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THE
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MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
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In the World of Music Publishing >P
REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS.
Somewhat of a Falling Off in Local Trade Last
Week—Orders By Mail, However, Are Quite
Large This Week, and the Prospects Are
Bright With a Larger Volume of Trade—
Price Cutting Still a Great Menace to a
Stable Business—Legitimate Methods, How-
ever, Will Win Out in the End—This is In-
evitable.
Last week a falling off in trade was quite no-
ticeable in nearly all quarters, much more in
volume than was looked for at. this particular
time. The Lenten period has a curtailing effect,
especially in the leading centers of distribution,
but elsewhere it is not so pronounced. This
week, however, opened up stronger, the mails
were larger and of better quality, though col-
lections run behind. This is usually what hap-
pens at Easter, when funds are diverted in other
directions and for other purposes, but quite easily
explained by observers of current conditions. As
stated before, publishers are now making calcu-
lations for the best season in the history of the
trade. Sales promise to be steady and heavy, but
the net results are not so promising. Prices are
worrying everybody, and the development of
reckless cutting continues unabated. The evil
is spreading in all directions, and the West, which
GREAT SUMMER HIT!!
" M E E T M E DOWN AT LUNA, L E N A "
B i g g e s t S e a s o n S o n g on t h e M a r k e t !
was considered immune, is taking a hand in the
desperate struggle. The only publishing houses
not. entangled are the comparatively few hold-
ing aloof from the demoralizing scramble.
Jobbers are having troubles of their own in
this connection, and unless pretty well fortified,
are meeting the cuts made by publishers more
eager for transitory advantages than the preser-
vation of wholesome business on a paying basis.
As one of them said to The Review: "Our firm
has not felt the price cutting so severely, but we
are bound to eventually. A few weeks back it
seemed as if the department store buyer would
not dominate the sheet music business, but it now
appears as if he were cock of the walk, unless
publishers recover their sanity. Five-cent music
is suicidal. It is killing the goose that lays the
golden eggs. In the end, however, the legitimate
publisher will come out on top. The ultimate set-
tlement of this 'question may be deferred for a
time, but it must come. Now the department
store buyer has taken the stand that he will not
pay more than 8 cents for any music. The re-
£ii!t is a stock of cheap music from second and
third-rate publishers, consequently their line of
customers is invariably of the cheap variety.
They only buy such first-class pieces as the nat-
ural call demands, for publishers in this rank de-
cline to lower the regular price. Outside the dis-
cussion of prices there is very little going on,
excepting that trade promises to be much more
active.'"
LONDON PUBLISHERS TAKE ACTION.
G e l it!
" D O DROP IN AT DEW-DROP I N N "
Charming Waltz Song! A Hit!
" BUSTER B R O W N "
Cartoon Song. Hit in " B u s t e r Brown" Pro-
duction.
"AIN'T ANYBODY EVER COIN' TO B U Y "
Indignant At the Insufficient Protection Ac-
corded Them by the Government—Music
Printers Also Meet.
On the 7th inst.. at a meeting of the Music Pub-
lishers' Association, London, Eng., action was
taken regarding the insufficient protection af-
Latest Coon Song and a Winner!
forded by the existing copyright law, mention of
ADDKKSS ALL ORDERS TO
which was made in The Review of April 15. The
THEATRICAL MUSIC SUPPLY CO.
resolutions adopted follow: 1. No further new
44 West 28th Street, New York
publications shall be issued by any of the firms
in question until further notice. 2. No fresh con-
tracts for payments to artistes and singers of
THE BIG SENSATIONAL SELLING
new publications shall be entered into for the
SONG HIT OF 1905,
present, 3. No further money shall at present
be spent upon newspaper advertisements.
The signatory firms were: E. Ascherberg & Co.,
Also
Edwin Ashdown, Boosey & Co., Chappell & Co.,
Love
in
a
Phonograph,
Kisses,
Ltd., J. B. Cramer & Co., Ltd., Ernest Donajow-
A Bit O' Blarney,
Georgie,
A Mormon Coon,
ski,
Enoch & Sons, Evans & Co., A. Hammond &
A House to Rent.
Co., Hawkes & Son, Hopwood & Crew, Ltd., the
PUBLISHED BY
John Church Co., Metzler & Co... Ltd., Price &
Reynolds, G. Ricordi & Co., Charles Sheard & Co.,
Joseph Williams, Ltd.. M. Witmark & Son and
New Amsterdam Theatre Bldg.,
NEW YORK
Keith, Prowse & Co.
