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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
52
Conducted by B. B. Wilson
SCARCITY OF COLORED INKS.
Cutting Off of Dye Supplies from Germany
Makes Embarrassing Problem for Music
Printers—Great Advance in Prices.
Publishers of music have for the most part held
the belief that the chief effect of the European war
on their business lay in the depression existing in
certain lines of industry, due to the suspension of
export trade, and which naturally resulted in a de-
creased ability to buy music or other goods that
might be classed as luxuries. As a matter of fact,
however, the war situation hits, or will hit, the
publisher's pocketbook much more directly if the
present shortage of coloring materials continues
to exist.
In the first place, the title pages of popular music
have reached a point where they are really riots
in color, as many as six different tints being used
frequently to get certain artistic effects, and gen-
erally provision is made for carrying the colors
over to the back for the purpose of advertising
certain other of the publisher's prints. All this
takes colored inks and plenty of them, and colored
inks have become scarce and costly. In speaking
of the present situation William Teller, of Robert
Teller Sons & Dorner, the prominent music print-
ers, said to The Review representative: "It will
not be long before the publishers, chiefly of popular
music, who demand several colors on their title
pages, will be faced with the necessity of paying
considerably more for that color work. The shut-
ting off of the supply of dyes from Germany is
being acutely felt, not only in scarcity of colored
inks but in the prices charged for those obtainable.
The prices of colored inks have practically doubled
during the past few months and the ink manufac-
turers and dealers tell us that the end is not yet.
The higher prices are bad enough, but the question
of supply is even more serious. Only recently 1
ordered 100 pounds of a certain ink, a compara-
tively small order for us, and the supply house sent
only 50 pounds of the ink, with the statement that
they were supplying only their regular customers
and that they had cut down on our order in the be-
lief that we might be supplying someone else.
"At present there is no relief in sight, particu-
larly in the case of blue, red and certain other
colors in inks. There is talk of making dyes in
this country, but nothing real has been accom-
plished yet in the primary production of dyes, let
alone their manufacture in commercial quantities.
Unless there is some change in the situation soon,
the plain black and white title page will again be-
come popular of necessity."
FEATURING TWO BIG NUMBERS.
Leo Feist, Inc., is carrying into the new year
the strong campaign inaugurated in the interests of
"M-O-T-H-E-R" and "Don't Bite the Hand That's
Feeding You," two numbers that have already
demonstrated their hit qualities. The daily sales
records of "M-O-T-H-E-R" recently have had
much the appearance of the figures of the Presi-
dential vote by States, and the end is not yet
THE SMASHING
citals have not much initiative in looking for new
music on their own account. They take up Debussy
and Ravel because they have heard Harold Bauer
or Leonard Borwick play them; in fact, the chief
THAT Julia Sanderson, who is considered one of practical use of piano recitals is to give object les-
the most beautiful women of the stage, need never sons to amateur pianists, and without an object
lesson the amateur rarely feels able to tackle any
get jealous of the title page design of the score of
"Sybil," the new musical comedy in which she is music which offers individual problems of inter-
pretation."
one of the stars
THAT in contrast to the portrait of Miss Sander-
FRAUD ORDER ISSUED.
sonappearing at the top of the title there is shown
in the poster design the face of a female who
Post Office Officials Take Action Against the
would have a hard time being classed as even
Marks-Goldsmith Co., Washington, D. C.
"plain."
THAT in connection with some recent court pro-
(Special to The Review.)
ceedings we again have the report of the large
WASHINGTON, D. C., January 3.—The Marks-
yearly incomes being made by some of the leading
Goldsmith Co., which operated as publisher of
writers of popular songs.
music in this city and advertised widely for per-
THAT the report should serve to develop some, sons to submit song poems for publication, was
new business for those concerns which still persist barred from the mails last week by order of Post-
in publishing poems for the aspiring amateurs who master General Burleson. It is claimed by the
see fortune in their grasp.
