Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
11
THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WILL NOT HAVE A HARMFUL EFFECT ON FALL BUSINESS (Continued from page 10).
ness matters this year, and can see no reason any
man in business should curtail his plans for future
trade and success.
REEVES MUSIC HOUSE (A. I. Reeves),
Helena, Mont.
Politics isn't going to interfere with business
this year like as it often has in times past during
Presidential contests. With the factories humming
and abundant crops ripening in practically every
part of the United States, and not a man out of a
job if he wants to work, and with evidences of
prosperity at every turn, and with the country at
peace with all nations, and with no serious dis-
turbances to detract the busy people from the even
tenor of their way, prosperity would prevail even
though a hundred fellows were trying to be elected
president, let alone just three or four. As a mat-
ter of fact it won't make any difference who is
elected, as they all believe about the same thing,
anyway, with perhaps a very slight difference.
The creeds of these various political parties
have so far merged into each other that we have
ceased long ago to view with alarm anything they
have to say. People will not allow themselves to
get excited any more over politics any more than
they do over religion. Taft and Wilson and
Roosevelt are good, honest, powerful men, and,
borrowing the Everett phrase, any one of them
could be called "one of the three great men of
the world." So what's the difference who gets
elected? The country will be safe with any one
of them at the head. The merchant who is doing
his duty to himself and his business is too busy
working out schemes for better* service to the pub-
lic to be bothering with politics and chasing phan-
toms. In my opinion the Presidential election this
year will have no more effect on business than a
flea on the back of an elephant.
HAUSCHILDT MUSIC CO. (H. Hauschildt),
San Francisco, Cal.
While we would very much like to believe that
such campaigns do not affect business, we know
that so long as the tariff is in politics and political
platforms the general business of the country is
bound to be nervous.
The elements of production are, primarily, only
two, viz., land and labor. By labor applied to
land (the resources of nature) man is enabled to
produce wealth and capital. Some men and some
nations are better adapted for the production of
certain kinds of wealth than others. The others
are better at some other line of production. Abil-
ity, strength and natural resources differ. The
best results can be mutually accomplished by each
producing that that can be most economically pro-
Quality Is
Economy
duced by each, and by exchanging their respective
products in trade. In this manner the greatest
mutual profit is secured. The truth is self-evident
in this case.
Men trade for mutual profit. "A" cannot trade
with "B" unless "B" wants something "A" has in
exchange for what he himself has.
It is just as true that trade between nations is
for mutual profit. The principle involved is the
same as between individuals.
The tariff is an interference in the natural laws
of profitable exchange. It makes it profitable to
certain individuals to do that which would be un-
profitable were it not for the tariff. Therefore, the
rest of the community must make up the loss. This
is naturally a net loss to the entire community.
But the worst of it all is that, after establishing
this artificial barrier to mutually profitable trade,
various interests affected by this law-made restric-
tion clamor at election time for a higher or a
lower wall. Politicians want office, and need funds
for campaigns, so pledges are made to reform the
tariff one way or the other, and business holds its
breath until the outcome is assured, and then, hav-
ing lost valuable time, attempts to adjust itself to
new conditions, oftentimes at an additional loss.
To prevent presidential elections affecting busi-
ness disastrously we recommend the abolition of
the tariff. Trade will then flow easily in its nat-
ural channels, and will be reasonably secure and
permanent.
J. W. JENKINS' SONS MUSIC CO. (S. S. Oak-
ford), St. Joseph, Mo.
One year ago to-day it would have been hard to
believe th?,t the change which has taken place in
business during the twelve months could occur. At
that time the country was in a pessimistic mood
and business men concerned themselves very little
over the news which promised well for the future.
The unusual and remarkably good business condi-
tions which we are enjoying to-day were clearly
indicated during the months of July and August
of last year.
Business failures for June totaled 1,013 in num-
ber rnd 13Y3 million dollars in liabilities, both the
number and the liabilities being slightly in excess
of the corresponding month of last year and
greatly in excess of the same month in 1910. The
total number of failures and the total liabilities of
the failed concerns were both, however, the lightest
for any month in this year.
