Music Trade Review
Issue: 1900 Vol. 30 N. 20 - Page 7
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Accordion Controversy.
With Calenberg Co.
New Kansas Dealers.
(Special to The Review).
T. D. Gambrill, late of Washington, D. C ,
has been appointed manager of the retail
department of the Calenberg Piano Co.,
23 East Fourteenth street. He entered
upon his duties on the 15th instant. He is
well known in the trade, and a "hustler."
There are some evidences of a fair sum-
mer trade and the Calenberg Co. expect a
good run of business.
Richards & Ament have opened new
music stores in Fort Scott, Kan., and Ne-
vada, Kan., where they are handling the
Krell and Royal and the Bush & Gerts
pianos and the Farrand & Votey organs.
They propose to conduct their business on
enterprising lines, and having a wide ex-
perience and reputation to aid them,
should succeed in making a good record.
Cincinnati, O., May 15, 1900.
The officials at the United States Custom
House have been placed in a kind of quan-
dary by the subtle question as to the right-
ful standing- of the tuneful accordions.
There are hundreds of persons hereabouts
who find solace and inspiration in the har-
monies that may be evoked from these
instruments by music makers whose fa-
vorites they are, and this circumstance
and the long and widespread popularity of
the accordions made it look to the customs
officials as if there could be no doubt at all
that they were to be regarded as musical
instruments.
But there is, and, singularly enough, it
is from the music men themselves that
they would deny this right and rank of the
accordions.
As usual, filthy lucre is at the bottom of
the controversy. All the accordions in use
come to this country from Germany, and,
like all other things brought from abroad,
they are required to pay a tax for enter-
ing into the markets of this land. By the
present tariff all ''musical instruments"
are subject to a tariff of 45 per cent. This
very stiff rate is more than lovers of ac-
cordion melody care to pay, and accord-
ingly the dealers have been taxing their
brains instead of their profits to meet the
situation with which they are confronted.
They have gone to insisting that the ac-
cordions are not "musical instruments"
at all—that they are only "toys," and
hence that they ought to be taxed only as
other toys are taxed, that is at 10 per cent,
lower than the regular orthodox musical
instruments. How they can look accor-
dion lovers in the face after that bold re-
flection on the instrument is something no
one can undersand, but that is their plea,
and they are proclaiming it so clamorously
that Customs Collector Voight, Chief Dep-
uty Colonel McClung and all the other tar-
iff and musical experts at the Custom
House, feel completely at sea. They want
to tax accordions as musical instruments
and nothing else, but the dealers will not
have it. As a last resort they were yester-
day obliged to appeal to the Board of Gen-
eral Appraisers at New York to decide the
point. In the meantime a dozen or more
accordion tariff bills are held in suspense
at the Cincinnati Custom House.
Generous Otto Wissner.
Otto Wissner, of Brooklyn, who dona-
ted three of the most expensive styles of
Wissner upright pianos as prizes for the
festival of the United Singers to be held at
the 13th Regiment Armory, Brooklyn, in
the early part of July, has been elected an
honorary member of the society. This
week he added still further to his gifts by
contributing three hundred settees for the
use of the singers during their reunion.
The annual meeting of the Music Pub-
lisher's Association, will be held on the
second Tuesday in June, at the Broadway
Central Hotel, this city. This is a post-
ponement from the original date—-the
second Tuesday in May.
Sultan of Turkey and Steinway.
The following cablegram, received last
week by Steinway & Sons, New York,
from the London office of the firm, adds
another name to the already long list of
European potentates who have extended
their patronage to the Steinway house.
"His Majesty, Sultan Turkey, orders
Concert Grand and three Fancy Uprights."
Wanamaker Extending.
John Wanamaker this week purchased
considerable property between 8th and 9th
sts., Broadway and 4th ave. It is said he
intends to take up his options on the entire
block and build another store larger than
his present structure. He will connect
both by underground passages with the
tunnel station at Astor place.
Vose Values.
The Gabler Demand.
The four new Gabler 1900 styles in
grands and uprights—new style "S," plain
front; new style " S , " plain panel; new
style " M , " plain panel, and new style
" B , " baby grand—have met with the
hearty approval of the Gabler representa-
tives as well as of the firm's retail custom-
ers. There has been a steady call for each
style, the baby grand finding many ad-
mirers and purchasers.
Emil Gabler, the head of the firm, is
now regularly on duty at the factory, hav-
ing recovered from his painful accident.
Emil E. Gabler, of the firm, is traveling in
the Gabler interests and meeting with a
warm reception at all points. Joseph E.
Bareuther, the firm's traveling representa-
tive, is also on the road, doing well.
Piano Thief Captured.
