Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
6
T
EDWARD LYMAN
Editor and Proprietor,
J. B. SPILLANE, Manarfln* Editor.
EXECVTIVE AND REP0RT0R1AL STAFF:
GEO. B. KELLER,
WM. B. WHITE,
W. N. TYLER,
EMILIE FEANCIS BAUER,
W. L. WILLIAMS,
A. J. NICKLIN,
GEO. W. QUEBIPEL.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAOO OFFICE
ERNEST L. WAITT, 255 Washington St.
E. P. VAN IIAKLINGEN, 1362 Monadnock Block.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
5 T . LOUIS OFFICE
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
E. C. TORREY.
C H A S . N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED METZGER, 425-427 F r o n t . St.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCRIPTION (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, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
THE ARTISTS' "Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
DEPARTMENT section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore
augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
n i R F r m p v «r PIANH i n e directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
M«
rlANU f o u n ( j on another page will be of great value, as a reference
MANVFACTUR.ER.S
f o i . dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK., JUNE 1O, 19O5.
F
OR some time past we have followed the custom of presenting
each week a summary of the condition of the music trade
as we find it. It has been demonstrated that nearly all who are
interested in the commercial side of the music trade carefully read
the many reports from our correspondents as well as our special
reports here.
Naturally, these are of value, for our field of investigation is
a wide one, and we control splendid sources of information which
keep the home office in intimate touch with trade conditions in every
section of the Union. We believe our trade reports should state
things pretty nearly as they are, for what use are special reports of
a trade publication if they are always rose-colored, when everyone
knows that business is dull? It is one thing to say that it is not
well to emphasize unsatisfactory conditions of trade, and quite
another thing to print an untruth regarding those conditions. We
are not appealing to children, and we believe that our readers have
a right to know something regarding the general condition of trade,
and it is not the custom of this paper to say that business is boom-
ing when it is not.
S a matter of fact retail trade in the cities of Boston, New
York and Philadelphia and Chicago has shown but little signs
ol improvement during the past ten days. In the East we can
readily appreciate what influences have brought about these condi-
tions. We are not free from the pernicious influence of Wall Street
and the Equitable scandal, and it is this great insurance company,
with all its interlocking interests that must be considered to be one
of the prime reasons of business slowness in this section. This con-
cern is the largest fiduciary company in the world, and it is sup-
posed that the management of an institution in whose care rests the
fortunes of widows and orphans would exercise a reasonable hon-
esty in its management.
The Wall Street gang have been injuring the legitimate busi-
ness interests, and we who are not located many miles from the
citadel of speculative iniquity, feel its demoralizing influence. In
the South and in the smaller towns of the West, these conditions
are unknown, and business is in excellent shape, as shown by our
special reports. In the far West, too, there is every indication of a
splendid year's trade.
A
HERE is no good reason outside of certain fictitious causes
why trade should not be good. It will be, but it is useless
to say that business is booming everywhere in the country, when
intelligent men know that it is not. It is worse than useless for
people to contend that all sections of the country are not affected
when a great strike is raging in a city the size of Chicago.
However, it isn't the time to sit down and simply conclude that
business is a little dull, that it don't pay to use a little energy to
stimulate trade a bit. It is just the time to place added emphasis
upon business enterprise. If anything is too easily won, we place
no credit upon the winner, but it is when the struggle is hard, and
when the odds are heavy that real ability is shown, and a man who
can work up a magnificent business showing when the general con-
ditions are really not of the most optimistic kind, deserves to bear
the palm. There is plenty of business to be secured, both wholesale
r.nd retail, and it requires a little harder work, and our observations
tell us that there are plenty of men in this industry who are not
complaining of dull trade either in the manufacturing or retail
department. They are just hustling, for they realize the im-
portance of strenuous efforts. They do not propose to slacken and
he down simply because people are not falling over themselves in
their haste to trade with them.
SUBSCRIBER writes: "I like what you state on system
and salesmanship. Such articles must be beneficial, for I
think salesmanship is a profession, don't you ?"
Salesmanship in its truest interpretation reaches the dignity
of a profession, and the trouble is to-day that men immediately
call themselves salesmen without having first learned the elementary
principles of how to sell goods correctly.
It is not necessary that all of the information gleaned in close
years of observation be focused upon an individual customer, any
more than it is necessary that a physician is required to bring all
of his knowledge to bear in every case. But to have it always on
tap ready for an emergency is the main essential.
A
H
OW many cheerless, cold, intolerant salesmen there are in
almost every line. How many independent men, too, whom
you feel almost ashamed to ask to display anything for your inspec-
tion. But such men are not real salesmen. A good salesman always
has a cheerful and inviting manner. He understands that a smile
makes an immediate wireless connection with the heart of a prospec-
tive customer, and transmits an irresistible call for business. He
knows that truthfulness, optimism, earnestness are the great essen-
tials necessary to acquire the first degree in a salesmanship pro-
fession. Who was it that said, "Truthful men move through life
as a band of music moves down the street, bringing out pleasure
on every side through the air to every one far and near that can
listen?"
There are some salesmen who thoroughly understand their
business, who will seem as inspiring as a ray of sunshine to a
dejected customer. They will feel the invigorating inspiration which
conies from contact with truthfulness, for no man can look a good-
natured fellow in the eye and hang on to a fit of ill-humor. Optim-
ism and tactfulness are two great-essentials in successful salesman-
ship.
*
T
HE newly elected president of the Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation, H. Paul Mehlin, is the youngest man who has ever
been at the head of that organization, and it is a decided compliment
to his ability that he won the prize so early. Mr. Mehlin has been
an earnest worker for association interests since its inception, and
in his present position he brings to bear a vigorous and well-de-
veloped mentality. He has held a number of important official posi-
tions on the National Association, has filled with credit the presi-
dency of the New York Association, and it would seem that he had
fairly won the promotion which makes him the official head of the
Manufacturers' Association.
T
HE Exposition at Portland is fairly open, and according to
the special report appearing in last week's Review, the ex-
hibits are in excellent shape. In fact the Northwestern Exposition
was inaugurated with everything nearer completion than in any pre-
vious Exposition ever held in this country.
The music trade has taken comparatively little interest in this
Fair, and we may add that the industry will be represented at thai