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THE MUSIC TRADE
4ft
REVIEW
In tKe World of Music PublisHing
REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS.
of music the demand is steady and quite up to
expectations, Easter titles going well, and of
which some very fine compositions are in evi-
Trade for April Steady and Strong—Depart-
dence.
ment Stores Demoralize Business—Down to
Chatting of the general trend of trade now, a
the "Two for Five" Basis—A Glaring Evil
wide-awake publisher remarked to The Review
That Needs Eradication.
the other day: "In popular music the public
display a remarkable indifference to its intrinsic
April is generally conceded to be a quiet
month, and while this holds good in some quar- value as compared with the treatment accorded
ters, elsewhere there is no perceptible difference several years back. There is quite a difference
in the orders received and goods shipped from when each piece cost from 25 to 40 cents, and
that of the preceding few weeks. In fact, this then two or three at a time were bought and
week started in steady and strong, leading job- kept. Now, at the present cut-throat prices, a
bers stating the volume of trade exceeded that bunch can be had for a couple of dollars, and no
of any previous time. The department store cut- more value is placed, apparently, upon them
ting has nearly ruined the sheet music business than the daily newspaper, which is glanced
Time was when
in the metropolitan district, and the prevailing through and thrown away.
condition is the despair of publishers generally. pieces were memorized and preserved, but no
It seems a survival of the fittest, with no telling more, because music is so cheap, and very often
it is thrown away after being kept a few weeks,
what may be in store. Prices have been battered
down to a "two-for-flve" basis, and perhaps an to make room for another batch of the 'latest'—
enterprising manager may decide to give music one crowds out the other in rapid succession.
away with every purchase ranging at ten cents But there is more music sold than ever before,
or over, in addition to the trading stamp pre- even if not so highly prized. To sum it up, the
production of music is so prolific that it cannot
mium.
Money is being freely expended to push certain last; one piece interferes with the development
songs, and it is held that unless this method is of many otherwise good things. The depart-
pursued the issue falls flat. At any rate, quite ment store has upset everything, and the evil
a number of melodies are selling well, with no will spread elsewhere than about New York.
particular big hit scoring. In the better class Mark what I say. Jobbers do not cut prices;
they cannot afford it, and besides, they want to
see the trade protected. The publisher pushed
GREAT SUMMER HIT!! for money—and there are a few of them, you
may know—is keeping us all guessing."
" M E E T M E DOWN AT LUNA, L E N A "
Biggest Season Song on the Market ! Get it!
" D O DROP IN AT DEW-DROP I N N "
Charming Waltz Song! A Hit!
"BUSTER BROWN"
Cartoon Song.
Hit in "Buster Brown" Pro-
duction.
"AIN'T ANYBODY EVER
GOIN' TO B U Y "
Latest Coon Song and a Winner!
AniiRESS ALL ORDERS TO
THEATRICAL MUSIC SUPPLY CO.
44 West 28th Street, New York
THE BIG SENSATIONAL SELLING
SONG HIT OF 1905,
" EASY STREET"
Also
Kisses,
Love in a Phonograph,
A Bit O' Blarney,
Georgia,
A Mormon Coon,
A House to Rent.
. PUBLISHED BY
SOL BLOOM
New Amsterdam Theatre Bldg.,
NEW YORK
POPULAR SONG and INSTRUMENTAL HITS
POLLY PRIM MARCH
SHAME ON YOU
ZEL-ZEL
BIG INDIAN CHIEF
PETER PIPER MARCH
EGYPT
I WANT TO BE A SOLDIER
PEGGY BRADY
NEW OPERATIC
ISLE OF SPICE
SAMBO GIRL
MAMA'S PAPA
LADY TEAZLE
MADCAP PRINCESS
RED FEATHER
Published by
JOS. W. STERN 6 CO.,
CHICAQO
34 East 21st St., New York
LONDON
SAN FRANCISCO
POPULAR SONC
HITS
" Lights oi Home," "Just a Picture of You," "My Sun-
burnt Lily," "They All Spoke Well of You," by the
noted writers, Al. Trahern and Lee Orean Smith.
C. L. PARTEE MUSIC CO.
23 East 20th Street
New York C!ty
LONDON PUBLISHER'S PROTEST
Against Failure of Parliament to Suppress
Musical Piracy by Ceasing to Publish or Ad-
vertise New Compositions.
Cable advices from London, Eng., in the early
part of the week stated that owing to the inabil-
ity of the authorities to suppress wholesale music
piracy, chiefly of popular songs, a score of Lon-
don music publishing firms, including several of
the leading houses, have agreed to cease pub-
lishing or advertising new compositions or en-
tering into any contracts with composers, ar-
tists, or singers until further notice. The object
of the movement is to induce the Government to
institute legislation reforming the present in-
effective copyright laws.
