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VOL.
XLVI. No. 1 5 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave , New York, April IU 1908.
A LETTER FROM_J. H. REMICK.
Some Compliments and Some Comments from
the Well Known Music Publisher Which
Received Attention Elsewhere.
the efforts of this company and what has been
done by the fine work of the Copyright Associa-
tion through Messrs. Witmark and Burkan, we
shall ultimately get what is due us in the way
of protection. Yours very truly,
J. H. REMICK."
J. H. Remick, president of Jerome H. Remick
& Co., Detroit, Mich., has sent our "Man on the
Street" the following communication under date
of March 30, 1908:
"My Dear Sir—Your articles are always inter-
esting. I am sorry to say that they do not get
to my attention every week as I am out of the
city so much, and sometimes when I am in New
York other people get hold of The Review first,
but to-day it reached me, and I have read with
much interest your very clever account of the
concern of Remick & Co. moving to new quarters.
When I say Remick & Co., I do not know who
the 'company' is, but it is a corporation for
convenience sake, and I guess the 'company' are
our friends. However, I am sure the trade will
be much more interested in the way you have
handled our moving than a description in glow-
ing terms of the new building, etc. I appreciate
the fact that the rest of our friends (?) in the
music publishing business are very much inter-
ested in our moving; in fact, our friends on 28th
street are so extremely glad to get rid of us that
I think we could have easily made a good agree-
ment with them to help us out a bit.
"Now, I notice the comments by the 'Man on
the Street,' in which you state, 'If the power of
Remick & Co. was used in the right direction it
would go far to remedy existing conditions which
are affecting his interests just as seriously as
those of his confreres.' What do you mean?
How much more do you want us to sacrifice than
we are sacrificing? I think the best thing for
you to do is to get out and travel and go beyond
the Harlem river and see this great western
country, and see what has been done in this line.
You appear to me like a great, big, broad and
liberal-minded man, but you need to get down to
the bottom of things and find out the conditions,
and the only way to do that is to travel. Such
an infinitesimal part of the music business is
done from 42d to 14th street, that it is hardly
worth mentioning. What do you suppose the
West cares what Mr. Macy does, or Siegel-Cooper?
There is as much music sold in two music depart-
ments in the city of Detroit as there is by
Siegel-Cooper. Now, there are a great many
Detroits in the Middle West. I would venture
to say safely that there is more music sold in
the city of Chicago than any two cities in the
country, and they get good prices for the music.
You are too bright and clever to keep on that
narrow little strip of land. Be a man and come
West and look around. We will show you a
building in this city that is a model in every re-
spect for the publishers of music.
"Very glad indeed you approve of our move in
New York, and much obliged to you for the pub-
licity which you have given the same. I am
pleased to tell you that notwithstanding the dam-
aging, and, I must say, infamous articles which
have appeared against me in your paper in refer-
ence to my interest in the copyright matter, that
things are shaping themselves so that through
SINGLE COPIES, lo CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
known music publishing houses are daily heard,
and it is not. unreasonable to suppose that the
future "Tin Pan Alley" will extend from 30th to
45th streets, a terrible prospect for the unfortu-
nate who in the past has made Broadway his
promenade.
A CHAT WITH WM. BOOSEY.
AGAINST PROFESSIONAL COPIES.
The Well Known Head of Chappell & Co. Makes
a Flying Visit to New York Which Was
Undertaken Largely for Rest—Two New
Operas Under Way Which May Strike Popu-
lar Fancy—Compliments for Dorothy Forster
and The Review.
The DeWitt-Wheeler Co. in Accord With Policy
of Progressive Publishers Who go on Record
Against Supplying Music Free.
As briefly announced last week in our "Just
Before Going to Press" page, William Boosey, of
the well-known publishing house of Messrs. Chap-
pell & Co., paid a flying visit to New York, both
coming and returning by the giant Cunarder
"Mauretania." In the absence of Walter East-
man, New York manager for Messrs. Chappell &
Oo., in Washington, where he was attending the
copyright hearings, our "Man on the Street" had
the privilege of greeting Mr. Boosey, who spoke
in a general way of everything save business.
