Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 3, 1920
53
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
PAPER SHORTAGE IS SERIOUS
Just Watch It Grow !
Music Printers and Publishers Have Great Dif-
ficulty in Getting Sufficient Stock to Print Up
Music to Meet the Demand—Fewer New
Issues Suggested as a Possible Remedy
One of the problems that are serving to keep
the music publishers worried is that of securing
an adequate supply of paper to meet the un-
usually strong demand for copies of their music.
Not only do paper manufacturers appear to be
up against it in the matter of production, but the
tying up of pulp supplies as a result of heavy
snows in the Northern States and the em-
bargoes on freight shipments has made it im-
possible to get to the printers even the paper
that has already been made up at the mills.
To add to the troubles one publisher had to
destroy about ten reams of much-needed paper
after delivery because it was found too "green"
for printing purposes.
The paper shortage is not confined to the
special stock used in music printing, but af-
fects all kinds of publishers and printers, and
even daily newspapers, who on occasions re-
cently have been forced to curtail their edi-
tions and in one or two instances miss issues
because of paper scarcity.
One publisher offers as a solution the drastic
paring of new issues. He declares that instead
of issuing long monthly lists of new numbers
publishers should select a half-dozen or so of
the best numbers and concentrate on them. In
this way they would be saved the very sub-
stantial amount of paper otherwise stored away
on shelves in printed form, waiting for orders,
thus making this same paper available for use in
printing extra additions of selections for which
the demand is strong. Certain it is that the
paper situation will not be relieved for a long
time to come, and it is well just now to study
ways and 1 means for effecting economy in the
use of stocks.
NEW NUMBER^ BY FAVOR
Edward P. Favor, the composer of "Thespian
Waltzes," which were quite popular a few sea-
sons ago, and a writer of many songs, has just
placed three songs and two instrumental num-
bers with the Dennis B. Owens, Jr., Co., Inc.,
Kansas City, Mo.
MUSIC PUBLISHERS TO MEET
The regular quarterly meeting of the Music
Publishers' Association of the United States
will be held in New York on Tuesday, April 13,
at a place to be announced some time during
next week.
On
Words by
WILLIAM UL BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOBI
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
STANDARD WHOLESALE PRICES^ FOR 30-CENT NUMBERS
The Success of the 30-cent Editions, Now Demonstrated Beyond Question, Makes It Necessary
for the Publishers to Fix Upon a Standardized Wholesale Price for the Same
Having put over thirty cent numbers in a
big way, the popular music publishers have
overlooked some problems which should be
promptly attended to if they want to give sta-
bility to that part of their business. It is true
that the success of thirty cent numbers has
been achieved with apparent ease, but that the
publishers can continue to hold such numbers
permanently in their catalogs without building
the foundation now for such an arrangement
is doubted.
One of the big questions that should be con-
sidered and decided upon at an early date is
a standardized wholesale price' for such issues.
The prices at present range from twelve and
one-half cents up, and there have been cases
where publishers have sold wholesale their best
sellers at that rate, in quantities, this despite
the fact that they were acknowledged hits.
There was no necessity for this. It probably
was a sign of weakness, and a desire on the
part of the publisher to cash in quickly.
Not only is it necessary that the wholesale
prices be standardized, but several other mat-
ters in connection with present distribution
methods, which are fast growing- into real evils,
demand immediate attention. Every publisher
who has the good of the business at heart must-
want to see a most healthy arrangement as re-
gards distribution.
It must be remembered that, with the low-
ering of prices, it would not take much tempta-
tion for some publisher, on the promise of
CASTILLIAN
big co-operation, to make the initial whole-
sale rate on new numbers ten cents. Of course
the moment this is done any syndicate at
present confining itself to ten cent issues would
buy large quantities of such numbers and re-
tail them at cost, thus assisting in breaking
down the new thirty cent catalogs. Some pub-
lishers are not above such a temptation, inas-
much as they would receive cash within ten
days for their products.
The syndicate stores handling thirty cent
music are all under the management of men
who work on a percentage basis, a percentage
of the profit. They are all men trained to mer-
chandise goods and profits are what appeal to
them. So during the course of the last few
months there have been cases where some of
the largest hits have been practically shelved,
and numbers that were bought wholesale at a
better rate given prominence, displayed and
featured by them for sales purposes. This is
not a healthy condition but the publisher who
benefited by it temporarily thought it was a
good business^ Over a long period he would
find it is not, and it is just such problems, all
of which have arisen since the popular houses
have inaugurated thirty cent catalogs, that
must be solved, and solved quickly, if the busi-
ness is to be put on a permanent and high
basis.
Giving consideration to such items as are
mentioned above and other details that arise
(Continued on page 54)