New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

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18 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER July 4, 1923 COMPOSERS' SOCIETY PLANS TO PUT CZAR AT HEAD OF OR GANIZATION Anticipating Attempt to Have Copyright Law Amended Society Considers Re-organization and Committee Moves to Put Entire Society Into Position Where It Can With- stand Any Oppositicm. In anticipation of an attempt at the next session of Congress by certain factions, to have the Copyright Act of 1909 amended or changed, thie American Societjr of Com- posers, Authors and Publishers is seeking to reorganize itself and- has appointed a committee to put a Czar at the head of the society with absolute power and control over its <lcstiny, and on£ who is strong enough to safely guide it through any ad- versity that the future may hold in store. £. C Mills, chairman of the executive boar(l, of the Music Publishers' Protective Association, is believed by many to be the logical man for the job of heading the A. S. C A. & P., and to that end the com- mittee of tlie society, composed. of two publishers and two iwriters, have adced Mills to consider the proposition and write his own ticket. The committee, which is composed of Max Dreyfus, of Harms, Inc; Louis Bernstein, of 'Shapiro, Bern- stein Sl Co., :jid Gene Buck and Raymond Hubbell, held its first meeting last week and subsequently .called pa Mills, and is said to have offered him the office of beading the society. The committee was informed by Mr. Mills that he would consider the job, and at a salary of $15,000 per year, provided that he could hold onto his office in the Music Publishers' Protective Association, which pays him $20,000 yearly. He also informed the committee that he would take charge of the society on the condition that he 'Would have unlimited power to run the . organization as he saw fit. Since then' another meeting was held by the committee on Monday afternoon and word 'was sent to Mills that be could 'write his own salary figure if he would take hold of the society's reins and handle nothing else. This was absolutely refused by Mills, who said that under no condition would he leave the Music Publishers' Protective Association as long as it needed and_ want- ed him. This phase of the matter is now under consideration by the commitee, and it is believed that it will dedde in favor of Mills remaining with the M. P. P. A^ and head the society also. A satisfactory agreement is expected to be reached within the next ten days. Just what the American Society of Com- posers, Authors and Publishers expect in the line of legislative opposition at the next term of Congress is not exactly Icaown. But between the radio interests and the motion picture people, both of whom are required to pay a performing rights fee for the use of the society's music, it is ex- pected that they will attempt to'change the present copyright laws to bettei* suit them- selves. Many members of the society are confi- dent that the Copyright Act of 1909, whidi gives protection to the works of the au- thors and composers, as well as publishers, will not be changed so easily. Also the possibility of international complications through the various alliances of the society and through the treaties with other coun- tries will also add to the difficulties of changing the present copyright law. When questioned about Uie offer made him by the committee composed of some of the board of directors of the A, S. C. A. & P., E. C'Mills refused to deny or af- firm anything in connection with the propo- sition, saying that if it 'was so he would probably talk after he had been put in office. Until then, all information would have to come from the committee. According to reports, J. C. Rosenthal, now general manager of the society, will have an executive position under whomever is appointed Czar, and also that Rosenthal did not appear anxious to take the job. Since the beginning of the society he has been manager and very successful in the organization's major job of collecting li- cense fees from the motion-picture houses. George Maxwell, president of the so- ciety, will continue to hold this office. He has held this position for years, giving his .services gratis. ARTISTS CO. LEASES OFHCES The Artists Publishing Co., Inc., have taken offices in the new building at 'No. 1^ West AMi street, and will be formally opened within the next ten days. Officers of the new concern are D. P. Pringle, president; Eddie Adams, vice-president and Maurice Rosen, secretary. The or- ganization, as exclusively announced re- cently in the Clipper was organized under the laws of the State of Ohio with a capi- tal stock of $125,000. The president of the corporation is a well known real es- tate man of Cleveland of considerable wealth. Eddie Adams, is one of the best known ma in the sheet music and mechanical end of the publishing business, having been with Jerome H. Rcmick & Co., for over 17 years. Maurice Rosen was with Remick's also, for a period of several years. In addition to publishing, the firm will operate a chain of retail stores. Adams and Rosen will look after the New York end of the business and Mr. Pringle the Middle West, from their Oeveland office. A first class catalogue is being prepared mdnding the first plug number which will be a fox-trot ballad by Walter Donaldson, entitled "Sweet Old Chesapeake Bay," said to be one of the finest songs he has ever written. Hie firm .is beginning a big eqtlcntation on the number. ABE OUMAN PUBUSHING Abe Obnan, who has gone into the music publishing business on his own, opened his offices last week at 148 West 46th street, his concern being Imown as Olman, Inc. Mr. Olman is working on one song for the present, a fox-trot ballad by himself and Benny Davis, entitled "My Own," which is being featured by Phil Baker in "The Passing Show of 1923," but not restricted to other acts. a A. CO. STAFF CHANGES The B. A. Music Company has re- organized its staff to some extent and is getting ready to concentrate its forces on two new songs by Jack Mahoney, who was active in song writing circles some years ago. Fred W. Taylor, formerly in vaude- ville, is now manager of the professional department, and others on the staff include Herb Walters and Joe Keden. MIUS RELEASES NOVELIT Jack Mills. Inc., have selected as the summed comedy plug song, "Hey! You Want Any. Cod-Fish? (We Only Got Mak'ril To-day"), a iox-trot novelty iqr two writers tvhose nom-de-plumes on'the title page will be, Ima Fish and Ura Her- ring, • REFUSES RADIO REQUEST The Milwaukee Association of Com- merce, which made a fruitless request to have the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers give Milwaukee