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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ASK AUSTRALIA TO MODIFY DUTY.
SILVER SERVICE FOR ERNEST URCHS.
Prohibitive Tariff on Pianos and Other Exports
from This Country Is Made Subject of Pro-
test—Consul-General Is Instructed.
An Elaborate Testimonial of Appreciation to
the Manager of the Wholesale Department
of Steinway & Sons from the Directors Up-
on His Twenty-fifth Wedding Anniversary.
Upon complaints made by its members, the Mer-
chants' Association recently took up with the De-
partment of State a change in the customs tariff
of Australia which went into effect on December
3, 1914. This change raised the rate on pianos im-
ported from the United States from 35 to 40 per
cent, ad valorem. The effect was practically to bar
American pianos from Australia.
On behalf of the association, S. C. Mead, secre-
tary, called the matter to the attention of the State
Department, and it was referred to Hon. Wilbur
J. Carr, Director of the Consular Service. The
following letter from Mr. Carr with relation to
the matter has been received:
"The department has received your letter of Jan-
uary 21, calling attention to changes in the customs
duties on pianos imported into Australia. You
state that the proposal to increase the preferential
in favor of English-made pianos to 10 per cent, by
increasing the duty on American pianos from 35 to
40 per cent., while that on English-made pianos
remains at 30 per cent., will work serious detriment
to the development of the export trade in Ameri-
can-made pianos to Australia, and ask whether any
steps may properly be taken in an effort to elimi-
nate or modify this preferential.
"As supplemental to the letter on this subject
addressed to you February 6 by William Phillips,
third assistant secretary of this department, you
are informed that suitable instructions under date
of March 1 have been sent to the American Consul
General, Sydney, covering all the articles with re-
spect to which interested exporters in the United
States have made protest to this department against
increases in the customs duties in Australia. The
subject of the duties on pianos was included in this
instruction and a copy of your letter was trans-
mitted to the Consul General."
Before leaving for Old Point Comfort, Va.,
Friday afternoon for a two weeks' vacation, Ern-
est Urchs^ manager of the wholesale department
of SteinWay & Sons, New York, was invited to
attend a special meeting of the board of directors
of the House of Steinway at which Charles H.
Steinway, president of Steinway & Sons, pre-
sented him with a magnificent solid silver coffee
and tea service as a token of the directors' esteem
and affection in commemoration of Mr. Urchs'
silver wedding anniversary, which will be cele-
brated officially to-day, April 2. Mr. Urchs had
not received any previous intimation of this re-
membrance on the part of the Steinway director-
ate, and in a few words of acknowledgment ex-
REMODELING HARDMAN WAREROOMS.
Two Upper Floors Being Altered to Give More
Room to Talking Machines and Music Rolls
Departments—A Sale of Players.
Hardman, Peck & Co., 433 Fifth avenue, New
York, used considerable publicity in the newspapers
this week to feature a special player sale, which
included an offer of $50 worth of music rolls free
with each player. This sale was held incidental
to the altering of two floors at Hardman House to
meet the increased demands being made upon the
talking machine and music roll departments. Ac-
cording to present plans, the talking machine ware-
rooms at Hardman House will be removed from
the fifth to the fourth floor, where they will oc-
cupy an entire floor, or twice the space now
available. The music roll department will take
possession of the entire fifth floor, also doubling
the space it now uses.
George W. Bantle, in charge of the retail sales
staff of Hardman, Peck & Co., states that the sale
has proven very successful to date, numerous sales
of higher-priced instruments than that named in
the advertisement being sold as a result of the
newspaper publicity.
ANNUAL MEETING OF N. Y. P. M. A.
The annual meeting of the New York Piano
Manufacturers' Association will be held on April
13, at the Murray Hill Hotel. There will be the
usual banquet and election of officers.
Benj. Wood, piano dealer of Madera, Cal., has
opened a branch store in Dos Palos, Cal., with
Stanley Wade as manager.
Ernest Urchs.
pressed his great surprise and the sentiment and
feeling which the gift occasioned.
In addition to this handsome silver service from
the board of directors of Steinway & Sons, Mr.
Urchs has been the recipient of remembrances
from his friends in all parts of the country who
have hailed the celebration of his twenty-fifth wed-
ding anniversary as an occasion to express in a
measure their sincere friendship for Mr. Urchs.
