Presto

12
PRESTO
WISDOM OF THE
COMPANY'S POLICY
Most Potent When It Is Founded on the Sim-
ple Rock-Ribbed Honesty Which Is the
Whole Philosophy of Sound
Business.
The piano man of the look-ahead kind would no
more think of starting a business without a well-
defined policy than he would think of considering a
start without capital and a-connection with the man-
ufacturers of dependable pianos. In fact, a policy
grounded on the square deal is a necessity in any
commercial undertaking—even the circus business.
J h e latter is alluded to because the policy of one
circus incorporation which has reformed the circus
business from the very example of its methods.
At its worst day the piano business was righteous
compared with the circus business at one time.
Throughout the West thirty years ago the word "cir-
cus" stood usually for a picked company of sharp-
ers and petty criminals traveling from town to town
giving two performances daily, rain or shine, under
one tent, a single ticket admitting you to every-
thing.
The Decoys.
True, there were colored posters, bareback riders,
clowns, wild animals and the parade. These took
people out to the lot to see the show. Once there,
the "privilege" men turned them into revenue. The
privelege men comprised card sharpers, shell-work-
ers, pickpockets and plain strong-arm thugs, to
whom the circus proprietor sold the privilege of
robbing people in various, stipulated ways, sharing
the loot on a straight percentage basis. And while
the experts robbed the suckers at the lot the canvas-
men stripped the henroosts and clothes-lines. The
circus was a terror everywhere and only got an
entrance into many places by bribing the municipal
authorities.
But one day a little new wagon circus set out
from a Wisconsin town. It had meager equipment,
small capital, but a fine asset in the shape of a policy.
What that policy has accomplished for the little
circus and what it has effected for the entire circus
business was proudly reviewed by William Rutger,
purchasing' agent for Ringling Bros, in a chat this
week with Louis Malecki, manager for Carl Fischer,
Chicago. Mr. Rutger, who was formerly a piano
man and saw the application of the experiences'of
the little circus with a policy grounded on the square
deal to the piano or any other business.
Offered Good Value.
The little new circus took to the road entirely on
its merits as an amusement enterprise. According to
its policy all it proposed to sell was entertainment.
The swindling fraternity was astonished to learn
that no "privileges" were to be negotiated. Aston-
ishment grew profound when the owners' full policy
on that point became known. Pinkerton detectives
accompanied the show, suppressing swindlers and
crooks of every sort even when they had permission
to work from bribed authorities. The humble amuse-
ment enterprise founded on the square deal grew
until its founders today practically control the cir-
cus industry.
Lesson to Piano Trade.
In this experience, drawn from a novel commercial
field, is embodied pretty much the whole philosophy
of sound business policy. At the bottom lay old-
fashioned, rock-ribbed honesty, which amounted to
high originality at that day in the circus business.
The policy of the circus did not differ in kind
from the policy of many piano enterprises started at
the same time. But the example of the circus is
more dramatic. Policy is nothing more than the
common law under which a given business is con-
ducted. The true policy maker in the piano business
is a man with his feet firmly on the ground today
and a clear insight into tomorrow, and, perhaps, a
fair guess about the day after. The policy of the
piano house is the law and the statutes for the
government of the business. The owner is the exec-
utive that enforces them as the problems arise.
The Temptations.
But even with a well-defined policy everything will
not always go smoothly. If a business is alive at all
it usually seethes with energy working at cross pur-
poses, just like a healthy, busy nation. And many
times in a year the dealer with even the most rigid
policy will be besought to shut his eyes to one of the
minor provisions of his statutes or pressure be
brought to bear to have a new statute passed to
cpver some special case.
Elements of Sound Policy.
The elements of sound business policy are not
many. Foresight, honesty, stability and simplicity
tell virtually the whole story. Foresight first, be-
cause today's sales and production really rest on yes-
L
terday's energy and planning. Not everyone in the
piano business understands this. Those who do
have large advantages. The man without foresight
locks upon business as a tree, from which he ought
to pick ripe fruit today. He will do it with a crooked
faro outfit if there is no other way, and so we have
the "privilege" artist, who is by no means confined
to the circus world. The born policy-maker, how-
ever, looks upon business as a twig, and is content
to know that this afternoon he bent it at an angle
that will yield fruit five years from now.
Returns from Policy.
