Music Trade Review

t
JUNE
21, 1919
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
facturer of th e product. It provid es for a number of features, in­
cluding the sale of excess old style or damaged stock at other than
fixed prices at appropriate intervals, that the dealer in closing out
his business may offer good s at less than the fixed prices, provided
he has first offered them to the manufacturer , and has offered pro­
vision s that are practical in their bearing toward s possible obj ection s
to pial
too much power with the manufacturer.
T : .. .l-{ ouse Committee on Tnterstate and Foreign Commerce, to
which the Kelly bill has been re ferred, is expec ted to hold hea rings
on the measure in th e near future, a nd it is expected that the mus ic
industry will be well represented at such hea rings. Certain it is th at
in th e talking machine trade at least, and in th e piano trade to a con­
siderable m easure, th e growth of the business has depended to a
tremend ous ext ent up on the maintenance o f pri ces, and that its
f utu re prog ress likewi se depend s in no small measure upon some
form of protec tion against those who cut prices and by so doin~
tend to cast di sc redit upon trade-ma rked na mes a nd special hra·nds
of the industry th at hav e become household word s throughout th e
country as a result of milli ons of dollars spent in advertising them .
\Nhatever evils have resulted from th e old system s of price mainte­
nance, it is quite certain that they were far more th a n offset by the
benefits recurring therefrom. Th e progress of the Kell y bill, in
view of the existing situation , will, theref ore, be watched with un­
usual interest.
BUSINESS DEVELOPS ALONG HEALTHY LINES
GSIN ES S condition s continue to develop along hl'alth y lines.
Thi s is th e report from all section s o f the country. Th e labor
situation , which has been a di sturbing factor since th e conclu sion
of the war, is steadily bettering , and piano manu factl1rers report
that supplies of all kinds a re more abundant. This in sures a larger
output of instruments to meet the growing demands of the trad e.
The leading comm ercial reviews reflect a continuation of the
healthy business tone which has prevailed for a number of weeks
past. The delay in getting the P eace Treaty signed is said to have
cau sed some deferring o f important commitments, but gen eral bu si­
ness is moving well,and there are sign s that it will contiQ1l1e to do
so. Dun's Review thi s week says in part:
B
5
REVIEW
"Neither labor controversies nor foreign political uncertain­
ti es have caused deviat ion from th e forwa rd trend of business, and
th e con structive elemen ts in th e situation, which have undergone no
essential weakening, foreshadow sustain ed expansion . Where sea­
sonal influences , su ch as preparati ons f or midyear in ventorying,
impose res traint on operation s, the ma rkets a re novv rather quieter,
but nothing suggests lastin g abat ement of acti vities and many more
points of gain than of loss a re still appa rent. T he commercial re­
covery, in fact , has recently been more rapid and fa r-reaching than
seem s to be generally rea lized, and the lifti ng of th e emba rgo on
gold exports from thi s country, followed immedi:ately by shipments
of the m etal to South America, is another step in the elimination of
artificial restrictions and is si gnificant of th e movement toward
restoration of norm al economic conditions.
" 'W hile th e vex ing dela y in the actual adoption of the P eace
Treaty remains a n ob stacle to' a full mea sure of progress, less is
heard of the deferring of important commitments on this account
as con sumers ' needs develop mor e urgency a nd buyers see more
clearly tha t further price rec ess ions a re unlikely, a nd the disposi­
bon to anticipate future requireme nts is spreading in ma ny quarters. "
BROADENING OF ASSOCIATION SCOPE
HE change in th e nam e of th e piano retailers' national organi­
zation to " The National .\ ssoci ation of Music Merchants" ha s
a s ignifica nce that ca·nnot be ov erlooked, and follow s naturally th e
present tend ency to make the nat ional organi za tions all-embracing,
in the rea lizati on of th e fa ct that th e mu sic indu stry in it s broadest
sen se encompasses every maker or seller of musical instruments of
any charact er. \,yhen th e pian o mercha nts fi rst organized ·their
associati on had to cl o only with the problems of the p iano man
proper, and membership in it, therefore , was confined to retailers o f
pianos. \,yith the broad ening of the scope of th e assoc iation work:
with the trem endous plan s for th e dev elopment of the cau se of
mu sic, the influence of the association has ceased to be confined t o
any one bra nch of the industry. It is, th erefore, most s eeming that
music merch anls, wh ether they sell pianos, talking machines or har­
monicas, be brought in to th e associ ation fold, which sh ould pro n~
one of the final steps in trade unity.
T
Mr. Progressive Dealer
This will interest you
You know, of course, that this year is going to be a
red letter one in the piano and player-piano trade. But
that doesn't mean that people are going to buy any old
make. To cash in on this opportunity you must have a
well known, tip-top, popular line. People are discrimi­
nating now. You must show them. What you want is
a make so well known that the name is a guarantee, In
other words, you want the Lester line, dependability
proven by popularity.
The value of good music is recognized by the public now as never before.
prosperous season by having a good sized stock of THE FAMOUS
You should prepare for this
LESTER Grand, Upright, Player PIANOS
They bear the unqualified endorsement of the world's leading artists and seventy-five thousand homes
throughout the United States. "Nationally used. Internationally endorsed." Their exquisite, well modulated
tone, easy action, marvelous durability, superb finish and artistic qualities make them an asset which any
dealer may safely rely upon for a lasting reputation.
The Lester Line is the Line for YOU. Let us explain our terms. Don't neglect this splendid
opportunity to permanently improve your business.
LESTER PIANO CO.,. 1306 Chestnut St., Philadelphia