Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Shavings From the Workbench
T short intervals there come reports from various parts of the
country of piano men who have become victims of ordi-
nances intended to protect th? local dealer against the inroads of
itinerant merchants, and ^-lar-illy providing a prohibitive license
fee, $25 per day, or so, t© he pi«d by the latter. The itinerant mer-
chant in any line, the piano business included, is looked upon as the
enemy of the merchants wh» liave established permanent businesses
in the towns and who must a4d to the actual expenses of doing
business their respective shares mi the towns, county and State ex-
penses. In other words, the proprietor of the temporary store
enjoys all the privileges of the local man without paying for them,
and, in short, works on the aaail order house plan of taking the
money out of a community without putting any back. The license
feature is intended to force the itinerant merchant to change his
tactics and become a permanent factor in the commercial life of the
city or town or to pay heavily for the opportunity of taking busi-
ness away from the local man. The piano dealers of Columbus,
Ohio, who have suffered quite heavily from the inroads made into
their trade by outside piano men, have met the situation by putting
the matter up to the newspapers. The piano man who is conduct-
ing a rapid-fire "special" or "factory" sale must depend upon a
liberal and generally sensational advertising campaign for the suc-
cess of the venture, so the Columbus dealers have delivered an
ultimatum to the newspapers of that city to the effect that either
the advertising of the outside piano men is refused or that the local
men will cut out their own advertising from the papers that refuse
to meet their demands. While the problem is naturally a difficult
one, it would seem that should the newspapers balk at the proposi-
tion the piano men will be in the position of the man of the fable
who cut off his nose to spite his face. Advertising is a feature of
their business that they cannot well sacrifice even for the purpose
of barring outside competition. It offers a real opportunity of
Times among its own readers the Steinway piano led the list by a
good margin in answer to the questions, 'Have you a piano or organ
in your home? Of what make?' The subscribers to The Sunday
School Times have the money to buy the luxuries as well as the
necessities of life." This is certainly a pleasing condition of things
and, moreover, an unsolicited tribute to the Steinway which is
worthy of recognition.
fighting such competition with its own weapons.
* * *
OW much is an idea worth? Governments permit the patent-
ing of ideas put into practical shape and will protect the
owners. How much is a business idea worth? How great is the
benefit of this and that little plan put into practical operation by
the interested piano salesman or manager? The salesman who
takes enough interest in his work to evolve some plan, no matter
how apparently insignificant, that he can employ—and possibly the
whole house can employ—to push along the business does a service
to the house which deserves some practical acknowledgment through
encouragement and commendation, and an endeavor to induce that
salesman to work out other plans into practical shape. The worth
of it all is in the deep interest such an employe can and does take
in the forwarding of the business which he has made his business
for the time being. Few piano merchants will deny the logic of
that, yet there are merchants who have failed to realize the worth
of an idea among their salesmen, in that they have practically
strangled all effort on the part of any salesman so inclined to make
more than one or two attempts at bringing his plans into actual
use. The crudeness of a suggestion should not condemn it. If it
is good at all it should be worked out in conjunction with its origi-
nator; if it is bad, there is no reason why the originator should be
made to think he is considered a fool and never make another
attempt to help the store because of that feeling.
* * *
T was Gladstone who said that he read the American magazines
in order to keep in touch with the progress of American in-
vention and industry. And despite the present attitude of the post
office department, the advertising in these magazines is a concrete
reflection of American progress, and oftentimes is as interesting,
if not more so, than the text matter. This brings to mind that the
Religious Press Association in refuting the idea that Christian
workers are usually without money to spare, said in a recent adver-
tisement: "In an investigation conducted by The Sunday School
/^ONTRARY to expectations the Supreme Court on Monday
V_> refused to grant a rehearing in the patent monopoly case.
An application was made by the Dick mimeographing concern
and Attorney-General Wickersham also filed a petition for per-
mission to intervene. The Justices decided the important matter
in chambers before ascending the bench. While no information
was obtainable it is supposed the conclusion was reached by a vote
of 4 to 3, that being the basis for the former decision of the court.
Under the Supreme Court decision a monopoly may be perpetuated
through patent control. It was held that the owner of a patent
could fix the terms at which the product must be sold and regu-
late the uses to which it was applied after sale. It was a far-
reaching opinion and affected a large number of articles in daily
use. Chief Justice White, in a dissenting opinion, held the ma-
jority views were revolutionary. A similar case is now being pre-
pared in the District of Columbia courts and will eventually
reach the Supreme Court on appeal. It will afford an opportunity
for reversal, if Justices Day and Pitney should entertain opinions
different from those expressed by the four members who joined
in the former majority decision.
A
H
I
O
UR Teutonic friends have been much concerned over the pos-
sibility of American manufacturers getting a larger entry
for their products into Brazil, and the official organ if the Kaiser's
Government, the North German Gazette, has published a communi-
cation from Rio de Janeiro urging Germany to be on guard against
the fresh efforts the United States is making to induce Brazil to
increase the preferential advantages already extended to certain
South American imports. It is stated that the United States seeks
to have the tariff rebate of twenty per cent, now granted on pianos
and half a dozen other products, increased to forty per cent, and
extended as well to other classifications. This would, if it is de-
clared, deal a serious blow to Germany's growing trade, and the
Berlin Government is advised to take prompt and vigorous steps
to prevent realization of American plans. It also points out that
the Brazilian authorities have so far resisted the overtures of the
United States, but the Washington Government has a strong
weapon in its hand in the shape of the free admission of Brazilian
coffee to American ports. "Uncle Sam," concludes the official
organ's article, "is not likely to rest until his point be achieved.
If he succeed, and if Brazil in addition be persuaded to grant a
Government subsidy to the New Orleans-Rio de Janeiro Steamship
Line, European trade in general and Germany's in particular will
be badly hit."
K
It K
EAR after year lines of goods which it was formerly believed
could not be sold through advertising have found their way
into advertising columns, and have stayed there, because it has
paid to advertise them. The article which has once been thoroughly
advertised and then has disappeared is the exception, not the rule.
Fifty years ago advertising was comparatively unimportant as a
factor in the country's industry. To-day it is not too much to say
that advertising, properly administered, is by far the greatest single
factor in the promotion of many of our greatest enterprises. Truth
in advertising is essential. A promise made must be kept, because
no business can now be sustained by dishonest methods. The con-
fidence of people may not be abused without a reaction. Once lost
it is never regained.
Y