Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
46
make no apology for producing in full, feeling that
it can be read and re-read by the local publish-
ing fraternity with considerable benefit. It reads:
"Dear Mr. Publisher:—Well! Well! I Well!!!
So the publishers are waking up. Just think of
all the dollars—real money—you have thrown
away in the past, and it's tough, isn't it? But
don't let us cry over milk that is spilled—let us
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
keep the screws down and live up to the new
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
resolutions. Some of the slide makers have told
us how several publishers are fast coming to
J . HAYDEN-CLARENDON, E d i t o r
that 10-cents-a-copy proposition from them and
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
the rental companies. It took a little time to
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and
wake up, but we did, and although there is not
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50; all other coun-
a great deal in it for us, nothing more perhaps
trles, $4.00.
than just a desire to better the conditions of a
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 Gramercy
Connecting all Departments
business that should be legitimate (and would
be, if we stood together) instead of which it is
NEW YORK, MAY 2, 1908
considered the prey of all the petty grafters in
the country. Are you getting wise to the big
printers' bills for throw-aways, chorus slips, let-
terheads, etc., that don't do you or your songs a
cent's worth of good? Are you wise to the
'amateur minstrel' gag? Your mail is full of
those programs every day, isn't it? How you do
shovel out the copies by mail (and pay the post-
A Study in Handwriting.
age) to all the amateurs, don't you? It is great
An echo of the professional copy abuse came
That abuses, like water, will eventually find
to see the firm's name on the nicely printed pro-
their own level is demonstrated by the fact that to hand this week when Theo. Morse, the well-
grams given for the benefit of 'The United Sew-
of late a system of petty graft which has thrived known composer, and incidentally the head of
ing Circle' and 'The Improved Order of Bar-
for the last twelve months or more in this "nar- the professional department of the F. B. Hav-
tenders,' and how we do swell up and say 'our
row strip of land," New York, narrow in more iland Co., showed the writer two letters in iden-
stuff is hitting them hard,' but do we realize
ways than one, be it said, has now become but tically the same handwriting written from 730
that the amateurs only sing what they know"
a bad memory, for the very excellent reason that East Main street, Stockton, Cal., one signed B.
That one show, perhaps, is given in a year, an-1
the grafter has pumped the well dry and must Miles, of Keller's "Virginia Belles"; the other,
for that program they get free music enough to
now seek other means to replenish his depleted Al Brown, who wrote as the ostensible head of a
stock a store.. Think it over. Think how you
income. Of the many impudent ways which have singing quartet. Mr. Morse sent a few selected
are piling the professional copies on all the
been devised to rob the publishing fraternity, professional copjes on receipt of the first letter,
pianos throughout the country, in the small
none was more barefaced than that adopted by as a program was duly enclosed, but very quickly
towns, in the big cities, and every copy ruins .
a young gentleman who claimed to have the "fell" to the second letter when it was decided
the sale of a regular copy.
authority to choose the interpolated music for that the writing was identical. Fortunately the
the musical productions of a New York theat- majority of the publishers having now awakened
Watch the Leak at Home.
rical manager. His mode of procedure was to to the fact that they have been giving away too
How about the piano players and clerks in the
invite a publisher to play over his latest unpub- much—giving everything that is—save attention firms' oflices rolling up a bunch of stuff for all
lished songs, one of which he would invariably to the abuses which they should be capable of
their friends and their frielids' friends, and so on
choose as being "the very thing he required." correcting by united effort, and which never will indefinitely. You, Mr. Publisher, watch the cash
Of course, he would make promises that the song be corrected so long as the music publishing in- drawer, don't you? Why not watch this leak,
would be produced in elaborate style, and before dustry resembles a well generaled and highly vi- then? And, by the way, the season will shortly
taking his leave would invariably suggest that tuperous cat fight.
open in full blast for the poor, starving burlesque
a small sum—say $25—would go some way to
and musical comedy manager, who will want a
Read This Letter—It's Worth It.
repay him for the amount of time and trouble
Apropos of the above, we have received from special drop, dresses for the girls, and 'props'
which he intended to expend on the song in ques- the anonymous music publisher who has done for the show to 'do' your song. He will 'do' it,
tion. And strangely enough, the publisher would such magnificent work in correcting the profes- too, perhaps for two or three weeks, and then he
pay the money without so much as a murmur. sional copy abuse, the following letter, which we will put on somebody else's number with your
May Be, May Be Not.
May be the song was placed in a production—
for a week or more. Again, may be it was not.
In any case the same old game would be repeated
With astonishing regularity, and most of the
leading publishers in turn would receive a visit
from this ingenious young grafter, who to-day is no
doubt trying to figure out some new scheme to vic-
timize the easy-going publisher. A glance at the
books of some well-known publishers would no
doubt show a debit in their accounts, of various
sums paid to this young gentleman.
But his
days of easily procured though doubtfully earned
money are now over, and this in spite of the fact
that the young blackmailer of late adopted the
whining tactics "that he was in debt or that he
was in immediate danger of being arrested on
an unsatisfied judgment," or some other such
plea. But now the publishers heed him not. It was
the old cry of "wolf," and it is very likely that if
the tale of arrest were sprung on them to-day
they would lend every assistance to the authori-
ties in a very laudable desire to put behind prison
bars a young gentleman who should have been
there long ago.
COMMENTS B Y -
C
M«KINLEYIO MUSIC
NOTICE OF REMOVAL
"THE MOST POPULAR
PIANO DANCE FOLIO"
HAVE REMOVED TO
One of the Best Folios in Our Series and the Only
Actually Complete Dance Folio Published.
1364 Broadway, NEW YORK
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Write for descriplive circular and prices.
D
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To the Dealer
If You Have Not Yet Got
OUR
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You are Losing Money
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THIEBES-ST1ERUN MUSIC CO., HI . Louis
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Write To-Day for Simples and Special Offer
McKINLEY MUSIC CO. WM. McKINLEY, Pris.
158 Harrison St., Chicago
74 5th Ave., N. Y.
DEALERS WILL FIND OUR LATEST
PUBLICATION
Francis, Day & Hunter
THE TRADE WILL PLEASE NOTICE
Costs You 3 Cents
TEDDY
DEARS'
PICNIC
HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE
31-33-35 W. IStb St.
NEW YORK CITY
OUR NEW ISSUE PROPOSITION
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Bill our Monthly New Issues at 5 cents per
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Subscribe now. The folio
lowing are
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By JOHN W. BRATTON
Without a doubt the greatest
charaeteristiqtxe Two - Step Hit
since "THE MOS^UITOKS'
PARADE."
MR. DKALKR —
It may not have reached your
vicinity as yet, but it won't take
long- before it arrives. Be pre-
pared; stock lip. You're sure
to have calls for it.
M. WITMARK ® SONS
144 West 37th Street,
New York