and other Wisconsin radio stations per- mission to broadcast the society's music free until such time when a test case in the courts definitely decided that a license fee must be paid the composers' organiza- tion, received with its negative reply a five-page letter which contained one of the most complete and comprehensive views of the whole situation ever written, from the music publishers and composers angle, especially. In the form of a resolution, the Mil- waukee organization, of which I. C. Whittet is executive director, making the plea that all of the radio stations in the state would have to close. It follows in full: "Whereas, The Milwaukee Association of Commerce understands that the Mil- waukee broadcasting stations will nbt be permitted to continue broadcasting music, and Whereas, The discontinuance of the musical program will so effect broadcast- ing as to make is necessary to close all Milwaukee and Wisconsin stations, and Whereas, If such action is taken by the Atnerican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, it will be a distinct loss to the community and state at large; there- fore be it Resolved, That the Milvraukec Assoda- tion of Commerce call upon the A. S. C A. & P., requesting that this organization permit the Milwaukee broadcasting stations to continue to use copyrighted music in their programme without questioning or challen^ng the legality of such broadcast- ing until the matter is settled by test cases pending in other cities." Replying to the Milwaukee organization the society first called attention to the fact that the Wisconsin stations would not have to close because thousands of musical works were available^ for_ unrestricted use, the copyright of which is vested in pro- prietors who do not at this time care to assert their rights in so far as to require a license 'fee. These works include some of the very t>cst material in the world, the letter said, and also mentioned that the largest station in America had no license to broadcast from the society, but con- tinued to operate successfully nevertheless. As to the legal rights of the society not being challenged, the society asks the Mil- waukee people to simply re&ain from using its music, and they will have complied with the law. Getting down to the reasons for the license fee asked by the composers, authors and publishers the letter points out the tremendous profits made from the sale of radio parts and wonders what will hapiwn to the concerts now being heard by radio fans when the sale of parts cease and it isn't worth while any more for the stations to broadcast. The letter further reads in part: "Radio is a direct competitor of the theatre, cabaret and dance hall. * * * Ra<lio is a direct competition of phono- graph records and the player-piano rolls. Evcrj- record and every roll manufactured and mechanically reproducing a copyrighted musical composition pays a royalty to the proprietor of the copyright. Would it be just to permit 'radio' the full use in com- petition of material for what its com- petitors must pay? "Radio comes into competition with the musical activities of the home as is best proven perhaps by the fact that never in the history of this business has the sale of sheet music been so light as since radio became popular. Through this competition radio deprives copyrighted proprietors of substantial sums heretofore realized from the sale of sheet musia Is it fair that radio should do this to its own profit and be relieved of the legal and moral obliga- tion of justly compensatinR those who furnish the material whidn makes its existence possible?" Attention is also called to the indirect profits derived by various radio station operators by selling parts, the sales of which reached almost $200,000,000 a month during 1922, all of which was made possible through the use of music which interested the radio fans. This is called broadcasting for profit by the society in its letter. Edu- cational institutions and genuine research stations, and those operated by municipali- ties have been given permission to broad- cast the socie^s music free, which in- cludes the University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota among others, ac- cording to the letter. But commercial stations must pay is the edict of the A. S. C. A. & P. NEW MEMBERS FOR A. S. C. A. & P. At a meeting of the board of directors of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers the following authors and composers were elected to membership, their classification being sub- ject to the findings of the Classification Committee: Egbert Van Alstyne, Anatole Friedland, Sidney Cain^ Sam Coslow, Oscar Hammerstein 2d, Lou Handman, Louis E. Gcnsler, Paul Lannin and Jack Caddigan. BELIN «: HOROWITZ IN SOCIETY At a meeting of the board of directors of the American Society of Composers and Publishers, held on June 26, Belin Si Horo- witz were elected to membership in the publishers' class. The above mentioned concern's song "Wet Yo' Thumb," is bc- ing_ released next month on the Victor, which is considered fast work for a firm but a few months old. KONDAS RELEASES _ G. Kondas, of the Kondas Music Pub- lishing Company at Ashtabula, Ohio, was in New York last wedc, placing their latest publications, including "Island Nights," "Painting Pictures," "Aw CMon," and "Down the Lane." iMr. Kondas has opened a New York office at 220 West Forty- second street, with Lee Turner in charge. MELVILLE WITH WITMARKS Walter Melville, formerly with Jack Snyder Music Company, is now in the pro- fessional department of M. Witmark & Sons. Melville, before breaking into the music business, as with B. S. Moss, and assistant manager of various Moss the- atres. JACK MILLS IN PARIS Jack Mills is spending a short vacation in Paris prior to his return to London when he will remain for a week or two ' before sailing for home. Mills recently purchased the American rights for one of the biggest dance tunes in France. SHERWO<M> JOINS THE M. P. P. A. The Sherwood Music Company, owned by Vincent E. Sherwood, who ^vas for- merly New York representative for the McKinley Music Company, has been elected to membership in the Music Pub- lishers' Protective Association. NEW McKINLEY RELEASE The McKinley Music Company is pre- paring to plug another popular number through its New York office in charge of A. L. Haase, who will enlarge a profes- sional department staff shortly. The eong is a waltz ballad by Keithley and Klickman entitled "For Old Time's Sake." LONGEST TITLE COMPETI'nON Sam Landres and Lou Handman ha've taken a hand in the long title songs by writing a new one entitled "No Matter Who You Are or What You Were. You're the World and All to Me," a fox tiot ballad with a human interest story.