Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-06
MACHINES


Mr. Putna1n closed before tho joint COM
mittee on printing In the hearing on the
copyright bill today with the statement
that there was to be opposition to two fea-
lures OF the BILL The manufacturers OF
talking machines, he said, were 70 OPP
pose the provision prohibiting the reproduce
ton OF copyrighted musical compositions
without the consent Of the proprietor OF
the COPYRIGHT. the ether was q protest on
the part of libraries regarding the restric-
tton on their right to import books from
abroad.
sousa Accorded Ten Minutes.
This forecast was almost Immediately
made good when John Philip Sousa, the
composer and band conductor, was given
ten minutes
II wish had my band with me-" he re-
married at the outset. but the COMMITTEES
and the hundred or more persons present
round Mt. Sousa entertaining without his
band. He frankly stated that he was vital
II interested In that part Of the bill pro-
ninlting the talking machine people from
using his musical compositions without pay
Ing him In every one Of the catalogues
OF the manufacturers OF these machines, he
said was list OF from. twenty to one
hundred OF his compositions. but he had
regarded as this piracy"
Mr.. Sousa condemned tas machines
roundly When was boy. and l was
born right here in Washington" he said.
was the custom for the young people
to sit on their porches and steps in the
evening and sing the old songs end the
songs OF the day. But you don't hear those
songs any more. What do you hear? Go
along the street In the evening. 1t is moth
Ing but the photograph.
tell you the human voice Is rot heard
as It used to be. and I prophesy that the
vocal chords may by this disuse become
useless. Last summer / was In one of the
largest summer resort harbors filed with
magnificent yachts. I went among them.
Was there the old-time singing? No, it
was nothing but the photograph.
another evidence that the machines are
taking the musical initiative from our peo-
pie is evidenced from the fact that the
sale OF the banjo, the mandolin and the
guitar are greatly decreasing, and the deal
ers teH me this Is on account Of the in
creased use Of the talking machines"
TO Illustrate that there was still a desire
on the part of the people to hear the hui
man voice in preference to instruments,
MI. Sousa said that a talking machine
company ZIP would gladly pay an opera singer
1900 to sing one song for a record, while
the pest cornet players would get 81 for
making record.
What want" concluded Mr.. sousa, is
that they should pay me-"
senator Smoot. member of the Senate
committee on patents, recalled Mr. Sousa
to question him further about his theory
that the human voice might become ex-
tinot by disuse.
My theory Isl said the senator, "that
the people do not live as close to nature
as they formerly did, and that is why we
DO not sing as much.'
Mr.. Sousa still persisted that 1t was the
talking machines.
Others Heard.
Victor Herbert followed Mr.. Sousa,
speaking, he said, for many brother COM
posers whom he supposed "have not the
price" to come and speak for themselves
for the provision in the bill intended to
protect their rights.
Horace Petit, representing talking ma
chine company. wanted the bill amended SO
as to give right to copyright the records
when made. Opposition to this was at
once voiced by Paul Fuller, representing
the New York Bar Association.
Richard r. Bowker, vice president Of the
American (Authors) Copyright League, and
Frank D. Miuet, representing the National
Academy Of Design, gave their support to
the bill.
There are many prominent authors yet to
be heard, and the committee decided to
continue the hearing tomorrow morning
and possibly longer.