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MUSIC TRADE! REVIEW
39
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In tKe Musical Merchandise Domain
The latest Victor "Red Seal" monarch
and de Luxe records include those of Mme.
Louise Homer, of the Metropolitan Opera
Company.
"SMALL GOODS" CONDITIONS.
Satisfaction Expressed With the Current Trend—
Goods Enjoying Most Publicity in Demand—
Staple Goods Price—European Manufacturers
Are Suggesting Higher Prices.
The February Victor and Monarch
records, listed in detail in the latest Vic-
tor bulletin folder, include selections from
Arthur Pryor's band, Pryor's orchestra,
piccolo and clarinet duet, cornet and trom-
bone duet, cornet solos, whistling solo,
tenor solos, male quartettes, descriptive
yodel songs, baritone solos and nearly
every other variety of musical entertain-
ment.
TKE
Protest of Wm. Tonk & Bro. Co. Overruled in the
Matter of Spruce Boards—A Decision Regard-
ing Coverings for Violins and Guitars.
General Appraiser Fischer, on Feb. 3.
overruled the protest of Wm. Tonk & Bro.
Co., of Chicago, against the assessment of
M. Hohner's "Up-to-date Surprise" duty by the collector, who decided that
harmonica, as shown in the illustration, is certain spruce boards were not a part of u
a standard style of which many thousands musical instrument, but simply sawed
have been made and sold. It is convenient in boards. In sustaining the collector Judge
said:
size, attractive in appearance and possesses Fischer
"The merchandise in question is de-
the maximum of durability. This style is scribed by the local appraiser in his special
made in three numbers, varying from ten report as 'a thin board of spruce wood,
"THE UP-TO-DATE" SURPRISE.
With exceptions, the small goods con-
tingent is satisfied with current conditions.
Sales are not falling behind, and in some in-
stances much larger stocks are being or-
dered in anticipation of a brisk spring
trade. The fact is being emphasized that
where price is not the controlling factor,
the goods enjoying the greatest publicity
are given the preference, if not actually in
demand, over lines placed in the "still
hunt" category. And even when more fa-
vorable figures are proffered as an induce-
ment, the known goods of standard repute
though listed higher, have the call. This
is not merely paper talk, but actual facts
revealed by competing sellers.
Prices are held up, and such cutting
noticeable is on established lines for an
"opening" only.
Staple goods are firm,
though reports are rife that European man-
ufacturers are again writing their corre-
spondents and representatives that higher
prices should be in order on account of
the increased cost of material and the de-
mand from employes for higher wages.
Leading wholesalers refer to this as a
demonstration of nerve on the part of the
German producer, and which they further
describe as the "Old gag."
However,
some firms admit the unenviable position
they are not infrequently placed in by the
foreign manufacturer in quoting prices on
certain lines, and with the placing of dupli-
cate orders at a higher figure in order to
guarantee delivery. The practice is an-
noying and vexatious, and importers are
saying things about this alleged sharp prac-
tice not all complimentary to the gentle-
men who are first hands in the primary
market.
THE VICTOR RECORDS.
RECENT APPRAISERS' DECISIONS.
E FAC
ieiMeiS?m
T?KV isihe largest Harmo-
c r
r m t t?
he
L l i?.V_°. A
single
double
named
covers,
tone.
holes
twenty reeds to ten
holes
forty reeds. The last
is full concert size, with heavy
finely nickel plated, full concert
TO MAKE ORCHESTRIONS
In This Country—Now Imported Exclusively From
Germany, Paying a 45 Per Cent. Duty—Will
be American in Every Respect.
Plans are being perfected for the estab-
lishment here of a fully equipped factory
for the manufacture of orchestrions. These
instruments are all imported, and as their
sale is increasing, the duty of 45 per cent,
is an obstacle, and houses handling these
goods as first hands are hampered ma-
terially in the development of the business.
In this new enterprise characteristic Ameri-
can energy and methods will prevail, and
in the equipment of the plant the latest
machinery and appliances will figure, as
well as a corps of skilled artisans. Im-
provements, which the ultra-conservative
German manufacturers are averse to intro-
ducing, originated in this country and add-
ing to the musical value of the orchestrion,
will now be made in the product of this fac-
tory, which will be owned and managed
by a well known musical merchandise
house.
PLACE TO BUY
VICTOR
TALKING MACHINES, RECORDS
AND ACCESSORIES
G O O D S Shipped within 24 hours
The largest and most complete stock in the United States.
THE VICTOR DISTRIBUTING AND EXPORT CO.,
77 K Chamber* Street, New York.
world, employing over I0OO men
upwards at 3,000,000
sawed into a particular form, and intended
to be used in the manufacture of musical
instruments.' An inspection of the sample
shows that the merchandise is spruce
boards
split
lengthwise
into two
exact halves except to within halt
an inch
of one end. The im-
porters' witness testifies that the boards
are thus sawed so as to keep the boards of
each piece of wood together, in order to
permit of the gluing together of boards of
like grain. The merchandise has not been
shaped. The fact that the boards are to be
used in manufacturing" musical instru-
ments has nothing to do with their classi-
fication, as they have not been shaped to
give them the character as parts of musical
instruments. This board in passing upon
certain pieces of hollow ivory said: 'While
it may be true, as contended by the local
appraiser, that these hollow pieces of ivory
are specially designed to be made into parts
of flutes and piccolos, they have not
reached such a stage of manufacture as to
give them character as parts of such in-
struments. So here, the boards may be
sawed in a manner to specially adapt them
for use in making musical instruments, yet
in their imported form they are clearly not
parts of musical instruments. They have
no definite form or shape to identify them
as parts of musical instruments; they are
as the local appraiser described them,
boards."
On the 4th inst. Judge Somerville de-
cided that "certain coverings for violins
and guitars, made of papier-mache and of
wood, classified as unusual coverings, and
assessed for additional duty -of 100 per
cent, tinder section 7 of the tariff act of
1883, were claimed by the importers to be
usual and necessary coverings of the mer-
chandise, and not subject to the additional
duty. Protest sustained on authority of
Oberteuffer v. Robertson and Magone v.
Rosenstein.