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48
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
East the trade nave become accustomed to the
cut rate, but in the Middle West the 'cheap'
Business Is Strong and Satisfactory in Many
stores are playing havoc with the business, up-
Lines—Present Methods of Selling Music
setting the market and unsettling conditions. On
Still Under Criticism—Organization of the
the Pacific Coast good prices prevail everywhere,
American Music Stores Approved.
and it is therefore some pleasure in selling music
So far as sales count, business is strong in the in that section. But trade is not what it should
publishing line, and there is apparently no cloud be, excepting in the Far West. Perhaps the new
in the trade sky of a threatening nature. On deal will help matters, for it is badly needed."
the contrary, if plans now in a formative stage
do not miscarry the condition of affairs between NOW THE UNITEDJHUSIC STORES CO.
publishers and dealers will be greatly improved. Fall in Line With a Capital of $20,000—In-
At any rate, the present methods of selling popu-
corporated This Week—Maurice Shapiro Is
lar music at least seems far from satisfactory.
President—Will Establish Stores in Leading
Whether this is the fault of the publisher or the
Cities—Many Publishers Interested.
dealer, even the "experts" differ where to place
the blame. At any rate, there is a cutting and
Another Richmond is in the field; that is, an-
slashing of prices under which both suffer, and other coterie of publishers have become incorpo-
acutely. It is safe the average dealer does not» rated under the laws of New York as retailers of
give that attention to his sheet music department music, namely, the United Music Stores Co., who
that he should. Very little if any enterprise is filed their papers with the Secretary of State
displayed in promoting the sale of music, except- on Friday last, with a capital of $20,000. The
ing by means respected solely on account of their firms in the company are Maurice Shapiro, Helf
antiquity—moss-covered and gray-bearded. Occa- & Hager, Louis Dreyfus and Francis, Day & Hun-
sionally a dealer will wake up and do something ter, all of New York City. The officers follow:
out of the ordinary, but this so seldom occurs President, Maurice Shapiro; vice-president, Fred-
that the exception becomes noteworthy in the erick Hager; treasurer, Frederick Day; secre-
level plain of mediocrity.
tary, Louis Dreyfus.
It has remained for the much-maligned depart-
None of the officers were prepared to discuss
ment store and other establishments under the their venture, as plans had not been fully ma-
control of either publishers or jobbers to "boost" tured. Mr. Shapiro, however, said the company
the sale of popular music. Outside of the would proceed to establish music stores in the
price-cutting mania emanating from these sources leading cities, but would make no attempt to ob-
their selling and exploiting methods are to be tain a foothold in department stores. Further,
commended. The new departure announced in they had in view the co-operation of fully eight,
the organization of the American Music Stores is if not ten, more publishers, and in about a week's
almost universally regarded as a step in the time their names would be announced as well as
right direction—beneficial alike to publisher and the details of their methods of operation. It was
dealer. The most experienced publishers outside not their intention to be crowded to the wall by
of this company of notable houses welcome this any one, incorporated or otherwise, and he looked
organization as the beginning of a new order of for a lively time in the future on the sale of
things, and look for a great stimulus in the sale popular music.
of every class and grade of music. Another en-
terprise on similar lines is embodied in the
PERTINENT ^ND PERSONAL.
United Music Stores Co., the particulars of which
appear elsewhere. If both of these corporations The Movements of Distinguished Members of
the Trade Chronicled.
act in entire good faith toward the whole trade—
as they frankly state they will—then will they
F. A. Mills, president of the American Music
confer lasting and permanent benefits upon all Stores, was out of town in the early part of the
whom it may concern; any other course will be week, sizing up the location of places, reports
suicidal.
say, for the new company.
After returning from an extended trip over the
Last week Fred Hager, of Helf & Hager, and a
country a publisher observed to The Review:
"Prices vary in different parts of the country- noted orchestra leader, was in Boston on a sell-
ing trip.
REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS.
Vesta Victoria's New Hit
POOR
JOHN!
By the -writers of
"WAITING AT THE CHURCH"
FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER
15 West 30th Street
NEW YORK
OUR "NEW ISSUE"
PROPOSITION
is ol Interest to all dealer*—we turnlsli
yon with any quantity ol our new
thematic catalogues
without charge.
We publish M The Good Old U. S. A./*
M
Just a Little Rocking Chair and You,"
"Keep On the Sunny Side," and other
big hits.
Let us get In touch with you—writ* us.
F. B. HavUand Pub. Co.
125 W. 37th Street, New York
On May 10 Charles K. Harris leaves New York
for a fortnight's visit to Milwaukee, Wis., his
old home, and Chicago.
Louis Dreyfus, of the T. B. Harms Co., left for
the West Monday, going direct to Chicago. He
is said to be looking after a store on State street,
Chicago, for the U. M. S. Co.
Friday of last week Isidore Witmark, of M.
Witmark & Sons, accompanied by Nathan Bur-
kan, counsel for the Music Publishers' Associa-
tion of the United States went to Atlantic City,
N. J., to stay over Sunday. They returned to
New York Monday afternoon.
Maurice Shapiro, president of the new United
Music Stores Co., was in Baltimore—going away
Saturday—until Tuesday to lease a store as the
first in the new chain.
'THE BOYS OF COMPANY B."
"The Boys of Company B," the new play at the
Lyceum Theater, New York, is a strong, hearty
and human one, which appeals to all as does
"Brown of Harvard," which is another of Rida
IlIDA J O H N S O N
VlUXii.
Johnson Young's successful light dramas. "The
Boys of Company B" shows how serious a stu-
dent the author is, and how exceedingly well she
understands the young person of the day, in his
pleasures as well as in his more serious business
of life; in fact, Mrs. Young is called the "apostle
of youth in the drama."
There is always a noticeably refreshing
VICTOR
CHICAGO
59 Dearborn St.
KREMER CO.
NEW YORK
1431 Broadway
PUBLISHERS
"Under the Tropical Moon," "Won't You
Let Me Put My Arms Around Y o u , "
"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.
should subscribe to M. Witmark & Sons vocal and instru-
mental " N e w Issues" so as to keep their patrons and them-
selves in touch with the latest successes. Five cents the copy is all that is charged. Fill
in and forward attached blank.
LIVE DEALERS
M. WITMARK & SONS, 144 W. 37th St., New York.
Hereby agree to take one each of your "NEW" Vocal and Instru-
mental Publications as soon as issued at 5 CENTS PER COPY. This to begin
with your next shipment of same and to continue until notified to the contrary.
Name
Street Number
Town or City
Reference (New York if possible)
Note—The "New Issues" are sent out monthly and no less than the COMPLETE SET
can be subscribed for.
Those with whom we have no business relations will please send reference with first order.