Mr. SOUSA. I would like to say, Mr. Chairman, that I have never been approached by any of the mechanical instrument companies; and the house which I have a contract with, the publishing house, is not a member of the Music Publishers' Association. I have never even been approached by any of them, and I have no contract with anyone. The CHAIRMAN. We will hear you now, Mr. O'Connell. Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Chairman, for the group of interests which are now to be heard I wish to make a statement that they might feel called upon or required to make, but which it is not fair should be taken out of their time. They were not participants in the conferences. How completely they were omitted is apparent only from the list. That list is before you. It will take but a moment to read the titles of these associations: American Authors' Copyright League, National Institute---- Senator SMOOT. We know them. The CHAIRMAN. They are already in the record. They have been laid before us. Mr. PUTNAM. They were not participants in the conferences. They were not invited to the conferences by the copyright office. There were no notices sent to them from the copyright office that the conferences were being held; that these provisions were being considered at them. The copyright office shows, so far as I am aware, no communication with them on the subject of any of these provisions. We have never, ourselves, in any way notified them that these provisions were being proposed for the bill. I say that as much because it is to their advantage that I should say it as for them to say it, and it is not fair that that statement should have to be made at the expense of their time. STATEMENT OF JOHN J. O'CONNELL. Mr. O'CONNELL. We intended to make that statement ourselves. The CHAIRMAN. Whom do you represent? Mr. O'CONNELL. I appear on behalf of ten independent manufacturers of automatic piano players in the city of New York, and the names of these concerns are as follows: Winter & Co., Ludwig & Co., Jacob Doll & Sons, Laffargue & Co., John Ludwig, the Regal Piano and Player Company, Ricca & Son, the Auto-Electric Piano Company, Newby & Evans, and the Estey Piano Company. I also appear on behalf, by arrangement here, of independent manufacturers of music rolls. I can also say that possibly what I shall have to say to your committee will represent the ideas of the various independent manufacturers of automatic piano players in the United States and the various independent manufacturers of perforated music rolls.