The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-15
Guessing Contests Will
Come In for Right
Warm Roast.
MANUFACTURERS
END THEIR WORK
Convention Closes, but Members
Remain Over for Other Meet
ings and to See Wonderful
Exhibit-Many Big Ques-
tons on Pro-
gram.

Clearing off its program the re-
mainder OF its work for this session.
the convention of the National Piano
Manufacturers Association adjourned
yesterday noon. Beyond the completion
of routine work and the installation
of the newly elected officers, nothing
of Importance was transacted. Nearly
all of the members remained over for
the sessions of the National Piano
Dealers and National Piano Travellers
next week.
That the keynote of interest in the
public good struck by this convention
is to be echoed in the proceedings
of the National Association OF Piano
Dealers, which begins tomorrow, Is
made manifest by the program of the
latter body Issued yesterday. 1t de-
clares that the dealers will discuss
guessing contests" problem that
Will have ardent advocates on both
sides There are such Contests that
are legitimate, there are some that
are Legitimate, and how to handle
the situation is something that will
engage the serious attention OF The
convention.
Public Is Interested.
The public is interested In these
guessing contests" for In some cases
the people have been flimflammed to
a cold finish. winning piano certih-
Gates in guessing contests. which GER
tificates were stated to be valued at
sT5 toward the purchase of ftne
piano from a certain dealer. while In
reality the purchaser cashing in the
certificate got a poor piano. for which
he paid SIS more than the right price.
The convention is going TO see what
can be done about such pracuces'
Where the work of the convention
directly affects the public is in itssef-
forts to bring about fair prices and
to eliminate the selling of an Inferior
article as one OF superior quality
This is shown not only in the guess
ing contests matter. but also In the
sale of stencil pianos. This grade OF
pianos is sold at a low price To meet
7 the demand for something cheap ana
not having. necessarily. high merits.
1t does not have on 1T the name OF
its manufacturer in most cases, and Is
used by dishonest dealers to deceive
the public In some cases, the stem
ell" is sold as just what it Is. and
sometimes is as good an instrument
as the best of the other kind The
meat of the antlstencil contention Is
! that too often such piano Is sold
under misrepresentation. Just what
| the attitude of the convention Will be
| on this matter is not known, but 1t is
| likely to be discussed warmly.
Fake Advertising.
Fraudulent advertising. aimed to
deceive the public into buying inferior
instruments under the impression that
| they are buying the best will be aired
before the convention. Lewis H.
Clement, president-elect of the asso-
| citation. is a leading voice against such
| advertising.
"a piano buyer" says Mr.. Clement,
"however much he may desire fine
| piano, is ever ready to believe the
| far too common idea, resulting large
| ly from mischievous advertising, that
| the profit in pianos is enormous, and
| that in buying high-priced or artis-
tic piano one simply pays for the
| name rather than for any superior
! qualities which that name makes fam
| Gus. He, therefore, srasps at any ar
| gument which appeals to his purse.
I'm the light OF business ethics. is
| a salesman who makes such false
| statements, or an advertisement writ
| er who pens them, or the firm which
permits them to be published, any bet
| ter than the confidence man who
"gold bricks" the confding country
man? Are not the rights of thousands
/ of honest buyers. ignorant of values.
| but entitled to fair treatment. intelli
gent advice and proper guidance, of
| more concern to the commercial
world than the desire of the unscru-
pulous to make money quickly? Can
not this body of dealers, representing
| the best and highest in our country.
do something to secure such buyers
their simple rlghts?"
This matter of false advertisements
| will be taken up by the convention,
and much will be said about It, The
attitude Of the association is not mar
row, but takes IN the whole field of
advertising. At the 1905 session of
/ the convention, the association was re-
/ corded as declaring:
Says It'A MislendIng.
"Aluch of the present day advertising
is misleading, exaggerated and tends
not only to deceive the public, but
to undermine the public confidence on
which all business depends. It Is the
sense of this association that COM
| mission similar to that established nv
the pure food laws should be estab
llshed to pass upon fraudulent adver-
| Using, and through warnings and
| other means seek to suppress such
/ advertising and to be empowered tc
/ institute proceedings against those
\ who after due notification persist ir
such advertisng"
Many papers will he read at the
convention which will directly or In
/ directly touch ~-npon these questions
4 The association stands for square bust
ness dealings and the strict observance
4 of business ethics, and II membe,
4 were to offend against the laws OF
the association he would BIO handled
Il with gloves off II he were detected
The final session OF the National
Piano Manufacturers took place yes
\ terday morning, II lasted about an
Resolutions of coincidence and regret
upon the death of the following mem
\ bers OF the association were passed
Victor Hugo Mathnshek, New York
4 one Of the pioneers Of the piano In
dustry; Joseph cramer. OF the Elmer