Music Trade Review

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48
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
through ignorance for too many years, and the which right he is deprived under the existing
publishers in popular music have been the suf- law.
"Years ago when the copyright law at present
Publishers of Popular Music in the Midst of a ferers. Nuff ced!"
in force was passed, such inventions as the
Very Active Fall Campaign—Evident Tend-
phonograph, pianola and other automatic musi-
ency to Recognize the Value of the Legiti-
COPYRIGHT AGAIN THE TOPIC.
cal instruments were unknown, and naturally
mate Dealer—The Professional Singer Not
no specific provision was made in the law cover-
as Popular as Formerly—Present Conditions
Approach of Congressional Sessions Make That
ing devices adapted to reproduce musical com-
Presage a Record Breaking Season.
Subject of Paramount Interest—M. W i t -
positions automatically. Consequently, authors
mark & Sons' Open Letter to Composers—
Attribute Their Conservative Attitude to the deriye from mechanical instrument manufactur-
The music publishers are not neglecting any
Uncertainty of the Copyright Situation—In-
ers no remuneration for their work represented
opportunity tnis month to push their goods, and
teresting Views on the Subject.
in the form of records and perforated rolls as
the activity displayed by the houses in popular
they do from the publishers when published in
lines is of the kind that commands attention.
the form of sheet music. That is to say, the
With the approach of the annual session of
One feature of tne brisk campaign this fall is
the slight attention being paid to the jobbing Congress the music publishers are thinking composers, notwithstanding the fact that mil-
houses. These accounts always stand ready to more or less seriously of copyright legislation, lions of dollars are earned annually by these
absorb whatever they can "get their hooks on," and as an earnest of this feeling the following manufacturers from the sale of such reproduc-
as one clear-headed publisher remarked with open letter to composers, real and prospective, ing devices, receive not one penny from the enor-
more force than choice of language. In other has been issued by M. Witmark & Sons, New mous industry which is based entirely and ex-
clusively upon the products of the composers'
words, publishers in this classification are grad- York, under date of September 30:
ually becoming convinced that the legitimate
"Dear Sir—To answer the unusual large num- (your) brains.
dealer is the real thing after all. For years ber of inquiries regarding our return of manu-
"Senator Kittridge in presenting his bill in
experts (save the mark!) have been engaged at scripts (among them yours) submitted to us, we favor of the author and composer, concedes the
theatrically "large" salaries to chase profession- find that in justice to all concerned we are ob- mechanical instrument to be a wonderful inven-
al singers to their respective lairs—up an alley liged to make the following statement: We have tion. At the same time, to use his own words,
or to the Waldorf-Astoria's lunch counter—and been and are compelled to return manuscripts 'these inventions, ingenious as they may be, are,
beg them, with tears in their eyes and a not-a- in pursuance of our forced policy to limit our however, as dead bones without the vivifying
small check in their hands, to "please, please, publishing output on account of the present spirit of the musician. It is he who creates
sing our stuff!"
chaotic condition of the sheet music industry. the thought they reproduce and sell. Without
The humor of this disagreeable situation is This is directly traced to the ruinous invasion him they would be nothing.' It is, therefore,
only equalled by its pathos. So that finally the of the manufacturers of mechanical instruments, without a question, your duty to yourself and
worm, or the publisher rather, has turned, and such as phonographs and automatic pianos. This fellow workers to enlist the services of your
instead of stopping this debilitating practice, disastrous condition affects you as well as it does United States Senator and Congressman to se-
accuses his contemporary of being the arch of- the most successful composer on our staff; for cure the passage of this bill and to write to
fender. This fact has been more than usually in the composition of music, success and. fame them, bringing the facts embodied in this let-
emphasized in the talk of publishers since Jerome have often come overnight, and in our long ex- ter to their notice. As thsir constituent you
H. Remick "spoke his little piece" in The Re- perience as publishers we have helped to bring are entitled to their utmost consideration and
view a couple of weeks ago. Since then the other success and honor to many so-called 'obscure' protection.
publishers, who fancied they had been unduly writers.
"The manufacturers of mechanical instru-
criticised, have handed the gentleman in point
"The sheet music publishing business can be ments claim that they help to popularize a com-
a few "hot ones."
restored to a healthy and paying basis both to position by making records and rolls of it, by
Commenting on business in general a publish- the publisher and composer by the enactment placing it in their machines, and therefore should
er said to The Review this week: "As trade of the new copyright bill now pending in the not be asked to pay any royalties. This asser-
now stands, we look forward to a great season. House and Senate, which is of great importance tion is false: Firstly, because they seldom, if
Inquiries are many and of a quality that presages to every composer. Upon the passage of such ever, reproduce a composition unless it has al-
sales of record-breaking size. To be sure, a bill we can resume our liberal policy and con- ready been tried and proven a success by tha
few houses complain; but these chaps are al- sider a large number of pieces for monthly pub- publisher—until the publisher has spent time,
lication. The now famous Paragraph E (first energy and many thousands of dollars to make
ways bemoaning their lot, so as a matter of
fact they do not count. We are paying more section), of this copyright bill, gives the author the composition a success—when they pounce
attention—in an intelligent way, mind you—to and composer the exclusive right to uss his com- upon this number Vulture-like and take it as if
the dealer. He is the basic fact, a proposition position for mechanical reproduction by means it had been their own property on which they
the publishers have ignored intentionally and of phonograph records and perforated rolls, of had spent their own money to promote the sue-
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
LIVE DEALERS RIGHT NOW ARE
VICTOR
REALIZING PROFITS SELLING COPIES OF
KREMER CO.
CHICAGO
59 Dearborn St.
THE MOST POPULAR
MANDOLIN FOLIO
NEW YORK
1431 Broadway
PUBLISHERS
Published in the following books
1st Mandolin dlst 5Oc Introductory 20c
2d Mandolin
" 50c
"
20c
Guitar Ace.
" 50c
"
20c
Piano Ace.
" 50c
"
22 l Ac
K^"Send for complete descriptive circular and
thematic booklet. Don't delay. Write at once.
HINDS, NOBLE Q ELD&EDGE
31-33-35 West 15tK Street. New York City
"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.
OUR "NEW ISSUE"
KEEP IN LINE WITH THE SUCCESSES
PROPOSITION
EVERY
ONE
WILL
SOON BE
SINGING
Is of Interest to all dealers—we furnish
you with any quantity ol our n e w
thematic catalogues 'without charge.
We publish "The Good Old U. S. A^"
"Just a Little Rocking Chair and You,"
"Keep on the Sunny Side," and other
big hits.
Let us get In touch with you—w rite us.
F. B. Haviland Pub. Co.
125 W. 37th Street, New York
"Somebody's Been Around Here Since I've Been Gone"
MAUDE RAYMOND'S Greatest Success in " The Gay White Way'
"When You Steal a Kiss or Two"
Sung by LOTTA FAUST in Field's All Stars Co.
"Vordoo Man/' "Fairies"
Sung by CECELIA LOFTUS in "The Lancers' 1
"Does It Pay?"
EVA TANGUAY'S latest whirlwind song, at Hammerstein's Victoria
PUBLISHED BY
New York
M . WITMARK
Chicago
SONS
London