The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-26
EkuthorS, Publishers, and
Ordinary Playwrights
Tell Woes to Senate
Committee.
Want American Books
Bound Abroad and
Contracts for Repub-
LEGATION.

art. for arts sake" crawled out of
iits habitation of dreams today and got
on the job for moneys sake before the
/ House and Sens e Joint Committee on
Patents.
Art was represented principally in the
tperson OF George NJ. Putnam, of the
Putnam publishing house. He spoke in
a soft, appealing voice after Senator
} Smoot had announced that the COM
fmittee would hear Saturday the great
subject of whether authors Of songs and
music should be paid royalties for their
productions used on monographs and
all perforated roll instruments.
When this announcement was made
the song writer's and composers OF mu-
sic took their expensive hats and coats
and their departure.
Putnam Couples Art and Money.
Mr.. Putnam s. d that. Tor the sake
1of art. authors and the book publishing
business, there We're some objections he
wanted 10 make against several para
graphs of the Smoot bill on copyrights.
There Is a provision that the author,
he said, shall IA c the exclusive right
to award the contract Tor publishing
this works after the first copyright con-
y q
.have expired. This Is not az IL should
tbe. The publisher has, as usual thlngi
gone 10 great expense IN geLLlnB up lLt
lUlates and so forth Tor the publication
FOf the book and IL does not seem jus,
bzhat the author, at the expiration 81
tlhe fOrUy-tWO years should De able 20
Euake the publisher remake the codIittc'
ton the author own terms or else lose
EGhe contract
tE'urrier, Of the House Patents commit
tJee, who seemed to have ms sarcasm
with him, that II would oe an lisli'
10 have the law fixed so that the pup
fisher Will be able TO compel the au-
thor TO renew the contract on the pup
FISHERS own terms or else not have MS
writings repuDlshed.
Give Each His Due.
To this Mr.. Putnam demUrred, saying
he thought it could be dXed so as tC
be for the best interests OF the author
tthe publisher, and art, all at once.
Another paragraph he objected 10 was
fshe provision in the SmOot bill that
i.American books copyrighted here shall
be bound as well as printed I'm this
country. In discussing this matter, ne
.dissipaued forever the common Delel
ithat lovers of art and books live III
fSubcellars and exist on crusts and pipe
smoke He showed that the dispensers
-of literature have become pretty vel
ACQUAINTED with the thing that can be
produced by the proper writing In the
tcheck books of the miilonalres and all
r1he idle rich.
Get Books Bound Abroad.
At object to this paragraph" he said
Esbecause we have a small but wealthy
clientele that wants its book bound
abroad. We do the printing and folding
and ihen they are shipped To Italy OF
France. where the hand-binders do the
finest work there is In the binding line
If book has TO be bound here and then
lshi2ped abroad, the binding IL has had
in this country limits the usefulness
Eof the foreign talents in putting the az
.IfStiC touches on the covers and general
makeup Of the books
There We're other technical objections
he registered against the bill, and he re-
( served until tomorrow the right Ia
.speak on q paragraph which he said
FwOuld be the subject Of much discus
tsiOn at that time by lawyers who make
EnO pretenses TO art and arc out for the
T-'Cush.
The hearing, which adjourned at noon
Ito meet again this evening at S o'clock
was held in the Senate reading-rOOm
which is done in dark brown and has
brown curtains All the window shades
+ were pulled down so that the glare
would not injure the eyes of those who
gaze much upon art for arts sake.
For Glory of the Drama.
George BroadhUrst, the playwright
and J. I. C. Clarke. OF New York, made
tbrisf requests Of the committee that
penalties as severe as possible be i'm
'cOrporated in the bill to punish play
piracy. They asked that especially Sc
we're punishment be provided for per
sons who take stenographiC notes in
'theaters Of the dialogue and stage bush
mess Of productions and sell them "a
.DiraUiCal concerns
AT this feast Of eIoqUence regarding
art there were present Senator SInOOt
and Representative Currier Of New
Hampshire, Sulzer of New York, and
tAICGdVin Of Illinois.