Music Trade Review
Issue: 1914 Vol. 59 N. 15 - Page 7
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OPPOSE WEST VIRGINIAS TAX ON TRAVELING SALESMEN.
W. E. Wainwright, Manager of the Wainwright Music Co., Marietta, O., Arousing Retail Music
Trade in Opposition to Law Now Being Enforced in That State.
(Special to The Review.)
.
MARIETTA, O., October 5.—W. E. Wainwright,
manager of the Wainwright Music Co., of this city,
is getting in touch with piano dealers throughout
the State of West Virginia and advising them of a
law which has been on the statute books for some
time, but it has never been enforced until now. The
facts in detail are set forth in the following letter,
and it is hoped to get the dealers together for the
purpose cf having this law repealed. Mr. Wain-
wright's letter to the piano dealers of West Vir-
ginia follows:
"Gentlemen—There is a State tax imposed upon
traveling salesmen who operate in the State of
West Virginia, and which we believe to be uncon-
stitutional from what we can learn from the well-
posted attorneys. In addition to the State tax of
$20, a number of municipalities and cities are im-
posing an additional tax of $20 for each such sales-
man.
"This would mean that if a man had ten sales-
men operating in the State of West Virginia his
house could be assessed a tax of $20 for each sales-
man, and in addition to that in the village, town
or hamlet, as the case might be, if they had such
an ordinance said salesman would be compelled to
pay the $20 license fee in such village. One of our
salesmen was recently held up in St. Marys, W. Va.,
and we have refused to pay the State and village
tax, and have also taken the matter up with the
State Tax Commissioner, Mr. Blue, of Charleston,
and he refuses to make any comment on the mat-
ter other than he thinks the law reads plainly and
that it is not up to him to pass on the matter as to
whether or not it is constitutional. We understand
Mr. Anderson, who is the Deputy State Tax Col-
lector, intends to enforce this law upon all dealers
operating in your State and outside as well.
"What we would like to know is 'have you ever
been compelled to pay this tax, and if so, would
you be willing to stand a portion of an attorney's
fee to fight this through to the United States Su-
preme Court and have this tax rescinded on music
dealers?' If so, we shall gladly pay our portion
of whatever the costs might be in order to have this
matter made right and in justice to other dealers
operating in that State as well as ourselves. We
have gone over this matter quite thoroughly with
a number of the leading attorneys and all with
whom we have talked seemed to be of the opinion
that a salesman has a perfect right to take an oral
or a written order for a piano and ship it any
place in the State of West Virginia he likes without
any tax from the State or municipality wherein
said instrument is placed or sold. As we under-
stand, the tax collector, according to the statute as
it now provides, our salesmen are subject to the
$20 State tax and also a $20 village tax to operate
in St. Marys, W. Va. Then, if he would go to
Wheeling, Parkersburg or any other village where
such an ordinance was in effect he would be com-
pelled to pay an additional $20 for each such city.
"If this ordinance is enforced upon the music
dealers who operate in the State of West Virginia,
we feel it is a great injustice and such a statute
should be rescinded. We are appealing to the dif-
ferent dealers in the State of West Virginia and
would thank you for an early reply as to what
your experience has been on this in the past and
also whether or not you are one who would be
willing to stand a portion of the expense to have
this law annulled."
EXHIBIT AT PURE FOOD SHOW.
DON'T TALK WAR, TALK BUSINESS
J. B. Bradford Piano Co. Only Piano House
Represented at Show, Has Large and Com-
prehensive Display of Weil-Known Pianos
and the Victrola—Secures Excellent Results.
Says E. J. Hartman, President of the Chase &
Baker Co.—Pianos Can and Will Be Sold
This Fall and Winter if We All Get Busy.
(Special to The Review.)
MILWAUKEE, WIS., October 6.—Pianos were dis-
played with fine grocery products and other high-
class eatables at the big Pure Food Show held at
the Milwaukee Auditorium September 28 to Octo-
ber 3 under the auspices of the Milwaukee Retail
Grocers' Association. The J. B. Bradford Piano
Co., representing the Mason & Hamlin, Sohmer,
Shoninger, Cable, Melville Clark and Price & Tee-
pie lines, Milwaukee's oldest piano house, was the
only local piano house which exhibited and its of-
ficials are enthusiastic over the results attained.
Representative instruments from all the lines car-
ried by the Bradford house were displayed, and
these filled two full-sized booths at the show. A
Mason & Hamlin grand with a Melville Clark auto-
matic player built in was the big attraction of the
show and kept interested crowds of people around
the Bradford booths at all times. An Auxetophone
and a large type of Victrola were also attractions
for the show visitors. Between 10,000 and 15,000
people attended the show each evening and during
the day, so the affair was a good advertising scheme
for the Bradford house and the well-known line
which it carries.
