Music Trade Review

Issue: 1908 Vol. 46 N. 21

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE! MUSIC
TftADE
writer that many of the coming summer song
"hits" are not only sentimental, but utterly and
hopelessly sad.
The Review's Little Joke.
It is now some weeks back since the writer
first tested the efficacy of the letters which have
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor been sent fr,om time to time to the publishing
fraternity by the anonymous music publisher
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
who has been quoted freely in these columns.
Procuring a number of cards printed "Nemo &
J . HAYDEN-CLARENDON, E d i t o r
Rien, Slide Operators and Ballad Singers," the
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue. New York
writer took the opportunity of sending a mes-
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage). United States and
senger
totally unacquainted with the publishing
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50 ; all other coun-
fraternity, to the leading publishing houses of
tiies. $4.no.
New York for the purpose of finding out whether
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 Gramercy
Connecting all Departments
or not the publishers were really distributing
"professional" copies indiscriminately. A canvass
NEW YORK, MAY 2 3 , 1 9 0 8
of a little over six hours netted some 215 "pro-
fessional" copies, only three publishers in twenty-
two visited refusing to give all and every song
that happened to be on their shelves. The same
scheme was tried by the writer some few days
back, when another representative with cards
printed "Singer & Gervis," attained results
which, from the writer's point of view, were both
With the opening of the summer season the 'astonishing and gratifying. Not only was the
"summer song" becomes a reality. Indeed, how- messenger catechized severely on all sides, but
ever bad time3 may be, the Munyon doctrine, a day's hard work netted but twenty-three songs,
"there is hope," springs eternal in the pub- and these all ballads—the style of song which he
lisher's breast, when the printer turns out the was instructed to ask for, should any awkward
first batch of "Trolley" and "Molly," and "Air- questions be asked. For the benefit of the pub-
ship" and other ditties, all redolent of some form lishers who may doubt the excellent work done
or other of the approaching holiday. This year, by their anonymous confrere we publish the
however, the "summer song" seems to have above. It may be said that the writer took the
taken a sentimental turn, which, from the pub- opportunity of returning the first batch of "pro-
lisher's point of view, is not unnatural when fessional" copies to their several publishers with
the existing trade conditions are taken into con- a friendly warning to look closer into the leak-
sideration. Charles K. Harris has "I'm Starving age in their professional department.
for One Sight of You"; Jerome H. Remick,
"There Never Was a Girl Like You"; Maurice
T. B. Harms Gives a Right Arm Jolt.
Shapiro, "Honor Bright, I Loves You Right Old
Whatever may have been said regarding the
Pal," while Witmark has "Just Some One" apathy of the publishing fraternity on the "pro-
to top their numerous summer sellers. Of fessional" copy abuse no charge of this descrip-
course, the lighter class of ditty is well repre- tion can be made against Max Dreyfus, head of
sented as in Harry Von Tilzer's "Summertime," the house of T. B. Harms & Co. Only last week
Cohan, Jerome & Schwartz's "Ball Game" song, the representative of a prominent vaudeville p;o-
Fred Fischer's "Under the Matzos Tree," Gus ducer called upon Mr. Dreyfus and asked for—it
Edward's "I Met Her at the Metropole," and Dick would be more correct to say demanded—"a
Temple's latest tuneful number, "Coney Isle" bunch of professional copies." "What kind of
(Francis Day & Hunter). But withal it seems song do you require?" asked Mr. Dreyfus. "All
as though the sentimental song were going to you've got," replied the visitor shortly. The
have its innings this year. Indeed, a visit to writer, who had the pleasure of hearing Mr.
Coney Island on Saturday last convinced the Dreyfus' reply, charitably draws the veil over
COMMENTS B Y - „
c
the severe jolt administered; but one thing is
certain, if ever this gentleman again demands in
the office of a reputable publisher, "a bunch of
professionals" he possesses a hide so thick that
the epidermis of an elephant would look like a
baby's kid glove by comparison.
The " W o r l d " Goes on Just the Same.
