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THE MUSIC TRADE
SUMMER CONDITIONS NOW PREVAIL
REVIEW
appearance this class of publishers move as one
in whacking them on the head and putting them
down and out. The result of such concerted
action is obvious.
In the Music Publishing Field—Summer Songs
Are Abundant and All Making a Race for
Popularity—Price-Cutting Not as Rife as in
the Past—Publishers of Standard Publica-
tions Are Doing a Fair Business, if Anything
For Europe After a Most Successful Season—
Slightly Above the Level of Former Years.
VESTA VICTORIA SAILS
of this kind, their opinion carried weight.
Messrs. Furniss and Bacon will be in Wash-
ington next week for the hearing before the
Patent Committee of the House of Representa-
tives on the Bennett bill, on the 5th surely, and
possibly on the copyright bill also, portions of
which covering the publishing interests appeared
in last week's Review.
Will Return Next Fall.
One week is like another at this season of
Vesta Victoria, who sailed for England on
the year. That is to say, sales have diminished, Wednesday of last week, on the "Oceanic," was
energy has lessened, fewer new issues in any undoubtedly the hit of the vaudeville season.
line appear, barring the so-called summer song,
which, if current reports are to be credited, will
be "thick as leaves in Vallombrosa" before the
end is reached. The advertising stuff, so far
as the reputation of the writer is concerned, has
happily lessened this year as compared to the
previous season, when the song writers, some
of fair repute, descended to this cheap plane for
what there was in it, of course. The scribbler
or "composer" (save the mark!) who is so
hard pressed as to contribute to this class of
"music" will certainly never be assigned a niche
in the Hall of Fame, unless such an institution
is established at Coney Island among the other
freak shows.
Not so much flamboyant proof of price-cut-
ting is in evidence as formerly, but it is still
rife. The general run of department stores
has settled down to the jog trot of low level
selling figures, and sheet music in the cheap—
five and ten cent—stores is now permanently
classed with the tinware, crockery, etc., at &
dime a throw. What is more these resorts of the
female bargain hunter are buying from not a
few leading publishers direct, and withholding
orders from the firms who demand the regular
price or no goods. This means the house with
the sellers are holding their own, and the others
trailing behind each after their own fashion as
framed up by individual financial conditions.
A fair business is reported from the pub-
lisher who abjures the popular airs of the
day. Their methods are more in line with
VKSTA VICTORIA.
acceptable mercantile practices and therefore
trade moves in comfortable grooves that are
She will return to this country next October
well-oiled and carefully looked after "accord-
with a new batch of her catchy songs, ail pub-
ing to Hoyle." The longing to make a Broadway lished by Francis, Day & Hunter. Her leav-
success is conspicuous by its absence, conse- ing the country enables the publishers to turn
quently they do not have dreams, but are con- her greatest success loose to the profession in
tent to market their publications in a sane, general, namely, "Waiting at the Church."
sensible way. This means when the swagger-
ing price-cutter or defiant pirate puts in an
PUBLISHERS' ANNUAL CONVENTION.
Complete vocal score and Separate Numbers of
"THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA"
Book and Lyrica by CHAS. EMERSON COOK.
Music by LUCIUS HOSMER.
Featuring tbe well-known prlma donna,
Mme. LILLIAN BLAUVELT.
Supplementary Songs In the following productions :
EDNA MAY'S New Musical Play,
"THE CATCH OF THE SEASON."
"RAINING"
By Jerome D. Kern
SHUBERT BROS.' English Musical Comedy Success,
"THE EARL AND THE QIRL."
"HOW'D YOU LIKE TO SPOON WITH MB."
Max. C. Eugene's hit, "IN ROSBLAND" Intermezzo
Published by
T.
B. H AR M 8 C O .
126 West 44th St.
NEW YORK
"The House Melodious."
GUS EDWARDS
MUSIC PUBLISHING CO.
Publishers of Lillian Russell's and the Sea-
sons Song Hits,
"If a Girl Like You Loved a Boy Like Me."
