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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS.
National Holiday Created Spurt in Certain
Lines—Looking for an Early Season—
Status of Jobbing Houses and the Publisher.
A week before the national holiday business
takes on a slight spurt, the demand for new in-
strumentals for bands and orchestras having in-
creased. The list of patriotic numbers is by no
means small, several being particularly meritori-
ous, and they have sold well. Professionals have
also been inquiring for novelties to be used in
special engagements "over the Fourth," either at
the public resorts or private entertainments.
Dealers have also sent in larger orders than for
the last few weeks, either through the jobber or
direct, and these various avenues of distribution
have created something of an active market.
About the middle of the month trade is expected
to pick up again, when publishers will be busy
outlining their fall work. An early season is
counted upon, a prediction founded on well de-
fined indications.
With jobbing houses a better and more hope-
ful feeling is evinced. This branch of the busi-
ness is regarded rather unfavorably by publishers
who believe their dealings should be with the
trade proper, who sell at retail and therefore are
more interested in the profitable sale of music
than the middleman. The latter, however, is con-
sidered a "necessary evil" by other publishers,
who would rather have a few safe accounts than
innumerable doubtful collections, even if the
margin is larger. As in many lines of business,
the jobber is noted for playing "both ends
against the middle," consequently when oppor-
tunity serves his methods come in for caustic
criticism, not infrequently undeserved. They are
generally referred to as "tight wads" oy writers,
who may form this opinion from an unresponsive
"touch."
A publisher of note, speaking of trade in gen-
eral, said to The Review: "Business is much
brighter this week, due to the national holiday
and calls for special pieces appropriate to the
patriotic spirit of the occasion. I think along
about the 15th a permanent change for the bet-
ter will materialize, and this fall possibly—I say
possibly—the publishers 'in the lighter vein,' if
I may use that expression, may get together and
try and remedy the existing discontent and de-
moralization in trade affairs."
Complete vocal score and Separate Numbers of
ii
THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA"
Book and Lyrics by CHAS. EMERSON COOK.
Music by LUCIUS HOSMER.
Featuring the well-known prlma donna,
Mme. LILLIAN BLAUVELT.
Supplementary Songs In the following production! :
EDNA MAT'S New Musical Play,
"THE CATCH OP THE SEASON."
"RAINING"
By Jerome D. Kern
SHUBBBX BROS.' English Musical Comedy Success,
"THE EARL AND THE GIRL."
"HOW'D YOU LIKE TO SPOON WITH ME."
Max. C. Eugene's hit, "IN ROSBLAND" Intermezzo
Published bv
T.
B. H AR MS CO.
26 West 44th St.
BLANCHE
NEW YORK
RING'S
"Come Take a Skate With Me"
In "HIS HONOR THE MAYOR"
and these other lilts:
"If a Girl Like You Loved a Boy Like Me," "Some-
body's Sweetheart I Want to Be," "I'll Do Anything
in the World for You," ''Two Dirty Little Hands,''
"When the Green Leaves Turn to Gold," "In a Little
Canoe With You," "Pocahontas," "You Can't Give
Your Heart to Somebody Else and Still Hold Hands
With Me," "Kiss Me Once More Good-Night," "Na-
poli," "Cherokee" and "The Hurdy Gurdy Man."
PUB. BY Gus Edwards Music Pub. Co.
1812 Broadway, New York
FOOLING THE PUBLIC.
Increasing Number of So-Called Publishers
Who Are Misleading People—A Case in
Point—One of the Stock Letters.
Publishers of popular music are now per-
turbed by the invasion of would-be interme-
diaries between themselves and so-called writ-
ers. To be sure, it is a fake game, and the
dupe is the party who may submit his MSS.
with the hope that the "composition" will be
really placed in the hands of a reputable pub-
lishing house, who will assume the cost of pub-
lication, exploitation, etc., besides paying a roy-
alty for the privilege. People engaged in such
enterprises have no intercourse with the legiti-
mate publishing business, have no connection
or influence whatever in placing music, and in
fact their position is not only misleading, but
absolutely false.