Not content with thrusting a special music
supplement upon a long-suffering public, contain-
ing among other misinformation a list of songs
with their estimated sales—estimates, by the
way, which were either compiled by the publish-
er's press agents or the Park Row bootblack—the
New York World lately printed an editorial,
headed "The Song Writer's Reward," which is
commented upon, for the reason that gush of
this description, in which the profits of song
writers are made to appear ridiculously large, is
in no small measure responsible for the succes^
of the numerous bogus music publishing con-
cerns which have flourished during the past few
years. The uninitiated imagine that there is
big money in song writing, but as a matter of
fact "big money" has been won by few com-
posers. Great successes are rare. It is, of
course, a fact that "After the Ball" did make a
fortune for Charles K. Harris, for the excellent
reason that he not only wrote and composed the
song, but also published it himself at a time
when sheet music was a salable commodity and
not regarded as so much spoiled paper. There
are, of course, other instances on record where
songs made a good deal of money, but, taken all in
all, the song writer of to-day works largely for
the glory of seeing his name neatly printed upon
a more or le^s glaring title page. In the first
place the royalties upon popular songs in this
cut-rate era rarely amount to more than 1%
cents per copy, which, of course, is divided
equally between author and composer. More-
over, the song which reaches the sale of a hun-
dred thousand copies is a rara avis, all blunder-
ing statements to the contrary notwithstanding.
With facts so easily procurable it seems a pity
that arrant, nonsense should be printed by repu-
table newspapers, which should at least make
some effort to get even a smattering of truth.
The Big Stick.
News comes from Chicago that Victor Kremer
is endeavoring to organize a "Retail Music Deal-
ers' Association of the United States." This
seems to be a step toward the solution of
M'KINLtYIO MUSIC
NOTICE OF REMOVAL
Francis, Day 6 Hunter
DEALERS WILL FIND OUR LATEST
PUBLICATION
"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
t y We Have Interesting Introductory Rates.
Write for descriplive circular and prices.
THE TRADE WILL PLEASE NOTICE
Costs You 3 Cents
Writs To-Day for Samples and Special Offer
McKINLEY MUSIC CO. WM. McKINLEY, Pres.
158 Harrison St., Chicago
74 5th Ave., N. Y.
6he
TEDDY
BEARS*
PICNIC
HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE
31-33-35 W. 15Ih St.
NEW YORK CITY
By JOHN W. BRAT TON
D
O
I
T
N
O
W
To the Dealer
D
If You Have Not Yet Got
o
C UR
i
19O8
NOVELTIES
T
N
O
You are Losing Money w
It »111 pay you to kerp In touch with us. Write o-ilay.
THIEBES-STIERLIN MUSIC CO., St. Louis
OUR NEW ISSUE PROPOSITION
is of great interest to every live Dealer. We
Bill our Monthly New Issues at 5 cents per
copy.
Subscribe now. The following are
some of our best sellers:
"MOONBEAMS AND DREAMS OF YOU"—"A LITTLE
COZY FLAT"—"MONTEREY"—"NIGHT AND DAY"
—"WHILE YOU ARE MINE"—"MORNING CY"
"FOREST KING" March.
Write us To-day
VICTOR KREMER CO.
152 Lake Street
CHICAGO
Without a doubt the greatest
characteristique Two-Step Hit
since " T H E MOSQUITOES'
PARADE."
MR. DEALER—
It may not have reached your
vicinity as yet, but it won't take
long before it arrives. Be pre-
pared; stock up. You're sure
to have calls for it.
M. WITMARK (Q. SONS
144 West 37th Street,
New York
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
TH
MUSIC
the problems which beset the publishing trade.
Unquestionably the retail dealer holds the key
to the situation in his hands, and an organiza-
tion such as Mr. Kremer suggests would go far
to prove to the publishing retailer that his only
salvation is to keep up rates and not slash them
to ridiculous figures. If Mr. Kremer can gather
around him some organization such as he sug-
gests, then, verily, "the big stick" would be
wielded from the retail end of the trade.
