HANDY MAN TO HAVE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 158, 19 June 1936, Page 15

HANDY MAN TO HAVE

Protection lor Song Writers Mr. George M. Cohan played a oneday engagement before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives recently, testifying among other things that he was “a handy man to have around” when it came to writing patriotic songs and adding an explanation of how he happened to write the war-time hit “Over There," says the New York Times. The Cohan mannerisms, known to all theatre-goers, were brought into play as the veteran actor, playwright and songsmith pleaded before the Patents Committee for adequate copyright protection for song writers. The Committee displayed almost as much interest in Cohan's career as they did in his views on copyright legislation. Pressed by Chairman Sirovich to name some of his compositions, Cohan told the committee he had written a song about George Washington and had been invited to write one about the Constitution. “I'm not a poet laureate or anything like that,’ 'said Mr. Cohan. “I’m just a handy man to have around—or at least, Sol Bloom seems to think so.” Representative Bloom headed the Washington Bicentennial celebration, for which Cohan wrote a song. Although Cohan insisted his songwriting days were confined mostly to the early part of the century, the committee wanted to hear about “Over There,” which was the “Music Goes Round and Round” of its time. “It was just the bugle call,” explained Cohan. “If I hadn’t written it on Thursday, somebody else would have written it Friday. It was just one of those things that had to be written.” Mr. Cohan, appearing as a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, protested against the Senate-approved Duffy Bill which would eliminate the 250 dollars punitive damage minimum for copyright infringement and retain the two cents a phonograph record remuneration to composers. The committee also has under consideration the Daly Bill and the Sirovich Bill, which would provide more liberal protection for creators of music and literature. "Have you read the Duffy Bill, the Daly Bill, or the Sirovich Bill?” asked Mr. Sirovich. “I know Bill Duffy and Billy Daly, but I haven't read them,” answered Cohan, and continued: “Only those who are not creators and who bring no material to the radio and the musical world are opposed to adequate returns to song writers and composers. “I am not here to plead for myself. I’ll get along all right, but I am here to plead for those whose only source of revenue is the compensation they receive through A.S.C.A.P. for their performed works."