Whether relief will be accorded by the passage
of the copyright bill, which failed at the last
session of Parliament, is problematical. At a
recent trade dinner in London, W. J. Galloway.
M. P., the father of the measure, and who acted
as chairman, said he viewed with alarm the con-
dition of the music publishing industry, owing
to the state of the existing copyright law. He
also added that the promoters of the bill for deal-
ing with piracy had been unfortunate in not ob-
taining a good place in this year's ballot for the
consideration of private bills in the House of
Commons.
A private member could hardly,
therefore, introduce the matter this year. He
had every hope, however, that he and his col-
leagues might succeed in getting the government
to attend to the question this session, if it were
in power for so long this year.
Francis, Day & Hunter, the old-time English
publishers, of London, have opened a branch
house at 3 and 5 E. 28th street, New York, to
be under the management of Wm. Francis, Jr.
The latter gentleman was accompanied over here
by David Day, of the firm, and who sailed for
home Saturday last, after being ashore a fort-
night, assisting to getting things in shape for
the American end, opened for the special pur-
pose of acquiring rights to American songs, etc.,
which are enjoying great popularity in Great
Britain at present. The enterprise is in the
nature of an experiment. T. B. Harms Co. will
continue to handle the Francis, Day & Hunter
catalogue in this country, a new contract to that
effect having been executed during Mr. Day's
visit. Manager Dreyfuss is really fitting up the
offices of the English concern in conjunction with
Mr. Francis. It may be well to add that "Just
Like the Ivy, I'll Cling to You," by A. J. Mills
and Harry Castling, a new issue of F., D. & H.,
and "Would You Like to Spoon With Me" (in'
'The Earl and the Girl"), by Jerome D. Kern, are
the latest good sellers from the Harms Co.
"Lights of Home," "Just a Picture of You,"
"My Sunburnt Lily," "They All Spoke Well of
You," by Al. Trahern and Lee Orean Smith, and
controlled by C. L. Partee Music Co., New York,
are in demand, according to all accounts. One
western dealer ordered 5,000 copies of "Lights of
Home" last week, and the remainder are selling
proportionately. The Partee Co. are now sole
owners of the Trahern catalogue.
Chas. K. Harris will be about the king-pin with
productions in Chicago, during the spring and
summer. Friday last, contracts were signed for
the "Land of Nod," a new musical comedy by
Hoyt & Adams, and Jno E. Howard writing
the music, which goes on at the Chicago Opera
house, which has been changed from a vaude-
ville house, on June 5, under the management of
Kohl & Castle, who own several theatres and will
be the proprietors also of the new Majestic Thea-
tre, the cost of which is put down as a round
million dollars. "Isle of Bong Bong," by the same
writers, now running to big houses at the LaSalle
Theatre, is under negotiations by Shubert Bros,
for the Garrick Theatre, in New York, at an early
date. "Around Chicago," by Fred Ranken and A.
Baldwin Sloane, goes on at McVicker's, April 25.
"Higgledy-Piggledy" will soon be heard at the
Grand Opera House. Mr. Harris publishes all of
the music, as well as that of "Simple Simon,"
the book of which is from the pen of Otis F.
Weed, the music by Chas. H. Brown, which goes
on at Nixon & Zimmerman's Theatre, Philadel-
phia, April 25. The Harris Chicago branch will
Cbe most Popular College Songs
T h e Most Popular College Songs
"The Filibuster," a musical extravaganza by
William Lorain, now running in Boston, comes to
the Majestic Theatre, New York, May 1.
Another musical play, "Sergeant Brue," heard
first in Philadelphia, will make its metropolitan
bow at the Knickerbocker Theatre, Monday even-
ing, with Prank Daniels in the title role, and a
number of tuneful interpolations from M. Wit-
mark & Sons, Jos. W. Stern & Co., and others.
.
.
$ .50
.50
S o n g s o f A L L t h e Colleges
.
.
S o n g s o f t h e W K S T K R N Colleges
.
-
S o n g s o f t h e E A S T E R N Colleges
Songs o f t h e H a g a n d Nation
-
-
.
N e w S o n g s for Male Q u a r t e t s
S o n g s o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Michigan
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.
.
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S o n g s o f Haverford College
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.50
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S o n g s of W a s h i n g t o n a n d Jefferson College
.50
1.00
.
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Songs o f t h e University o f Pennsylvania
1,25
- .SO
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.
.
-
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1.50
- 1.25
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N e w Songs for College Glee Clubs
.
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S C H O O L Songs with C O L L E G E Flavor
100 N e w Kindergarten S o n g s
REVIEWOGRAPHS.
-
50 N e w College S o n g s
.
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.50
1,50
1,25
1,25
- 1.25
New Songs and Anthems for Church Quartets,
(Eleven Numbers)
each .10 to .30
HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGH
3 1 - 3 3 - 3 5 West I5tb Street.
New York City