"I have just run over to shake hands with young
Walter Eastman," Mr. Boosey remarked jovially,
"and my visit has absolutely no business import.
We had a terribly rough trip, but the rest has
done me a great deal of good, and I already feel
better for the change." Asked to express an opin-
ion regarding the numerous plagiarized versions
of "The Merry Widow" which appeared in Amer-
ica, Mr. Boosey laughed. "I am naturally preju-
diced on the subject," he remarked, "and besides
I am not competent to give an opinion on the
American end of our business. I am going to
see 'Miss Hook of Holland,' which they tell me
has had a very charming production over here,"
continued Mr. Boosey. Asked for any London
news, he remarked: "We have two new operas
under way, which I sincerely hope will strike the
public fancy. One is by Leslie Stuart of 'Floro-
dora' fame i while the other is by our good friend
Paul Rubens. By the way, I have discovered a
new composer in the person of a charming little
lady named Dorothy Forster. The first song
which we published of hers, called 'Rose in the
Bud' has sold enormously in England, and I feel
confident that it will duplicate its success in
America." Mr. Boosey spoke warmly of America
and Americans, and our "Man on the Street"
blushingly accepted his statement that our Spe-
cial Music Publishers' Number of The Review
was the finest thing of its kind he had ever seen.
Mr. Boosey spent but three days in New York,
but hopes to return for a more prolonged stay in
the near future.
Mr. Conkling, general manager of the De Witt-
Wheeler Co., the celebrated illustrated song
slide makers, is thoroughly in accord with the
policy outlined by the anonymous music pub-
lisher, who has lately circularized the publish-
ing trade on the professional copy question to
such good effect. Mr. Conkling assured The Re-
view that he had already made arrangements to
pay for all copies of songs supplied to perform-
ers with slides made by the De Wilt-Wheeler Co.
A number of publishing houses, notably M. Wit-
mark & Sons, Jerome H. Remick & Co., F. B.
Haviland & Co. and Francis, Day & Hunter have
given their assurance that in the future no pro-
fessional copies will be supplied free to slide
makers or brokers. Fred Day, American repre-
sentative of Francis, Day & Hunter, is already
reaping the benefit of the new policy which he
has laid down. In almost every case he has
received 10 cents per copy for regular copies
from those who in the past were presented with
professional copies of songs free.
DOUBLE THEIR OFFICE ROOM.
The success of the Great Eastern Music Pub-
lishers' Co. is demonstrated by the fact that they
have already been forced to double their office
accommodation, which now consists of seven
large rooms on the third floor of the Theatrical
Exchange Building, 1431-1433 Broadway. Mig-
non Ziegfeld, the business head of the new con-
cern, has started in the world of music publish-
ing by setting an example to her older competi-
tors which might well be emulated. She has
resolutely declined to sell songs published by the
Great Eastern Music Publishing Co. under a
profitable figure, and moreover has taken in
hand the "professional copy evil," which she
hopes to stamp out so far at least as her own
business is concerned.
To Remove to 1364 Broadway on April 18.
George Maxwell, of Boosey & Co., sailed on
the Lucania on Wednesday morning on a hur-
ried tour, which will embrace London, Paris,
Vienna, Berlin and Milan. To our "Man on the
Street," who accompanied him to the boat, Mr.
Maxwell said that his journey was undertaken
more for private reasons than with any business
intent. Mr. Maxwell will return to New York
toward the end of May.
On the 18th of this month Francis, Day &
Hunter, the well-known music publishers, will
move from their present address, 15 West 30th
street, to their new premises, 1364 Broadway,
which are now being fitted up to suit their re-
quirements. Other rumors of removal from well-
R. H. Brennan, song writer and publisher,
pleaded guilly in the United States Circuit Court,
Monday, of promoting a scheme to defraud song
writers by circulars promising extravagant royal-
ties. Upon promise of discontinuance he was
fined $250, which was promptly paid.
FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER