24 PRESTO December 16, 1922.

you a tumble, and after you've spent a whole dayfruitlessly, sit down and" write the lyrics. By thattime you'll be unconscious, which is how most suc-cessful song writers pen their ditties.

RECALLING PATTI.Not many in the audience which listened to the

opera of "Madame Butterfly" in the Auditorium,Chicago, last Saturday night, December 9, were pres-ent on the same date thirty-three years ago whenthe theater was opened and dedicated. It is safeto say that few in the house who enjoyed Edith Ma-son in the title roll of the opera had a similar pleas-ure in listening to Adelina Patti on the memorialnight thirty-three years ago. On that night therewere gathered on the stage the President of theUnited States, the Vice-President, governors of four-teen states, officials of Canada, including the Premier,a portion of the President's cabinet and MadamePatti, who sang "Home Sweet Home." It is the onlytime in the history of the United States, as far as isknown, where the President left Washington to dedi-cate a private enterprise.

MUSIC IN CHAIN STORES NEW YORK PLANS TOLICENSE MUSIC TEACHERSThe S. S. Kresge Co. Asks Price Reductions Which

the Publishers Firmly Refuse.

The S. S. Kresge Co. sells sheet music in 120 of itsstring of stores which extends across the country andnow it is possible the sheet music department may bediscontinued in all the stores. If the company so de-cides it will be because the sheet music publisherspersist in refusing to grant a cut in the wholesaleprices.

. The music problem in the 5 and 10 cent stores andthe 25 cent stores has always been an aggravating onefor the publishers of music and the jobbers, too.They have been considered a source of demoralizationin the retail sheet music business and dissatisfaction atconditions has frequently been expressed by promi-nent dealers at the conventions of the sheet musictrade. The stores of the S. S. Kresge Co. had beenselling the popular 30 cent numbers at 25 cents untilrecently, when, owing to the exigencies of a pricewar, the price of the music has been cut to 20 cents.

Mayor Hylan Appoints Committee to ConsiderBest Way by Which to Regulate Pro-

fession and Lessen Incompetence.Any important movement designed to regulate

music, in a broad sense, must be of direct concern tothe musical instrument industries and trades. Andthe innovation by which New York City proposes tolicense music teaching is of great importance to everydepartment of the business. Last week MayorHylan, of New York, appointed an advisory commit-tee which is considering a plan to register or licenseteachers of vocal and instrumental music. The Chair-man of the new committee is Dr. William C. Carl,the famous organist, and the Vice Chairman is Dr.Frank Damrosch.

Other members of the committee are George H.Gartlan, Herbert Witherspoon, George F. Chea,Gardner Lamson, Oscar Saenger, Dr. T. TertiusNoble, Edwin Franko Goldman, Karl Schoiing,Gustav L. Becker, and Allan Robinson. The com-mittee is authorized to appoint from twelve to twentyother members.

Willis Holly, secretary of the Park Board, is thesecretary of the advisory committee, with headquar-ters at Room 1007 Municipal Building, and CatherineBolger of Room 863 Municipal Building is assistantsecretary. The Mayor's reception room will be usedfor meetings.

The purpose of the appointment of the advisorycommittee, according to the Chamberlain's statement,is "to further the inquiry, ordered by the Mayor, intothe advisability of adopting any plan to license, reg-ister or examine music teachers, whether vocal or in-strumental." "It is also," says the statement, "toconsider and report upon any method or methods toprotect those who wish to cultivate their musical tal-ent from being defrauded by humbugs, who pretendto teach singing or the playing of musical instrumentsand make all sorts of promises, even holding outexpectations of speedy proficiency and of prompt en-gagement on the stage."

The Mayor's committee will make the report ofthe advisory committee a part of its own report tothe Mayor. Efforts will be made to have a subcom-mittee's work concluded by January, so that thereport may be ready "for any action on the part ofthe Legislature that may be found to be desirable."

Several of the persons appointed on the advisorycommittee were among the persons who protestedagainst the suggestion to license the teachers duringa public hearing on Nov. 16. Mr. Gartlan, who isdirector of music for the Board of Education, tookthe position that any reformation must come fromwithin the ranks of the teachers themselves ratherthan from without. Mr. Robinson, who is of theMendelssohn Glee Club, declared that if teacherj ofmusic were compelled to be licensed it would showdiscrimination against teachers of other arts. Dr.Saenger took issue with the Chamberlain for his in-timation that music teachers were not on as high aplane as physicians and lawyers. Dr. Noble, who isthe organist of St. Thomas's Church, spoke againstthe licensing plan and declared that the National As-sociation of Organists had voiced its disapproval.

PAY TRIBUTE TO DRESSER.A feature of the Indiana Society's banquet in Chi-

cago, last Sunday night, was a tribute to Paul Dres-ser, author of "On the Banks of the Wabash." Whilemoving pictures of the dedication of Dresser's gravewere exhibited, Tsianina, a real Cherokee-Creek In-dian princess, who has made Cadman's songs popu-lar, sang the solo, while the entire assemblage joinedin the chorus. Dresser's grave is marked by a stone,which for centuries was washed by the waters ofthe Wabash and which was removed from the bedof the river by Harry R. Kurrie, president of theMonon railroad.

POPULAR SONG=WRITING EASYSo Says Daily Newspaper Humorist, Who Tells Just

How to Do It.

