Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A Visitor From Far=away Tasmania,
AN INTERESTING CHAT WITH ARTHUR MUNNEW, AN OLD-TIME FRIEND AND PARTNER OF EMIL
LEVY WHO IS NOW IN THE PIANO BUSINESS IN TASMANIA SPEAKS HIGHLY OF THE
PACKARD WHICH IS HIS LEADER IN ORGANS—SOME FACTS ABOUT THE
TARIFF AMERICAN PIANOS IN TASMANIA OFF FOR EUROPE
TO-DAY—IMPRESSIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Arthur Munnew, formerly a partner of
Emil Levy in the piano business at Mem-
phis, Tenn., and now a wealthy musical
instrument dealer of Launceston and other
cities of Tasmania—is in town this week.
The Review had an interesting talk with
Mr. Munnew at the Union Square Hotel
on Thursday, and learned much concern-
ing trade conditions in the far-away coun-
try where this successful merchant and
musician has won fame and fortune. Mr.
Munnew is at once frank, genial, alert, and
a keen observer.
" It is twenty-five years," said he, "since
Emil Levy and myself undertook business
operations at Memphis. My specialty was
tuning. Then, as now, Mr. Levy, ranked
exceptionally high as a pianist. Four years
later I was called home to England on a
visit to my parents.
" T o meet an emergency, I started only
a few months afterward for Australia. My
first stay was in the colony of Victoria.
For my health's sake I left Victoria after a
little while and took up residence in Tas-
mania. My interests are now centred at
Launceston in that colony, which is other-
wise known as Van Diemen's Land.
"I am now in partnership with a man
whom I have trained in the piano and or-
gan business. Our last annual report
shows an income of over $30,000. But there
has been lots of hard work to reach that
point. The beginning was a very small
one. To-day, we handle the Collard &
Collard piano as our leader, also some pi-
anos of German make.
"The Packard is our leader in organs. I
have always liked the Packard and our cus-
tomers are of the same opinion. At the
Launceston and Hobart Exhibition, the
Packard won special first gold medals.
Without extraordinary merit this would
have been impossible. I have been urged
to introduce other makes, but the Tas-
manians are conservative) and do not take
kindly to products until they have learned
to know them. The Packard is their fav-
orite and their fealty cannot be shaken."
The Review asked Mr. Munnew if Tas-
mania is a promising field for American
pianos.
"Yes and no," he replied. "Notwith-
standing the fact that a twenty per cent,
duty must be paid on entrance into Tas-
mania and that other expenses make up a
total of thirty-five per cent, to be added to
actual cost, I believe that they can be
gradually introduced. After a number of
years they will doubtless command and re-
ceive a full share of attention. But any-
thing like immediate results are out of the
question."
The people of Tasmania, Mr. Munnew
said, have musical taste and good discrimi-
nation. Concerts and other entertainments
occur in due season. There is at least one
musical instrument in every home, even
among the miners and others who have
but a log cabin or wooden hut. Many of
these poorer people purchase on a system
of partial payments. Mr. Munnew has a
large number of sub-agencies throughout
the colony.
When speaking of import duties, The
Review asked if any tariff restrictions were
placed on the Collard & Collard and other
British products sent to his address.
"Yes," said he, "they are strictly pro-
tective in Tasmania in tariff matters. I
have to pay 20 per cent, for all British im-
ports, and therefore the 35 per cent, in ad-
dition to actual cost has to be calculated
from British as well as American goods."
Mr. Munnew showed The Review some
statements of goods imported that showed
a big annual import trade in British and
other instruments.
"I am not transacting any business of
importance at present," he said, when
asked if he intended to make any definite
arrangements here for shipments before
leaving for Europe, ' 'but on my return to
the United States in October, I shall make
a careful survey of the piano situation and
may have some samples shipped to my
headquarters just as a trial. It is not my
intention, however, to import any piano
that would come into competition with the
Collard & Collard. They have been loyal
to me and it is my duty to give their in-
terests the utmost consideration."
During the conversation, The Review
asked Mr. Munnew for his impressions of
the United States of 1900, as compared
with 1879.
'' Since the day of my arrival in San
Francisco," was the response, "the feeling
has grown on me that the United States
to-day is the heart of the world, commer-
cially and agriculturally. The rapid de-
velopment of scientific methods, such as
telegraphy and steam, has brought nearly
all parts of the earth, figuratively speak-
ing, within arm's length of this country.
The marvelous natural resources of the
United States enable its inhabitants to en-
joy every blessing bestowed by God upon
his creatures. The whole aspect of the
country and its people is unique. Never
before have I witnessed such a marvelous
phenomenon. Nor do I expect to see its
equal elsewhere."
Mr. Munnew expects to leave for Europe
to-day on the "City of Rome."
Secure the Decker.
S. V. Harding, including Miller & Hard-
ing and Harding & Riehm, have concluded
arrangements with Decker & Son to handle
the Decker & Son piano at their ware-
rooms, which include Indianapolis, Evans-
ville, Princeton and Seymour, Indiana,
also Owensville, Louisville, and Lexing-
ton, Ky. Shipments are now being made.
Ho! for Vacation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEAVING CARE BEHIND
LEARN TO ENJOY LIFE AS WELL AS WORK.
Within the next thirty days the great
summer Hegira from cities will be under
full sail. A half-century ago everybody
delved in summer time. Now, everybody
who can get away dawdles. The struggle
for existence has become intensified. Men
work, as editors write, "on the jump."
And for just this reason, the need of rec-
reation grows more imperative. To speed
the business and professional arrow, the
bow must be strung. But a bow always
strung loses its fibre. Hence, to be occa-
sionally unstrung is to preserve potential
elasticity. No man, unless a veritable
"steam engine in trousers," as Sidney
Smith said of Daniel Webster, is able to
pull in harness successfully year in and
year out. If he does, barring miracles of
human endurance, at fifty, or before, his
nerves will fidget, at fifty-five they will
draw his face into seams, and at sixty some
one will write on his tombstone, as was
written on the monument of a terrible
worker of old : " He who never rested,
rests." It is far more sensible to take a
portion of one's rest above ground. And
he who goes away on vacation, however
limited, and falls in love with this green
earth, when singing birds call from leafy
wood, happily defers his mortuary record.
Now the prime requisite for a gilt-edged
vacation is the firm resolve to bury every
care ten feet deep when the gangplank is
drawn and your steamer sets sail for coast
resort or foreign port, or your train leaves
for the mountains. The great misfortune
with multitudes of people is that they
have never learned to play. There is no
earthly use in seeking recreation unless a
genuine abandon goes with it. It is dolce
far niente—or nothing! If you tag the va-
cation outfit all over with memoranda of
"things to be done" in the way of busi-
ness, it is all up with you. You will not
be able to steal a march on a single crow's-
foot, and there will be no spring in the
legs that have "done time" ten long
months in the stone corridors of the town
prison.
On vacation, then, suppose we take our
commercial irons from the fire—or let a
subordinate keep them hot for us. Your
average man of affairs assumes that no one
can do the work quite so well as himself.
Put him on a sick bed for a fortnight and
he finds on recovery that the shop is still
running comfortably. Much of exaggerated
responsibility is mere "fussing." The ab-
solutely indispensable individual is born so
rarely that he is truly an infant prodigy!
One may as well go off on his vacation
holding firmly to the theory that, for a
month, nothing is worth while but rest and
play. In the long run he will not be one
cent richer in money because of his care-
taking habit, and he will find his mind and
body responding to the thrill of nature only
when self-surrendered to her charms. Per.
petual worry is like a smoked glass held to
the eye. It clothes nature with a sickly
hue and distorts perspective,