The attitude of the association, it was declared,
was merely a measure of self-protection, and was
not dictated by any hostile spirit toward any per-
POPULAR SONG and INSTRUMENTAL HITS
son connected with the trade or profession.
POLLY PRIM MARCH
PETER PIPER MARCH
At a meeting of the Master Music Printers held
SHAME ON YOU
EGYPT
1
previous to the above date, an address was formu-
ZEL-ZEL
1 WANT TO BE A SOLDIER 1
lated to the Prime Minister, reciting their griev-
PEGGY BRADY
jTX, BIG INDIAN CHIEF
ances incident to the "widespread piracy of copy-
right music." Adding, "In the event of the gov-
NEW OPERATIcT^"^
ernment finding it impossible to pass such legis-
PUBLICATIONS
ISLE OF SPICE
lation [new copyright law] this session, we beg
LADY TEAZLE
1
SAMBO GIRL
MADCAP PRINCESS
to be allowed to suggest that the law prescribing
MAMA'S PAPA
RED FEATHER
that every publication should bear the imprint of
Published by
the publisher and printer be strictly enforced, and
East
Zlst
St.,
New
York
JOS. W . STERN 6 CO.,
34
that the Home Office should instruct the police
SAN FRANCISCO
CHICAGO
LONDON
authorities to render every assistance in the seiz-
ure, under the present act, of pirated musical
publications."
POPULAR SONG HITS
Commenting on the foregoing, our London
" Lights ol Home," "Just a Piciure of You," " My Sun-
burnt Lily," "They All Spoke Well of You," by the namesake, in its current issue, says: "The Home
noted writers, Al. Trahern and Lee Orean Smith.
Secretary, questioned in the House of Commons,
has said that he does not see his way to bring in
C. L. PARTEE MUSIC CO.
23 East 20th Street
New York City a bill himself to deal with the matter, and that
" EASY STREET"
SOL BLOOM
r
if one be introduced by a private member it must
take its chance with other bills." Under these
circumstances the prospects of the bill being
placed on passage are far from bright.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO MEET
At the Broadway Central Hotel on June 13.
—Important Business To Be Discussed.
According to custom, the Music Publishers' As-
sociation of the United States will hold their
eleventh annual convention June 13, at the
Broadway Central Hotel, New York City, at 10
a. m. The copyright law, with proposed amend-
ments, will be discussed, and other matters of im-
portance disposed of. The officers are: President,
J. P. Bowers; vice-president, H. S. Gordon; sec-
retary, Chas. B. Bayly; treasurer, E. S. Cragin.
Executive Committee.—Walter M. Bacon, G. W.
Purniss, Chas. K. Harris, E. T. Paull, Sol Bloom,
and ex-officio, J. P. Bowers and Chas. B. Bayly.
REVIEWOGRAPHS.
Relative to the post office decision excluding
sheet music as a supplement to newspapers after
September 1, a publisher emphatically declared
it. "was the best thing ever happened. You have
no idea how this scheme interfered with the
sale of music. Receivers of the papers utilizing
sheet music in this way, saved each supplement
carefully, making a portfolio or album. But when
it comes to cutting out the music from the body
of the paper minus the beauty and attractiveness
of title page, etc... the habit, will soon fall into
innocuous desuetude. 1
Fred. Belcher, manager of Jerome H. Remick
& Co., New York, returned Tuesday from a pleas-
ure sojourn of the week end at Atlantic City.
Musicians and music-lovers will be glad to
know that the full piano score of "It Happened
in Nordland" is now ready, M. Witmark & Sons,
the publishers, having announced this fact re-
cently. This is the musical play written by Glen
MacDonough and Victor Herbert, and which re-
ceived its initial performance at Lew Fields'
Theatre, New York, last winter, and soon to tour
the country. It is generally admitted that the
music in " I t Happened in Nordland" ranks
among the best of Mr. Herbert's compositions,
and the various selections will long he remem-
bered, especially "Al Fresco," the beautiful inter-
mezzo written expressly for the play, and the
following numbers, all of which have become
great favorites: "The Jack O'Lantern Girl," "A
Knot of Blue," "Absinthe Frappe" and "The Mati-
nee Maid."
Cbc most Popular College $ O ng$
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Songs and Anthems for Church Quartets,
(Eleven Numbers)
each .10 to .30
HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE
3 J - 33 - 35 Wcit 15th Street.
New York CKy