Music Trade Review

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JANUARY 22,
THE MUSIC TRADE
1921
REVIEW
CLEVELAND ASSOCIATION PLANS TO FIGHT MUSIC TAXES
Otto C. Muehlhauser Elected President at Annnal Meeting of Cleveland Music Trade Associa-
tion—Proposed Excise Tax on Musical Instruments to Be Opposed—News of the Week
CLEVELAND, O., January 18.—The annual meeting
of the Cleveland Music Trade Association, the
local piano merchants' organization, was marked
with the laying of plans to combat the proposed
increase from 5 per cent to 10 per cent in excise
tax upon musical instruments. Details of the
proposed increase were outlined by Assistant
Secretary Rexford C. Hyre, of the association.
Members were strong in their protest, contend-
ing that taxation during the war, to help win the
war, may have been all right, but now that the
war is over it is time to let up on excessive taxa-
tion on business.
A committee, including Otto C. Muehlhauser,
Muehlhauser Brothers Piano Co.; A. B. Smith,
A. B. Smith Piano Co., and Assistant Secretary
Hyre, was named by President George M. Ott
to work out a plan of campaign for the local
trade. While Senators and Congressmen will
be approached personally in this district, it is
probable that added impetus to the protest will
be given in flooding legislators with resolutions
of protest, containing thousands of signatures of
followers of music, teachers of music and others
interested in the cause being enlisted for their
support.
The message of protest also will be included
in the current issue of the Music Merchants'
Association of Ohio bulletin, now being pub-
lished at the office of Rexford C. Hyre, secre-
tary to the State body, and this message not
only will be sent to every member in the State
association, but to every member of the music
trade in Ohio.
It is also probable that the organization of
talking machine dealers into a national associa-
tion, as advocated by the Music Trades Asso-
ciation of Southern California, will find its in-
ception in Cleveland, as far as representation
from this part of the country is concerned. The
proposal of the California organization is that
representatives from the talking machine branch
of the industry be organized at the convention
of the National Association of Music Merchants
at Chicago next Spring. The chief object of
this move would be to put up a united front
against the proposed increase in excise taxation.
New officers for the Cleveland Music Trade
Association, named at the annual meeting this
week, are: President, Otto C. Muehlhauser, the
Muehlhauser Brothers Piano Co.; vice-president,
C. H. Randolph, Randolph House of Good Mu-
sic; secretary-treasurer, Walter S. Raeder, Har-
mony Music Shoppe; assistant secretary, Rex-
'ford C. Hyre, with headquarters at Room 929,
Society for Savings Building, this city.
The new administration will take up within
a short time the proposal to hold the annual
convention of the national association of piano
interests in Cleveland in 1922. By that time,
if promises are kept, the public hall will be
completed, affording adequate accommodation
for the large number of delegates and visitors
who will be in attendance. Manager A. J.
Kennedy, Convention Board, Cleveland Cham-
ber of Commerce, will co-operate with the local
association.
Officers of the Cleveland Music Trade Asso-
ciation will take office at the annual banquet of
the association, to be .held early in February.
Details of the party will be handled by C. H.
Kennedy, the Kennedy-Green Co.; Eugene Hale,
the H. Bruck & Sons Co.; Walter S. Raeder,
A. B. Smith and Rexford C. Hyre.
OARDMAN
^GRAY
IPIANOS
ESTABLSSHED—IN—I83Z
ALBANY, N. Y.
Directors for the B. Dreher's Sons Co. were
named at the annual meeting of stockholders
here this week. A new director, E. S. Rogers,
was appointed to the board. Henry Dreher,
Oscar Dreher, Harry R. Valentine and William
Laughliu compose the board with Mr. Rogers.
Officers will be appointed at a later meeting of
the board.
A contract for the $100,000 organ for the new
public hall was awarded this week to the Skinner
Organ Co., according to an announcement by
J. H. McDowell, city architect. The contract
was won in competition with thirteen other
organ builders, whose names had been submitted
by 118 prominent American organists out of 125
opinions solicited.
The organ will have 10,010 individual pipes,
150 speaking stops, a five-manual console and
an echo organ. The contract calls for the organ
completely installed not later than February,
1922. The main organ will be out of sight be-
hind the stage. The echo organ will be at the
rear of the auditorium. The console will be
on an elevator, to be lowered below the main
floor in times of expositions. The organ will
be supplemented with a Mason & Hamlin con-
cert grand piano.
Friends and acquaintances in and out of the
piano trade here were shocked to learn of the
sudden death of C. A. House, dean of piano
merchants in this section. Mr. House suc-
cumbed to pneumonia on January 6 at his home
in Wheeling, W. Va., where he had been in
business many years. Mr. House was seventy-
nine years old and had spent all his business
life in the piano industry. He was a close friend
of M. R. Slocum, of this city, publicity director
for the Cleveland Music Trade Association, and
himself a merchant of many years' standing in
the trade here.
Added prominence to the Music Merchants'
Association of Ohio was given by the receipt
of communications at State association head-
quarters, Room 929, Society for Savings Build-
ing, by Secretary Rexford C. Hyre, from the
New England Music Trade Association. The
Eastern "organization wants information about
the news bulletin being distributed by the Ohio
association, with a view toward publishing a
similar document. The current issue soon will
be off the press, when copies will be sent to
Boston, together with other helpful suggestions
for which associations in all sections are asking
nowadays.
The importance of the grand piano in motion
picture theatres and dancing establishments is
illustrated by the two deals just closed by the
Muehlhauser Bros. Piano Co. One Ludwig grand
will go to the Heights Theatre, a new high-
class entertainment palace in the fashionable
residence district east of the city, the selection
being made by Maurice Spitalny, director of the
orchestra in the new house. The other Ludwig
grand will be used in the dancing pavilion in
connection with a new high-class restaurant to
be opened by Herman Wille on Lake Shore
boulevard near Euclid Beach.
A surprise to friends in the trade was given
by Rudd W. Randolph, Randolph House of
Good Music, in announcing his marriage to
Miss Mildred Elizabeth Irwin, on January 5.
Mr. and Mrs. Randolph returned recently from
an Eastern trip and are at home at 13516 Ash-
burton avenue.
A novel method of treating used piano benches
to make them presentable for resale has been
adopted by the Wolfe Music Co. Tops are cov-
ered with leather, neatly bound and nailed,
varnish covers the lower extremities, and a few
minutes' time with these materials produces a
good-as-new bench.
It's nice to have a good berth, but don't make
the mistake of thinking it is a good place to sleep
in.
"The First Touch Tells"
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This distinction it derived
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It stands in a class by itself,
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Investigate and convince
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Makers of
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Players and
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of Quality
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Christman Piano Co.
597 E. 137th Street, New York