The 6,000 retailers of music, as well as the composers and the 500 publishers of musical works in our land, are vitally interested in whatever tends to deprive them of their occupation and its compensation. In the face of what all other enlightened nations are doing to protect, encourage, and reward the genius of their countrymen, will the United States take this backward step and thereby begin to discourage the tardy development of its citizens in musical learning and progress? INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT TREATY. Previous to the international copyright treaty of 1891 few works of American composers were on the market, because the foreign works monopolized the trade. Since then our composers have been on an equality at home with the foreign works, and the rewards have been more equitably distributed to American composers, as our people have spent more of their money at home for music. The result is seen in the schools and colleges of music in America, more eminent teachers, and much better training for our students, who can now obtain at home the same grade of instruction they formerly received in European conservatories. VALUE TO THE UNITED STATES. All of this has been of great value to us as a nation, not only in the highest sense, but from the purely selfish view of financial profit. Therefore our composers should be considered and protected in their compensation, which comes solely from the sale of their works under the prevailing methods of trade. When a work is rendered many times from one purchase of books there is but small return to the creator of it; consequently for this privilege a higher price should be demanded than if the book is purchased for home use or for a few performances. DAMAGES THREATENED BY BILL. While each work costs the same labor and expense to prepare for publishing, yet it is admitted that not more than from two to three out of each one hundred are successful, and not more than one in twenty of them ever pay for the cost of printing. When limited first editions cost from $5,000 to $15,000 to bring out, it can readily be seen why the publishers are so active in trying to protect their clients, the composers, and their own interests, so covertly threatened by this bill. If this bill becomes a law they will be obliged to adjust their business to the change, and no doubt the better composers will be driven to adopt the methods of the dramatists and deny all use of their works to the public at large. Shakespeare says, "The man that hath no music in himself is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils." The love of music has from the dark ages been the inspiration for all progressive peoples. It is earnestly hoped that your committee will not lend itself for the advancement of any measure which is not primarily designed to encourage and foster the best ability of the American composer. Respectfully submitted, A. R. SERVEN, _Attorney for the Music Publishers' Association of the United States_. May 8, 1906.