How easy it is to write a song of the popular kindis told by a supposedly funny man in the ChicagoEvening American. "Anybody can write a popularsong, but it takes a genius to sell it," he says as apreface to telling just how to do it:

All you need to write a song is some writing paper,a pencil, a map of the United States and a lot of nerve.The more nerve you have the greater are yourrchances for success. Place the map on a table, closeyour eyes and blindly pick a state to rhyme about.If you've picked an easy state like Iowa, Alabama orCarolina, you're in luck.

If- you've stumbled on New York, Utah, Texas orNew Jersey, you're out of luck. It's as hard to find arhyme for these latter states as it is to buy anythingfor a ruble. However, do not be discouraged. Close

"your eyes again and repeat the process until you hitthe state you'd like to write about and then do it.

In writing the lyrics be sure to make them assenseless as you can. If you try to indite an intelli-gent message in your song you'll fail just as grandjuries do which try to indict profiteers. Never tryto uplift humanity in your songs. Let 'em be there.

A good way to get a running start on a theme isto enter a telephone booth, try to get Central to give

COLLECTING COPYRIGHT FEES.The Globe theater in Brooklyn, N. Y., was seized

last week by U. S. Marshal William Mobus on twojudgments amounting to $700 procured by the Amer-ican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.The judgments were returned on complaints by thesociety that the Fifteenth Street Amusement Com-pany, owners of the theater, had ignored the de-mand for performing right fees on copyrighted com-positions. The box-office receipts were seized andenough collected to pay the judgments.

SPECIALIZES IN SHEET MUSIC.The sheet music department is a prominent one

in the store of the Ferguson Music House, SanJose, Calif., and the firm has a large clientele through-out the Santa Clara Valley. It is really an old busi-ness with a new name. The Ferguson Music House,a few years ago succeeded the Christy Music Housewhich dated back thirty years in the music tradehistory of the city. Pianos, Starr phonographs, andmusical merchandise are included in the stock of theFerguson Music House.

DON CLARK'S SAXOPHONE SOLOS.Don Clark, famous saxophone player with Paul

Whiteman's Orchestra, has completed a set of saxo-phone solos for Richmond-Robbins, Inc. The solosare of unusual quality, and bid fair to be very popularwith saxophone players throughout the country.

OPENS SHEET MUSIC STORE.The Song Shoppe is the name of a new firm opened

recently at 1726 Third avenue North, Birmingham,Ala. E. Tunkle, a prominent young musician, isowner of the shop, which will specialize in sheetmusic and standard music books.

PLAY BY RADIO.For the first time in theatrical history, a play was

broadcasted to radio fans throughout the country,with the applause of the audience a part of the show,when the Westinghouse Electric Company this weekrecorded a performance of "The Fool" in the TimesSquare Theater in New York. Announcement of theradio innovation was made by Walter S. Duggan, inthe Chicago office of the Selwyns. Invitations to"listen in" were extended Chicago drama critics. Thebroadcasting started at 7:45 Chicago time, with intro-ductory remarks by Channing Pollock, author.

In Three Parts:1. Instruments of EstablishedNames and Character.2. Instruments that bear Spe-cial Names or Trade Marks.3. Manufacturers of Pianosand Player-Pianos with Chap-ters on Piano Building and Buy-ing designed for the guidanceof prospective purchasers.

Facsimile Fall'board Names of Leading Pianos

and Player-Pianos in ColorsRevised Annually

NO PIANO DEALER OR SALESMANCAN AFFORD TO BE WITHOUT HPT

A NEW CORPORATION.Tom Brown Music Company, 17 W. Lake street,

Chicago, has been incorporated, with $100,000 capital,to manufacture and deal in musical merchandise.The incorporators are George M. Bundy, William H.Lyons and Howard J. Wallace.

A NEW YORK FAILURE.Judge A. N. Hand, in New York City, on Monday,

appointed Mark Hymen and E. C. Mills receivers forthe Broadway Music Corporation of 723 Seventh ave-nue, under $10,000 bond. Liabilities and assets notstated.

AIR RIGHTS TO MUSIC.Whether copyrighted music, including grand opera,

can be transmitted by radio without payment of feesto owners of the copyright, will be one of the ques-tions discussed at the meeting of the National Broad-casters7 League in Chicago, January 16, it was an-nounced this week. This meeting will be the firstgathering of the members of the league since its or-ganization in October. Several sessions will be heldduring the second National Radio Show, which is tobe held in Chicago the week of January 13.

A FEW NOTES.Attractive window displays help sell the popular

sheet music for The Charles E. Wells Music Co.,Denver, Colo.

Miss Viola Cox is the new manager of the TaylorMusic Co., Columbia, Mo.

The I. Wolfe Gilbert Music Company was recentlyincorporated in Dover, Dela., with a capital of $1,-000,000 to publish sheet music.

TF YOU DON'T CONSULT "PRESTOBUYERS' GUIDE" YOU ARE MISSINGOPPORTUNITIES. GET IT NOW.

Give a copy to each of your salesmen.,

Price 50 cents per copy.

PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.

OUTLOOK ABROAD BRIGHTER.Department of Commerce officials in Washington

expressed optimistic views regarding world businessconditions, as a result of reports showing increaseddomestic production and distribution and ah "im-provement in the general outlook abroad."

StThe Heine. Piano Co., San Francisco, will open a

branch in Oakland this month.

A

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