Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
10
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WILL NOT HAVE
HARMFUL EFFECT ON FALL BUSINESS.
Leading Piano Merchants, Throughout the Country, Write The Review That Business Will
Triumph Over Politics and That the Presidential Campaign Will Not Have the Customary
Deterrent Effect on the Trade of the Country—The Letters Are Couched Along Optimistic
Lines and Show a Spirit That Cannot Fail to Win Success—Piano Manufacturers Will Be
Encouraged at the Trend Revealed in These Communications, Which Have Been Selected
from a Large Number Received, as Manifesting the Feeling Prevailing Among Piano Mer-
chants Everywhere.
such an endeavor, the so-called interests are sure
to control a sufficient number of congressmen and
senators to block disastrous legislation." In other
words, we are on the eve of a prosperity which
nothing can check, as railroads and other industrial
enterprises now being projected are in a position
where their requirements cannot admit of delay.
THE GYDE MUSIC CO. r Aitkin, Minn.
We do not think political influences, or activities
of any sort, will affect business conditions in the
least this year. Northern Minnesota is an ore-
producing, agricultural territory, where politics
"cuts no figure."
With the object of ascertaining to what extent the Presidential campaign is likely to disturb
business in the piano trade field this fall, the following communication was sent from this office to
a number of piano merchants throughout the country asking for a few clean cut statements con-
cerning the effect of politics upon business and what should be done to counteract the slackening
WHY ONE SALESMAN IS SORE.
energy which becomes apparent every Presidential year. The letter read in part as follows:
Went to Great Trouble to Sell a Woman a $150
"I am deeply interested, as doubtless you are, in counteracting any influence caused
through the coming political contest for Presidential honors. I, therefore, believe that
. Used Piano Only to Discover That She
any expressions of views from leading members of the trade upon this important sub-
Could Easily Have Afforded a New Grand.
ject will be of interest and will help to set the trade mind thinking along right chan-
nels. I do not believe that changing political conditions should bring about depres-
sion in business. I affirm that by permitting ourselves to believe that business will
The story of the piano salesman who sees a
be dull we naturally drift into a pessimistic position and consequently slacken our
ragged
old man come into the warerooms and treats
business energies. What we need most is good business optimism—the kind of opti-
him with such scant courtesy that he leaves the
mism which does not balk at shadows—the kind of optimism that looks the things of
this world in the face—no matter whether it be a Presidential year or an off crop year.
store and later learns that the ragged old fellow
We always face something which may be distorted so that it will affect business; but,
was the biggest property owner in town and bought
it is dangerous to cultivate business pessimism."
a grand for cash from a competitor, has been a
The answers which we reproduce like those printed in last week's Review, emphasize the fact standing joke in the trade. The story always goes
that business is rapidly being divorced from politics. They are indicative of business conditions on to state that the young salesman falls all over
for the coming season that a few campaigns back would have been considered a little short of
himself to be polite to the next ragged visitor only
marvelous, and should act as an inspiration to piano manufacturers and merchants alike to go to discover that 'he is a panhandler begging a few
ahead and do business and let politics and the tariff take care of themselves. It is stimulative pennies. To a salesman in a neighboring city, how-
and helpful to the industry to receive and transmit the views of men who are in a position to study ever, tne ragged customer joke has a personal ap-
the conditions at close range and therefore qualified to speak authoritatively on the subject under peal, for he was the victim of such a customer.
discussion.
"*• . '
It appears that a rather unkempt woman entered
KOHLER & CHASE (Geo. Q. Chase), San doing business to pav much attention to the pessi- the piano store recently and inquired the price of
a very old second hand upright shown in the win-
Francisco.
mistic wail of the political croaker.
As to the effect of the political situation upon THE WILEY B. ALLEN CO., Los Angeles, Cal. dow for advertising purposes. The salesman told
business in general and the piano trade in par-
Relative to the tendency on the part of mer- her it was $85, but took a chance and stated that
ticular, I can see no reason why the present Presi- chants to cultivate pessimism instead of optimism he had some other used instruments that offered
dential election should threaten the prosperity of
every four years, pending the settlement of the better values for the customer. With much mis-
the country.
