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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
which was in favor of Novello, Ewer &
greatness.
There was silence; it was
broken by the Hon. W. W. He said, "Yes,
there is one thing, however, that Chicago
needs."
I looked at him in astonishment,
as I supposed the Chicago measure was
brimming over. "Come here," he .said,
"and I'll tell you." We seated ourselves
upon the big divan near the door. I waited.
He looked at me with all Kimballian seri-
ousness, and gently sweeping his hand—the
right one—across his face, said, with ac-
cent bland, "Another trade paper."
Co., has been reaffirmed.
This test suit, which is of international
importance, was brought to determine the
meaning of certain phrases in the Copy-
right Act of 1891, more particularly to de-
fine whether the framers of the law intended
to include music in the section covering the
copyright of "books"—whether music, in
a "legal
and
commercial
sense was a
"book. "
• *
*
The Oliver Ditson Co.'s counsel, on be-
half of the American publishers, maintained
that in order to obtain a copyright in this
country the music should be printed here
THE SILVER QUESTION
NESS MAN COME IN
PIANO COME TO STAY?
MER
as in the case of "books," while Novello,
Ewer & Co. 's counsel held that they had a
KIMBALL
.
.
GOLDEN
RULE.
A DUDE IN A STREET CAR.
A STRAIGHT
advance of publication abroad.
THE
The decision of the Circuit Court of Ap-
The representatives of
THE
PAPERS.
IBSEN'S PLAYS—THE
BUSINESS
posited with the Librarian of Congress in
disputed question.
THE HARD SUM-
INTERVIEWS —
CHICAGO'S NEEDS ACCORDING TO
vided three copies of each piece were de-
lishers, and is a final ruling on this much
ABOUT
MESOZIC AGE AND TRADE
right to manufacture or print abroad pro-
peals is strongly in favor of the foreign pub-
WHERE DOES THE HUSI-
HAS THE VERY CHEAP
TIP FROM
INSIDE
THE
get all their music printing done abroad.
This may enable musicians to get foreign
music at lower rates, but it is a severe blow
to the American music publisher who has to
compete with cheap foreign labor.
It is hardly likely that Congress inten-
tionally discriminated against foreign musi-
cal compositions being printed here while
they made the law compulsory in the case
of books and other printed matter from
abroad.
The courts meanwhile have defined the
law as it exists, and it so holds until an
amendatory law is passed or some other ac-
tion taken.
WEST.
WHAT BBOTHER FOX SAYS BUT DOES NOT GIVE
NAMES FUNNY SNAPS IN THE WAY OF PLAYS.
N
OW the silver contest! Well, this
century can endure almost anything,
but it does seem as if the business men
should have their innings once in a while.
The politicians, the labor agitators, the
tariff smashers, the currency men, all
have their whirl, and it is only right to ask
where the business man comes in in the
apportionment.
* *
*
There are some who say that the very
cheap piano has come to stay, and like dis-
ease, will be always with us. They say that
the cheap, the very cheap piano is as good
as the pianos that were classed as "good"
a few years ago. We don't agree with
them; besides, it is a mighty severe reflec-
tion upon some of the makers of the old
school.
*
The Vocalion Organ and the
Drama.
S
INCE the Mason & Risch Vocalion Co.
built the fine organ for the Empire
Theatre, where it has proved such an at-
traction to the musical features of this thea-
tre, it has been used also with a like suc-
cess the past season at the Fifth Avenue
Theatre by "The Fanny Davenport Co."
in Victorien Sardou's "Gismonda," par-
ticularly in the cathedral scene in Act V.;
in fact, so indispensable is the Vocalion in
this play, that Miss Davenport has recently
given the Mason & Risch Co. an order to
build one especially constructed, possessing
the character and power of the larger or-
gans, but so compact as to be portable. The
instrument will be used during the coming
season in all the principal cities where the
play is given.
Speaking of the Golden Rule, the Golden
Rule of the successful business man is first
to advertise—then again to advertise, and
finally to keep on advertising until he wants
to retire from business.
WAR-WHOOPY
foreign publishers in this city will, in future,
as indeed they have for the past six months,
During the performance of one of Ibsen's
sociological plays in Brussels, the people in
the audience became excited and began
rioting.
If they could only see one of our
tank dramas, what chaos would ensue!
Will the summer be a hard one? That
depends. In some cases, yes—others doubt-
ful—some' emphatically no, with a very
large and well curved N. .
There are interviews and interviews, but
the editorial interview is new—at least with
some of us, and will always be for that
matter.
* *
*
During the Mesozoic age one species of the
frog grew to the proportions of the ele-
phant, a scientific fact only duplicated in
these uneventful days by the astounding
ratio between what some trade papers say
and what it amounts to.
W. W. Kim ball and I stood near one of
the spacious show windows of his building,
on Wabash avenue. We were gazing out in-
to the murky outer darkness. Among other
things we had been chatting of Chicago's
Some one the other day told me a good
story of a dude in a horse-car, who, seeing
a young lady whom he thought to be im-
pressed with his personal charms, crossed
over and took a seat beside her, and said:
"Haven't I met you somewhere before?"
To which she replied, in a voice heard by
the other passengers.
" I am not quite sure, but I think you are
the man that stoale our spoons."
The passengers laughed, and the dude
left the car.
The following little story which goes to
illustrate the original way of judging the
character and capacity of the men he em-
ploys, was told me of the head of a well-
known and big dry goods house on Broad-
way. It cannot fail to be of interest to
some of our traveling men:
A traveling salesman out of employment
heard of an opening with the firm, and
made application for the place. He had
been working for a salary of $5,000 a year,
but times were hard, and he was out of
money and willing to accept almost any-
thing he could get. The business-like old
gentleman asked how much trade he could
command, how long he had traveled, in
what parts of the country he had sold goods
etc., and was seemingly pleased with his
answers. Then came the question of sal-
ary. The salesman said he would be glad to
work for $3,000 a yeai.
"Don't want you,' said the merchant,
without a moment's hesitation. "We can-
not afford to hire you at that salary.''
"Then I will work for less," urged the
other. "Will you give me $2,500?"
"No, sir; we cannot afford to do business
that way. We are not employing cheap
men.
If you are worth only $2,500 or
$3,000 as a salesman we have no use for
you. I thought from your experience that
you would be worth at least $5,000 a year
to us, and would probably have given you
a trial at that figure."