Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC
that the trade-marked article possesses merit. If it were not so
the manufacturer would not have pushed it, nor would it have
attained the good reputation which alone would tempt an unscrupu-
lous merchant to counterfeit or simulate it. In this trade the dis-
honest special brands, that is the brands which are calculated to
closely resemble old names have sunk into a desuetude which is
innocuous, but in place of the old evil, of pianos which were labeled
"Steinweg," or "Pickering," or "Webber,"' we have "special" instru-
ments that in some cases are good to look at, and pleasant to hear
which are offered as the "just as good," meaning that they are
equal to the old brands, and are offered at much less money.
Y pursuing this course the dealers are not only kicking the busi-
ness platform from under them, but they are liable to plunge
into difficulties from which it will be hard to extricate themselves.
The new business of the "just as good" is infinitely worse than the
old fraudulent imitation stencil brand, because in this case the
intent is to bolster up an inferior article upon the established repu-
tation of a good piano name. The people should know that the "just
as good" which of course are cheaper, are not equal to the original,
but they do not all recognize this fact. But there is an extra profit
that can be made by substituting a cheaper piano, and the injury
catised by this unfair although lawful proceeding is very considerable.
B
N the first place the purchaser is damaged to the extent that he
or she gets a poor instead of an excellent piano. The reputa-
tion of the dealer is lowered because he has used the good piano to
bolster up his special brand, and ten to one he has received for the
special brand piano a larger value than its actual merits should really
entitle him to get. Then the particular manufacturer, whose piano
has been used to bolster up the special brand is doubly injured. Thus
by the loss of the sale caused by the substitution of the spurious
article, and secondly by the damage to his trade-mark in the mind of
the customer.
In addition to all this, it is a blow struck at good merchandiz-
ing and mercantile morality, and a transaction, which, when com-
pleted, tends to lower the quality of the standard of piano buying
and selling, and to discourage the introduction and pushing of
instruments of real merit.
I
HERE seems to be considerable doubt in the mine's of the
dealers as to which city would be the best in every sense for
the holding of the annual convention.
Frank A. Leland remarked to The Review last week that he was
strongly in favor of Atlantic City, which he deemed an admirable
convention rendezvous.
Mr. Leland stated that while there was much discontent found
with the management of the hotel which was made the trade head-
quarters last summer, it would be easy to change the hostelries as
there were many well equipped hotels in Atlantic City.
There are a number of dealers, judging from our correspond-
ence of this week, who strongly incline to the selection of some point
in the Middle West, which can be easily reached by the dealers
from the West and South. The East, however, will never lose its
charms in the summer for those who inhabit the center of the Conti-
nent, and we are rather inclined to the belief that Atlantic City may
pull out a victor after all.
T
HE power of advertising was never more widely recognized
than to-day, and Wm. L. Douglas, a shoe manufacturer, is
conducting a campaign on purely advertising lines, which he believes
will land him in the Gubernatorial chair of Massachusetts.
Mr. Douglas is purchasing a great deal of space in me news-
papers of both parties, in which he exploits his own personal charms
in a manner that would cause one to think that modesty was evi-
dently lacking in his mental equipment.
T
R. DOUGLAS does not use his advertising space to make any
political arguments, charges, or defensive-statements. Ho
uses the space to call himself "the best type of a self made man,"
and suggests, incidentally, that if the people will elect him the appeal
of Massachusetts "for reciprocal trade treaties will be heeded at
Washington." He includes as well a biographical sketch in which
he, as candidate, says: "The life of Wm. Douglas is unique in
that he has been able by hard and diligent labor to educate himself
and rise from a penniless orphan to a commanding position in his
chosen vocation."
M
REVIEW
9
NE can discover nothing which approximates modesty any-
where in Mr. Douglas' advertisements for he says of himself
that "he blazed the way for industrial peace and prosperity for the
worker as for himself." He says that he is conservative, but "loves
mankind more than money," and that his "nearly sixty years of life
was unmarred by a selfish act." He goes on and unblushingly claims
personal credit for the enactment of a number of important laws. If
Douglas should win it certainly would give a new impetus to
advertising for it is an unique position for a man who is nominated
for a high public position to buy advertising space in a paper in
which to exploit his own personal charms and accomplishments, the
same as the drygoods man advertises the kind of shoes or corsets,
or lingerie which he may have to sell.
O
OUGLAS, however, is not content with buying mere news-
paper space, for he has illustrations of himself in the various
stages of development on huge bill boards scattered all over the
various cities. These are illustrated by eulogistic statements, which
would cause the onlooker to fully appreciate the fact that Mr.
Douglas has a high opinion of his own accomplishments and takes
pleasure in exploiting these so that he who runs may read. If the
candidate who advertises his good points with such remarkable
candor and pride were to become the Governor of Massachusetts
it would create a new condition in advertising.
D
NDOUBTEDLY conditions are changed and banks and
trust companies to-day spend considerable money in adver-
tising where years ago they did not find the necessity of so doing.
It is admitted that one of the prime reasons why there has not been
a larger attendance at the St. Louis Fair is due to the fact that the
managers failed early to exploit the great show in a proper manner
in the Eastern papers.
It was a short time ago that W. B. Stevens, secretary of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition Co. said before members of the
International Advertising Association that the Fair would unques-
tionably have been a larger success if the publicity department had
used the daily papers in making the attractions of the great Expo-
sition known to the people. Mr. Stevens said he wished the Fair
might be continued another year. "With the experience that its
advertising department now has," he said, "I believe that the Expo-
sition should be made a great success.''
U
W
E recall the reply which President David R. Francis made
while we were discussing this topic with him. We stated
that a large proportion of the Eastern population had but little
knowledge of the existence of the great Exposition on the banks of
the Mississippi. They were indifferent towards the Fair and if it
were proposed to swell its attendance by Eastern visitors it must be
through the mediumship of advertising.
President Francis did not for one moment dispute the enormous
benefits of publicity. He stated that the finances of the Exposition
did not permit of its officers making contracts with all of the East-
ern newspapers, which they deemed excellent mediums. And he felt
that if they were to show a discrimination which might appear
unjust that it would create a certain opposition, which would be
harmful to the success of the Fair, and that owing to their present
limited finances, they were unable to deal with the advertising ques-
tion in the large way which the subject deserved.
T
HE Exposition is a business enterprise, should be treated as
such and its officers knew full well that they could not expect
the publishers of papers to devote a large amount of space towards
exploiting the Fair unless they received some monetary support.
The frank admission of Secretary Stevens is entirely in line with
the sentiments expressed by President Francis. The World's Fair
authorities fully recognized the benefits of advertising. They knew
that its effect would be stimulating upon the attendance, but they
were simply compelled to curtail owing to the fact of their weakened
financial resources.
Such evidence only shows how broad-minded men view the
subject of advertising, and its close relation to success to-day.
EVIEW readers will find our technical department of particu-
lar interest. It deals exclusively with the practical side of
the craft, and information upon any technical topic will be cheerfully
supplied. This department is under the direction of a recognized
expert, and tuners and others will find it of decided interest to them.
R