I beg to state that the copyright department during the interim between the first and second conferences conferred with me and asked if the talking machine and music roll manufacturers had an organization. I replied that I did not know but would inquire about it. About that time I met Mr. R. L. Thomae, a representative of the Victor Talking Machine Company, who had just drafted a bill with the view of presenting it to Congress, for protection on musical compositions for which his company had secured the right, having expended about $35,000 for well-known artists who had sung in the records for them. They wanted protection from the pirates in their own business from copying such valuable subjects. As a result of our talk Mr. Thomae decided to drop the bill and secure protection in the new copyright draft which was then being formulated.
Mr. Thomae and myself made a trip to Washington, called on the copyright department, and it was agreed, in view of the fact that the talking machine people had no organization, that the delegates from the Music Publishers' Association should be increased from two to three, provided the third member was some representative of the talking-machine interests. After conferring with the president of the association it was decided to do this, and Mr. Thomae was selected as such representative. We believe that the talking machine people should have as good protection as ourselves on their original or characteristic works embodying the personalities and instrumentation of their artists, bands, orchestras, etc., employed by them.
We hereby declare that the Victor Talking Machine Company has no contracts of any kind whatsoever with any member of the Music Publishers' Association of the United States in regard to any future purchase for use of compositions belonging to us. This statement will explain in detail how the Victor Talking Machine Company came to be associated with the Music Publishers' Association in the copyright conferences held to aid in drafting the bill here under consideration. All statements to the contrary are not substantiated by the facts.
On behalf of the Music Publishers' Association of the United States, whose list of members is attached, I beg to remain,