In the matter of honesty, fair dealing with the
public is common enough, and a very little con-
science spread over a number of years will yield
magnificent returns. What being honest in this way
comes to is shown by the reputation of a certain old
American piano house founded by a merchant so
conscientious that, though he has been dead a gen-
eration, his name is still synonymous in his city,
and the piano made generally for square-toed dealing.
But there is another sort of honesty more diffi-
cult to practice as policy—square-toed dealing with
one's self and the house. This Seems particularly
hard to adhere to when a business is young and
weak, so that often in those days, when a little hon-
esty would run into profitable ratios, eager pickers
break the young tree's branches to get the fruit.
Adopt Policy Early.
Sometime ago a certain piano manufacturer spoke
of his policy at a trade dinner, explaining similar
rules rigidly followed by the house.
"But you can afford to maintain such policies—
you're strong and rich," said a listener. "We small
fellows can't do that."
"Why, every one of our policies was adopted when
we were young and weak," he replied. "That's just
the time to lay down law and fight it out, while
you've got little to lose. The man who says he will
adopt a square policy after he's built up a business
is like the chap who thinks it'll be time enough to
cut out cocktails when he finds they're hurting him."
Necessity for Stability.
Stability is that element which enables those who
work for and deal with a house to leave it confi-
dently in the assurance that it will be found right
on the same spot when they come back.
Two piano salesmen visited a piano buyer, ap-
point head of a new music department in a certain
big Western department store, noted for shrewd
dealing. The first man represented a concern that
trims policy, prices and everything else from time
to time to meet conditions. When figures were
quoted the buyer laughed.
"I. got lower prices than that direct from your
house—better wire home and find out what the
prices really are."
This was merely buying tactics. But it deceived
the seller, who hurried out to telegraph. While
he was away another salesman came in, and the
buyer worked the same ruse.
"Who gave you lower prices?" asked the salesman
skeptically.
"Your superior."
"I have no superior on prices. Our people stand
behind me, and you know that as well as I do."
This man got the order before the other found he
was duped.
In this matter alone many a trade lies waiting
today for the giant-killer who can bring into it
open, uniform, stable prices.
A SPREADING INFLUENCE.
November 13, 192(5.
For a
Bigger and Better
Business
There is nothing to compare
with the complete line of
M. SCHULZ CO.
The Players are RIGHT in
e v e r y t h i n g that means
money to the dealers and
satisfaction to the public.
You will never do anything better
than when you get in touch with
M. SCHULZ CO.
711 Milwaukee Avenue
CHICAGO
1OUTHERN BRANCH: 730 Candler BIdg., ATLANTA, CA.
An
ARTISTIC
JPIAHO
IN EVERT
DETAIL
•
II
HADDORFF PIANO CO.
ROCKPOKD,ILL.
ii
Striking evidence of the widespread influence of
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce and the
dependence that is being placed upon it by the news-
papers is contained in an editorial on "Our Musical
II
Awakening," occupying two full columns in the Phil-
adelphia North American of November 5. The *=a=i=i=I=I=i=i=i=isl=IsBSBsa=i=ei=e9
writer of the editorial not only gives the Chamber's
National Bureau for the Advancement of Music credit
for its work, but a large part of his argument is
based upon a signed article on "America's Musical
Awakening," by C. M. Tremaine, director of the
Bureau, in the Music Number of the New York
No Skilled Pianist Will Challenge
Evening Post of October 30.
The Supremacy of
The Grand Is a Revelation
COAL REGIONS PROSPEROUS.
Henry P. Veatch, Chicago manager of the Packard
Piano Company, who recently traveled through the
coal mining sections of southern Illinois, said that
everything was fine in the coal towns. Everything
that looked like a coal mine was running full blast
and on full time, payrolls were big, and none of
the miners were talking or thinking strike, so far
as Mr. Veatch could learn. The piano business,
therefore, gave promise of being very good in the
southern parts of Illinois and Indiana. Mr. Veatch
was at Rochelle, 111., on Wednesday of this week.
THE
BRADBURY
It Has Been the Lead-
ing American Piano
for Sixty-five Years.
It Is More Artistic Today
Than Ever
Make the BRADBURY Your Leader
Manufactured Only By
AN ATHLETIC CLUB DIRECTOR.
E. F. Lapham, of Grosvenor, Lapham & Com-
pany, piano dealers, Fine Arts Building, Chicago,
lias been nominated as one of the directors of the
Illinois Athletic Club, for the three-year term.
F. G. SMITH, Inc.
450 Fifth Ave., NEW YORK CITY
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
s