Music Trade Review
Issue: 1908 Vol. 47 N. 8 - Page 40
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
40
THE
EDWARD LYMAN BILL • Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
J . HAYDEN-CLARENDON, Editor
Published Every Saturday al 1 Madison Avenue, New York
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United Statos and
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50; all other coun-
tries, $4.00.
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 G r a m e r c y
Connecting all Departments
NEW
YORK, AUGUST 2 2 , 1908
COMMENTS B Y -
Brevity being the soul of wit, a quotation from
a letter just to hand from A. H. Goetting, the
well-known jobber, is particularly apropos at the
present moment, now that the 10-cent store ques
tion is uppermost in the minds of the retail
music trade throughout the country. Says Mr.
Goetting—who, with that New England deter-
mination for which he is celebrated, has reso
lutely declined to sell the 10-cent stores: "I be-
lieve music should be sold by the legitimate
dealers and department stores, if they do not cut.
the prices all to pieces, but sell at a fair profit."
In this brief sentence, the crux of the whole
situation is reached, for only too often the
"legitimate" dealer seems to take a fiendish de-
light in cutting his own throat, and then yelling
frantically when he finds he is hurt.
The Situation as It Stands.
The 10-cent stores to-day undoubtedly cut an
important figure in the "popular" retail music
field, for the excellent reason that by buying in
quantities they can procure sheet music at from
5 to 8 cents per copy to retail, if need be, at
10 cents. This profit, when the quick turn-over
is taken into consideration, is considerable. On
the face of it, therefore, it is unlikely that the
10-cent stores will relinquish this branch of their
MUSIC
TRADE! RE1VIE1W
business unless the publisher makes it impos-
sible for them to procure his output, by raising
the wholesale price. With this end in view The
Review has been working to get together a num-
ber of publishers to form some sort of an asso-
ciation which would fix some definite policy on
this and other important questions. Time and
lime again it has been said that such an asso-
ciation would be useless ir the entire publishing
trade did not get together on one common foot-
ing; but that this assertion is ridiculous is
demonstrated by the fact that at least two well-
known and highly reputable publishers, namely,
M. Witmark & Sons and Charles K. Harris, de-
cline absolutely to sell their publications to the
10-cent stores, and do not seem to be suffering
very terribly by their policy. Moreover, they do
not sell their music to anyone at a price which
the 10-cent stores could buy and consistently re-
tail, at a profit.
What the End Will Be.
Unquestionably if present conditions prevail
there can be but one ending to the situation. It
is generally conceded that sheet music is divided
into two sections—the "high-class" and the "pop-
ular." If the legitimate retailer is to remain in
business, the future will have to form three sepa-
rate classes of sheet music, the third class
being the 10-cent variety published by those
who are desirous of catering to the 10-cent stores.
This is putting matters fairly and squarely up to
the legitimate retailer, and no matter who it
hurts or who it offends, it is now high time for
the retailer to consider his future mode of action.
If he is going to be foolish enough to enter into
competition with the 10-cent store, which admit-
tedly can procure sheet music at a rate of from
3 to 6 cents per copy lower than he himself,
then his proper place is not behind a music
counter, but in a padded cell. On the other
hand, the natural remedy for existing conditions
is to exploit the music of the houses who do not
sell the 10-cent stores, thereby retaining to him-
self a class of trade which is clean, legitimate,
and best of all, profitable.
The Goose With the Golden Eggs.
In spite ot the fact that The Review has put
itself on record as being unalterably opposed to
the retailing of music by 10-cent stores, at a 10-
cent figure, it nevertheless would have no quarrel
with this class of store, if the legitimate
dealer were not hurt by the inroads into his
C
dominion. If, therefore, we are to have 10-cent
music, let it be published at 10 cents and not
with the farcical price of 50 and 60 cents on
its cover. In this way the retail trade would
be spared a class of competition which is daily
becoming more dangerous. Of course, the re-
tailer is well aware that there are a number of
publishers who claim that they do not sell 10-
cent stores, and yet their prints are to be found
on every 10-cent counter. It is obvious that the
10-cent store gets this music from somewhere,
and it is equally obvious that they are not sell-
ing it at a loss. Therefore, it is consistent to
suppose that if the publisher himself is not sell-
ing it at a cut-rate figure, he has some agent
who is acting as his representative in the matter.
The bluff that one publishing house puts forth
that they are selling music to all comers at 15
cents per copy wholesale, may therefore be de-
scribed in our excellent President's words by a
"shorter and uglier word." The retailer who
sees music on a 10-cent store counter has prima-
facie evidence that he is being undersold, and
therefore if some sort of square deal is denied
him, he has a remedy in his own hands, so
strong that if he ever used it with effect, the
publisher who is guilty of any dirty work could
not live twenty-four hours except on his sales
to cut-rate stores. Taking it all in all, the public
laste in music is improving, and the retailer will
find that in standing by the bridge that carries
him over he is not only doing a good thing for
the publisher who acts squarely, but is also
doing a good thing for himself. In the writer's
estimation, the publisher who wilfully undersells
the trade is killing the goose that lays the golden
eggs, and when the golden bird is decently laid
away, a victim of the publisher's own greed and
stupidity, then will the publisher who to-day may
be a loser in his efforts to keep the music trade
on a clean and profitable basis, then, we repeat,
will he come into his own.