Another characteristic advertisement of
the Vose & Sons Piano Co. appears on the
Some weeks ago The Review referred to
cover page of this issue. Although lim- a negro, figuring under the names of
ited in words it is pregnant with meaning. Henry Smith and James Foy, who was
Dealers would do well to ponder over this making a practice of renting pianos, selling
sententious phrase, and after that make a them, and disappearing to parts unknown
close examination of the modern Vose We a
they will be convinced that "It is easier to Market Police Court, Thursday, he was
sell Vose pianos than to compete with held in $500 bail on the charge preferred
them." The Vose pianos have well been by the Tiffany Co., from whom the prison-
proclaimed as among the best money and er rented a piano in August of last year.
trade makers in the trade. In them are em- The complaint alleged that Smith has made
bodied merit, original ideas, character- a regular practice of renting pianos and
in fact such a multiplicity of values as disposing of them as so' n as they were de-
have worthily won the enthusiasm of all livered to him. In October and November
who are handling them.
of last year he rented pianos from two
other
concerns. He sold two of the instru-
Keller Bros. Catalogue.
ments to a second-hand furniture dealer in
Keller & Van Dyke, manufacturers of Third avenue, and the third one to a Brook-
the popular Keller Bros, pianos, have is- lyn man.
sued a well printed catalogue, containing
illustrations of their new styles, H, G, K,
August Palle, soje agent in the United
O, and M, in uprights, as well as views of States and Canada for the Schwander
the interior of their factory, at 1043-51 action, returned on Tuesday from a three
Capouse avenue, Scranton, Pa. After a weeks business trip. He met with success
brief introductory the details of construc- and made several new and desirable con-
tion and points of superiority of Keller nections.
Bros, pianos are dealt upon in detail while
The death is announced of D. S. Kerr,
special reference is. made to the new tun-
a
prominent
dealer in pianos and organs at
ing pin support as well as the new back
La
Grange,
Ind.
He was in his forty-first
now used in all of the Keller Bros, up-
year.
rights. The new style uprights illustrated
H. B. Tremaine, of the ^Eolian Co.,
are very attractive instruments, and should
meet with a large measure of popularity at accompanied by Mrs. Tremaine, left re-
the hands of dealers desirous of handling cently for Europe where they will make
a well made piano that can be sold at a quite an extended stay.
fair price and that will give satisfaction to
The Weaver Organ & Piano Co. this
customers.
week received a large order for Weaver
organs from England.
Among the callers this week at the Stein-
Frank Chase, of Jacksonville, represent-
way headquarters was William Rohlfing,
ing
the Cable Piano Co., has opened a mu-
of William Rohlfing & Sons, the Steinway
sic
store
in Tallahassee, Fla.
representative at Milwaukee, Wis.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Accordion Controversy.
With Calenberg Co.
New Kansas Dealers.
(Special to The Review).
T. D. Gambrill, late of Washington, D. C ,
has been appointed manager of the retail
department of the Calenberg Piano Co.,
23 East Fourteenth street. He entered
upon his duties on the 15th instant. He is
well known in the trade, and a "hustler."
There are some evidences of a fair sum-
mer trade and the Calenberg Co. expect a
good run of business.
Richards & Ament have opened new
music stores in Fort Scott, Kan., and Ne-
vada, Kan., where they are handling the
Krell and Royal and the Bush & Gerts
pianos and the Farrand & Votey organs.
They propose to conduct their business on
enterprising lines, and having a wide ex-
perience and reputation to aid them,
should succeed in making a good record.
Cincinnati, O., May 15, 1900.
The officials at the United States Custom
House have been placed in a kind of quan-
dary by the subtle question as to the right-
ful standing- of the tuneful accordions.
There are hundreds of persons hereabouts
who find solace and inspiration in the har-
monies that may be evoked from these
instruments by music makers whose fa-
vorites they are, and this circumstance
and the long and widespread popularity of
the accordions made it look to the customs
officials as if there could be no doubt at all
that they were to be regarded as musical
instruments.
But there is, and, singularly enough, it
is from the music men themselves that
they would deny this right and rank of the
accordions.
As usual, filthy lucre is at the bottom of
the controversy. All the accordions in use
come to this country from Germany, and,
like all other things brought from abroad,
they are required to pay a tax for enter-
ing into the markets of this land. By the
present tariff all ''musical instruments"
are subject to a tariff of 45 per cent. This
very stiff rate is more than lovers of ac-
cordion melody care to pay, and accord-
ingly the dealers have been taxing their
brains instead of their profits to meet the
situation with which they are confronted.
They have gone to insisting that the ac-
cordions are not "musical instruments"
at all—that they are only "toys," and
hence that they ought to be taxed only as
other toys are taxed, that is at 10 per cent,
lower than the regular orthodox musical
instruments. How they can look accor-
dion lovers in the face after that bold re-
flection on the instrument is something no
one can undersand, but that is their plea,
and they are proclaiming it so clamorously
that Customs Collector Voight, Chief Dep-
uty Colonel McClung and all the other tar-
iff and musical experts at the Custom
House, feel completely at sea. They want
to tax accordions as musical instruments
and nothing else, but the dealers will not
have it. As a last resort they were yester-
day obliged to appeal to the Board of Gen-
eral Appraisers at New York to decide the
point. In the meantime a dozen or more
accordion tariff bills are held in suspense
at the Cincinnati Custom House.
