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THE
REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS.
While Trade Is Not So Brisk on the Surface the
Aggregate Sales Have Gone Beyond Ex-
pectations and the Outlook Is Satisfactory.
Though the month of March is regarded by
publishers, jobbers and dealers as one of the
quietest in the year—possibly next to December
—the reports bear a contrary complexion. To
be sure trade was not so brisk on the surface,
but the aggregate sales have gone beyond ex-
pectations. The past week was the slowest of the
month, for which seasonable reasons existed. The
mails have increased remarkably, and salesmen
on the road are booking nice orders for popular
music, of which the list of satisfactory sellers is
long and interesting. Nearly every house of
standing has several, and possibly more, num-
bers that not only "look good," but have gone
beyond the introductory stage and can be reck-
oned successes in the ordinary acceptance of the
designation. Were these latter not crowded to
the wall by subsequent publications, they would
hold their own for months and keep moving in
the hands of dealers and jobbers.
In the other branch of publishing—folios, edi-
tions and che general run of higher grade music—
sales have held their own in point of volume and
value. Not many more new works will be
brought out before the approach of summer, as
the necessity, for "something new" is a negligible
quantity. For all that, however, the number, im-
portance and variety of song and instrumental
prices, books, compilations, original arrange-
ments of the masters, etc., make a handsome
showing and reflect great credit on the enter-
prise and resourcefulness of American publish,
ers in this class. They speak of business as
very satisfactory, and see no reason why it
should not continue along the same lines for the
remainder of the season.
Of the general outlook a veteran publisher
said to The Review: "Every indication points to
a splendid run of business for several months to
come. March, though rated a slow-going period,
was not so poor after all. Our books make a
good showing, and we hear other houses make
equally favorable reports. Sales are picking up,
and the men out in the trade are turning in
fine orders. Prices remain unchanged. That is
to say, they are not what they should be, and, I
am afraid, the days of yore, when publishing and
selling were on a higher plane for both publisher
Vesta Victoria's New Hit
JOHN!
By
the writers of
"WAITING AT THE CHURCH"
FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER
15 West 30th Street
NEW YORK
OUR "NEW ISSUE"
F» R O F» O S IXIOISf
Is ol Interest to all dealers—we furnish
you with any quantity of our new
thematic catalogues without charge.
We publish "The Good Old U. S. A,°
"Just a Ltttle Rocking Chair and You,"
"Keep On the Sunny Side," and other
big hits.
Let us get in touch with you—write us.
F. B. HavHand Pub. Co.
125 W. 37th Street, New York
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
and dealer, are gone never to return. No doubt
profits have been shaved unmercifully, and royal-
ties cut, but sales have also increased, and there
is compensation in that fact. Should a failure
occur nowadays it is seldom reported, because
there is nothing left to tell the tale."
notwithstanding the month is considered one of
the slowest in the year.
I. Waldman Teschner, of the Teschner Music
Co., who was on a short selling trip, returned to
New York Tuesday.
Concerning his experience, Gus Edwards says:
"You've got to have lots of patience, of course.
"When I started out I was looked upon as a
Publishing Uncatalogued Music—Vanity of
Would-be Geniuses Satisfied—Changes on bore by some publishers. I excited the envy of
some of the tried and experienced writers who
28th Street—Gus Edwards Experiences—
did their level best to put me in the background.
Some New Winners in the Comic Opera Field
I had plenty of ideas, but no chance to put them
— T h a t Mysterious Music Exchange—The
into execution. However, the only way to make
National Copyright Association—The Rol-
any money in the business is to start out for
licking Summer Song—Other Notes.
yourself and publish your own songs. By pub-
Publishers are not infrequently called upon to lishing your own songs you are sure of getting
print music they would accept under no circum- all that is your due. You see, under prevailing
stances for their catalogue. This phase of the conditions, when sheet music sells at such a low
figure, owing to competition, a publisher cannot
trade has doubtless been taken advantage of
to work that portion of the public who believe afford to pay large royalties on songs."
they are afflicted with the divine afflatus as lyric
writers, or else are firmly of the opinion the
Lowitz's song with the queer title, "Ta Ta,
mantle of Foster or Paul Dresser has fallen on Au Revoir, Chew Chew, I'm Going Away," pub-
their shoulders. At any rate, their gullibility is lished by Willis Woodward & Co., is making
meat and drink to concerns whose operations as headway as a popular number with the profes-
a class are referred to elsewhere in this depart- sion. This week the Bay City Quartette fea-
ment. Of the legitimate business in this line tured it at Proctor's Twenty-third Street Theatre,
every publisher of reputation has music—usu- New York, earning a triple encore.
ally of a popular nature—submitted them what
the "composers" desire issued in regular form
"The Land of Nod," music by Joseph E. How-
either to satisfy the writer's vanity or else "have
ard, who also played the part of "The Man in
some fun" with his friends. There is no attempt
the Moon" in the cast, made its introductory bow
at deception or misleading on the part of the
to the metropolitan public at the New York The-
publisher, who names a price for the work, which
is duly executed, and that ends the transaction. atre Monday evening. The best part of the en-
tertainment was generally regarded as "an oper-
atic outburst," for which Victor Herbert sup-
As an illustration one of the old-time publish- plied the music. Notwithstanding the overshad-
ers said to The Review: "One time I had a chap owing presence of Mr. Herbert's splendid con-
call on me with a piece of music, not for me to tribution to comic opera, several songs of "The
criticise or accept on any basis for my business, Land of Nod," which had a long run in Chicago,
but he wanted a thousand copies to distribute will last, for they were received with every
among his friends and acquaintances, and so demonstration of favor, among them being "The
would have the gratification of seeing his name Same Old Moon" and "You Look Good to
on the title page. I named a price, that was paid Father." The publishing rights rest with Chas.
on the spot, and I delivered the goods, which K. Harris.
closed the transaction. Another—I only mention
a few out of many—sent me such an execrable
The "mystery" of Falter Bros.' Music Exchange
composition, of which he wanted 100 copies. I t
was really so bad that to discourage and head deepens. The publishers whose music is listed
off the writer, I actually charged him an out- by this concern declare they have no dealings
rageous price. As a matter of fact, he simply with the combine, and have tried their best to
wanted five copies, but he paid the figure I locate them. One publisher said he ascertained
quoted originally, and went away apparently that in addition to the published address, West
happy. Every publishing house has this expe-
rience."
"THE MAN.ON THE STREET."
VICTOR KREMER CO.
Folger, Wood & Co. had barely swung their
sign to the breeze on West 28th street, New York,
when a shift occurred, and now it reads H. J.
Wood Co. The kaleidoscopic changes in certain
strata music publishing are bewildering from
their swiftness and unexpectedness.
While the Publishers' Distributing Co., 51 West
28th St., New York, is the youngest jobbing firm,
still they have been uniformly successful from the
start. Their sales for March ran into -big figures,
CHICAGO
59 Dearborn St.
NEW YORK
1431 Broadway
PUBLISHERS
"Under the Tropical Moon," "Won't You
Let Me Put My Arms Around You,"
"Cinderella," Inst. and Song. "Not Be-
cause Your Hair Is Curly," " W i l l the
Angels Let Me Play," "Paddy," "Can You
Keep a Secret," "Vanity Fair," " I Never
Can Forget You Dear," Kremer's Mandolin
Folio, No. 1, etc., etc.
¥ IA/IT D F A l FRSJ s h° u 'd subscribe to M. Witmark & Sons vocal and instru-
*"•* " *"• •-'••-"'•"-••-•••^•'J mental " N e w Issues" so as to keep their patrons and them-
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