The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-17
Heavier Duties on All Musical In
struments Make the Prices
Jump.
As Usual, the Manufacturer Makes tho
Extra Profit and the Public
Pays the Ball.

make it complete and to add to his pleasure
he can afford to buy some kind of must
cal instrument. That ia, he has felt SO, be-
fore Mckinley legislated in his especial be-
half. But, perhaps this thrifty American
workingman is not the person the protec-
tionists have in mind when they say 1.-The
working man. The man they refer to
must be the ignorant Slovenian who works
for Carnegie, or the Standard Oil company,
or some other monopolist. Such man is
poor indeed, and the McKinleyltes urge that
such persod needs no musical charms to
soothe him to sleep; besides there is no
place in his hut for musical
instrument. protective tariff on
musical instruments does not af-
feet, thev argue, the working
man; they are right SO far as they refer to
this down trodden and ignorant class,
forced to work for the highly protected es-
Establishments. But these people are but a
small proA,rtion Of the great body of work
ingmen OF America.
The workingman whom everybody knows,
and who has done so much to build up Hell
ena, is the one who, by his industry, is able
in the course of time to buy little home
and furnish it with such modest fixtures as
he is entitled to enjoy after many years of
toll The laudable ambition of this Helena
workingman, when his daughter gets into
long dresses, to express his parental pride
in the purchase of piano, finds no encour
agement in the Mckinley bill. The author
of the bill gave special attention to this
matter, and he says in effect if the Helena
workingman is ambitious to have piano
in his house, he must pay tax for the priv
iiege, for which in return he will get moth
ing. He must pay for the right to own a
piano besides paying the cost of the instru-
ment. The tax Is simply to add to the
wealth of half dozen manufact-
urers. who have already grown rich
under the old tariff law, but whose
leyites when the party of Quay and Dudley
need it for buying blocks of five.
Upon the smaller and cheaper varieties
of musical instruments the tariff will be
heavier than it is on pianos. Large dealers
in musical instruments of whatever kind
price of their goods to meet the advance
imposed by the Mckinley bill. Lyon d
Healy, the big Chicago firm, have sent the
following circular to all their customers in
Helena and elsewhere:
To the Trade: The tariff act which goes into
effect Oct. .. 1890, Suddenly advances the duty
on musical instruments, parts thereof and strings
from 40 to 100 Per cent above old rates. This,
of goods for some time back, absolutely compels
all importers to advance their prices. Various
American male goods are also affected. because
OF higher duties on imported material. parts, etc..
used In their construction At large meeting OF
the wholesale HORSES Of New York, Hoston, Chi
cago Cincinnati st. Faul, etc the question az to
how and when to advance prices was fully dis
cussed, and it was unanimously decided t, make
the necessary adval ce at once and to all dealers
morslis s . The trade state Of unsettled market
prices would be worse than decided and stable
advance We therefore, notify , ySp that at al!
prices in accordance with the new tariff. Ex-
oeptions cannot be made. Dealers will do we'll to
mark mp their goods accordingly.
finances OF the Lyon 4 Healy Co., was
asked the direct question how the firm had
been affected by the passage of the bill.
by the Mckinley BILL he said, 'our
stock of goods has been advanced in value
about $25,0OO. but we do not regard this
with, congress has said that the public
shall contribute $25,OO0 to our bank &C
count. some day there will come reac-
ton and then we will get it the other way.
In the meantime the whole musical instru-
ment trade has been demoralized for the
special benefit of few manufacturers.
just how far the volume of our trade will
be affected il now matter of conjecture.
1t is certain. however. that the advanced
prices on all kinds of musical instruments
will have tendency to injnre the trade.
This will apply more particularly to the
cheaper grades of instruments. The prices
Of these goods will advance more than the
higher grades, and the people who buy
them will be affected more by the increase
than those who buy the more expensive in
struments.
Manufacturers Of pianos will be bene-
fitted by the advanced price they will be able
to get for their goods. While pianos are
not imported, and, therefore, not taxed,
they will 90 up nevertheless. i'll sympathy
with other musical instruments. The
large manufacturers made money at the
old prices. They will be able to make
more now. Pianoforte actions are import
ed by some of the houses. These have been
severely taxed, and this item will enter
somewhat into the cost of making pianos,
but as most of the large manufacturers
be felt by them. Others will be Obliged to
make their actions under the new tariff
and they will charge up the additional cost
to the consumer. On the whole the piano
manufacturer will be benefited. The max
.ers of pianoforte actions will be greatly en-
Iiched by the operation of Mckinley's law
There are only half dozen of them iu thi.
country. and they worked very hare
with the McKinleyites to get THU
heavy tax laid on their class O
GOODS. lney Will make great deal O.
money out of the operation of the new Law
and it will all come out of the consumer
Thousands of persons all over this countr,
will be obliged to pay toll to these fey
houses and consumers will get nothing 70
the extra money they will have to pay. w
are large manufacturers of guitars, banjos
and that class of instruments. The Ia
will not benefit US particle in this depart
ment of our business, yet we make thee
goods in large quantities for expectation
There is nothing in the Mckinley bill I
encourage industries of this kind that ca
compete in foreign market.
''One of tho most iniquitous things aboy
the tariff of musical instruments is Il
senseless manner which the friends of tt
bill went about laying the tax. They +,
fused the advice of dealers of repute, an
proceeded on their own peculiar line
For example, We wanted musical il
struments taxed az other goo,
were taxed. That is, We Wants
them scheduled 20 that We could know VII
to depend upon. Instead of doing tn
they put musical instruments on the Ii
with the provis0 that all parts of instr
ments themselves were to be taxed accort
ing to the schedule provided for that class
material of which they were manufactures
A violin bow has small piece of steel
it, thence violin bows must be taxed Il
aRme as steel. And 10 ON through the LID
The music trade will be at the mercy of Il
appraisers, and no matter how honest tn,
may be, q universal tariff cannot be mai
under this system Every dealer will t
and get his goods in a. cheaply as possibl
nn6 0amA Of thAun NAV PaanYt In mn ncrnv,