Generous Otto Wissner.
Otto Wissner, of Brooklyn, who dona-
ted three of the most expensive styles of
Wissner upright pianos as prizes for the
festival of the United Singers to be held at
the 13th Regiment Armory, Brooklyn, in
the early part of July, has been elected an
honorary member of the society. This
week he added still further to his gifts by
contributing three hundred settees for the
use of the singers during their reunion.
The annual meeting of the Music Pub-
lisher's Association, will be held on the
second Tuesday in June, at the Broadway
Central Hotel, this city. This is a post-
ponement from the original date—-the
second Tuesday in May.
Sultan of Turkey and Steinway.
The following cablegram, received last
week by Steinway & Sons, New York,
from the London office of the firm, adds
another name to the already long list of
European potentates who have extended
their patronage to the Steinway house.
"His Majesty, Sultan Turkey, orders
Concert Grand and three Fancy Uprights."
Wanamaker Extending.
John Wanamaker this week purchased
considerable property between 8th and 9th
sts., Broadway and 4th ave. It is said he
intends to take up his options on the entire
block and build another store larger than
his present structure. He will connect
both by underground passages with the
tunnel station at Astor place.
Vose Values.
The Gabler Demand.
The four new Gabler 1900 styles in
grands and uprights—new style "S," plain
front; new style " S , " plain panel; new
style " M , " plain panel, and new style
" B , " baby grand—have met with the
hearty approval of the Gabler representa-
tives as well as of the firm's retail custom-
ers. There has been a steady call for each
style, the baby grand finding many ad-
mirers and purchasers.
Emil Gabler, the head of the firm, is
now regularly on duty at the factory, hav-
ing recovered from his painful accident.
Emil E. Gabler, of the firm, is traveling in
the Gabler interests and meeting with a
warm reception at all points. Joseph E.
Bareuther, the firm's traveling representa-
tive, is also on the road, doing well.
Piano Thief Captured.
Another characteristic advertisement of
the Vose & Sons Piano Co. appears on the
Some weeks ago The Review referred to
cover page of this issue. Although lim- a negro, figuring under the names of
ited in words it is pregnant with meaning. Henry Smith and James Foy, who was
Dealers would do well to ponder over this making a practice of renting pianos, selling
sententious phrase, and after that make a them, and disappearing to parts unknown
close examination of the modern Vose We a
they will be convinced that "It is easier to Market Police Court, Thursday, he was
sell Vose pianos than to compete with held in $500 bail on the charge preferred
them." The Vose pianos have well been by the Tiffany Co., from whom the prison-
proclaimed as among the best money and er rented a piano in August of last year.
trade makers in the trade. In them are em- The complaint alleged that Smith has made
bodied merit, original ideas, character- a regular practice of renting pianos and
in fact such a multiplicity of values as disposing of them as so' n as they were de-
have worthily won the enthusiasm of all livered to him. In October and November
who are handling them.
of last year he rented pianos from two
other
concerns. He sold two of the instru-
Keller Bros. Catalogue.
ments to a second-hand furniture dealer in
Keller & Van Dyke, manufacturers of Third avenue, and the third one to a Brook-
the popular Keller Bros, pianos, have is- lyn man.
sued a well printed catalogue, containing
illustrations of their new styles, H, G, K,
August Palle, soje agent in the United
O, and M, in uprights, as well as views of States and Canada for the Schwander
the interior of their factory, at 1043-51 action, returned on Tuesday from a three
Capouse avenue, Scranton, Pa. After a weeks business trip. He met with success
brief introductory the details of construc- and made several new and desirable con-
tion and points of superiority of Keller nections.
Bros, pianos are dealt upon in detail while
The death is announced of D. S. Kerr,
special reference is. made to the new tun-
a
prominent
dealer in pianos and organs at
ing pin support as well as the new back
La
Grange,
Ind.
He was in his forty-first
now used in all of the Keller Bros, up-
year.
rights. The new style uprights illustrated
H. B. Tremaine, of the ^Eolian Co.,
are very attractive instruments, and should
meet with a large measure of popularity at accompanied by Mrs. Tremaine, left re-
the hands of dealers desirous of handling cently for Europe where they will make
a well made piano that can be sold at a quite an extended stay.
fair price and that will give satisfaction to
The Weaver Organ & Piano Co. this
customers.
week received a large order for Weaver
organs from England.
Among the callers this week at the Stein-
Frank Chase, of Jacksonville, represent-
way headquarters was William Rohlfing,
ing
the Cable Piano Co., has opened a mu-
of William Rohlfing & Sons, the Steinway
sic
store
in Tallahassee, Fla.
representative at Milwaukee, Wis.
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