As an example of what these parasites are
doing—and there are not a few of them in num-
ber in different parts of the country, who ad-
vertise for "suckers" principally in the maga-
zines—the case of a party in Virginia may be
cited. The victims are in many cases women,
who doubtless believe either they are the for-
tunate possessors of the divine afflatus or un-
heralded' geniuses. At any rate, the person in
point had received a "form" letter from one of
these self-styled "publishers," and sensible that
she would be swindled if she placed her precious
effort in their hands, subsequently wrote The
Review for advice. The names of a number of
leading publishers were promptly forwarded
and the lyric was finally gent a New York firm,
accompanied by the letter received from t h e
fake concern, which shows up their whole
modus operandi. Of the lyric submitted by the
party, and which the fakirs say is "exceedingly
clever," candidly the least said the better. As
a matter of fact it could not possibly be worse,
being crude, as if written by an illiterate person,
and it is astonishing how any one can have the
assurance to ask for an inspection of such rub-
bish. Notwithstanding this the writer was in-
formed "that they will be sure to have it pub-
lished." The "form" letter, used for gudgeons,
and which reputable publishers rightly denounce
as not sincere and a rank imposition, follows,
omitting names for obvious reasons:
"New York, June 19, 1906.
"Dear Madam:—We are in receipt of your
song-poem, and we are very glad to have the
opportunity of examining it. Your work is ex-
ceedingly clever, and if set to suitable music
we are positive it would be accepted for publi-
cation by one of the music publishing houses
of this city. Of the many songs we have han-
dled, we can truthfully say that yours is one of
the best we have had the privilege of going over
for some time.
"We will set your words to music, guarantee-
ing satisfactory work, and send you a compete
manuscript copy of the song, both words and
music, for nine dollars. When your song is
sold we charge a very reasonable commission of
20 per cent, of your share of the proceeds, and
as the amount you pay barely covers the cost of
production, you can readily see that we could
not afford to handle your song unless we are
confident that it would be a success. You un-
derstand that it is only from our commissions
on sales from successful songs that we can hope
to derive our profits (sic). As we are under
heavy expense in composing the music, setting
it to your words, and soliciting the publishing
houses, it is only reasonable that we should re-
quire our pacrons to pay their share of the ex-
pense (nine dollars) in advance. This plan pre-
vents the few unscrupulous individuals from
taking advantage of us and is fair to all con-
cerned.
"We are personaLy acquainted with the large
New York music publishers, and songs handled
by us have an excellent opportunity of being
disposed of. In fact, it is very seldom that we
handle a song which is not accepted by one or
more of the publishers. These men know that
we will handle nothing but the best, and are al-
ways glad to go over anything we see fit to send
them. The reason we have so few failures i s
because we are careful as to what we submit.
Under separate cover we are sending you a copy
of a song to which we have prepared the music.
Present indications are that it will prove to be
a second 'in the Shade of the Apple Tree. 1 The
time to put a song on the market is now, while
the publishers are in search of new 'hits' for
the coming season. Read our booklet carefully
from cover to cover, then answer a t once. We
hold your work awaiting your reply."
THE MAN OjSJTHE STREET.
Copyright Bill Unacted Upon Owing to Ad-
journment of Congress—Songs to Order—
Representative Kahn as a Composer—The
Fixing of Prices—Mr. Teschner's Illness—
Puccini's New Opera.
Congress adjourned Saturday night, and
among the bills listed as important legislation
remaining unacted upon was that revising and
amending the copyright statutes. The amended
Bennet bill, reported favorably by the House
Patents Committee, went down in the ruck "un-
wept, unhonored and unsung." If any one ordi-
narily regarded as sane—excepting demagogic
politicians or hired attorneys, of course—can
offer a sound reason why singing societies,
church choirs or public schools should be entitled
to exchange the use of copyright musical works
without payment for the privilege or permis-
sion from the owner, whether for charitable or
any other purpose, he is a wonder in casuistry.
It is possible the members of the committee up
for re-election this fall may point to this part
of their Congressional record with pride, but
those who know the precise and true situation
and why such a bill was introduced, could make
them look like thirty cents before their con-
stituents if it was worth while.
A correspondent inquires if he could be given
the author of two songs he has been trying to
find for a number of years. One is "Think It
Over" and the other is "They Blame It All on to
NOTICE TO THE TRADE
ON AND AFTER
July ist, igod, all the Francis, Day &* Hunter
publications previously handled by The T. £. I farms
Publishing Co. must be ordered direct from us.
The F., D. & H. Catalogue includes all
the music from
" FLORODORA"
"THE SILVER SLIPPER"
"THE SCHOOL GIRL"
etc.. etc., etc., etc., etc.
Francis, Day & Hunter,
l5 w c
f cet
N E &ToR k
LOOK!
HAPPY HOME
IS THE MOST TALKED OF
MARCH T W O - S T E P .
Do you play it ?
JEROME H. REMICK & CO.
45 West 28th Street,
New York