The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-09
CANNED MUSIC
IS NOT LIKED
COMPOSERS and Authors Have
Complaint Against the
Photograph.
THEIR ROYALTIES SMALLER
AS 1T is AT PRESENT TIME MAN
UFAcTURERS CAN SECURE BIG
SONG HITS WITHOUT PAYING
ANYTHING TO THE AUTHOR.

| Washington. D. c., May 9.-There
| has been no more disappointed per
sons in Washington during this session
of legislature than those composers
and authors who have been lobbying
in favor Of the copyright Legislation
which will prevent the photograph
and sclfplaying instrument people
using songs and other products of ge-
MUS without paying proper royalty.
No copyright legislation will be enact
ed this session.
The musicians and authors put up
great fight and the patents commit
tees have been worried with their de
mands that what they term piracy
shall cease Immediately.
The musicians assert they are be
ing treated with great injustice. They
compose a song, which should pay
them royalty, and Immediately If
the song is "hit.' it is grabbed by the
phonoeraph people, preserved on rec
world. No royalty is paid.
Naturally the circulation of phOnO-
graph records and rolls for self-playing
| pianos have hurt the sales of the songs
in sheet form. with the result that the
composer does not realize as he did
in former years when the photograph
| was not so popular.
! "a of nhnnnoI'90h
! self playing piano people are referred
| to as "canninS'' music. Because of the
need of adjustment of copyright laws
| in other countries. the house patents
committee has lost hope of getting leg
| islatiOn this session. In the mean
time efforts are being made by music
publishers and the manufacturers of
/ perforated rolls, talking machines and
the like. to come to an understanding.
Tommy the cat; Fido. the dog; Dick
ey. the canary bird; Nickelodcon. the
! horse. and Bessie. the COW, are TO have
pure food just the same as humans
Dr. Wiley. the government expert on
| such matters. and his pure food board
are going to see to it. The question of
foods for domestic animals is being
carefully looked into.
A dainty legal question has arisen
over this determination of the food ex-
perts. The board maintains that the
law extends to animals and must be
enforced in this particular.
There are many varieties Of bird
seed. dog biscuit horse lOzenges, cow
dope and so on being sold in open mar
ket and there has never been much Of
a question raised as to whether they
contained pure ingredients. The eX-
perts think they should be governed
by law and. in all likelihood. the eX-
perts will win out. They usually do
in such matters.
Three other important questions will
soon go to the supreme court of pure
food recently appointed by President
Roosevelt. They concern the digesti-
hility and assimilability Of benZOate of
soda. sulphur and saCCharine. DR.. Wi
ley's inferior court insists that these
articles should be used sparingly. They
go into Catsups, relishes, pies, as we'll
as fruits and vegetables. Manufac-
turers insist that a great industry will
be ruined if they are not permitted TO
use some form of preservative. Dr..
Wiley insists that not more than one
tenth of one per cent shall be used.
Manufacturers say this is not enough.
Then there is sulphur which is used
in preserving dried fruit A great
California industry IS said to depend
upon this question. Saccharine is an
other thing the manufacturers want to
be permitted to use. 1t is subsu-
tute for sugar-nOt quite as sweet, but
It is pretty good, anyhow.
The Supreme Court Of pure food
composed of experts. will look into all
these matters and render final de
cisiOn.