Presidentiai question. I am, personally, most heart- giving he closed the sale of a very much used up-
In the first place, the direct influence of the ily in sympathy with the sentiments you have inti- right in the "junk heap" for $150 and allowed a
President in matters affecting the prosperity of the mated as representing your standpoint. The Wiley small amount for a square piano and an organ in
country has been exaggerated in the public mind B. Allen Co. has made a point this year to counter- exchange.
The salesman diplomatically hinted that for such
largely owing to the political arguments directed act the usual "slacking off" in effort on the part
by one candidate against another. At every Presi- of the men connected with the different stores, with a low price they could not make particularly liberal
dential election each party has attempted to show the result that July, for instance, has been exceed- terms of payment. "I'll give you $50 down and
that the material prosperity of the nation depended ingly good, both in quantity and quality of business $50 on delivery and then $10 per month," was the
solely upon its success. These arguments are po- up and down the Coast. We can mold the public startling answer. After the lease 'had been signed
litical rather than patriotic and tend to check the sentiments only to a certain degree, and for that and the piano delivered the salesman learned that
progress which each party so much desires to fur- reason merchants, like jewelers, who carry luxury the woman owned half a dozen houses and had
lines, will find their trade, which is entirely of a just received $7,000 insurance on the life of her
ther.
Of course, any radical revision of the tariff or a drop-in character, considerably below normal, but husband who had recently died. What made matters
radical change in the general scheme of taxation piano dealers, fortunately, can go after the business worse was the fact that the woman was enthu-
would unquestionably influence business conditions if it does not come to them, and it is only a matter siastic over her bargain and wouldn't consider a
in the various parts of the country where business of predetermined effort as to what the volume better and new piano more in accord with her cir-
interests would be affected, and in a measure would will be. We must live down this quadrennial imag- cumstances. The salesman, after he got through
kicking himself, vowed that he would investigate
ined depression or admit that our republic form of
react on business conditions generally.
the financial rating of every poor looking customer
However, even if the three candidates now be- government has a serious handicap.
fore the country were to advocate a disturbingly
Paul B. Klugh, one of the brightest young men before thinking of selling her even a stool.
radical program, his success in the carrying out of connected with the trade, in charge of the player
it would depend absolutely upon winning over the department of the Cable Company, says:
BIG RECEPTION FOR PIANO MAN.
legislative branch of the nation, and in order to
"Politics is like skin eruptions—irritatin' but not
have any hope of doing that the people would have killin'. Nineteen twelve politics can't stop your
Mayor and Committee of Leading Citizens Meet
to be strongly behind the executive, but neither Mr. continued success."
and Dine R. G. Plaut.
Roosevelt, Mr. Taft nor Mr. Wilson have advo-
I thank you sincerely for your effort to better
cated a policy so dangerous that the prosperity of
conditions in this direction, as well as numerous
Rutherford G. Plaut, of the Plaut-Cadden Co.,
the country is endangered. Mr. Roosevelt, it seems others.
piano dealers of Norwich, Conn., when he returned
to me, does not deserve the bitter antagonism of
V. W. O'BRIEN, Bay City, Mich.
Wall Street, and he is not generally looked upon
I attended a meeting of traveling men and job- recently from a tour of Europe received an ovation
as a menace at any great distance from the New bers a few days ago, and the sentiment seemed to such as is usually accorded only to a returning hero
York Stock Exchange. No one seems to have any be as follows : Diversified lines represented travelers or a popular candidate for President. Mr. Plaut
fear of Mr. Taft, not even the Standard Oil Co., covering almost every State in the Union, and their was met at the station by the Mayor of the city and
and as for Mr. Wilson, 'his record as Governor of
verdict was "that business men, even in the smaller a delegation of prominent citizens in automobiles,
New Jersey and as president of Princeton should localities, have come to view the present political escorted to a 'hotel'and given an elaborate dinner,
most certainly be reassuring to the timid.
situation as one which cannot disastrously affect after which he was called upon to relate the inter-
The issues involved in this campaign, whether business for the reason that even if the Democrats esting experiences of his travels. It was certainly
decided one way or the other, should have but an should win they cannot afford to advocate any radi- some honor for a piano man.
insignificant effect on business, and crop conditions cal legislation which would work fatal injury to
The Lauter Co., Newark, N. J., will open a new
on the Pacific Coast are so favorable at this writ- the business interests of the country, for even if
ing that most of us, I believe, will be too busy the radical element of both parties were to make retail store at 107 East State street, Trenton, N. J.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos