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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 31, 1920
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
PUBLISHERS START SUITS IN BOSTON
Just Watch It Grow !
Irving Berlin and T. B. Harms & Francis, Day
& Hunter Sue Boston Cafes and Hotels for
Infringement of Copyright on Music
Seven suits for alleged infringement of copy-
right were filed last week in the Federal Dis-
trict Court, Boston, Mass., by T. 13. Harms &
Francis, Day & Hunter and Irving Berlin, Inc.,
the well-known New York publishing houses.
The Berlin suit was against Harry C. Demeter,
proprietor of Cafe Minerva, and charges copy
infringement in the use of the song "A Pretty
Girl Is Like a Melody."
The suits brought by T. B. Harms & Francis,
Day & Hunter are against the American House,
Hotel Colonial, Lorraine Hotel, Beacon Thea-
tre, Inc., The Chateau, Rivoli Hall. In these
latter suits it is alleged that "An Old-Fashioned
Garden," '"Tulip Time" and "City of Dreams"
were used without permission.
These suits have the approval and support of
the American Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers.
SCHIRMER EMPLOYES GIVE DANCE
Ii
Words by
WILLIAM LE BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOBI
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
ENDEAVORING TO RE-ESTABLISH TEN-CENT SHEET MUSIC
Interests Representing the Ten-cent Store Syndicates Are Said to Be Back of a Move to Or-
ganize a New Firm, Composed of Independent Writers, to Publish Ten-cent Music
The fact that the biggest hits of the present
season have been thirty-cent numbers has left
the exclusive ten-cent syndicate stores prac-
tically without any quick-selling songs. This
condition has existed for some months, and, if
G. Schirmer, Inc., the well-known New York anything, has been aggravated in recent weeks,
publishing house, held a house dance and enter- some of the music departments in the ten-cent
tainment on Saturday evening, January 17. The syndicate stores showing little or no life. It
affair was attended by about 150 members of is only natural that the big ten-cent syndi-
the organization, and as guests of the occasion cates, with millions of dollars of capital behind
representatives and branch managers of the them, would not allow this condition to con-
Schirmer stores, as well as Ernest R. Voight, tinue without making a strenuous effort to al-
general manager of the Boston Music Co., at- leviate it. The first move in this direction was
tended. The palatial Victrola salon, which oc- made some months ago, when a gener'al order
cupies the second floor of the Schirmer Build- was sent out to the heads of the sheet music
ing, was appropriately arranged for the occa- departments in every ten-cent syndicate store
sion and McKee's orchestra furnished the requesting these department heads to give sup-
port to the big publishers and to discontinue
music.
It is the plan of the executive council of "The featuring numbers issued by the smaller pub-
Round Table," the Schirmer house organ, to lishing houses. This move was calculated to
hold these get-together gatherings at regular hold the big publishers in line but it didn't
achieve the desired result, inasmuch as the big
intervals.
publishers, with their large organizations and
heavy overhead, found it impossible to publish
ten-cent music at a profit; whereas the thirty-
"One Little Rose," "You Know Why I'm cent numbers were just as easy to sell and of
Lonesome" and "Just to Think We Were Once course brought a much larger percentage of
Sweethearts," three numbers from the pen of profit.
One Hundred and Fifty Members of Well-known
New York Publishing House Have Pleasant
Evening—.Branch Managers in Attendance
JOS. W. STERN BUYS THREE SONGS
Harry D. Squires and Max C. FVeedman, two
Philadelphia writers, have been purchased by
Jos. W. Stern & Co., the New York publish-
ing house.
The action of the ten-cent syndicate stores in
practically eliminating numbers published by
smaller houses discouraged these
houses
greatly. At the same time the syndicate stores
which have a maximum retail price of from
•twenty-five cents to fifty cents practically dis-
continued handling ten-cent music, thirty-cent
numbers being featured strongly to the detri-
ment of the ten-cent edition.
The action of the ten-cent syndicate brought
practically no results and was undoubtedly a
move in the wrong direction. Seeing the mis-
take which had been made, the ten-cent syndi-
cate stores have reversed their former attitude,
and are now endeavoring to give the smaller
publishers unlimited co-operation in the featur-
ing of ten-cent music. It is also understood
that the interests represented by the ten-cent
syndicate stores are behind a move to organize
a new publishing house, of which a number of
professional writers, not now under exclusive
contract with any house, will be members. Ac-
cording to this plan, all of the writers will have
a financial interest in the organization, and it
is believed that this fact, together with the fact
that the overhead will be comparatively low,
will enable the new publishing concern to turn
out ten-cent music at a profit.
The smaller publisher with his smaller over-
In addition to this plan, the ten-cent syndi-
head can publish music to retail at ten cents. He cates have adopted the procedure of selecting
cannot make a fortune doing it but he can deal a song from the ten-cent catalog of some
in ten-cent music and still stay in business.
(Continued on page 56)
"JUST ANOTHER HIT"
Just Another Kiss
A Waltz of Rare and Haunting Charm
Don't Wait—Order To-day
Direct or Through Your Jobber
RICHMOND
VUBLISHER.
NEW YORK
HARRY COLLINS, Sales Manager
18c Per Copy