G0V. HASKELL'S CAMPAIGN SONGS.
A special from Guthrie, Okla., says: "Fresh
from a conference with William Jennings Bryan
and other national leaders at Lincoln, Gov. C. N.
Haskell, national treasurer, is spending his spare
moments writing campaign songs. Newspaper
men and others were asked to listen and pass
judgment while he sang several selections telling
of the glories of Bryan and Democracy. To-night
M'KINLEY1O MUSIC
OUR LATEST ENGLISH
BALLAD SUCCESS
"ROSE IN THE BUD"
Music by
DOROTHY FORSTER
Four Keys, B*>, C, D*>, E&
CHAPPELL & CO., Ltd.
37 West 17th Street, New York
Costs
You 3 Cents
Write To-Day for Samples and Special Offer
McKINLEY MUSIC GO. WM. McKtNLEY, Pros.
158 Harrison St., Chicago
74 5th Ave., N. Y.
YES! WE ARE STILL ISSUING NEW FOLIOS
THE LATEST IS
" The Most Popular Selections
FROM THE
Most Popular Operas"
(Arranged for Piano)
" THE MOST COMPLETE OPERATIC
FOLIO EVER PUBLISHED"
Write for Special Introductory Rates
Hinds,Noble & Eldredge, 8 «
AMALGAMATION
We beg to announce to the trade that the catalogs of the old established houses
T. B. HARMS CO. and FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER
COME TIME AGO WE
u TOLD YOU
Just Someoive"
WOULD BE THE BIG
SELLER! THIS PROPH-
ECY HAS COME TRUE.
IF THE DEMAND HAS
NOT REACHED YOU,
IT WILL! ORDER NOW
AND BE PREPARED.
have been amalgamated and will in future be controlled by the T. B . HARMS & FRANCIS DAY CO.
We beg to thank the trade for past favors and trust to be honored with a continuance of your
esteemed support.
The new company has also established connections with the famous German firms of N. SIMROCK,
a n d BOTE & BOCK, o l B e r l i n , to carry a full line of their publications. New price list on application.
M. WITMARK ®. SONS
T. B. HARMS & FRANCIS DAY CO.
144 West 37th S t . NEW YORK CITY
1431-1433 BROADWAY
NEW
YORK
40
THE
EDWARD LYMAN BILL • Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
J . HAYDEN-CLARENDON, Editor
Published Every Saturday al 1 Madison Avenue, New York
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United Statos and
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50; all other coun-
tries, $4.00.
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 G r a m e r c y
Connecting all Departments
NEW
YORK, AUGUST 2 2 , 1908
COMMENTS B Y -
Brevity being the soul of wit, a quotation from
a letter just to hand from A. H. Goetting, the
well-known jobber, is particularly apropos at the
present moment, now that the 10-cent store ques
tion is uppermost in the minds of the retail
music trade throughout the country. Says Mr.
Goetting—who, with that New England deter-
mination for which he is celebrated, has reso
lutely declined to sell the 10-cent stores: "I be-
lieve music should be sold by the legitimate
dealers and department stores, if they do not cut.
the prices all to pieces, but sell at a fair profit."
In this brief sentence, the crux of the whole
situation is reached, for only too often the
"legitimate" dealer seems to take a fiendish de-
light in cutting his own throat, and then yelling
frantically when he finds he is hurt.
The Situation as It Stands.
The 10-cent stores to-day undoubtedly cut an
important figure in the "popular" retail music
field, for the excellent reason that by buying in
quantities they can procure sheet music at from
5 to 8 cents per copy to retail, if need be, at
10 cents. This profit, when the quick turn-over
is taken into consideration, is considerable. On
the face of it, therefore, it is unlikely that the
10-cent stores will relinquish this branch of their
MUSIC
TRADE! RE1VIE1W
business unless the publisher makes it impos-
sible for them to procure his output, by raising
the wholesale price. With this end in view The
Review has been working to get together a num-
ber of publishers to form some sort of an asso-
ciation which would fix some definite policy on
this and other important questions. Time and
lime again it has been said that such an asso-
ciation would be useless ir the entire publishing
trade did not get together on one common foot-
ing; but that this assertion is ridiculous is
demonstrated by the fact that at least two well-
known and highly reputable publishers, namely,
M. Witmark & Sons and Charles K. Harris, de-
cline absolutely to sell their publications to the
10-cent stores, and do not seem to be suffering
very terribly by their policy. Moreover, they do
not sell their music to anyone at a price which
the 10-cent stores could buy and consistently re-
tail, at a profit.
What the End Will Be.