Hugh W. Randall, manager of the Bradford
player department, who was in charge of the ex-
hibit at the show, says the house secured a large
number of live prospects, besides making several
good sales, as a direct result of the exhibit. Mr.
Randall says that general business has been very
good of late, and he expects a good fall trade.
MONSTER ORGAfN^FOR CHICAGO.
"Don't talk war, talk business!" is the way E. J.
Hartman, president of the Chase & Baker Co.,
Buffalo, N. Y., feels, and to back up his remarks
the company has just issued a "war map" showing
the United States and most of its principal cities.
It is good to see that one concern remembers that
we have a United States, and from a look over
this vast territory it is evident that if the 2,600
cities and towns of 2,500 population and up sell
on an average of sixty pianos each during the next.
three months, an average of but twenty pianos
monthly per city, that there will be 156,000 instru-
ments sold. Worth thinking about, 'sn't it? Mr.
Hartman believes that with every one with his
shoulder to the wheel that there will be a good
volume of business.
DENVER TRAM IMPROVING.
Larger Payments and Better Collections Re-
ported by Dealers—Darrow Music Co. Incor-
porates—Visiting Travelers Getting Orders.
MUSIC
EARTH
MADE IN
AMERICA
(Special to The Review.)
DENVER, COL., October 5.—According to the re-
ports made by the various local piano and music
houses, the general conditions in the trade in this
section are improving steadily. The purchasers are
more numerous and the average of payments better,
while the collections have improved materially.
The Darrow Music Co. has incorporated for the
purpose of expanding the business and taking care
of its increased trade. The officers of the company
are Frank D. Darrow, president and treasurer, and
E. C. Darrow, vice-president and secretary.
The many travelers who visiited Denver recently
all received orders of satisfactory proportions from
their local representatives, which is taken to indi-
cate that the optimism of the local trade has a sub-
stantial basis.
It is announced in Chicago -that the most ex-
pensive organ in the world is to be ordered soon
for Chicago. The Medinah Temple Shriners voted
$30,000 as a "nest egg" for the instrument. This
fund is only a beginning, they say, and although
As classified under the Peruvian tariff, musical
no definite amount has been fixed, the organ is in- instruments to the value of $152,757 were imported
tended to rival the Liverpool and Breslau organs, by this country during 1913, according to figures
which are famous.
furnished by Consul General Handley at Callao, Peru.
i44tK St. and Austin Place,
ty Ave.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OPPOSE WEST VIRGINIAS TAX ON TRAVELING SALESMEN.
W. E. Wainwright, Manager of the Wainwright Music Co., Marietta, O., Arousing Retail Music
Trade in Opposition to Law Now Being Enforced in That State.
(Special to The Review.)
.
MARIETTA, O., October 5.—W. E. Wainwright,
manager of the Wainwright Music Co., of this city,
is getting in touch with piano dealers throughout
the State of West Virginia and advising them of a
law which has been on the statute books for some
time, but it has never been enforced until now. The
facts in detail are set forth in the following letter,
and it is hoped to get the dealers together for the
purpose cf having this law repealed. Mr. Wain-
wright's letter to the piano dealers of West Vir-
ginia follows:
"Gentlemen—There is a State tax imposed upon
traveling salesmen who operate in the State of
West Virginia, and which we believe to be uncon-
stitutional from what we can learn from the well-
posted attorneys. In addition to the State tax of
$20, a number of municipalities and cities are im-
posing an additional tax of $20 for each such sales-
man.
"This would mean that if a man had ten sales-
men operating in the State of West Virginia his
house could be assessed a tax of $20 for each sales-
man, and in addition to that in the village, town
or hamlet, as the case might be, if they had such
an ordinance said salesman would be compelled to
pay the $20 license fee in such village. One of our
salesmen was recently held up in St. Marys, W. Va.,
and we have refused to pay the State and village
tax, and have also taken the matter up with the
State Tax Commissioner, Mr. Blue, of Charleston,
and he refuses to make any comment on the mat-
ter other than he thinks the law reads plainly and
that it is not up to him to pass on the matter as to
whether or not it is constitutional. We understand
Mr. Anderson, who is the Deputy State Tax Col-
lector, intends to enforce this law upon all dealers
operating in your State and outside as well.
"What we would like to know is 'have you ever
been compelled to pay this tax, and if so, would
you be willing to stand a portion of an attorney's
fee to fight this through to the United States Su-
preme Court and have this tax rescinded on music
dealers?' If so, we shall gladly pay our portion
of whatever the costs might be in order to have this
matter made right and in justice to other dealers
operating in that State as well as ourselves. We
have gone over this matter quite thoroughly with
a number of the leading attorneys and all with
whom we have talked seemed to be of the opinion
that a salesman has a perfect right to take an oral
or a written order for a piano and ship it any
place in the State of West Virginia he likes without
any tax from the State or municipality wherein
said instrument is placed or sold. As we under-
stand, the tax collector, according to the statute as
it now provides, our salesmen are subject to the
$20 State tax and also a $20 village tax to operate
in St. Marys, W. Va. Then, if he would go to
Wheeling, Parkersburg or any other village where
such an ordinance was in effect he would be com-
pelled to pay an additional $20 for each such city.
