The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-07-31 00:00:00

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

TARIM 61Y01111

THE COMMITTEE ON ACTS RESPECTER,
RIGHTS OF PRINTED BOORS.

GI COPY..

Marti's, 23 die .UartN, 1813.
DAVIES GIDDY, Esq. in the -CWT.

Mr. TURD R heard on behalf of the bookrellen.

.1/e. Parry, bookseller, railed is, and examined.
Will the delivery of eleven copies be to yuu a grievance?
—I consider it will, in many installers.
lu what will tint grievance consist ?—Where small num.
hers are printed, it bearing much more in pluportiou in
small numbers than in large ones.
[Delivered in a paper marked A.]
Books printed in small numbers, if eleven copit• are de-
livered to Stationers' Hall,
Of 50 ... . it is
100
250
2 1.51 h
1,990 ....
2,000
5,000
If Parry.
Will the paper he the whole expense?—Crriainly net; 1
consider the paper of about 14th of the value when pub-
lished.
What make up the whole expenses of a work ?—They are
various: parr:basis of copy; editor, when copy is not our.
chased; paper; print; engraving ; copper-plate printing;
wood cars; hot-pressing; the risk of the capital; real ;
taxes; adveitising, and colouring Odes. Bad debts we
consider as part of the risk of the trade.
What proportion of those expenses a ill Ike eleven copies
bear?—The eleven topics will be iu the exact proportion, as
appears by the paper delivered in.
Meat effect will the delivery have on works, as to the un-
dertakings of such works should COUCCIVI., in many in-
stances, to prevent ihuse works being eugagid in, especially
where small numbers art intended to be printed.
. .•

1.. that likely to sfrret the ervenue?—Certnisily, tlir duly
on part( is very considerable. brine from I.4th to I.9th of
the value. The duty ou Reyes Cyclopedia, if completed iu
MI volume., would ansouut 1010,0001. and the duty on sd-
veiti.eittents would awniuut to at least 2,0)01

..... ......._ .
Ilas yunr trade any particular risk :—llany; as pub.
hither% and mattufatturers, paper benig the raw material;
but we cannot bring fun ward three or tour articles, as other
manufacturers du, hut must publish a large number, with
very great uncertainty as to the final result of the sale.
Is there not another copy tiara away?—There is; by the
Act fur preventing Seditiuu, use copy tassel be lodged with
the printer.
What were the expellees of the last edition of Shah.
PlWaft ?-5,8751, the edition of Joleusuu and Steeveus, by
heed, published in 1803.
Hun long was this selling?—Nine years.
W hat profit Al lag WAS gassiest upon IS by the proprie-
turs?—alic hook being MAC years in selling, deducting I Oils
in each year, charg.liez lowest on the remainder 5 per cent.
sad 5 Iwo cent. for the other exp. • e, servants wage., {smote
r. ut and taxes, left a profit of 3741. 16s. ur 6s. per copy to
the publiebee.
What would have been the actual !sum of giving the eleven
ropier there?—At' the edition was sold, 1211.; and would
knee lift unlit ds per copy Its the 'midi:hers.
la that laisa calculated AO the prime cost or selling Twice?
—Ost the wail pride.
6,1 added to the price of each enpyt do yen
apperbt aid the site would be intuit .1 " fled, ur in any de-
gree ? conceive not.
Will you be gem rally enabled to advance the price of
books to meet the, grievance, *llllOlll injurestg the sal. ?-
11Vitrie 11011111.. es ate piliited, I think nut; fur 250
mnst Wale an adva u.c of 5/. p.s coml.
lu fixing the price ef book, do you not confider you
ate in fin nisi@ directs copies grata.?—C. rtamii nut ; fur un-
til the late Oh C.t.11111 of Load 1:11...b..n.5eh, we did taut think
the penalty of one pelmy per sheet snatch at, and ihcsethic
did not amid the 4 1/r).t.h.
Would you not, au future, take it into consideration, and
filer liir pi ICC mewl Ilion,)? rettaittlY shall take it into
SWIM& ratios, but ass .gall numbers we must decline the
wu k.
Its estimatii.g the ie. tine • eat of 11 tropic*, do you. Include
• ploporlsost ut Ito .4.161.• o. sdvertiiiag, sit liousw-resit ndil
ta are; bad d.les, and. iu short, a proportion of the general
1r444.44. 41f. the Lad.. ?--As publahli: is we reliantly only include
the actual al, tr... the %suit: watt usf (pat iu t!'.^