Telegrams and letters of congratulations from
Steinway representatives from coast to coast have
been received at Steinway Hall this week, and
these messages of good-will have been personally
conveyed to Mr. Urchs by Otto Wagner, president
of Wagner & Levien, Mexico City, Mex., who is
one of Mr. Urchs' most intimate and oldest
friends. William R. Steinway, European manager
of the Steinway interests, forwarded a lengthy let-
ter of congratulations to Mr. Urchs on behalf of
himself and his associates abroad.
Ernest Urchs is one of the best-known members
of the piano industry, and numbers among his host
of friends piano dealers in all sections of the
country. He has been associated with Steinway
& Sons since 1891, and for the past twenty-four
years has spread the doctrine of the illustrious
Steinway piano in the artistic circles of the piano
and musical worlds. Thoroughly versed in all
details of high-grade piano activities, and a man
whose strength of character is the keystone of his
success, Mr. Urchs is well deserving of the count-
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
less expressions of congratulation which he is now
receiving from his friends and associates here
and abroad.
Mr. Urchs, who is accompanied by Mrs. Urchs
and Miss Otonita Urchs, will visit Richmond, Va..
Washington, D. C, and Baltimore, Md., before
returning to New York.
GAINS IN CINCINNATI TRADE.
More Substantial Demands Now Being Made on
the Factories by Dealers—Many Visitors—
W. B. Shaul Goes to Aeolian Co.—Plans of
National Guild of Piano Tuners.
(Special to The Review.)
CINCINNATI, O., March 30.—Local manufacturers
of pianos are commencing to hear from the mer-
chant who has permitted to let his stock be-
come exhausted. One factory, it was stated on
authority, was caught napping, and the little ex-
cess which was stored in various warehouses about
the country was snapped up during the past month.
This official, in a conversation to-day, stated that
the demand was unexpected, and consequently it
has been found necessary to oil up the machinery
at its factory. March, from a retail standpoint,
was a slight improvement over February. Those
merchants who discussed this phase of the situa-
tion said the increase over last month was not
great, but the gain was a welcome one. The buyers,
it was stated, are slow in making up their minds to
purchase. This, however, does not apply to those
houses having talking machine branches, which de-
partments are rather lively these days.
If the number of visitors is any criterion to an
active spring season, then there is business in store
for Cincinnati. For almost a year the lack of vis-
itors at any one period was rather remarkable.
One of the interesting callers at the Rudolph Wur-
litzer Co. during the past week was Jesus Delraso,
a dealer of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, who while
here heard a report that one of the factions had
captured his home town. This news, until denied,
caused Sefior Delraso considerable uneasiness.
R. A. Oehlert, of the Herzog Art Furniture Co.,
Saginaw. Mich., called upon Manager Devine, of
the Aeolian Co.. Visitors of the John Church Co.
were Edmund Gram, manufacturer and dealer, of
Milwaukee, who handles the Everett line; Paul
Lindenberg, of the Lindenberg Piano Co.; R. J.
Arbenz, Wheeling, W. Va., and J. A. Maxey, of
Atlanta, Ga. Paul J. Stroup, of the Universal
Music Co., was among the callers on Piano Row.
Ben F. Owen, branch manager of the Cable
Company, was a visitor here early last week. Man-
ager Summey, of the local house, returned Satur-
day night from a trip through Virginia.
W. B. Shaul, of the piano department of the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., has resigned and will
shortly be identified with the Aeolian Co.'s forces.
He takes the place of E. R. Guise.
From talk heard here the officers of the National
Guild of Piano Tuners have taken the preliminary
steps to form a branch at Chicago. Should this
be accomplished, an effort will be made to hold the
next convention in the Windy City.
A CONVENIENTJCNABE CATALOG
Of Vest Pocket Size Just Issued—Devoted to
Both Pianos and Players.
William Knabc & Co. have just issued a small
catalog of their pianos and players which is of a
convenient size for vest-pocket use, and is illus-
trated throughout with small but clearly defined
cuts of the instruments in the Knabe line.
A feature of the new catalog is the introduction
of the new Knabe De Luxe player-pianos, which
include style J-DLA upright player and styles
H-DLA and A-DLA player grands. These new
players are handsome in case design and appear-
ance, forming valuable additions to the Knabe line
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos