Music Trade Review

Issue: 1915 Vol. 60 N. 12

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE SITUATION IS NOW SERIOUS
As Far as Imports of Musical Merchandise Are
Concerned—Samuel
Buegeleisen's
Timely
Comments—New
Booklet
Lists Various
Groups of Instruments.
Discussing the present outlook in the musical
merchandise field, Samuel Buegeleisen, head of
Buegeleisen & Jacobson, 113 University place, New
York, remarked as follows: "We have just re-
ceived advices from the Holland-America line
and the Scandinavian lines notifying us that they
have determined to refuse all shipments from
Germany and Austria until further notice. The
importance of this decision need hardly be com-
mented upon, as it signifies a cessation of the
meager service which we have received since the
outbreak of the war. With the general shortage
<> " ' all raw materials entering into the manufacture
of musical merchandise, and the metal seizure
•proclamation issued by the German Government a
month ago, the situation in this industry is be-
coming more serious and acute day by day."
In order to offer their trade every possible co-
operation, Buegeleisen & Jacobson have just issued
an attractive booklet listing various groups of mer-
chandise at special prices. The book is arranged
IN TONE
STYLE & DURABILITY
HARMONICAS &ACCORDEONS
ARE RECOGNIZED AS THE
WORL0S BEST"
WEYMANN&SON
Incorporated
Manufacturers of
The Famous
Weymann Mandolutes and
"Keystone State" Instruments
1010 Cheitnut St., Philadelphia, Pa.
for convenient handling, the goods listed including
Automat showcases, violins, accordeons, bows, cor-
nets, banjo-mandolins and miscellaneous merchan-
dise, the whole affording dealers an excellent op-
portunity to replenish their stocks.
Handled by C. Bruno & Son, Inc.—A Large
Variety of Styles That Meet Every Demand.
To the average individual there is as much
difference between one or another of violin cases
as there is between types of violins. To one who
Engineer on White Star Liner and Assistant
is brought up in the business the slightest little
Admit Bringing Sample Strings from Italy
change
in shape, material or style makes an en-
and Selling Them to Boston Dealers.
tirely different style. There are several hundred
styles of violin cases in the stock of C. Bruno &
( Special to The Review.)
Son, Inc., 353 Fourth avenue, New York, the big
BOSTON, MASS., March 15.—George E. Metcalf,
chief engineer of the White Star Line steamer .musical merchandise distributers, and one of the
latest models known is No. 130, genuine M. & W.
"'Canopic," and Third Assistant Engineer Albert
Dickinson, of the same ship, were given a hearin; Bullhead b^and leather board violin case.
SMUGGLED VIOLIN STRINGS.
No. 130 Genuine M. & W . Bullhead B r a n d L e a t h e r Board V i o l i n Case.
before United States Commissioner Hayes at the
Federal Building last week, on the charge of hav-
ing conspired to smuggle violin strings unlawfully
into this country on January 22 last.
It appeared from the testimony That both of the
defendants are married to daughters of >C. A. Kiss-
linger, a dealer in violin strings in Naples, Italy,
and they testified to bringing sample strings into
this country, while the Government witnesses testi-
fied that the strings were sold. It was claimed
that this act constituted a violation of the law re-
lating to smuggling.
Metcalf acknowledged on the stand that he had
sold strings to Edward F. Bryant, a music teacher
and dealer in strings with office on Tremont street,
this city, four years ago and Bryant testified for
the Government that he had bought $60 worth of
strings from Metcalf.
Dickinson admitted that he gave to L. D. Abbott,
a laundry driver, a package containing strings,
which was addressed to M. E. Shoening, New
York, to be sent by parcel post. Carl Chandler,
special agent of the Customs Service, who investi-
gated the relations between the defendants and
dealers in strings, also testified.
At the conclusion of the hearing Commissioner
Hayes stated that in view of the admissions of the
defendants they would be required to appear be-
fore Judge Morton in the United States District
Court today on a summary process. The commis-
sioner continued the case pending the action of the
court.
Black Diamond
Strings
Style No. 130 is made with a seamless black
water-grained shell, fabrikoid covered, with nickel-
plated trimmings. Made in three styles, with
fleece, velvet and silk plush linings. Considering
its quality, it is sold at a very low price.
PATENTS DOUBLE BASS GUITAR.
(Special tci T h e Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 15.—A double-bass
guitar has been invented by Albert Shutt, Topeka,
Kan. Patent No. 1,131,504. The invention em-
bodies, among other features, an instrument pro-
vided with a plurality of finger boards arranged
in spaced relation to permit of inserting the fin-
gers between the same, the usual guitar strings
being mounted to extend over one of the finger
boards and bass and sub-bass strings being mounted
to extend over the other finger boards, thus en-
abling the operator to play the guitar in the usual
manner or use the instrument as a violoncello or
double-bass 'cello.
Manufacturers, Importers
Publishers. Largest and
most complete stock of
Musical Merchan-
dise i n t h e
trade.
