The Portland daily press., 1865-06-23
The Price Of Books,

Il
We copy nom the Cicinnati Literary Heess
ter, the following article, not only because the
facts itmsntions should be known generally in
justice to book publishers, but because what
is true in the publication of books, inregard
to cost of labor and material, is equally true Oh
the publication of newspapers, and anoras
equally strong reason why their price snoalo
not be brought down to that OF lne ior-
mer times OF peace. NAP
before the Great rebellion, books, m tnis'
country s,ero .e,'hlished at prices which, in
eemrsy;snn nil, the rates charged by Europe
an nnh,;shars. and relatively to the prices OF
othsr Il sicies Of mel ehandise, were very low.
Th;s rev out OF such reasons as desire to
campete successfully with English books, and
cut. throat competition among publishers, e.
pecially of school-books, stimulated by the
popular cry for educational facilities. The
natural consequence of this state Of affairs
was to have been anticipated. The business
of publishing, as general rule, was not re-
munerative, in comparison with most Of the
other pursuits Of commerce.
The war came, and with it stagnation Of
trade for time-espeeially in such branches
as the book trade, which may be said to repre-
sent articles of luxury rather than OF prime
necessity. The reaction incident to the inn
mense demands of the Government Tor neces-
saries OF life-to the yastincrease of the eircu-
alton and the depreciation of the currency
and to the riches SO many acquired rapidly and
itquandered lavishly --affecled the trade OF the
book maker about the last OF all. Not but that
the cost OF getting up books increased at an
early day, with tine necessity which compelled
laboling men to pay high prices for bread and
meat, but because the price of book is a COM
paratively fixed thing-announced in adver-
easements, proclaimed in circulars, published
6 In cat alog ues--notl to be altered except Tor
grave reasons, justifying the Publisher In un-
settling that which he has been at SO much
trouble and expense TO impress upon the COM
munity. The necessities of the case, however,
at last overcame all objections, and publish
ers made one advance. The inertia OF habit
of trade having been overcome, prices nat.
urally followed the upward tendency OF things,
and books kept pace with the market. At
present, the price of books Is reasonably high,
but we do not think that, in the two years
past, during which the upward movement has
been going on. step by step, books have at
tined price corresponding with other arti-
cles, Ato the composition of which enters
similar class Of materials and like kind OF
work. In fact, aside from what profit Pub
fishers may have made by the advance OF
stocks on hand, we are sure they are making
less money In proportion to the capital inves-
ted than during the period of very low prices.
The question then naturally arises, and is
asked every day by book dealers, and by gen.
tlemen DESTROYS Of buying libraries, when
are books coming DOWN." This is a difficult
question to answer positively but we are free
to say that books will not come down this
year, at any rate, to any appreciable extent,
In the first place, the ma serisl TO make up
the stock for the next fall's trade is already
being contracted for at figures in many in
stances as high as they have attained. Is u
In the second place, the premium On gold
does not seem likely to fall very low for some
time yet ;yand thus, in addition to the usual
effect oil a depreciated currency on prices gem
rally, the duty on foreign rags and other
necessary material is to remain, in fact, at q
much higher rate than its nominal figure.
| In the third place, though paper may go
down considerably, yet there are SO. many
other matters entering into the composition
OF books, that prices will not materially, ii
at all, be shaken by such depreciation alone.
Fourthly, as we have remarked above, pub
fishers are not now clearing proportionately
as much money as before the war, so that
they viii have to regain fheir margin before
they will begin to consider the question of re-
ducing prices. e, -. .4.,sss
FC41SASC IL tAAr Oot otCh4 Va COuApCbl-
! ton. and found it neither pleasant nor. profit
able, and as by reason of controlling the copy
rights OF the American books they issue, they
cannot be undersold or interfered with f1rth-
er than by the competition Of other and diff
ferent works, they will be impelled by all the
ordinary motives which regulate human ac-
tons to keep up prices as long as their margin
OF profits shall not be exorbitant, and even
then the tendency will rather be to increase
discounts to dealers than TO bring down retail
prices.
If pretty thorough inquiry among Pub
fishers over the United States will justify us,
we may claim in this matter to speak by the
card II Is certainly the present feeling and
determination to keep up prices near the cur
rent standard during this year, at least. And
when they commence to decline, they are like
ly to go down slowly. The very habit Of cat
aloguing books and fixing the price by which
every dealer is guided. is one that makes it
unpleasant and iuconvenient to change often
or violently, so that scarcely anything short of
necessity will induce a fall. stsh ffAsA
-4 La kline A. r---4>-4A of fha counfrr in
the immediate futufe-leaded with a Ia-sa No
| tiOnal debt. to carry (which will -raquire high
tariffs and heavy direct taxation-we cannot
expect that prices will during this generation
If ever, reach the low level which existed ia
the "piping time OF peace" before "grim-vis-
sg'd war" drove commerce from its old chan
nels.