Evening star., 1925-02-01

valued at $4,000 few years later by
the purchasing company That in
Itself was not funny, he said, but he
made the telling OF 1T decidedly hu-
morous
In truth, the affair was largely an
experience meeting, the need ofa new
law being argued by stories of the
innumerable ways writer's and com
posers have been deprived OF a fair
share in the returns from their crea-
tive efforts because the old laws did
not give them adequate protection in
their rights. John Philip Sousa, "the
march king" realized the munifcent
sum of S35 for The Star and Stripes
Forever" Charles K. Harris, COM
poser of ballads famous a generation
ago-"After the Ball" Always In the
Way" Hello Central and the like
was once shown the picture of a
shipment of 100000 phonograph rec
ords of his songs, and all he got out
OF 1t was the satisfaction of seeing
the picture-not penny of revenue
from the records.
Broke But Happy
Harry Won .Tilzer, who has written
more than hundred song hits, told
how, in spite of the success OF his
songs, he was In financial straits not
even owning his own home
Mine has mortgage on it," inter-
jected a member Of the committee.
Mine has two, first and second"
retorted Won Tilzer, "and 1 owe two
months office rent. I'm broke, but
happy
Will Irwin, noted war correspond
ent, novelist and short story writer,
detailed experiences he and his wife,
had ~
deprived of the sale of valuable
rights in their productions solely be-
cause under the existing law they
could not establish their title to those
rights, and, of course, the hearing was
not concluded without reference to
the amazing case of the Rev. Edward
NJ. Sheldon, who realized virtually
nothing from his book, In His Steps"
which sold by the millions of copies,
merely because through a misunder-
standing of the law he deposited one
copy. instead of two copies, of the
original edition in the copyright di-
vision of the Library of Congress.
The authors insist that they want
exactly what the Constitution of the
United States says they may be given,
the exclusive right, for limited time,
to their writings. They want to be
able to dispose of their rights in toto
or in part. They want the United
States to become a member of the
International Copyright Union, in
stead of maintaining a position of
magnificent isolation" along with
Russia and China, SO that a copyright
in this country will become immedi-
ately effective in all other countries.
They want the mere creation of a
piece of literature, art or music to
| szl.s
| ing required to comply with a lot of
| legal formalities, under which they
may be deprived of their rights by
mere technicalities. In short they
say they want a law in the United
States that conforms to the laws of
the "a nations in the International
Union.
One of their chief obstacles Is the
opposition of trades unionists. Pres
sure from the printers and other la
Dor unions forced into the existing
law provision that no foreign book,
etc, can be copyrighted in this coun-
try until 1t has been printed here,
| their leaders insisting that American
labor must be protected against
cheaper labor abroad, and Congress
yielding to that demand.
The Constitution says Congress
shall have authority ito promote the
progress of science and the useful
arts by securing for limited times to
authors and inventors the exclusive
right to their respective writings and
discoveries"
AS Augustus Thomas told the COM
mittee, there is nothing in that about
partial rights, or about the rights of
anybody else save the writers and
inventors.