ATTRACTIVE
SPECIALTIES
Modem
Service
AUGUST MULLER
and J. HEBERLEIN, VIO-
LINS, VIOLAS AND CELLGS
MITTENWALD VIOLIN STRINGS
SEND FOR COMPLETE CATALOG
The oldest aivd
l a t e s t musical
merchandise house
itv America *--
THE WORLD'S BEST
MUSICAL
Merchandise
National Musical String Co.
New Brunswick, N. J.
EXCELSIOR
DRUMS ™ STANDARD
Some dealers may say that they coat more than
others.
Excelsior drums cost more because they are
worth more. Cost more to make.
We could make them cost less by
using- cheaper
material, use less care in making 1 them, and dis-
pense with the new patented improvements.
If we did, however, Excelsior Drums would not
be the Standard as they are to-day. "Write for
catalogue.
EXCELSIOR DRUM WORKS
A. G. SOISTMAN, Vice-Pres. and Gen. Manager,
Tenth and Market Streets,
CAMDEN, W.J.
EXTENSIVE LINE OF VIOLIN CASES
Cincinnati
B
UEGELEISEN
& JACOBSON
113-115 University Place
NEW YORK
Chicago
Largest Jobbers in America of
ODERN
USICAL
ERCHANDISE
M
WRITE FOR NEW CATALOG
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
51
FOR THE REFIEFJ)F^ THE IMPORTERS
Liquidation Entries Are Suspended on Mer-
chandise from Germany and Austria—Coins
Low Exchange Value—Depreciation of the
Mark and Crown Has Resulted in This
Rather Unusual Action.
With the receipt last week by Collector Malone
of an order from the Treasury Department to sus-
pend the liquidation of entries on merchandise from
foreign countries where a depreciation in currency
has taken place, a serious situation is alleviated for
the time being at least. During the last few months
the currency of Germany and Austria-Hungary has
been steadily depreciating, while Collectors of Cus-
toms throughout this country have been exacting
duties on the basis of the values proclaimed by
Secretary McAdoo on January 1 last.
While the fluctuations have at times moved
slightly upward, the general tendency in the case
of German marks and Austrian crowns has been
downward until at the present time the values of
these coins are 15 or more per cent, below the
exchange values proclaimed by the Treasury's head
and used by customs officers in liquidating duties
on goods from the two countries concerned. The
mark, for instance, which was proclaimed by the
Secretary the first of the year as the equivalent in
American money of 23.8 cents, has at times depre-
ciated to around 16 cents. The Austrian crown,
decreed by the Secretary to be worth 20.3 cents in
United States currency, has dropped quite as much
as the mark.
Up to this time, however, the Treasury authori-
ties have not been inclined to take any action for
the relief of the importing interests, which have
been under the necessity of paying the American
duties on the basis of the proclaimed values, where-
as the merchandise involved possessed a lower
value than the liquidated value. The situation be-
came so serious that importers here with German
and Austrian connections retained Edward P. Shar-
retts, Frederick W. Brooks, Jr., and other attorneys
to confer with the Treasury Department. The of-
ficials of the Department indicated that they were
unwilling to take drastic action looking to a sus-
pension of liquidations without further informa-
tion from abroad. In view of this attitude, the
legal representatives of the importers were sur-
prised when told of the Department's action.
The Department's order to Collector Malone, and
presumably to other collectors, is to stand pending
an investigation to be conducted through the De-
partment of State, by United States Consuls sta-
tioned in Germany and Austria. Collectors will
continue to take duties for the present based on the
Treasury's proclaimed values, but final liquidation
will be postponed until the Government agents are
able to file their reports. This means, in practice,
that importers will eventually receive the benefit
of any lower rate of exchange that the Department
may conclude to adopt, without compelling mer-
chants to go to the expense of litigating claims be-
fore the Board of General Appraisers and the Cus-
toms Court.
The next official revision of exchange values of
foreign currencies takes place April 1, and it may
be that by that time the Treasury Department will
be in a position to modify materially the values
recorded Jan. 1. If not, the present suspension of
liquidations will be continued.
"In normal times," Mr. Sharretts said this week,
"these questions are academic, because there is very
little difference between the pure metal values, ex-
change values and proclaimed values of standard
currency.
Now, however, importers are very
anxious to know what effect this depreciation will
have on their customs duties, and many of our
clients have sought legal advice. In my opinion,
the object of the law is to assess duty on a value
in United States currency that corresponds with
the actual value of the goods at the date they were
shipped.
"If such actual value is lower than the proclaimed
value of the currency of any particular invoice, the
importer should see to it that the requirements of
the statutes and regulations are fully complied
with."
Shipments Are Being
HELD UP!
•v.
TAKE OUR ADVICE
at our present low price
ORDER NOW
BUEGELEISEN & JACOBSON
113-115 University Place
NEW YORK

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