The Song Slide Question.
Says our entertaining little contemporary,
"Views and Films Index" in its issue of May 16:
"Music publishers of New York have banded
themselves together to stamp out the pernicious
abuse of the song slide courtesy and have deter-
mined to discontinue the practice of issuing song
slides free to singing artists. The loss of the
music publishers through the failure on the part
of unscrupulous artists to return their song
slide property has figured up into the thousands
and an expense item that they have determined
to do away with altogether. Fred Haviland is a
prime mover in this laudable undertaking and
has been assured of warm co-operation by the
other publishers."
You will eventually handle
"CENTURY EDITION"
lOe. SHEET MUSIC
Why not begin now
and get the profits
to-morrow instead of
w a i t i n g until the
"eventual time"comes?
Century Music Publishing Co.
No. 19 West 28th Street
NEW YORK
THE
TEACHER'S FAVORITE
U. 3.
PAX.
Orr.
LEO FEIST, Feist Building:, 134 W. 37th St., N. Y.
D.
K
E
R
N
'8
followers of art in other countries. For instance,
M. Marcel PrOvost, who denounces the present
system as "mere spoliation," calls the Minister's
attention to the case of a writer of fifty who
marries a girl of eighteen and dies next year.
THAT the first of the "Most Famous" Publish- "His widow runs a risk of being robbed of her
ing Co.'s albums will be ready this forthcoming inheritance just when old age (sixty-eight) in-
week.
capacitates her from earning a livelihood." If
THAT E. T. Pauill's offer of a $10 prize for the that remote risk is unjust, what must be said
most original title for his new march is bringing about the certain dangers overhanging the fami-
in a number of mott original suggestions.
lies of American men of letters? Indeed, com-
THAT Jerome H. Remick has opened a Chicago pared with the grounds of complaint existing
elsewhere, some of the French grievances ap-
office in the Masonic Temple in that city.
THAT in "The Teddy Bear's Picnic," by John pear a trifle fantastic. To illustrate the "flag-
W. Bratton, the Witmarks have another "Mos- rant unfairness" of their system the copyright
of Victor Hugo is contrasted with that of Guy
quitoes Parade."
de Maupassant. Dying at eighty-three Hugo en-
THAT Charles K. Harris is spending this week joyed sixty-five years of property in his lifetime,
in Milwaukee, "where the beer comes from."
or with the fifty years after death, one hundred
THAT W. T. Stewart, more familiarly known and fifteen years altogether. De Maupassant
as "Billy," is shortly to produce a new comic dying at forty, had only fifteen years of living
opera, entitled "The Golden Flute," by P. F. proprietorship and a total of sixty-five. "More-
Kobbc.
over, De Maupassant had already been cheated by
THAT Victor Kremer has just published his Providence in having a much shorter period of
first mandolin folio containing a number of his production." These spoiled children apparently
do not confine their grumbling to the law of
latest successes.
man.
THAT a phonograph record of a number of
M. Victor Margueritte, whose ideas it seems
howling wolves was lately played for a some-
what deaf old lady, who piously exclaimed: the Minister is likely to embody in his bill,
"That's the first time that I ever heard grand starts from the principle that literary property
should be permanent—as permanent at least as
opera on a phonograph."
THAT Guilio Gatti-Casazza, the new general any other form of property. But here the
manager of the Metropolitan Opera House, is ex- Socialist tendencies now prevailing in France
periencing some trouble in getting the public to intervene rather oddly. M. Margueritte recog-
nizes that the present Parliament is hostile to
pronounce his name.
rights of inheritance altogether. Indeed, a dep-
THAT Leo Feist's typewritten "ad." of thanks uty has already come forward with a Socialist
to the trade for receiving Abe Holzmann so roy- scheme by which the individual's copyright
ally is but another evidence of his advertising would run out as at present, but the State would
genius.
receive 10 per cent, on all subsequent sales. In-
THAT Julius Witmark was in Boston this week fluenced by these Socialistic demands, M. Mar-
looking over the local situation.
gueritte now abates his claims and is con-
THAT a well-known jrong writer who was re- tent to propose that the heirs, after the fifty
cently arrested for being connected in a bogus years from death have expired, should share the
music publishing house was heard to exclaim: profits of the copyright with the SociC'te des
"Honesty is the best policy. I have tried both Gens de Lettres, or with any other such body
to which the author has belonged, the society's
ways, so I ought to know."
