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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
52
CONDUCTED^, BY B. B. WILSON
PAPER PRICES AND MUSIC.
Problem of the Popular Publisher Faced in a
More Serious Degree by the Publishers of the
Ten-Cent Editions—Must Either Use Lower
Grade Paper or Raise Prices of Music.
With the price of paper jumping 100% in
three weeks, and stirring up the music trade so
that one publisher finds expedient the elimina-
tion of the middle sheet from popular sheet
music, it looks as though something might drop
somewhere in regard to the many-paged, ten-
cent editions of music by such as the Century
and McKinley editions. Good quality paper is
becoming almost a luxury, and the music trade
suffers particularly because there are very few
concerns manufacturing the right size in the
required stock; and unless approximately the
right size can be obtained, of course the wast-
age in cutting would occasion too great an ad-
ditional expense at this time.
Kvcry branch of business using paper of any
kind is running up against more or less the
same problem. The Government is sending out
thousands of warning leaflets which state the
serious nature of the shortage and urge the
saving of rags and old paper; but on top of the
general shortage may be added, against the
music publisher's account, the paper manufac-
turer's difficulty in obtaining certain chemicals
necessary fur making papers. These chemicals have
been drawn almost entirely from overseas, and
the supply is now practically shut off. Since
there seems no present possibility of any other
available supply, prices appear certain to go still
higher, with a very uncertain limit and the pos-
sibility that before another year high-grade pa
per may be an impossibility.
Hence the inevitable predicament, among
others, of the music publisher who has been
getting about three cents per copy wholesale on
many-paged editions of semi-classics. Nor can
this publisher avail himself of the expedient
mentioned above—printing more closely to save
paper—for most of his numbers arc popular
selections of some standing in point of time,
llu' plates tor which would have to be remade,
The "Best" Is Always the "Cheap-
est"—Still 200 Per Cent Profit!
Do you belong to the big army of
Satisfied Dealers that handles so
profitably the
Famous
McKinley
10 Cent
Music
All of the Best Reprints and more
Big Selling Copyrights than any
other 10 Cent Edition.
Better Music, Better Paper, Better Titles
But No Increase in Price
Free catalogues with stock orders. We pay
for your advertising. Our music is as staple
as wheat.
Write for samples.
Chicago McKlNLEY MUSIC CO. New York
NAT'AN
The biggest song hit
18c in small orders
15c in orders for 100 or over
KENDIS. 145 West 45 Street. New York City
at an expense greater than the increase in the
paper price. To the outsider, therefore, it looks
as if these publishers would be obliged to print
their special-priced editions on a slightly lower
grade of paper, or raise the price. Whichever
they do, they will be following right along be-
hind a thousand other manufacturers in this
broad but not quite self-supporting laud.
AN INTERESTING ^ALES RECORD.
Only One Copy of Popular Music in Total of
$110 of Music Sold, Declares J. W. Wernett.
John W. Wernett, manager of the sheet music
department of Keboch & Meyers, music house,
Allentown, Pa., writes as follows to The Review
regarding the class of music in demand in that
city. Mr. Wernett says, under date of March 25:
"A peculiar thing happened this evening that
is one of extraordinary merit we think. Out
of the $110 worth of sheet music that was sold
all day to-day, we have the remarkable record of
selling only one (1) copy of popular sheet music.
All the rest was high class and operatic. Don't
you think that is remarkable? The popular song
that was sold was 'Hello, Boys,' Von Tilzer's
back fire number to 'Goodbye, Boys.'
"We really believe that we are the instigators
of good music in this section. Why don't the
average dealer cater more to the better kind of
music. Jt is so much nicer to sell music of the
better kind. Although, understand, we also sell
quite some popular music also, but really our
Mr. Wernett has worked up such a class of
trade that nearly every patron has been trained
to be a critic and, therefore, chooses the better
kind. Sam Fox's 'One Fleeting Hour' sells
tremendously."
FEIST NEW=F0RM MUSIC ISSUED.
"Mother" the First Song to Be Printed in New
Form—Others to Follow Shortlyi.
As an initial edition of the new-form music,
in which the loose middle sheet is eliminated, Leo
Feist, Inc., present a further reprinting of the
popular ballad "Mother," by Howard Johnson
and Theodore Morse. This song in the single-
sheet form will go out to dealers this week, and
"Wake Up, America" and other numbers will fol-
low it. This elimination of the extra sheet looks
good all round, particularly in view of the
present scarcity of paper and the excessive
freight charges, which latter are seriously ef-
fected by the difference of a one more sheet in
each copy of the considerable shipments to deal-
ers. The public's reception of the new form will
be interesting to observe. So far as the pub-
lisher's end goes, a conservative estimate shows
that if this form had been used on the editions
of "Mother" already printed, with extra sheets,
between $1,500 and $1,800 would have been saved.
ENTERPRISE CLOSES CHICAGO HOUSE.
Good-Will of Business in That City Goes to
F. J. A. Forster Co.—Stock Destroyed by Fire.
Manager Maurice Richmond of the Enterprise
Music Supply Co. returned Thursday last from a
five weeks' trip in the West. He reached Chi-
cago just after the disastrous fire which prac-
tically destroyed the Enterprise offices in that
city, and after surveying the ruins decided to sell
out the Chicago interests. Accordingly, the
good-will of the company went to the F. J.
A. Forster Music Co. Along with the good-will
went Manager Fuchs. who will act as road repre-
sentative for the Forster Co.
The Enterprise business will be managed here-
after entirely from the New York headquarters
LEO EDWARDS AT HIPPODROME.
At the big Hippodrome concert on Sunday
evening, March 26, Leo Edwards appeared with
six prima donnas who have been singing his
songs, and received an ovation in the "Pierre
and Pierrette" number which Mr. Edwards is
introducing as a dance attraction to succeed his
"Isle d'Amour." The singers included Ruth
Thompson, called the youngest prima donna
now singing. She is sixteen. Sousa's band ac-
companied the number.
GUS KAHN IN NEW YORK.
(JUS Kahn, composer of the Uiniiik successes
"Memories" and "My Dreamy China Lady," is
on from Chicago, visiting the house which is
pushing his songs so effectively. "The Kanga-
roo Hop," by Mel Morris, another Rcmick num-
ber, is proving very popular both in the general
trade and as a band and orchestra number.
JEROME H.REf»Ofei
Serxsatiorval Sorvg Hits
"UNDERNEATH THE STARS" (Song)
"MOLLY DEAR, IT'S YOU I'M AFTER"
"YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THE SAME SWEET
BABY TO M E "
"THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME" (Song)
"MEMORIES"
"SOONER OR LATER"
"LOADING UP THE MANDY LEE"
"IZZY, GET BUSY"
IN AN OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN IN VIRGINIA'
"SAIL ON TO CEYLON"
"IN THE VALLEY OF THE NILE'
INSTRUMENTAL
MORRIS SONG BIG SELLER.
Dealers report that one of the best sellers on
their present lists is "When It's Orange-Blossom
Time in Loveland," published by the Joe Morris
Music Co.
FOX TROTS
WALTZES
"UNDERNEATH THE STARS"
"THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE M E '
"KANGAROOJOP"
"GERALDINE"
"TINKLE BELL"
'.ROSEMARY "