Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ADJUSTING OURSELVES TO CONDITIONS.
(Continued from page 3.)
est scientific field for research of the future. It is the science of the mind, and there is every
reason to believe that by study man will eventually find the solution to many of the problems that
have bothered him so long.
Most of us will to-day admit that if we desire to succeed in our undertakings we must approach
them in the right frame of mind, for everything in life, including health, happiness and success,
depends to a great degree upon our mental attitude.
Then, why not face the year confidently and with the fixed determination to make the most
of it—not to be one of the hang-backers, but to be one of the men who move steadily ahead, alert,
progressive and keenly alive to the situation?
After all, the old world is largely what we make it. If we are despondent and blue, every-
thing around us will assume the same color. But why the glooms? Why not try and pick up some
of the sunbeams that are straying all about our path? The old world is all right—it is just the
moods of men that make the shadows.
j,
•:j
It's a gay old world when you're gay,
And a glad old world when you re glad,
But whether you play or go toiling away.
It's a sad old world when you're sad.
It's a grand old world if you re great,
And a mean old world if you're -small;
It's a world full of hate for the foolish who prate
Of the uselessness of it all
It's a beautiful world to see.
Or it's dismal in every zone;
The thing it must be in your gloom or your glee
Depends on yourself alone.
The Exchange of Credit Information
W
ITH all the talk of credit regulation in the piano trade there
can be little accomplished in that direction until manufac-
turers throughout the country, either as individuals or as members of
an association, become perfectly frank in giving credit information
to one another regarding the members of the retail trade, as was
clearly pointed out by W. N. Van Matre in his excellent article on
"The Question of Credits in the Piano Trade" in The Review re-
cently.
There is, no doubt, a decided hesitancy among certain manu-
facturers in giving a competitor any information against the credit
of a dealer when the dealer is carrying a heavy account with the
manufacturer, in view of the fact that such information, if by chance
distributed through ignorance or malice, may cause pther creditors
to take action against the dealer and cause embarrassment, with
consequent loss.
No general distribution of credit information can be brought
about in the trade until there is full confidence existing between
competing manufacturers, and between manufacturers and dealers,
in regard to the financial condition of the latter, and until such in-
formation is used for protection exclusively, and not for use as
trade weapons in fighting competition. When full confidence re-
garding the manner in which credit information is to be used exists
the safeguarding of accounts will become a comparatively easy
matter.
There have been many cases before now when manufacturers
have received unfavorable reports regarding the credit of a certain
dealer from competitors, and in refusing the dealer credit have not
hesitated to make public the name of the informing manufacturer,
to the embarrassment of the latter.
The National Association of Credit Men in a recent general
letter advises that the inquiring house, in writing to competitors
for information as to the standing of a retailer, give some of their
own experiences with the house. That method would at least indi-
cate sincerity.
Inaccurate or limited information as to the credit standing of
a retail house not only serves to deceive the manufacturer regard-
ing the actual conditions, but does actual harm to the retailer for,
where a frank report would serve to explain certain weaknesses
that might not discourage the granting of further credit, veiled
hints of the same weaknesses will cause distrust and result in injur-
ing the retailer's reputation unjustly. Full reciprocity and mutual
confidence between manufacturers is the only true solution of the
problem of credit information and the only solution that is fair to
the retailer and can be considered as helping his interests. As to
the dealers, there is a more general application in all lines of trade
of the wisdom of keeping creditors in touch with their financial
status and the condition of their businesses. When a frank state-
ment is made there is more willingness on the part of creditors to
extend the helping hand and through advice and co-operation tide
the dealer over a tight place, for there is faith in his honesty, and it
often happens that through the perfect knowledge of his business
affairs the creditors of a dealer can offer him advice that will enable
him to steer clear of business troubles that would cause a wreck if
not avoided.
dress upon every instrument turned out, but also to indicate in some
manner on the instrument itself the character and quality of the
materials that have entered into its manufacture.
This is a question that has caused more or less debate at the
committee meetings. Many manufactured products are of so com-
plex a character that it might appear difficult to enumerate in limited
space all the principal ingredients, but none, it has been suggested,
might prove more difficult of complete identification than pianos.