THAT GUS Edwards has opened a music coun- share to be devoted to its pension fund. "At all
ter in Young & Graham's book store, 141 Fulton events the publishers would not then receive the
street, where he himself can be occasionally seen entire profits on works which they reprint to
the prejudice of living authors."
as an "added attraction."
Even in this respect—the competition of re-
THAT "Havana" Leslie Stuart's new comic
opera (Chappell & Co.) is an enormous success prints—it is doubtful if the French suffer as
much as American or English writers do. In
at the London Gaiety.
fact, their agitation might well be used to sup-
THAT Jerome H. Remick promises to make ply an argument a fortiori for the better pro-
Williams & Van Alstyne's hew song, "There tection of literary property in this country.
Never Was a Girl Like You," the next "hit."
THAT if Jerome says it is to be, it is to be, and
that ends the matter.
CONSERVATORY EDITION
Our "Man on the Street" Dissects Latest French
Ideas on Copyright.
EDITION
J
E
R
O
M
E
REVIEW
MAYBE. jVUYBE NOT.
GRADED
U.3 PAT OFK.
TRADE!
SVCCESSFVL SONGS
From "THE DAIRYMAIDS"
( W o r d s b y M . E . ROURKE)
"MARY McGEB." "I'D LIKE TO MEET YOUR
FATHER." "CHEER UP GIRLS," "I'VE A MILLION
REASONS WHY I LOVE YOU." "NEVER MARRY
A GIRL WITH COLD COLD FEET."
From "THE LITTLE CHERUB"
"MEET ME AT TWILIGHT," (Wards by F. Clillord
Harris), "UNDER THE LINDEN TREE." (Words
by M. E. Rourke).
From "THE MORALS OF MARCUS"
"EASTERN MOON." (Words by M. E. Rourke).
T 1 . D.
R n/tnllliJ
HARM'S \j\J.f
f f t "3M4JE
iroadway
NEW YORK
ROBERT TELLER SONS & DORNER
Music Engravers and Printers
SEND MANUSCRIPT AND IDEA OP TITLE
FOR ESTIMATE
I I I WEST IStk STIEET, NEW YOU CITY
France is a fond, doting mother to her artis-
tic children. Besides giving them a measure of
intelligent appreciation and of social esteem
which is carried the world over, she is generous
in protecting their property. With perhaps the
one exception of Japan, no country is more so.
In the United States copyright, both on musical
and literary composition, now runs for twenty-
eight years, with an extension of fourteen more
under certain conditions. In France it runs un-
conditionally throughout the author's life and
for fifty years after his death.
But French authors are idealists. They have
long been demanding copyright for a hundred
years after death, or even in perpetuity. Now It
seems that something of their demand may soon
be granted. M. Victor Margueritte, the president
of the SociC'te des Gens de Lettres, has been
conferring with M. Briand, the Minister of Pub-
lic Instruction, and he reports that the Minister
intends to lay a sympathetic bill before the
Chamber of Deputies.
To encourage M. Briand in this intention he
is being plied with arguments which may not
seem particularly impressive to the less favored
EVEN if you'd like to think so, there
are no other editions of
IQohler,
Heller and
Czerny
that are nearly so good as the jusi
published
Conservatory
Edition
of these standard works, and best of all,
they cost less than any other edition—
none nearly so good.
Conservatory Publication
Society
Cor. BROADWAY and 28th ST., NEW YORK
CONSERVATORY
EDITION

Download Page 42: PDF File | Image

Download Page 43 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.