Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIFW
REVIEW
! President, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane,
i7{3> Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, J. Raymond Bill, 373 Fourth Ave,,
New York; Secretary and Treasurer, August J. Timpe, 373 Fourth Ave., New • York.
up. The slogan: "In time of peace prepare for war" can be very
appropriately reversed to read: "In time of war prepare for
peace."
Whether new markets are captured by the United States or
not the fact remains that there must be a general readjustment
of business on a business basis. Inflated values in materials and
labor, common enough in wartime, cannot exist in the ordinary
course of events. Just as manufacturers and merchants must
adjust their businesses right now to meet the war situation, so
they must be prepared to readjust the same businesses to meet;
the situation that will come with peace.
* : : i ! ;
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
> J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor
AUGUST J. TIMPE
Business Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
Now is the time to look ahead—to plan ahead. Plans that are.
delayed a year in their execution are not of necessity valueless)*
Plans that have never been developed, however, are of absolutely
no use.
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
B. BRITTAIN WILSON, CARLETON CHACE, L. M. ROBINSON, WILSON D. BUSH, V. D. WALSH,
WM. B«AID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, A. J. NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St. E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Republic Building,
Telephone, Main 6950.
209 So. State Street Telephone, Wabash 5774.
r
H. SCOTT KING WILL, Assistant Manager.
man who ranks as a close observer of conditions ad-
A PIANO
vises the trade to prepare during the next few months at least
for unusual activity on the part of "gyp"' dealers, especially in the
larger cities of the country as a direct result of war conditions
Regardless of the economic effect of the war, there will be many
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
who will take advantage- of the opportunity to offer the war as the
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
reason for disposing of pianos quickly and^pparently at a sacrifice.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Business reverses, the enlistment of soniefsupporting member of
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $4.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
the family and reasons of a similar character will be urged by the;
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $130.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
unscrupulous for unloading pianos of questionable value on a'
Lyman Bill, Inc.
gullible public. Every panic, every national crisis"brings to light this
Plavoi* Pi an A anil
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
class of merchant, and the present situation, declares our informant,
• laVCl-IK111U aUU
t j o n s o f a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
Tprfinfral f l p n a r t m o n t c
latins and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
appears to offer an excellent opportunity for a resurrection of
I C l l l l l l i a i V t U d l I l l i e U l b . d e a l t w j t i,, W 5n be found in another section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
this kind of business.
which will be cheerfully given upon request
The efforts of legitimate piano merchants in co-operation with
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
municipal, State or federal officers have reduced the activities of
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma ...Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
the "gyp" dealer to a minimum. Laws against misleading adver-
Gold Medal...Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
tising have proven powerful factors in discouraging this class of
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
merchant. Laws and ordinances, however, are of little use unless
Cable address: "Elbill, New York."
they are enforced, and by keeping close watch in his own district
NEW YORK, AUGUST 1 1 , 1917
the piano merchant may be able to check without great difficulty any
attempt to trade upon the country's present situation.
The term "gyp," as applied to the itinerant dealer, is an abbre-
EDITORIAL
viation of the word gypsy, and as such serves to explain the exact
status of any transaction in which the "gyp" dealer in concerned.
Even those who have not bought horses from gypsies have a gen-
E won't venture to make any prediction as to when the war
eral knowledge of how such deals result for the purchaser, and the
will end, but those who are bold enough to pose as prophets
legitimate dealer can put forth a description of the usual gypsy horse
offer as their guess any period from three months to five years.
The fact remains, however, that the war must end some time, trade as an effective argument to discourage a prospect from pur-
chasing a piano under similar conditions.
probably within a year or two at most.
Meanwhile, it is well to be on guard against any general at-
A year or two in business is not a wonderfully long time.
tempt to undermine legitimate trade under the guise of wartime
Many houses work a year or more ahead in the normal course
of business. In view of the situation one is compelled to ask necessities.
I
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., D. C. ^ _
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
W
what plans are being considered in the trade for business after
the war. With all the activities, military and civic, growing out
of America's entrance into the conflict, such a question seems
out of order, yet the business men of every European country
are working seriously and earnestly for the future, laying plans
for development when peace comes, looking over the field and
studying the changes that have been wrought or may be wrought
by the war.
The export trade of the United States in musical instru-
ments has developed rapidly during the last two or three years,,
developing almost in spite of itself, for the very interests in
other countries that ordinarily would favor European products
have been forced to come to America to save their businesses.
There must be a readjustment of the world's markets—in
fact, that readjustment is going on rapidly now, and the country
that is not alive to the opportunity, and quick not only to pro-
tect but to broaden its interests in the new fields that have been
opened—fields in many cases that have been wrested from the
enemy—must undoubtedly suffer a trade setback.
These new markets—this broader field of business—cannot
be laid out in a day. They must be studied—the particular tastes
of the people, the favorite style of credit, the transportation
facilities—all must be studied and studied carefully, for they all
must enter into any definite plans for business expansion. Eng-
land, France and Germany right now have mapped out possible
business campaigns for after the war. It is time for us to wake
Trade Commission continues its present activi-
I F ties, the the Federal
element in the piano trade as well as in other trades
that is inclined toward sharp practices in business may find it-
self in difficulty with the Government. In a recent case the Fed-
eral Trade Commission went on record as ruling against the prac-
tice of certain factors interested in the sale of one make of instru-
ment or apparatus in posing before the public as "impartial ad-
visers," when, as a matter of fact, their opinions must, in the nature
of things, be prejudiced.
Tampering with competitive goods used in a comparative
demonstration is also officially denounced, and the commission also
takes a whack at the annual or "special" sale at which the prices
quoted are the same as those that prevail at all times throughout
the year.
Many of these practices, while undoubtedly unfair, cannot be
readily stopped by action under existing legislation, and the rulings
of the Federal Trade Commission if enforced should have an ex-
cellent effect in discouraging trade practices that, while they may
not prove directly illegal in a technical sense, are without question
violators of fair business practices.
The broad powers of the Federal Trade .Commission allow that
body to take action that is outside the power of the courts. With
the policy of the commission thus on record it would be to the in-
terests of business men generally to co-operate with that body for
their own protection.