Post-Office authorities that from May, 1913, to
THAT the Regent Music Publishing Co., Lake September, 1915, the company obtained $72,197.47
Charles, La., is meeting with considerable success from the public for the publication of song poems
with its several publications.
and paid out in royalties, exclusive of stamps, only
THAT if the plans of several prominent publish- $330.41. Harry B. Goldsmith, president and secre-
ers work out as expected there will be some lively tary of the company, and Merton M. Marks, vice-
popular song publicity to be looked for during the president and treasurer, were named in the fraud
coming months.
order. It is stated that a revised plan for doing
THAT the "father song," once started, appears to business has been turned down by the Post-Office
be gaining recruits with a rapidity which surprises. people.
M REVIEW AEAR5
COMPOSERSjVND PIANISTS.
DEATH OF IRA D. SANKEY.
An Interesting Discussion by Composers as to
the Most Profitable Means of Making Money Head of Bigelow & Main and Son of Noted
Evangelist Passes Away at Sea.
in Their Sphere of Activity.
A recent issue of the London Times contains a
discussion on the difficulties of composers, part of
which follows:
"At a recent conference in which a number of
composers took part the eternal question of how
to get published music of the kind in which the
publisher sees 'no money' came up for discussion.
Frederic Corder offered the suggestion that com-
posers should turn their attention more to the pi-
ano and less to the orchestra, because there was a
greater demand for such music.
"Of course if one makes a reckoning of the
number of capable pianists in the country and
compares it with the number of capable orchestras,
the odds in favor of piano music getting sold and
played seem overwhelmingly great. On the other
hand, were one to compare the programs of re-
citals by popular pianists with those of popular
orchestral concerts, such as the Queen's Hall
Promenades, it might appear that while there is a
certain limited demand for new orchestral music
there is none at all for new piano music.
"Orchestral conductors do take the trouble and
incur the expense of band rehearsals necessary to
give new works at least one hearing, though they
are generally played from manuscript; pianists
until this year have very rarely taken the trouble
-to memorize a new piece by a British composer in
order to play it in public. Moreover, the large
number of amateur pianists who do not give re-
MUSICAL SUCCESS
CHARLES FROHTVf AN Presents!
"SYBIL
Music by Victor Jacob!
FEATURING
JOS. CAWTHORN, JULIA SANDERSON AND DONALD BRIAN
Ira D. Sankey, son of the late Ira D. Sankey,
noted hymn writer and evangelist and head of the
music publishing house of Bigelow & Main, New
York, died at sea on the steamship "Korona" while
en route to South America. Mr. Sankey, who was
fifty-four years old, had recently married Mrs.
Anna Underbill Meighan, of New Rochelle, and
the ocean trip was in the nature of a honeymoon
and made, it is said, against the advice of physi-
cians, as Mr. Sankey was very ill.
A GOOD RULE_FOR 1916.
The Sam Fox Publishing Co., Cleveland, O., has
sent out to its many friends in the trade a useful
reminder for the year 1916 in the form of a desk
rule, bearing on its front the usual measurements
and on the reverse side a handy monthly calendar
for both 1916 and 1917. The rule is in white, with
the printed matter in green and red, and there ap-
pears on the front the timely hint, "If you measure
your profits you will make it a rule to push 'Sam
Fox publications.' "
PUBLISH NEW_BALLAD NUMBER.
Church, Paxson & Co., New York, have just
published an attractive new ballad by Thurland
Chattaway and bearing the title "I Can't Forget."
The number, in addition to its musical worth, bears
a title page that is both original and artistic.
OK THE
SEASON
The Songs in the Order of Their Popularity
WHEN CUPID CALLS (The Rat-tat-tat Song)
60
LOVE MAY BE A MYSTERY (The Waltz Song) . . . .60
I Like the Boys .
Lift Your Eyes to Mine
The Colonel of the Crimson Hussars
Girls, You Are Such Wonderful Things
Letter Duet
60
60
60
60
60
PUBLISHED BY
CHAPPELL & CO., Ltd.
NEW YORK