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46
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
sisting of a group of editorials and cartoons from
various newspapers and trade papers. A list of
Interesting Point Broug+it Up by Victor Co. in Appeal Alleging Error in the Decision of the
the Senators from the State in which the dealer
Reappraisement Board Affecting Duty on Master Records Imported from South America.
resides, and the Congressmen from the various
districts, completed this literature.
The development and perfection of the talking fore the Board of Classification that the so-called
In the first paragraph of its letter, calling the
machine record is responsible for one of the nro.st artistic costs or compensation talent are no part of
unique customs controversies in the history of the the actual market value within the meaning of sec- attention of the Victor dealer to the importance
of the Stevens bill, the Victor Co. says:
American tariff. It seems that for some years tion 3, paragraph L, of the present tariff law.
"If you believe in a manufacturer's right to es-
concerns manufacturing talking machines and
In defining the position of the Victor Co. in its
discs have been accustomed to send abroad wax fight against the inclusion of "artistic costs" in the tablish the price at which his product shall be sold
discs for the purpose «,f having human voices foreign market and dutiable value of the wax rec- —which right guarantees the value of the goods
in a dealer's store and safeguards the public against
and musical instruments recorded. In this way ords Mr. Washburn said:
records have been obtained of noted singers and
"To summarize, we contend that the provisions prices on goods of unknown value by the so-called
musical organizations in all parts of the world.
of paragraph L include only such expenses and costs bargain house, then you can help eliminate such
practice by calling on your Congressman and Sen-
There appears to have been considerable va- as are tangible and have to do with some physical
ator and telling them just exactly what your views
riance at the different ports as to the valuation or mechanical manipulation entering into and
arc
regarding the Stevens bill, H. R. 13305."
put on the discs when returned to this co.untry forming the articles imported. We contend it
to be further manipulated and made into articles does not include the cost of setting light vibrations
NEW MODEL OF VICTROLA
of commercial value. At Philadelphia, for in- into motion, but has to do only with the cost of
To
Retail
at $300 Just Introduced—Design
the
operation
of
the
machine
by
the
needles
making
stance, such discs were generally admitted for
and Finish of Exceptional Beauty.
dutiable purposes as having a foreign market the visible impression or track upon the wax disc.
value of $3, while at this port the general practice Assume that the recording apparatus in the ma-
The Victor Talking Machine Co. announced this
has been to pass them at $o. Recently, however, chine was set in motion and caught the sound vi-
week
the addition to its line of a new model Vic-
the Treasury officials reached the conclusion that bration of a nightingale song. Could it be said
trola which is designated as Victrola XVIII and
that there should be an element of costs for the
higher values should be exacted.
which will retail at $800. This new model is par-
The customs men were ordered to include in sound vibrations in such a case?
ticularly noteworthy because of the exceptional
"Is
th^
situation
any
different
because
the
sound
the market value of the wax discs the compensa-
beauty of its cabinet design and the detailed per-
tion paid the artists or organizations singing or vibrations are set in motion by the human voice
fection of its construction. It furnishes a worthy
playing into the records. One of the first con- for a consideration? There is a definite expense addition to the Victrola line, and those Victrola
cerns to be affected by the new order was the for the operation of the machine making these
dealers who have seen early samples of the new
Victor Talking Machine Co., which imported rec- physical impressions upon the wax disc and for machine are enthusiastic in predicting its instan-
ords secured in Colombia, South America. The the supervision of the work. These are tangible
taneous success. It was placed on sale June 1,
Victor Co. appealed from the Custom House elements capable of ascertainment. Appraising
although the company suggests that its distribu-
action, and was sustained by a single general officers might tell upon the inspection that the ar- ters and dealers refrain from exploiting the new
appraiser. A full Board of Reappraisement, how- ticle had been manipulated, but they could not tell
model to any extent for the time being owing to
ever, reversed the finding of the single official whether the sound vibrations were produced by the very small supply available.
and upheld the Government. The importer has natural agencies or whether the tracings as such
The Victrola XVIII has a matched mahogany
now appealed to the Board of Classification, al- had any real value, or whether they had been paid
cabinet with paneled moulding, swell front and
leging error in the finding of the Reappraisement for or not. If a dried plate in a camera were sub- sides, and contains twenty Victor record albums for
Board. The indications are, it was said this week, jected to a snapshot exposure could tiie action of
200 records. It is 48MJ inches high, 23Vi inches
that the test case will go to the Customs Go.urt the light on the sensitized film be properly said
wide and 25 1 4 inches deep. It has a 12-inch gold
to be a 'fabrication?' Similarly, can the recording
ultimately.
