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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
48
CONDUCTED BY B. B. WILSON
MUSIC DEALERS DISCUSS THE RAISING OF RETAIL PRICES
Closing Session of Annual Convention of the National Association of Sheet Music Dealers De-
voted to Discussion of Important Popular Music Problems Confronting the Trade
The publishers of popular music and the legitimate sheet music dealers and the popular
members of the National Association of Sheet publisher much closer, as far as business rela-
Music Dealers got together at the final session tions are concerned, than has been the case since
of the convention on Thursday afternoon of the entry of the large syndicate stores into the
last week for the purpose of discussing the music field. Numerous houses that have fea-
question of increasing the retail selling price of tured popular numbers in the past have added
popular music and other problems.
high-class departments to their organizations,
The increases in the price of paper, inks and and this, together with the fact that publishers
other materials has brought the popular pub- having interpolated numbers in productions
lishers to the realization that the publishing and have seized the opportunity of having the sheet
popularizing of 10-cent music is now being car- music stores distribute them, has added to the
ried on with very meager profits to the pub- business intercourse of the two interests.
lishers, and in some instances at a loss. The
It has been suggested that the publishers place
dealers from the consensus of opinion expressed some of the songs that are now considered pop-
at the meeting would welcome the rise in price ular into a new semi-high class series and have
of the popular numbers and will work in co- the selling price plainly marked at 15 cents.
operation in making any rise in price to the The wholesale price of the numbers would be
public on these numbers a success.
Among those who addressed the gathering
ROYALTIES HURT THE MUSICIANS
were President Homeyer, Secretary Heffel-
finger and W. H. Gamble, of the dealers' or- Demands of American Society of Authors, Com-
posers and Publishers Serve to Throw Many
ganization, as well as Isador Witmark and Ed-
Musicians Out of Work, Is the Claim
gar F. Bitner as representatives of the pub-
lishers. The question of the sheet music deal-
It appears that, although the American Society
ers being given more recognition as distrib-
utors of band and orchestra works of the pop- of Authors, Composers and Publishers has been
ular publishers was also considered, and it was more or less successful in collecting royalties
decided, at the suggestion of a prominent local for the performing rights of music since the re-
publisher, that a committee be appointed, con- cent Supreme Court decision, such success has
sisting of three publishers and three dealers to been to some extent at the expense of the mu-
go further into the questions, as it would prob- sicians. Restaurant proprietors and others have
ably take a series of meetings or conferences cut down the size of their orchestras or re-
placed them entirely with mechanical instruments
before a final settlement could be reached.
in order to reduce the amount of royalty to be
The dealers' committee as appointed is com- paid. The result has been that several hundred
posed of H. G. Ege, W. H. Gamble and Maurice musicians have been thrown out of employment
Richmond, and the publishers' committee will in the East alone, and the matter came up for a
probably be composed of representatives from hot discussion at the recent convention of the
several of the popular music publishing houses.
American Federation of Musicians. It is stated
There is very little doubt but some good will that the organized musicians contemplate some
be accomplished by the getting together of the action to offset the society's work.
popular publishers and dealers. The develop-
ments during the past year have brought the
KENDIS BROCKMAN INCORPORATED
The Kendis Brockman Music Co., Inc., was
issued a certificate of incorporation last week
for the purpose of engaging in the sheet music
publishing business. The incorporators are J.
Kendis, J. Brockman and E. H. Baker, of 145
West Forty-fifth street, and the capitalization
is $50,000.
" I AIN'T GOT NOBODY MUCH"
AND NOBODY CARES FOR ME
"WHEN SHADOWS FALL"
"PARADISE BLUES"
O PRETTY PAPA1 PRETTY PAPA!
"MY FOX TROT GIRL"
"DOWN THE SUNSET TRAIL TO
AVALON"
WONDERFUL NEW BALLAD
"Just You"
H A 1,000,000 Copy Song Hit
I'LL TRAVEL ON TO YOU
ORDER
TODAY
"DARLIN'"
"IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN
DREAMLAND"
SPECIAL
YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE
"ON THE ROCKIN' ROSALEE"
"THE HOUR OF MEMORY"
7
HUMORESKE VOCAL
"SING ME THE ROSARY"
"TAMBOURINES AND ORANGES"
FOX TROT
"MOONLIGHT BLUES WALTZ"
"PUSSYFOOT"
FOX TROT
"MARY PICKFORD WALTZES"
Cents
|L
^.^PsP^
Per Copy
Fine Art Title Page in many colors on
pebbled paper. Regular 30c number.
A. J. STASNY MUSIC CO.
56 WEST 45th STREET,
NEW YORK
10 cents, and the songs would be those that had
the best sale in the individual publisher's cat-
alog, numbers that have received much pub-
licity and really have been successful. The ex-
clusive 10-cent stores, which, by the way, are
almost all confined at the present time to one
or two syndicates, would still be catered to at
the old price of 6 x /i and 7 cents with the num-
bers in the various catalogs that have not had
so much publicity.
Of course the success of this plan or sugges-
tion, if it is carried out, will remain almost en-
tirely with the dealers. If the dealers push the
numbers, give them prominent space and, when
they deserve it, window displays, etc., most of
this class of business will be handled by them
and will stay with them. The getting together
of the popular publishers and the conferences
that will be held in the future are at least
promising even if success along this line is not
obtained at once.
COOPERATES WITH THE DEALERS
Chas. K. Harris Announces That Wholesale
Price of Dance Orchestrations Is Fixed at 15c
Chas. K. Harris is sending out announcements
to the sheet music trade that the Harris dance
orchestrations are and have been for some time
sold at the wholesale rate of 15 cents, and
are to be sold to the public at 25 cents. The
above prices also apply to small band arrange-
ments. All orchestra clubs have been discon-
tinued, and every effort to co-operate with the
dealers will be made. Catalogs of the works
under the above heading will be mailed on re-
quest.
STASNY NUMBER IN DEMAND
A. J. Stasny, of the A. J. Stasny Music Co.,
reports the sale of "Just You," from the com-
pany's popular catalog, as being very heavy in
the districts visited on his Western trip which
he is now making. The Stasny high-class cata-
log also is having a very fine demand, which is
very pleasing to the Stasny sales staff in what
is supposed to be a none too busy season.
HERBERT I. AVERV^A PROUD DADDY
Herbert I. Avery, general manager of Al
Piantadosi, Inc., recently became the proud
father of a baby girl. Mr. Avery is giving
serious attention to the advisability of training
the youngster as a Red Cross nurse.
'JEROME H.REMICK&Cp:s'
Sensational Son£ Hits
"FOR YOU A ROSE"
••IT'S TIME FOR EVERY BOY TO BE A
SOLDIER"
"SINBAD WAS IN BAD"
"SOMEWHERE ON BROADWAY"
"IF YOU EVER GET LONELY"
"SHE'S DIXIE ALL THE TIME"
"WHERE THE BLACK EYED SUSANS
GROW"
"ALONG THE WAY TO WAIKIKI"
"THERE'S EGYPT IN YOUR DREAMY
EYES"
"I CAN HEAR THE UKULELES CALLING
ME"
••THE BOMBA SHAY"
"AIN'T YOU COMING BACK TO
DIXIELAND"
•THE SWEETEST GIRL IN TENNESSEE"
"YOU'RE A GREAT BIG LONESOME
BABY"
INSTRUMENTAL
POZZO-FOX-TROT
WHISPERING HEARTS—WALTZ
TIDDLE-DE- WINKS—FOX-TROT
SANS TOI—WALTZ
JEROME H. REMICK & CO.