Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
GEO. B. KBLLBB,
L. D. BOWERS,
W. H. DYKES,
F. H. THOMPSON,
J. HATDKN CLARENDON,
B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
L. J. CHAMBERLIN,
A. J. NICKUN.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE
ERNEST L. WAITT, 100 Boylston St.B. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Room 806, 156 Wabaah Ave.
PHILADELPHIA:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
Telephone, Central 414.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
ADOLF EDSTEN.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. II. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI, O.: BERNARD C. BOWBN.
BALTIMORE, MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 69 Basinghall St., E. C.
W. LIONEL STUR»Y, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
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I.yman Bill.
Music Publishers'
An Interesting feature of this publication Is a special depart-
Department ^» V ment devoted exclusively to the world of music publishing.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal. Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal. ...St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Departments.
Cable a d d r e s s : "ElblU, N e w York."
NEW YORK,
AUGUST IS, 1908
EDITORIAL
Q
UITE a number of manufacturers have not hesitated to say
that they have felt the cheering effect of early fall business.
A number of orders have been sent in which indicate that the deal-
ers are getting ready for the business harvest. There is nothing
like being in a state of preparedness. The merchant who is up to
date realizes the truth of this statement. He must be prepared for
varying results. No business which is dependent upon the patron-
age of the public can expect the same amount of business each day.
The proprietor of a store which deals in necessaries, groceries for
instance, will tell you that there are many days which bring him
little trade and at other times his business seems greater than he can
possibly attend to, but by keeping everlastingly at it fourteen hours
a day, six days in the week, he makes the general average very
good. You cannot sell the same number of pianos each day, but it
is the average which it pays to keep up. Some of the best managers
of retail piano establishments say that their most profitable work
has often been accomplished immediately following a protracted
period of fruitless labor. Sometimes prospects which are followed
closely up do not seem to materialize into sales—in fact, the whole
business atmosphere seems blue. People are away or the salesmen
who have been following up prospects bring in a tale of woe that
they cannot make sales, but the energetic manager after listening
to such a tale of woe gently but firmly insists upon going ahead, and
lo, the tables suddenly turn, and what seemed a weak month de-
velops into a splendid business month. It is this point that should
be impressed upon salesmen. If there is a tendency on the part of
the outside salesman after a few days of unsuccessful effort to be-
come discouraged and carry on work in a listless, half-hearted way,
this, of course, is disastrous. No piano man can make sales unless
his heart is in his work, for the good results which are sooner or
later to follow bright, intelligent and persistent effort will come.
But let us take a leaf from the life of the grocery man. Is he any
less attentive or polite to his customers on Saturday because his
business was dull on Friday? Oh, no; not at all. He is even more
active in striving to please them in order that he may make up as
REVIEW
much as possible for the dull days. The solicitor is entitled to more
credit for working earnestly and enthusiastically, with every energy,
through a period which brings him little profit than for pushing his
work when everything is prosperous and encouraging.
I
F you are doing your part every day, success must come even-
tually and discouragement should not be permitted to linger in .
the mind of a piano salesman. There is not much hope for a
salesman who, because he does not do as well as he expected,
blames his lack of success on the business, the territory or the
pianos. Such a salesman never improves, but loses ground daily.
If you do not succeed, the fault is in yourself. It is your busi-
ness to make a study of your methods of work and correct your
weaknesses in them. At the close of each day, carefully con-
sider each case where you failed to take an order. Think just
why you did not get the order, just what objections were made
that you could not answer. Fortify yourself with that particular
point until you can overcome it successfully, as you will surely meet
the same objection again. This is the secret of improvement and
true success. Every piano dealer and every piano salesman should
meet intelligently every argument which may be presented to him.
Make a mental note of everything which is brought up so that in
future a ready reply may be made, because, after all, while there are
new problems coming up daily. The number of questions, the kind
and character of questions propoumled to salesmen are frequently
repetitions of other statements which have been made previously.
Perhaps they may be propounded differently, but a keen mind can
find an immediate application.
T
HE new English patent law with its stringent regulations cov-
ering the rights of all aliens is of particular interest to in-
ventors and manufacturers, particularly piano player manufacturers.
After the 28th of August, any person may secure the revocation of
a patent of three years' standing if he can show that the article is
made or the process carried on exclusively outside of territory con-
trolled by the British government. The American ambassador has
asked for a modification of this provision on the ground that the
United States protects all patents equally, without regard to owner-
ship or place of manufacture, but favorable action on his. request
has been held up. The only way, therefore, to protect patents is to
manufacture in Great Britain, and it is said that a good many
German producers, particularly of dyes and chemicals, are equip-
ping factories to comply with this Act. Some American piano
player manufacturers have also equipped London factories in order
to protect their patents in Great Britain. A number of others are
having their products built by contract in some of the English fac-
tories. This solution has been adopted by several of the industries.
As a matter of fact, there seems to be increased trouble all along
the line to have one's patent rights and trade-mark rights protected
in other countries. There has been a great deal of trouble over
copyrights in various countries and now England and Japan have
arranged a new convention fdr the protection of British trade-
marks in the east, the Japanese government having ruled that no
trade-mark known and used in Japan before the enactment of the
law of '99 is entitled to protection unless it was registered in the
Imperial patent file. A great many concerns who have been doing
business in Japan have been surprised to see a replica of their trade-
marks placed on goods of Japanese manufacture, and they have
received no redress from the courts when they have sued fo'r pro-
tection. It will be recalled that the Review has had from time to
time letters from a Japanese correspondent who has stated some
particular instances where there has been a most flagrant disregard
of trade-mark rights by the Japanese. It is now stated that negotia-
tions are nearing completion which will insure better protection for
foreign patents in Japan.
I
S it not a mistake to call in travelers simply because trade is dull,
and is it not a great mistake to keep them out of their accus-
tomed territory when the manufacturer has all the orders on hand
that he can fill with promptitude? We know of some piano manu-
facturers who have followed the above rules, and according to our
ideas they have made mistakes on each one, for keeping in touch
with customers is more of a necessity to-day than it ever was, and
dealers everywhere are keen students off conditions. They are going
to be better judges of the style, quality and value of products.