Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 73 N. 3 - Page 10
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
MUSIC TRADE STANDARDS CONSTANTLY ON THE INCREASE
Report of the Better Business Bureau Shows a Continuous Decrease in the Number of Com-
plaints Received Regarding Dealers Who Use Questionable or Unethical Selling Methods
C. L. Dennis, manager of the Better Business
Bureau of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce, has issued a report on the activities of
that Bureau during the past two months, in
which he calls attention to the fact that com-
paratively few complaints were received by the
Bureau during the month of May, due to the
fact that the trade conventions in Chicago held
the main attention of the trade throughout the
country. Only thirty-four cases, of which but
twenty-one are new complaints, are reported for
the period from the conventions to the end of
June. The Bureau is giving attention to cases
reported by local Better Business Bureaus of
the Associated Advertising Clubs, but only a
very small number of these cases have any
bearing on the music trade, a case in point
being the Advertising Club of St. Louis, which
has 565 cases on its books, only twelve of which
relate to the music industry. Speaking of puzzle
contests, coupon schemes and credit checks, the
report says:
The complete success of our Bureau in check-
ing several coupon schemes, relics of the old
picture puzzle and guessing contest days, was
probably the outstanding development of re-
cent months. So far as we can learn, every one
of four schemes of this sort has been decisively
discontinued, through our emphatic protests,
and no one is now attempting to renew this evil.
In one case we learned that our complaint to
the post office authorities last Fall was likely
to result in a hearing before a Federal grand
jury during July.
Another dealer who was inveigled into using
an "official authorized credit check" purporting
to be worth $150 by an alleged "factory repre-
sentative" took an antagonistic attitude last
Spring and suggested that the Bureau was "be-
ing made the tool of some stronger interest."
Our persistent efforts finally convinced him of
our sincerity of purpose and he applied for
membership in the National Association of
Music Merchants, with the statement, "
and
I know that with your help the piano business
in our section will be cleaner and better." His
application was accepted.
In another case a "coupon" advertiser ad-
mitted it "was not good copy" not only "be-
cause it did not bring the desired results, but
mainly that it bears the earmarks of the old
contest method and has aroused a certain
amount of caustic comments and speculations
that I would not have aroused for many times
the results obtained from the copy." The use
of the coupon was, of course, discontinued.
The latest "credit check" was promptly dis-
continued upon our representations. We ex-
plained to the attorney for the offending firm
that if it became necessary to take up the legal
points of the case, rather than its moral aspect,
it might then be too late for friendly co-opera-
tion.
Recent legislative activity on behalf of bet-
ter business has had our interested attention
and in some instances the active support of the
Bureau and individual members of the trade.
The success of the Betts Bill (Printers' Ink
Model Statute) in New York State, as men-
tioned in our annual report, is an example. This
now has the signature of the Governor and be-
comes a law September 1. Pennsylvania has a
new advertising law, which does not seem as
strong as the model statute. Two bills have
been introduced in Congress to enforce truth-
in-advertising, one by Senator Lodge in the
Senate and one by Representative Kreider, of
Pennsylvania, in the House. The former and
the Rogers and Barkley "misbranding" bills
have had the attention of our counsel, Mr.
Pound. The old price-maintenance bill, which
was endorsed for several years in succession by
JULY 16,
the National Association of Music Merchants,
under the name of the Stephens-Ashurst bill,
has been rewritten as the Stephens-Kelly bill.
Representative Kelly has also introduced a
"cost-marking" bill which is regarded as ex-
perimental by Mr. Pound.
The question of price maintenance will have
another hearing in the United States Supreme
Court this Fall, when the Beech-nut case will
bring out arguments for the right of refusal to
sell to a dealer who does not maintain prices.
It is said that the issue in this case is clear-
cut in the interpretation of the Federal Trade
Commission Act, and the decision will clarify
the meaning of the Colgate decision.
Among the miscellaneous cases which have
had the attention of the Bureau, are the inquiry
into the justification of the phrase, "Damp
Proof" in advertising player-pianos, which
seems to be disposed of, and a questionable
transaction in Cincinnati involving a New York
piano manufacturer's name, which was settled
by giving the customer another piano.
PUBLISH A. L SMITH'S SPEECH
Report of Ninth Annual Meeting of U. S. Cham-
ber of Commerce Contains Address by A. L.
Smith on Association Work in Foreign Fields
Included in the report of the ninth annual
meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States of America, just issued in pam-
phlet form, is a transcript of the extempora-
neous remarks of Alfred L. Smith, general man-
ager of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce, on "Special Aspects of National Trade
Associations' Foreign Work" before the For-
eign Commerce Group.
In his talk Mr. Smith stressed these three
points among the things which trade organiza-
tions can do: (a) Service; (b) Advertising their
members' wares abroad, co-operatively as an in-
dustry; and (c) Educating their own members
in the proper and most efficient way to conduct
foreign business.
