Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
principle not be applied to prices? Why should a manufac-
turer, making a brand of goods of uniform quality, backed with
advertising, national or otherwise, which has created a constant
and widespread demand for the same, not be allowed to set a
fair retail value on those goods, and insist that they be purveyed
to the public at that price—no more, no less?
It can be stated, without successful contradiction, that senti-
ment in this country is overwhelmingly in favor of price stand-
ardization and maintenance, yet it has required a tremendous
PUBLISHED BY THE ESTATE OF EDWARD LYMAN BILL
(C. L. BILL, Executrix.)
effort on the part of those public-spirited men who are foster-
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
ing the cause of price maintenance to bring it to the point where
J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor
it has been crystalized in the form of the Stephens bill, at pres-
AUGUST J. TIMPE
Business Manager
ent before Congress. This effort has been necessary because of
Executive and Reportorial Stall:
the lack of interest shown by the average business man in those
W. BRITTAIN WILSON, CARLETON CHACE, L. M. ROBINSON, WILSON D. HUSH, V. D. WALSH,
A. J. NICKLIN,
WM. BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor),
L. E. BOWERS,
things which are removed ever so little out of his immediate ken.
CHICAGO OFFICE I
•
BOSTON OFFICE i
If a canvass were made, in any given section, of the first hundred
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Consumers' Building,
IOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
business
men available, the canvass would probably show ninety
220 So. State Street. Telephone, Wabash 5774.
Telephone, Main 6950.
HENRY S. KINGWILL, Associate.
per
cent,
strongly in favor of price standardization and main-
LONDON, ENGLAND: l Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED W E E K L Y BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
tenance, yet if the canvasser found that even five per cent, of
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
those same men had done a single thing to bring about the
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
standardization they believed in, his report would be startling!
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
It is because of this laxity of interest shown by the average
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
man in the vitally important economic questions of the day that
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
the efforts of men like Eldridge R. Johnson become all the more
ADVERTISEMENTS, $3.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. Ott quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $no.
conspicuous.
Long before the Stephens bill was introduced into
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to the Estate of
Edward Lyman Bill.
Congress, even in its original form, Mr. Johnson, as head of
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
the Victor organization, was doing his utmost to create an active
aUU
t ; o n s O f a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
flpnartnumfc
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
interest in the theory now represented by this bill. And his
lCUIU
UC|Fdl UllCUla* , j e a l t w ; t h, w in be found in another section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
efforts were not actuated by a motive of selfishness. The Victor
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Co. has standardized its prices, and has maintained those prices
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
successfully ever since the inception of its business. Its thor-
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
ough organization, and efficient methods, will enable it to con-
Diploma... .?an-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
tinue such standardization and maintenance The Stephens bill
I.ONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON SQ.
will not enable the Victor Co. to do anything it is not doing
Connecting all Departments
Cable address: "Elbill, New York."
to-day, nor will the concern gain a single new customer, or dis-
pose of one additional record, merely because the Stephens bill
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 16, 1916
is enacted into law.
Why, then, should men like those at the head of the Victor-
organization
interest themselves in something which will bring
EDITORIAL
them no direct benefit?
Simply because they are sufficiently far-sighted, sufficiently
AST week's issue of The Review contained an article by
broad-minded, to realize that the principle of price standardiza-
Eldridge Reeves Johnson, president of the Victor Talking-
tion, if once generally applied, will make for greater efficiency in
Machine Co., on the standardization of prices, which is worth
business, better methods of production, distribution, and retail-
careful reading and thought by not only piano men, but by every
ing, with a consequent benefit to producer and consumer alike
man who has any interest in those things which are of con- They have sufficient interest in the nation at large, and in those
structive force in big business to-day. The standardization of
who, like themselves, compose that nation, to do whatever lies
prices, and the maintenance of those prices, once standardized,
within their power to make economic conditions better, more
have ,been discussed frequently and at length in these columns,
stable, more genuinely and lastingly prosperous. Therefore,
yet the subject is by no means exhausted.
men of the type of Eldridge R. Johnson are interesting them-
This is an age of standardization. The great automobile
selves in the bigger questions which are entering into our pres-
industry could not have reached the high state of expansion
ent-day commercial life, and are seeking through their efforts
which it enjoys were it not for the fact that every automobile
to solve the problems and overcome the difficulties which stand
which is being made in this country to-day, no matter what the
between us and the ultimate goal of prosperity towards which
type or the price, is built along certain fundamental, standard-
we are striving.
ized lines. Each car differs from every other in minor details,
Every business man has not the power which comes to
yet the engine, the magneto, the gears, the transmission, the
one at the head of a world-wide organization, yet every man,
real essentials of the car, are all constructed on the same general
no matter how humble his station in life, nor how small the scale
principle-—all based on certain standard and standardized models
on which his business may be conducted, has a certain power
which have been proven the best, and which, once proven, have
which he can use towards helping solve the economic problems
been maintained.
confronting us to-day. And if each business man worthy of the
Possibly the single thing which gave the player-piano in-
name will but follow the splendid example set by those men who
dustry its greatest impetus was the standardization of the tracker are taking the lead in attempting to solve these problem's, there
bar—eighty-eight notes to a bar, nine perforations to the inch.
will speedily come into being an era of business life and condi-
Seemingly a simple matter, this single standardization did more
tions which will result in greater prosperity and larger achieve-
to make the manufacturing of player-pianos a progressive, per-
ments than this day and generation has ever known.
manent industry than has any other one thing which has thus
EPORTS from The Review correspondents in widely sep-
far been attempted. And even now, in this very industry, an
industry with a multitude of untried experiments and unsolved
arated sections of the country regarding business conditions
continue to be most encouraging, and the fall season opens up
problems confronting it, there has already arisen a decided cry
for a further standardization of parts, a cry which, while by no in a manner to satisfy both manufacturers and dealers. 'The
increased employment of labor throughout the country has put
means echoed by every manufacturer, yet shows that the value
of standardization is understood and accepted at its true worth
a vast sum of money into circulation, a goodly share of which
should be devoted to the purchase of musical instruments of
by those engaged in the player industry.
some kind. Meanwhile the cost of manufacturing pianos is
If standardization is a good thing, as would seem reasonably
steadily mounting, owing to the increased cost of supplies of all
certain from the two foregoing examples, why should the same
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