"If this ordinance is enforced upon the music
dealers who operate in the State of West Virginia,
we feel it is a great injustice and such a statute
should be rescinded. We are appealing to the dif-
ferent dealers in the State of West Virginia and
would thank you for an early reply as to what
your experience has been on this in the past and
also whether or not you are one who would be
willing to stand a portion of the expense to have
this law annulled."
EXHIBIT AT PURE FOOD SHOW.
DON'T TALK WAR, TALK BUSINESS
J. B. Bradford Piano Co. Only Piano House
Represented at Show, Has Large and Com-
prehensive Display of Weil-Known Pianos
and the Victrola—Secures Excellent Results.
Says E. J. Hartman, President of the Chase &
Baker Co.—Pianos Can and Will Be Sold
This Fall and Winter if We All Get Busy.
(Special to The Review.)
MILWAUKEE, WIS., October 6.—Pianos were dis-
played with fine grocery products and other high-
class eatables at the big Pure Food Show held at
the Milwaukee Auditorium September 28 to Octo-
ber 3 under the auspices of the Milwaukee Retail
Grocers' Association. The J. B. Bradford Piano
Co., representing the Mason & Hamlin, Sohmer,
Shoninger, Cable, Melville Clark and Price & Tee-
pie lines, Milwaukee's oldest piano house, was the
only local piano house which exhibited and its of-
ficials are enthusiastic over the results attained.
Representative instruments from all the lines car-
ried by the Bradford house were displayed, and
these filled two full-sized booths at the show. A
Mason & Hamlin grand with a Melville Clark auto-
matic player built in was the big attraction of the
show and kept interested crowds of people around
the Bradford booths at all times. An Auxetophone
and a large type of Victrola were also attractions
for the show visitors. Between 10,000 and 15,000
people attended the show each evening and during
the day, so the affair was a good advertising scheme
for the Bradford house and the well-known line
which it carries.
Hugh W. Randall, manager of the Bradford
player department, who was in charge of the ex-
hibit at the show, says the house secured a large
number of live prospects, besides making several
good sales, as a direct result of the exhibit. Mr.
Randall says that general business has been very
good of late, and he expects a good fall trade.
MONSTER ORGAfN^FOR CHICAGO.
"Don't talk war, talk business!" is the way E. J.
Hartman, president of the Chase & Baker Co.,
Buffalo, N. Y., feels, and to back up his remarks
the company has just issued a "war map" showing
the United States and most of its principal cities.
It is good to see that one concern remembers that
we have a United States, and from a look over
this vast territory it is evident that if the 2,600
cities and towns of 2,500 population and up sell
on an average of sixty pianos each during the next.
three months, an average of but twenty pianos
monthly per city, that there will be 156,000 instru-
ments sold. Worth thinking about, 'sn't it? Mr.
Hartman believes that with every one with his
shoulder to the wheel that there will be a good
volume of business.
DENVER TRAM IMPROVING.
Larger Payments and Better Collections Re-
ported by Dealers—Darrow Music Co. Incor-
porates—Visiting Travelers Getting Orders.
MUSIC
EARTH
MADE IN
AMERICA
(Special to The Review.)
DENVER, COL., October 5.—According to the re-
ports made by the various local piano and music
houses, the general conditions in the trade in this
section are improving steadily. The purchasers are
more numerous and the average of payments better,
while the collections have improved materially.
The Darrow Music Co. has incorporated for the
purpose of expanding the business and taking care
of its increased trade. The officers of the company
are Frank D. Darrow, president and treasurer, and
E. C. Darrow, vice-president and secretary.
The many travelers who visiited Denver recently
all received orders of satisfactory proportions from
their local representatives, which is taken to indi-
cate that the optimism of the local trade has a sub-
stantial basis.
It is announced in Chicago -that the most ex-
pensive organ in the world is to be ordered soon
for Chicago. The Medinah Temple Shriners voted
$30,000 as a "nest egg" for the instrument. This
fund is only a beginning, they say, and although
As classified under the Peruvian tariff, musical
no definite amount has been fixed, the organ is in- instruments to the value of $152,757 were imported
tended to rival the Liverpool and Breslau organs, by this country during 1913, according to figures
which are famous.
furnished by Consul General Handley at Callao, Peru.
i44tK St. and Austin Place,
ty Ave.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).