Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-11-05

! | was so fortunate a few years age
as to be able to buy a piano. Before
the question of buying came up | haC
given but little consideration to the
respective merits of different makes.
In passing one store l noticed a fine
looking instrument advertised at $l75
that might be bought in monthly in.
stallments. / called at another store
whose leading piano sold at $500.
After Investigating the merits of
these two makes, l called on other
firms whose instruments were priced
from $3.50 up. A considerable number
of these pianos were, in all outward
appearances, very much alike, but the
difference in price were extreme,
What was the real difference between
these two pianos9 AS far as l could
discern the principal difference was in
the little name painted above the key
board. One name | had never before
heard; the other | had known for
years. The first piano may have been
jstu as good and might have lasted just
as long as the other. But | bought the
$500 piano, because / knew its reputa-
tion for quality and material and fin.
ish, and l was familiar with its his.
tory in long and satisfactory service.
n nt h.. hi tprbn MO
was popularized in name and had a
reputation with which | was acquainted,
while the other was unknown to me.
Again / had reason to walk from
Van Buren street down State to Wash
iugton, and back on Dearborn street.
in Chicago this morning. In the vari-
ous windows l noticed shoes at prices
ranging from % cents to So. OF
course, it was an easy matter to de-
teet the difference between the % cents
and the So shoe; but there were shoes
marked $3.50 that to the inexperienced
eye appeared to be ms good as some
Of the SO shoes, while two brands es-
pecially noticeable were selling at the
same price, though one was far below
in actual value.
What were the differences in these
shoesl One difference was tine name,
due TO distinctiveness in style, in
durability and general satisfaction
given to purchasers, and the manner
in which these qualities had been inn
pressed upon their mind
In the making of shoe, as in the
making of any other article, there are
many things to be considered. Every
piece of the shoe is figured at a cost
price by the manufacturer that he may |
know what materials to use and still |
sell the complete shoe at the required
margin in profit. There are the leather |
of the heel, of the sole, the piece across
he toe, the strip at the heel, the lin
ng, the tongue, eyelets, shoe strings, |
atc.
Each part has a fixed cost, and if in |
iguring the parts of shoe to retail |
It, say So, the manufactures finds the
otal cost too high, what does he dos
lie uses cheaper grade of leather,
perhaps in the tongue, in the heel, or
heaper oyelets, etc, He substitutes
IN inferior quality at lower cost
hat he may sell at the desired price
md still realize a profit.
Then competition enters into the
question. This cheaper shoes is unad.
er,ised and unknown. The mauufae.
urer finds his competitors selling
ihere he is unable TO sell. SO what is
is recourse To make his shoe like his
ompetitor's in appearance. This he
'ill likely accomplish by improving its
ppearanee without improving its quail
" or appreeiably increasing its cost
0 him, and thps be able to uudersell
is competitor h
On the other hand we viii suppose
be other shoe on sale is known to II
very man, woman and child, known i
y its name and sold under a brand. I
II is noted for its stlye, comfort aud I,