Unquestionably if present conditions prevail
there can be but one ending to the situation. It
is generally conceded that sheet music is divided
into two sections—the "high-class" and the "pop-
ular." If the legitimate retailer is to remain in
business, the future will have to form three sepa-
rate classes of sheet music, the third class
being the 10-cent variety published by those
who are desirous of catering to the 10-cent stores.
This is putting matters fairly and squarely up to
the legitimate retailer, and no matter who it
hurts or who it offends, it is now high time for
the retailer to consider his future mode of action.
If he is going to be foolish enough to enter into
competition with the 10-cent store, which admit-
tedly can procure sheet music at a rate of from
3 to 6 cents per copy lower than he himself,
then his proper place is not behind a music
counter, but in a padded cell. On the other
hand, the natural remedy for existing conditions
is to exploit the music of the houses who do not
sell the 10-cent stores, thereby retaining to him-
self a class of trade which is clean, legitimate,
and best of all, profitable.
The Goose With the Golden Eggs.
In spite ot the fact that The Review has put
itself on record as being unalterably opposed to
the retailing of music by 10-cent stores, at a 10-
cent figure, it nevertheless would have no quarrel
with this class of store, if the legitimate
dealer were not hurt by the inroads into his
C
dominion. If, therefore, we are to have 10-cent
music, let it be published at 10 cents and not
with the farcical price of 50 and 60 cents on
its cover. In this way the retail trade would
be spared a class of competition which is daily
becoming more dangerous. Of course, the re-
tailer is well aware that there are a number of
publishers who claim that they do not sell 10-
cent stores, and yet their prints are to be found
on every 10-cent counter. It is obvious that the
10-cent store gets this music from somewhere,
and it is equally obvious that they are not sell-
ing it at a loss. Therefore, it is consistent to
suppose that if the publisher himself is not sell-
ing it at a cut-rate figure, he has some agent
who is acting as his representative in the matter.
The bluff that one publishing house puts forth
that they are selling music to all comers at 15
cents per copy wholesale, may therefore be de-
scribed in our excellent President's words by a
"shorter and uglier word." The retailer who
sees music on a 10-cent store counter has prima-
facie evidence that he is being undersold, and
therefore if some sort of square deal is denied
him, he has a remedy in his own hands, so
strong that if he ever used it with effect, the
publisher who is guilty of any dirty work could
not live twenty-four hours except on his sales
to cut-rate stores. Taking it all in all, the public
laste in music is improving, and the retailer will
find that in standing by the bridge that carries
him over he is not only doing a good thing for
the publisher who acts squarely, but is also
doing a good thing for himself. In the writer's
estimation, the publisher who wilfully undersells
the trade is killing the goose that lays the golden
eggs, and when the golden bird is decently laid
away, a victim of the publisher's own greed and
stupidity, then will the publisher who to-day may
be a loser in his efforts to keep the music trade
on a clean and profitable basis, then, we repeat,
will he come into his own.
G0V. HASKELL'S CAMPAIGN SONGS.
A special from Guthrie, Okla., says: "Fresh
from a conference with William Jennings Bryan
and other national leaders at Lincoln, Gov. C. N.
Haskell, national treasurer, is spending his spare
moments writing campaign songs. Newspaper
men and others were asked to listen and pass
judgment while he sang several selections telling
of the glories of Bryan and Democracy. To-night
M'KINLEY1O MUSIC
OUR LATEST ENGLISH
BALLAD SUCCESS
"ROSE IN THE BUD"
Music by
DOROTHY FORSTER
Four Keys, B*>, C, D*>, E&
CHAPPELL & CO., Ltd.
37 West 17th Street, New York
Costs
You 3 Cents
Write To-Day for Samples and Special Offer
McKINLEY MUSIC GO. WM. McKtNLEY, Pros.
158 Harrison St., Chicago
74 5th Ave., N. Y.
YES! WE ARE STILL ISSUING NEW FOLIOS
THE LATEST IS
" The Most Popular Selections
FROM THE
Most Popular Operas"
(Arranged for Piano)
" THE MOST COMPLETE OPERATIC
FOLIO EVER PUBLISHED"
Write for Special Introductory Rates
Hinds,Noble & Eldredge, 8 «
AMALGAMATION
We beg to announce to the trade that the catalogs of the old established houses
T. B. HARMS CO. and FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER
COME TIME AGO WE
u TOLD YOU
Just Someoive"
WOULD BE THE BIG
SELLER! THIS PROPH-
ECY HAS COME TRUE.
IF THE DEMAND HAS
NOT REACHED YOU,
IT WILL! ORDER NOW
AND BE PREPARED.
have been amalgamated and will in future be controlled by the T. B . HARMS & FRANCIS DAY CO.
We beg to thank the trade for past favors and trust to be honored with a continuance of your
esteemed support.
The new company has also established connections with the famous German firms of N. SIMROCK,
a n d BOTE & BOCK, o l B e r l i n , to carry a full line of their publications. New price list on application.
M. WITMARK ®. SONS
T. B. HARMS & FRANCIS DAY CO.
144 West 37th S t . NEW YORK CITY
1431-1433 BROADWAY
NEW
YORK
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