ATWOOD
LOADERS
$65.00
F. O. B. FACTORY
Cedar Rapids,
Iowa
INSTRUMENT PARTLY LOADED
INSTRUMENT LOADED
With the Atwood Loader one man can load or unload
a piano in fifteen seconds. Can be attached to any
make of car; to Ford roadster in thirty minutes—
taken off in less time and car used as pleasure vehicle.
Simple and durable in construction and will last a
lifetime.
Weight of piano well to forward on car.
hence a well balanced and easy pulling load.
One Atwood Loader
One Ford Car and
One Man
With the Atwood Loader the grief of loading and
unloading pianos is a thing of the past. Any morning
the salesman can load his piano, single handed, in less
time than it takes to tell it, and be on his way and
stop to demonstrate his instrument at every farm house,
if he so desires, with no more trouble or effort
than to fill the radiator of his car.
will sell more pianos than any
six of the best piano salesmen
that ever walked in shoe leather.
Needn't take our word. Ask
dealers using them.
Order one today.
in use.
Seward, Neb.. July 21, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gentlemen:
More tliRti a year ago wo purchased one of
your Atwood Piano Loaders. No one will be
able to appreciate its full value until they
have tried it. Rather than do without it we
would be willing to pay twice its present price.
If we could get the help, we would place the
orders for two more.
Wishing you success, we remain,
Very respectfully,
ROP.ERTS MUSIC CO.,
By J. R. Roberts, Mgr.
It will pay for itself the first day
TERMS:—$15.00 cash, balance bill against
alogue on request.
SALESMAN
DEMONSTRATING
Grand Forks, N. I>., July 23, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gentlemen:
Ship Express another Atwood Loader, at
once.
The one which we have just received has
paid for itself three times now.
Very truly yours,
POPPLER PIANO CO..
, J. A. Poppler, President.
INSTRUMENT
IN
FARM
B/L.
Cat-
YARD
Hillsboro, Wis., Aug. IS, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
Gentlemen:
I have used the Atwood Piano Loader for
several months and find it one of the best
investments a piano man can make.
Yours very respectfully,
C. E. Manhart.
ATWOOD PIANO LOADER CO.
1921
Salina, Kans., May 23, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
220 Third Avenue,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gentlemen:
We find that the Atwood Piano Loader
gives good satisfaction in every way. It makes
piano moving a matter of ease. It is indeed
a most convenient and satisfactory way to
move a piano.
Yours very truly.
J. W. JENKINS' SONS MUSIC CO.,
By J. L. Ludy. Jr.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
MUSIC TRADE STANDARDS CONSTANTLY ON THE INCREASE
Report of the Better Business Bureau Shows a Continuous Decrease in the Number of Com-
plaints Received Regarding Dealers Who Use Questionable or Unethical Selling Methods
C. L. Dennis, manager of the Better Business
Bureau of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce, has issued a report on the activities of
that Bureau during the past two months, in
which he calls attention to the fact that com-
paratively few complaints were received by the
Bureau during the month of May, due to the
fact that the trade conventions in Chicago held
the main attention of the trade throughout the
country. Only thirty-four cases, of which but
twenty-one are new complaints, are reported for
the period from the conventions to the end of
June. The Bureau is giving attention to cases
reported by local Better Business Bureaus of
the Associated Advertising Clubs, but only a
very small number of these cases have any
bearing on the music trade, a case in point
being the Advertising Club of St. Louis, which
has 565 cases on its books, only twelve of which
relate to the music industry. Speaking of puzzle
contests, coupon schemes and credit checks, the
report says:
The complete success of our Bureau in check-
ing several coupon schemes, relics of the old
picture puzzle and guessing contest days, was
probably the outstanding development of re-
cent months. So far as we can learn, every one
of four schemes of this sort has been decisively
discontinued, through our emphatic protests,
and no one is now attempting to renew this evil.
In one case we learned that our complaint to
the post office authorities last Fall was likely
to result in a hearing before a Federal grand
jury during July.
Another dealer who was inveigled into using
an "official authorized credit check" purporting
to be worth $150 by an alleged "factory repre-
sentative" took an antagonistic attitude last
Spring and suggested that the Bureau was "be-
ing made the tool of some stronger interest."
Our persistent efforts finally convinced him of
our sincerity of purpose and he applied for
membership in the National Association of
Music Merchants, with the statement, "
and
I know that with your help the piano business
in our section will be cleaner and better." His
application was accepted.
In another case a "coupon" advertiser ad-
mitted it "was not good copy" not only "be-
cause it did not bring the desired results, but
mainly that it bears the earmarks of the old
contest method and has aroused a certain
amount of caustic comments and speculations
that I would not have aroused for many times
the results obtained from the copy." The use
of the coupon was, of course, discontinued.
The latest "credit check" was promptly dis-
continued upon our representations. We ex-
plained to the attorney for the offending firm
that if it became necessary to take up the legal
points of the case, rather than its moral aspect,
it might then be too late for friendly co-opera-
tion.
