Music Trade Review

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THE MUSiC TRADE REVIEW
In the World of Music Publishing'
PRICES ASSUME SERIOUS ASPECT.
Leading Publishers Deplore the Slashing of
Prices and Advocate a More Uniform and
Satisfactory Scale—Department Stores and
Keen Competition Undermining Healthy
Conditions.
Notwithstanding the reports of slow trade in
some quarters, active publishers speak of the
past week's business as representing an improve-
ment. Locally, it is quiet, but the demand from
out-of-town points has an upward tendency quite
gratifying. Better conditions prevail, and the
call for instrumental and medley orchestrations
is particularly brisk; in fact, running ahead of
last year. Specific summer "stuff" is also going
well, with not a few houses claiming to have the
"only, only."
Prices continue to be a fruitful topic for dis-
cussion, and in certain quarters its mention is
like a red rag to a bovine of the male gender.
The drift of talk expresses the need of a stable
selling basis, but it is a question upon which none
seem able to formulate a practical working plan.
No hard and fast rules or regulations will an-
swer. There must be a degree of elasticity to
meet conditions often beyond the control of the
most experienced, skilful and careful, and yet
rigid enough to cope with attempts to "cut the
market wide open," both on the part of the pub-
lisher and the jobber.
Early in the week a publisher of reputation
and standing said to The Review: "For the past
five years this question of prices has been gradu-
ally assuming a serious aspect. Publishers have
enjoyed the best business in their career, and
its been especially good for at least three years
past. To be sure, competition has been getting
stronger all the time, concerns have sprung up
with greater expectations than capital, and the
eagerness to market the music—compulsory at
times—has played havoc with the orderly con-
duct of a publishing house. Firms which have
kept out of the maelstrom of so-called popular
music, confining their energies and investment
to the steady sellers of standard lines, work
along in a channel of trade in which price-cut-
ting does not figure so disastrously.
"Now, however, the slashing is something
fierce. Publishers who depend upon jobbers as
distributors of their publications are not to be
envied; and only houses who can control their
output and insist on a price basis representing
a legitimate profit are not sacrificed. When a
piece is a hit, why, then the publisher dictates
his own terms, and the chaps in the hold-up
game yield gracefully and pay the regular figure.
Otherwise, they have no conscience, apparently,
and if cramped for money, the Lord have mercy
on you.
"There should be some arrangement whereby
a more uniform and satisfactory scale of prices
to the trade could be maintained. All sorts of
excuses are made for cutting, such as the title
being a 'new issue,' or the 'first edition,' or for
'introductory purposes,' and a few other fake
explanations are offered. Admitting the diffi-
culty of the task, still an understanding or a
minimum agreement or a sliding scale of dis-
counts could be established between publishers
that would be vastly beneficial. The dealer is
content to pay a price which is fair and is uni-
form according to quantity and other buying
conditions; just treat them all alike. Who will
take the initiative? Deponeth saith not."
Tourist—"And did the musical genius born on
this ranch finish his education in Europe?"
Borax Bob—"No; right here in Arizony. He
tried to convince some of the boys that ragtime
warn't good music, an' they buried him an' his
pianner together."
MUSIC PUBLISHERS' LIVE WIRES.
ORCHESTRA LEADERS' CHANGES.
(Special to The Review.)
San Francisco, Cal., July 4, 1904.
Eastern music publishing houses who forward
sheet music to leaders of orchestras will have
difficulty in finding the correct address of the
various leaders of local orchestras for the next
two or three weeks at least. There has been a
general emigration all around and musical cir-
cles are at their wits ends to decide who is who.
During one day last week there has been an
epidemic among orchestra leaders here. The
first case noted was that of Mr. Adelman, who
for some time past has been leader of the or-
chestra a t Techau's Tavern. His step was
prompted by the criticism of the Tavern man-
agement of his habit of sending on frequent occa-
sions a substitute to lead his orchestra. About
this time Barnat Jaulus, of the Louvre Cafe
orchestra, resigned his position, which left a
vacancy for Adelman to fill. Jaulus had some
little differences with him employer over a re-
quest he made for a vacation, which the em-
ployer refused to grant.
