The Washington times., 1906-05-12
PIANO MEN MAKE
STRONG PLEA FOR
UNIF FORM PRICES
Absorbing Topic Now
Before Manufacturers
Convention.
WINNING CONVERTS OVER
President Mehlin and Henry
F. Miller Making Deter
mined Effort for Plan.

A'AAAASAL LllO- 1 lOl i tdll
Should the manufacturer establish a
Uniform selling price FOR his instru-
ments:'' is question which IS lifely TO
absorb most OF the business time OF
tho National Piano Manufacturers Asso-
ciation. now I'm session at the New VIII
ard. To the public, the retailer and tho
manufactures alike. but to the public
particularly. a settlement OF this cues
tion. which has long been regarded as q
business disturber. viii be welcomed as
a boon.
At the session Of the convention YES
terday afternoon the discussion OF thls
question became 50 prolonged that, at
President Mehlln's motion. Il was car
ried over until today. All manner Of
suggestions and motions as 20 how uni
form prices could be established were
hurled at the chair. but none seemed
to meet as much approval or carry as
much weight as the suggestion Of Presi-
dent Mehlin himself. that lines OF unity
must be established between the manu-
facturer and the retailer"
Uniformity a Necessity.
While this convention" said Presi-
dent MehIin from the chair. "Is In no
sense in the interests OF the retailer. YET
il IS for the good OF the manufacturer
and the public that we settle on some
uniformity IN piano selling before the
convention ends. In my opinion, we can
do II only by cooperation with the re-
taller; certainly no arbitrary price fixed
by an agreement between manufacturers
Will prevent dealers from selling instrl-
ments at whatever prices they ees- fit"
After the session President Mehlin
and John d. Fease. or tae Pease Piano
Company. mst n the lobby OK me ho-
tel and engaged in a somewhat beated
discussion over the ways and means OF
meeting the problem OF securing uniform
prices. Mr.. Pease holds some decided
views regarding this question. Icing a
trife skeptical as to the outcome OF any
attempt on the mart OF manufacturers
10 get retailers 20 agree on a schedule
OF prices arranged by the manufacturers
These views are et q variance with
those OF President Mehlin. who Is per-
fectly sanguine as 10 the ability Of the
national association to briI z about an
ultimate solution or the vroblern and
when the pair met. an il promptu de-
bate resulted which finally ended I'm
President Mehlin winning over a con-
vert and an ardent supporter to his
cause
To the mind OF President Mehlin this
problem Of uniform prices presents more
complexities than any other 10 come be-
fore the convention, and for the dele
gates TO hit upon some plan Of solution
will permit him, he says, to relin-
quish the presidency with a greater feel
ing Of satisfaction than to ACCOMPLISH
nfh
ing himself into a steering committee. -
he is doing a little missionary work
among the delegates. after the session
In the evening. and whatever plan of
securing uniform prices TO the public
Is adopted by the convention will no
doubt bear the ''Mehlin trademark"
Territorial Rights Bugbear.
THE territorial right OF retailers"
said Charles Steif. Of the Charles NJ.
Steiff Piano Company. amounts almost
to bugbear with manufacturers. The
greatest care and tact must be constant
ly observed in order to prevent the un-
scrupulous dealer. and these crop ont
occasionally among plano men, as in
other lines Of trade, from encrcaching
on the rights Of his business connection.
To effect an equitable Arrangement the
piano manufacturers have hit upon the
plan of dividing the territory into busi-
ness districts, over which certain deal
er VIII be given exclusive rights II
any dealer from the outside attempts to
sell an instrument within these limits
MS exclusive rights are taken from him
W nat manufacturers want" con-
Ilnued Mr.. Steiff. - is TO prevent certain
dealers from juggling prices We know
that an instrument is worth only so
much, and an attempt on the part OF
a dealer to get more for II Is manifest
I ,F,
where dealers have Influenced a pur-
chaser to a high price for an inferior
grade or piano. rather than sell a stan
dard make for the same prsce telling
the buyer that the reputation of the
piano amounted to nothing. This r,rac-
tice Is what we heartily condemn and
prevent whenever possible"
Many Sided Proposition.
IF We agree on some plan of uniform
prices" said Henry r Miller. who. he
sides being the first president of the
National Piano Manufacturers Associa-
ton, served two terms. @our work AZ
this convention will be well done II ,s
a many-sided proposition. involving the
interests Of the public. the manufacturer
and the retailer, and one which can only
be met by cooperation of the manufac-
turer and the retailer.
I am heartily in favor Of the prin-
ciple of uniform prices and do not think.
In the interests of the public, that one
dealer should charge more for the same
r'-,''" than another dealer An instrlI-
ment in San Francisco should be sold at
precisely the same price as the same
make in New York, with only the in
crease for freight charges. In brief I
am glad TO say that I think we will meet
the problem before the convention eds"
Dawson ]. Blackmore, OF Cincinnati,
has been elected president to serve dur
ing the ensuing year. The convention
elected Edward S. Payson, of Boston.
hrst vice president; w. l. Bush, of Chi
oago, second vice president; William
CONTINUED OF E.eGEth PaSe.l