE big convention of 1904 at Atlantic City has now become
history, and it ranks as a record breakei as far as attendance
is concerned, for there were more men identified with the various
departments of the music trade industry gathered together at Atlantic
City than were ever known before since the piano trade threw off its
swaddling clothes, and took rank as an industry.
T
HE Manufacturers Association has reached the high water
mark as far as membership is concerned, now numbering
eighty-three firms, and corporations. Surprising gains have been
made during the past year, and nearly all the concerns that withdrew
last year are back again in the Association field.
No one in scanning the membership roll can doubt the strength
of the Piano Manufacturers' Association or its permanency. It has
come to stay and to play an important part in the future of the
industry.
The dealers' organization has grown in membership in
a manner which is the strongest kind of testimony as to the efficiency
of the officers who have given much time during the past year to the
promotion of Association interest.
W
E are of the opinion that the two organizations will continue
to meet together for years to come.
There are many
reasons why the closest affinity should exist between the organiza-
tions. There are many interests which blend harmoniously by the
two associations holding their annual meeting at the same time and
place.
It is a question whether or no the serious work of the convention
is not hampered by the commercial or business influences which cause
many to hie themselves to the convention cities.
M
Judging from many opinions expressed during the week there was
some dissatisfaction as to the business coloring which the Associa-
tion gatherings are taking on. That is the hardest of all propositions
to regulate.
The two organizations were founded ostensibly for
business betterment, and if business can be promoted in several ways
by a good attendance, why then it is only logical that we should ex-
pect certain men to be mindful of the opportunities afforded by the
hand to hand contact during Association gatherings.
S
UME are not slow to embrace those opportunities and pursue
them to the utmost, and there is plenty of new business se-
cured as a result of the yearly convention gatherings.
That is all right from a business standpoint, but are the special
business subjects which are taken up at the convention gatherings as
helpful in every way to the association interests as they would be
under different conditions?
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED METZGER, 425-427 Front St.
THE ARTISTS*
REVIEW
ANUFACTURERS meeting their representatives from the
various cities naturally desire to discuss with them certain
plans for the future, not forgetting, of course, the business end.
Then, there are always a goodly number of salesmen who are
anxious to embrace the opportunity afforded by the convention gath-
erings to talk business to the dealer a few moments, and business
appointments are quite the thing during convention days.
GOODLY contingent of the supply men and auxiliary trade
were also present in Atlantic City, nearly all of the leading
concerns being represented either by principals, or trade representa-
tives. It is a fact more and more apparent that the business possibil-
ities of the trade conventions are becoming generally recognized b)
members of the trade, so that the business part dominates, frequently,
some say to the detriment of association work.
A
OME excellent papers were read at the convention which appear
in this week's Review. They should be carefully read by all
dealers who were not present at the convention, and even those who
were there would get some valuable suggestions by refreshing their
memory upon the subjects treated.
One man, who has a national reputation, who was present at the
various meetings, said to The Review that he was much interested in
many of the topics treated, but that he gained no new ideas from
listening to the various readers. He said that he felt inclined to the
belief that men who had been successful would not give to their
:ompetitors the secrets which contributed so largely to that success.
In other words, he believed that the best methods known to dealers
would be preserved by them, for, he added, why should a successful
man disclose to his neighbor the secrets which cost him a vast outlay
of money, time, and experimental work.
S
T
H E R E certainly is good food for reflection in these remarks.
It is a fact, the average business man has certain methods of
his own which he has evolved through years of study and application,
and the probability is, that he will guard them with as much secrecy
as possible. However, it must be admitted that a good deal of valuable
information can be gained by a careful perusal of the various asso-
ciation reports which are gathered together and presented to Review-
readers. All may not have been told but enough surely for some
interesting and instructive reading.
T is variously estimated from $50,000 to $75,000 were spent dur-
ing the week at Atlantic City by the visiting music trade men.
Perhaps the lower figure would come nearer the total expenditures,
but it must be conceded that piano men are liberal in their expense
account, and probably more money was left at Atlantic City than by
any other convention which has ever been held at that point. It cer-
tainly is a good deal of money for any industry to expend for conven-
tion purposes, but nearly every one had a good time, and what matters
the cost? The hotel men were happy, in fact jubilant, and long for
another piano meet.
I
T
H E helpfulness of the piano player as a valuable adjunct to the
regular piano business is becoming more and more apparent,
and recently we have had the opportunity of obtaining the views of a
number of prominent dealers upon this important subject.
It is
well to emphasize the fact that in every case where the piano player
business has been specialized, where the proprietors have had ex-
perts in charge of the department and have conducted the player
business in a fitting way, giving it the space and attention which it
has deserved, the investment has been most profitable.
It was only a short time ago when The Review presented
opinions from scores of dealers regarding the player business, and
there was a unanimity of opinion regarding the profitableness of the
piano player when its advantages were presented properly to the pub-
lic.