The infection in some manner then reached
Louis E. Schoeniger, who for some time has set
the measure for the musicians of the Columbia
Theater and was a picturesque and well-remem-
bered first violinist in the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra. He in the height of the mania handed
in his resignation and accepted the offer of the
Techau Tavern people to fill the position for-
merly occupied by Adelman.
G. Saldierna, who left this city but a short
time ago to take the leadership of one of Klaw &
Erlanger's orchestras in New York, received an
attack shortly after his arrival in that city. The
desire to resign was strengthened by his discov-
ering that the orchestra he was expected to
direct was composed of non-union musicians.
He is now on his way back to this city to take
the position at the Columbia vacated by Schoen-
iger. Two other musicians who succumbed are
Ferdinand Stark, the erstwhile leader at Zin-
kand's, and John Marquardt, once concert master
at the Tivoli. The former gave up his position
to go East, taking in en route Colorado Springs
and the St. Louis Exposition. The latter has
accepted the position left vacant by the itinerant
Stark.
Marquardt's place in the Tivoli orchestra has
been filled by John Baumgartner, formerly of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Stark, upon his
return to this city, will direct the orchestra of
the caf6 soon to be opened in the new Flood
building, corner Powell and Market streets. It
is rumored that Gaulus has accepted the leader-
ship of the cafe now in course of construction in
the building adjacent to Techau's Tavern.
POPULAR
s
UMMER
ONGS..
ORDER
The development and future of the department
store as exploited by publishers continues to dis-
turb the trade. Publishers not engaged in the
enterprise are naturally critical concerning its
wisdom, and when expressing an "unbiased and
candid" opinion, put in two words for them-
selves and one for the dealer. Jobbers are in the
same category. Dealers have gone on record
individually and through their associations
against publishers who sell direct and do not
protect the trade. This is their logical position.
On the other hand, however, the publisher and
jobber, figuring also on their loss of business,
allow the department store scheme is a losing
game. On this score a publisher remarked:
"Publishers controlling sheet music departments
in dry goods stores work on a commission basis.
Their sales must represent a profit or they will
not be tolerated by the proprietors of these es-
tablishments. Now, with their sacrifice sales,
etc., ouside of their own publications, where
does the money come in? They are running
close hauled, and therefore I do not pretend to
say how the proposition will work out."
On his return from London, Henry Savage ex-
pressed himself a s delighted with the way in
which "The Prince of Pilsen" has "caught on"
over there. He says that there has been a steady
increase of business ever since the first night.
All the songs are going well. Those which are
having the greatest sale at the dealers are "The
Message of the Violet," "The Tale of the Sea-
shell" and "Heidelberg" (stein song). Another
big American song hit is shortly to be interpo-
lated into the score, namely, "I'm on the Water
Wagon Now," the humorous song with which
Frank Daniels convulsed his audiences in "The
Office Boy."
A leading ballad writer had just completed a
new song. "My very latest, which will be
brought out in the fall," he remarked. "Now,
you cannot imagine what a relief it is, but it will
be a big hit. It is a descriptive or pastoral com-
position, and will have an illustrated story,
really superb. I sketch my own pictures, as
well as write my own lyric, and ^therefore I
understand their meaning far better than the
writers who collaborate. The title I am keeping
under cover for the present for obvious reasons."
The American branch of a prominent English
publishing firm has the walls of its salesroom
decorated with a line of posters, mainly concern-
ing operatic productions, which are elegant ex-
amples of artistic conception and coloring. The
establishment is a place of call for many leading
Follow the Crowd on a
Sunday
By GERARD,
MORRISON A ARMSTRONG.
Down on the
^ Go'Round
By HAL KENT A LYN UDALL, Composers of
One Girl," and "Just aa the Sun."
ONCE
Juat
Kate Kearney
By FAY A OLIVER, writers of "Goodnight,
Beloved,
Goodnight."
M. Wit mark & Sons
NEW YORK
CHICAGO
LONDON
ILLUMINATED TITLE PAGES FREE
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE IN QUANTITIES
Do you Handle " WITMARK" PUBLIC A TIONS 7