Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
flouth Organ, All Hail!
THOU
ART
A
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT,
FOR
UNCLE SAM'S APPRAISERS HAVE SAID IT.
The Board of General Appraisers, as an-
nounced in last week's Review, has declared
harmonicas, or mouth organs, " musical
instruments."
For fourteen years the United States has
been undecided whether mouth organs
were musical instruments or toys. During
some dynasties they have been regarded as
both.
Such was the case under the reign of
GroveF I. for a long time, but it was later
changed by royal edict so that mouth or-
gans were unclassed.
Under the Wilson law mouth organs
were not mentioned at all, and the offi-
cials who run the tariff were all at sea.
Some of them held that mouth organs
were musical instruments when they cost
two marks and three pfennigs, but that if
they cost two marks and two pfennigs or
less they were toys.
Now the Board of General Appraisers
has settled the question forever.
It is a grand thing for the musical world
that this matter has been settled, but it is
only one step in the right direction. It
puts the poor, tired, over-worked mouth
organ on a social footing, so to speak, but
it is silent about the jewsharp, and it says
nothing about the concertina or the bazoo.
During the recent trial of Commander
Booth-Tucker witnesses for the defense,
under oath, testified that a concertina is a
musical instrument, but some of the
prosecuting witnesses were equally positive
in swearing that it was an instrument of
torture, and that there was no music even
remotely connected with it.
No one presumed to say it was a toy.
The Board of General Appraisers should
take this matter up and relieve the expect-
ancy of a waiting and anxious nation.
The Board should also tackle the jews-
harp and put it where it belongs in the
musical world.
The bazoo also calls for attention at as
early a date as possible.
If it shall be decided that the concertina,
the jewsharp and the bazoo are musical in-
struments, then those who perform on
them will at once take their standing as
''artists," but until this is done the perform-
ers can have no standing officially among
musicians.
The tariff end to the question is a trifling
matter compared to the interests affect-
ed in the musical circles of this country.
Let there be no trifling with this matter
and let the decision be rendered fearlessly
and promptly.
value to a drowning man is not a matter
of dollars and cents.
Suppose you buy a piano ? Dozens of
dealers say "buy ours," "we undersell all
competitors," "our piano is the cheapest
one," all of which is not worth one cent to
you after you have paid your money.
When you have bought your piano, the
question, "how much did I pay," does
not satisfy your desire for a good piano.
It's what the piano pays you in satisfaction,
in tone, in durabilily, in musical quality
that counts. We sell
THE
MEHLIN
PIANO.
We do not claim it's the lowest priced
nor to "undersell all" competitors.
We claim, though, that in over two hun-
dred Mehlin pianos sold by us, not one has
ever proven unsatisfactory or given the
purchaser a moment's uneasiness.
You can afford to pay a little more if you
must do so to get what you want.
You Should Recognize
them from this description—you will see
them used by the leading business houses
of this City—we allude to
The "Brilliant" Sign Letter
A Creditable and Effective Ad.
The following advertisement which has
been published by C. M. Loomis' Sons,
the well-known dealers of New Haven,
Conn., is a creditable effort. It presents
the claim of the Mehlin piano in a dignified
and convincing style that cannot fail to be
prolific of beneficial results. Such adver-
tising reflects credit alike on the publishers
and the makers of the piano represented:
NOT WHAT YOU PAY
liUT WHAT
The only letter that is placed on the
inside of the £rlass—consequently your
property. Advantages:—
Does not wear away by washing of
windows.
Does not come off easily; but can be
removed and replaced elsewhere if re-
quired.
The most effective—and in appearance
exceedingly rich.
Ordinary gilding on glass is as dull
brass in comparison.
Send us a rough draft giving inscrip-
tion desired, and width of the windows or
doors, and we will submit you an
estimate.
Letters can be packed and shipped with
cements and directions.
Try your house or store number as a
sample, and we are certain you will use
the letter as a sign.
IT PAYS YOU.
There are two values to every purchase. The "Brilliant" Sign Letter Co.
O. W. SLADE, Hgr.
What it costs you and what it pays you.
468 Sixth Avenue, New York
Cork costs eight cents per pound, but its
THE ANN ARBOR
MORGAN CO.,
....THE....
HAGEN & RUEFER PIANOS
Are made to satisfy the desire of the buying public.
Honest in construction, tasteful in design ;• touch,
light and elastic, and its musical quality unsurpassed.
The price is low, making it just the right instrument
for dealers who wish to make money, while building
up a good reputation.
flanufacturers
High Grade :
-^
ANN ARBOR ORGAN CO.,
WRITE FOR PARTICULARS AND
. . . TERRITORY TO THE FACTORY AT
PETERBORO, N. H.
* ^ ^ A N N ARBOR, MICH.
Write for 1897 Catalogue of New Styles. . . .
DETMER MUSIC CO.
JO KB KltS
of all kinds
PATENT STEEL
Musical Merchandise,
Sheet Husk,
Books, Etc.
FOR
UNITED
62i Wabash Avenue,
CHICAGO,
5TATE&ANDCANADA
Highest Grade Pianofortes
(WREST-PIN AND STRINGER SYSTEMS.)
LISZT, CHURCH, CHAPEL and PARLOR
0RGAN5.