Recent legislative activity on behalf of bet-
ter business has had our interested attention
and in some instances the active support of the
Bureau and individual members of the trade.
The success of the Betts Bill (Printers' Ink
Model Statute) in New York State, as men-
tioned in our annual report, is an example. This
now has the signature of the Governor and be-
comes a law September 1. Pennsylvania has a
new advertising law, which does not seem as
strong as the model statute. Two bills have
been introduced in Congress to enforce truth-
in-advertising, one by Senator Lodge in the
Senate and one by Representative Kreider, of
Pennsylvania, in the House. The former and
the Rogers and Barkley "misbranding" bills
have had the attention of our counsel, Mr.
Pound. The old price-maintenance bill, which
was endorsed for several years in succession by
JULY 16,
the National Association of Music Merchants,
under the name of the Stephens-Ashurst bill,
has been rewritten as the Stephens-Kelly bill.
Representative Kelly has also introduced a
"cost-marking" bill which is regarded as ex-
perimental by Mr. Pound.
The question of price maintenance will have
another hearing in the United States Supreme
Court this Fall, when the Beech-nut case will
bring out arguments for the right of refusal to
sell to a dealer who does not maintain prices.
It is said that the issue in this case is clear-
cut in the interpretation of the Federal Trade
Commission Act, and the decision will clarify
the meaning of the Colgate decision.
Among the miscellaneous cases which have
had the attention of the Bureau, are the inquiry
into the justification of the phrase, "Damp
Proof" in advertising player-pianos, which
seems to be disposed of, and a questionable
transaction in Cincinnati involving a New York
piano manufacturer's name, which was settled
by giving the customer another piano.
PUBLISH A. L SMITH'S SPEECH
Report of Ninth Annual Meeting of U. S. Cham-
ber of Commerce Contains Address by A. L.
Smith on Association Work in Foreign Fields
Included in the report of the ninth annual
meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States of America, just issued in pam-
phlet form, is a transcript of the extempora-
neous remarks of Alfred L. Smith, general man-
ager of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce, on "Special Aspects of National Trade
Associations' Foreign Work" before the For-
eign Commerce Group.
In his talk Mr. Smith stressed these three
points among the things which trade organiza-
tions can do: (a) Service; (b) Advertising their
members' wares abroad, co-operatively as an in-
dustry; and (c) Educating their own members
in the proper and most efficient way to conduct
foreign business.
ATWOOD
LOADERS
$65.00
F. O. B. FACTORY
Cedar Rapids,
Iowa
INSTRUMENT PARTLY LOADED
INSTRUMENT LOADED
With the Atwood Loader one man can load or unload
a piano in fifteen seconds. Can be attached to any
make of car; to Ford roadster in thirty minutes—
taken off in less time and car used as pleasure vehicle.
Simple and durable in construction and will last a
lifetime.
Weight of piano well to forward on car.
hence a well balanced and easy pulling load.
One Atwood Loader
One Ford Car and
One Man
With the Atwood Loader the grief of loading and
unloading pianos is a thing of the past. Any morning
the salesman can load his piano, single handed, in less
time than it takes to tell it, and be on his way and
stop to demonstrate his instrument at every farm house,
if he so desires, with no more trouble or effort
than to fill the radiator of his car.
will sell more pianos than any
six of the best piano salesmen
that ever walked in shoe leather.
Needn't take our word. Ask
dealers using them.
Order one today.
in use.
Seward, Neb.. July 21, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gentlemen:
More tliRti a year ago wo purchased one of
your Atwood Piano Loaders. No one will be
able to appreciate its full value until they
have tried it. Rather than do without it we
would be willing to pay twice its present price.
If we could get the help, we would place the
orders for two more.
Wishing you success, we remain,
Very respectfully,
ROP.ERTS MUSIC CO.,
By J. R. Roberts, Mgr.
It will pay for itself the first day
TERMS:—$15.00 cash, balance bill against
alogue on request.
SALESMAN
DEMONSTRATING
Grand Forks, N. I>., July 23, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gentlemen:
Ship Express another Atwood Loader, at
once.
The one which we have just received has
paid for itself three times now.
Very truly yours,
POPPLER PIANO CO..
, J. A. Poppler, President.
INSTRUMENT
IN
FARM
B/L.
Cat-
YARD
Hillsboro, Wis., Aug. IS, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
Gentlemen:
I have used the Atwood Piano Loader for
several months and find it one of the best
investments a piano man can make.
Yours very respectfully,
C. E. Manhart.
ATWOOD PIANO LOADER CO.
1921
Salina, Kans., May 23, 1919.
The Atwood Piano Loader Co.,
220 Third Avenue,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gentlemen:
We find that the Atwood Piano Loader
gives good satisfaction in every way. It makes
piano moving a matter of ease. It is indeed
a most convenient and satisfactory way to
move a piano.
Yours very truly.
J. W. JENKINS' SONS MUSIC CO.,
By J. L. Ludy. Jr.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
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