"Somebody's Sweetheart I Want to Be,"
and "Napoli,'' and Italiai Love Story.
Our N e w Issues
"Pocahontas" (Tammany's sister). " I n a little C«noe
with Y o u " being featured by all the leading acts In
Vaudeville. "When the Green Leaves turn to Gold' *
Beautiful Rustic Ballad.
Gus Edwards Music Pub. Co.
1512 Broadway, New York.
Will Meet in New York June 12—Most Im-
portant Gathering in Years.
Tuesday, June 12, the United States Publishers'
Association of the United States will hold their
annual convention at the Broadway Central Hotel,
New York City. The first session will be held
at 10 a. m. of that date, being preceded by a
meeting of the executive committee at the same
place Monday. The association will probably
consume several days disposing of important busi-
ness, as this has been the most eventful year in
its history. James F. Bowers, of Lyon & Healy,
Chicago, president, and C. B. Bayly, of John F.
Ellis & Co., Washington, D. C, secretary, will be
present. In fact the largest attendance in years
is expected.
REVIEWOGRAPHS.
Wednesday and Thursday of last week Geo.
W. Furniss and Walter M. Bacon, of the copy-
right committee of the Music Publishers' Asso-
ciation of the United States, and delegates there-
from to the Copyright Conference, were the
guests of the Art Publishers' Association, at
their cluDhouse in New York. To be sure the
proposed revision of the copyright statute was
the main subject of discussion; as both of these
gentlemen are regarded as experts on matters
Among the distinguished passengers listed as
sailing on the "Kaiser Wilhelm II.," for Bremen,
last week, with former American Ambassador
to the Court of St. James Joseph H. Choate,
Perry Belmont, Senor Don Luis de O'iveira
Cezar, Baroness Heding Dufour, appears the
name of Harry von Tilzer (nee GumbiUki),
writer of that delectable ballad, "Under the An-
heuser Busch."
Publishers who have followed the test case of
the White-Smith Music Publishing Co. against
The Apollo Co. will doubtless be greatly disap-
pointed in the final adjudication of the suit by
Ihe United States Circuit Court of Appeals, sec-
ond circuit. The decision was handed down late
Friday afternoon last, when The Review had
gone to press. The full text of this important
opinion appears in the "Piano Player" depart-
ment, in another portion of this issue, in which
the court pertinently observes that the "copyright
law "must be strictly construed and that we are
not at liberty to extend its provisions, either by
resort to equitable considerations or to a strained
interpretation of the terms of the statute. We
are therefore of the opinion that a perforated roll
* * * is not a copy of * * * staff nota-
tion. * * * In fact, the machine or musical
playing device is the thing which appropriates
the author's property and publishes it by pro-
ducing the musical sounds, thus conveying the
author's compositions to the public." The court
were unanimous in their sustainment of Judge
Hazel's decision, and while it is cold comfort to
the publishers, there is consolation in the fact
that the existing law's defects in this respect are
remedied in the new copyright bill, the proposed
draft of which appeared exclusively in last week's
Review.
Sam Gross, manager of Francis, Day & Hun-
ter's professional department, is no longer with
the firm, his connection ceasing Thursday week.
A point made by J. L. Tinsdale, with G. Schir-
mer, the New York publisher, in a letter tran-
Francis,
MARCH
Day & Hunter's
"NEW ISSUES"
Coming through the Rye, Jennie Mine
YES. DEAR
A Beautiful Ha Hail l.v Arthur Lamb
We AU Walked Into the Shop
When You're Up
Up In
In the World
Phllo nphy Si
DEVOTION Waltz
(Played by all the Lublin* Orchestras)
Send for particulars of special prices to subscribers.
PUBLISHERS
^ F R A N C I S , DAY & HUNTER, 15 W. 30th St.. New York
LOOK!
HAPPY HEINIE
IS THE MOST TALKED OF
MAECH T W O - S T E P .
Do you play it?
JEROME H. REMICK & CO.
48 West 28th Street,
New York