plated turntable, gold plated exhibition sound box,
Albert H. Washburn, of Comstock & Washburn, of sound vibrations as opposed to light vibrations
Victor tapering tone arm and goose-neck sound
who has been retained in behalf of the Victor con- be any more properly characterized as 'fabrica-
box tube, brake, speed regulator and indicator.
cern, said Monday that it will be maintained be- tions ?' "
Nickel-plated, extra heavy, triple spring, spiral
drive
motor (can be played while playing) and
GREAT COLUMBIA BUSINESS IN MAY. burst of chicken's squawks. Mr. King states that all metal
parts are 24 karat gold plated.
he gathered twenty-five or thirty chickens at the
Referring to the cabinet of the new Victrola
Interesting Facts Related by Assistant General
laboratory and they made a "personal" record
XVIII the Victor Co. in its announcement said:
Manager Willson—Columbia Continues Cam-
which was satisfactory in every respect.
paign in Local Papers—Personal Record De-
The Columbia Co. is continuing its forceful cam- "This cabinet was designed and is manufac-
tured in its entirety by our own cabinet factory.
partment Proving a Great Success.
paign in the local newspapers, using a T-shaped
No expense has been spared in making this instru-
advertisement which permits the advertisements of
"May business was phenomenal," said H. L. individual Columbia dealers in local territory to be
ment representative of the very highest type of
Willson, assistant general manager of the Colum- placed alongside. One of the recent series was construction known to the art pf cabinet making,
bia Graphophone Co., in a chat with The Review devoted to the new records by Pablo Casals, the and our dealers may announce it to their customers
this week. "Our gain over last May was even
world-famous 'cellist, whose recordings for the with a degree of pride that is unanswerable from a
quality standpoint from any otiier source. Only
greater than we had anticipated and tie actual
Columbia are winning general praise.
the finest figured mahogany veneers (matched V-
figures are indicative of the remarkable growth
Paull Hayden, of the Columbia advertising de-
and progress of our trade during the past few partment, spent a few days in Philadelphia this shaped) are used on its front and two sides, and
months. The prosperity of our machine business week, paying a visit to the Pennsylvania Talking the completed doors, sides and back are of 7-ply
veneers, properly cross banded, which is the strong-
is shown by the fact t'.iat our machine orders dur-
Machine Co., Columbia distributer in that city,
est and most costly construction known.''
ing the five days from May 20 to May 2 ~
. > were
where he found business flourishing.
greater than the orders received for the entire
month of January this year, and the latter month
TIMELY VICTOR LITERATURE.
was the best January in our history. Our record
Information
of General Interest for the Dealer
business is reaching high-water marks week after
Covering
Various
Matters Sent Out by the
week, and we are exercising every possible effort
Victor Talking Machine Co. the Past Week.
to rush work on our new buildings and additions
at our Bridgeport factories in order to relieve the
The Victor Talking Machine Co. sent out to its
strain on our record production division."
dealers this week a batch of valuable literature
The new Columbia personal record department, comprising a fund of information relative to the
recently launched under the management of Henry Stevens bill, favoring price maintenance, under
D. King, is attracting considerable attention in all certain conditions, which in all likelihood will be
parts of the country and Mr. King has already taken up for consideration in the early days of the
been in receipt of several requests for recording next Congress. This literature included the fol-
appointments to make records for decidedly origi- lowing : An official copy of the Stevens bill. H. R.
For Best Service, write to
nal and unique purposes. Last week a prominent 13305; a pamphlet of the speech of Hon. M. Clyde
theatrical manager called at the offices of the Co- Kelly, of Pennsylvania, before the Sixty-third
lumbia/ Co. to arrange far the making of a record Congress; a folder—"Who's Behind the Stevens
which could be used in a new show to be produced Bill," which contains the report of the special
CHICAGO
Largest Distributors
in the fall, one scene of which calls for the open- committee of the United States Chamber of Com-
ing of a chicken coop and the accompanying out-- merce, and a news sheet, "Tips to the Trade," con-
PROTEST "ARTISTIC COSTS" IN DUTIABLE RECORD VALUE.
LYON & HEALY