The one fundamental situation to which all 'busi-
nes men must pay heed at every season of the year,
but particularly at this time, is the condition of
crops. One statement regarding 1912 crops is safe
There are Three Factors in the
Selling of an ordinary Piano—
Tone, Style of Case, and Finish.
The Finish, in ratio to its cost, has by far
the greatest Selling Power.
A dollar more or less in the varnish makes
or destroys the selling value of the finish.
Murphy Varnish gives the Finish which
attracts and interests and brings them back
for the deciding look.
The vami.h
That La«U
Murphy Varnish Company
FRANKLIN MURPHY, President
Awociated with Dougall Varnish Company, Limited, Montreal, Canada
NEWARK,
N. J.
CHICAGO,
ILL.
and dependable, and that is the farm output in 1912
for the United States will exceed all previous
records in volume and value. One crop or the
other may suffer from weather or pests between
now and its harvest, but crops taken as a whole
will be unusually large.
The crop situation is highly satisfactory, except
that there is not sufficient labor to harvest the
crops snd not enough cars to haul them. Present
high prices will induce growers to market crops
early, and a car shortage entailing a loss of mil-
lions to th'e farmers may occur. Only a consider-
able falling off in prices of foodstuffs, which would
hold grain.on the farms, can prevent congestion in
the West and Southwest.
Dependable reports show increasing activity in
dry goods, crockery and glassware. The leather
trade is still dull.
The quietest business section of the country to-
day is in the Eastern and Middle States. Fall busi-
ness will be heavy in practically all lines through-
out the country, and business men need pay little
heed to crop scares and rumors of unsatisfactory
business.
The one factor which should be carefully
watched for the next six months is. the labor situ-
ation. The question of who is to be President of
the United States is of small importance compared
to whether the locomotive engineers or any of the
other big strikes threatened shall occur.
RETAIL SUMMER TRADE GOOD.
This Is the Report from the Executive Offices
of F. G. Smith—General Manager Crosby
Under Doctor's Care*—F. B. Long a Visitor.
"One thing which has surprised me this summer
has been the volume of the retail trade," said N. M.
Crosby, general manager of the F. G. Smith inter-
ests, whose executive offices are at 774 Fulton
street, Brooklyn. "Ever since the spring our re-
tail business has kept up in great volume and has
gone far ahead of our anticipation. We have been
turning out a good many pianos at the factories:
the Webster factory in Leominster being exceed-
ingly busy, as orders for these well-known instru-
ments have been coming steadily in from deaiers
in the West as well as in the East."
F. G. Smith is at present away on a vacation and
will not return until the first of September. Mr.
Crosby, who has been under the weather lately,
having had for some time a severe attack of
nervous dyspepsia, is still under the doctor's care,
although attending daily to business. F. G. Smith,
III., is still in Brooklyn holding down the manage-
ment of the retail wareroom, where so much suc-
cess has been had this summer. Among visitors to
the factory this week was Frank B. Long, a well-
known piano dealer from Los Angeles, Cal.
A SUCCESSFUL TEXAS RANGER
Is W. L. Collins, the H. & S. G. Lindeman Am-
bassador in the Lone Star State.
One of the energetic piano men of this country is
Warren L. Collins. Few people in the East know
him, but throughout Texas and contiguous ter-
ritory Mr. Collins is well known. He is the whole-
sale representative in that part of the United States
for Henry & S. G. Lindeman, Fifth avenue at
142d street, New York, traveling from Fort Worth.
Strange as it may seem to the piano trade, at least,
Mr. Collins is a strong spirit in the prohibition
movement in Texas, prohibition being his hobby
next to selling pianos.
When Harold Holmes makes Kansas City, Mr.
Collins usually runs up to see him, but at this
writing it has not been reported that Harold has
been converted, though Harold says they never
fight about it.
There are so many small cities and towns in
Texas and the area is so large, that it is best to
have one man travel it. Mr. Collins is very suc-
cessful with the Henry & S. G. Lindeman line.
M. C. Leonard has opened a piano store at the
Spa, Pontiac, 111., and will handle the Baldwin,
Ellington and Hamilton makes.