New-York tribune., 1875-08-14
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
THE BOOKsELLERS REFORM MOVEMENT.
OBJECTS or THE AssOCIATIOS-rHs EVILS OV UsDEH-
SELLING.


SELLING.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Your correspondent, A. p. c., takes
ground a,anst tho booksellers Reform movement ana
makes the following points;
That the movement attempt 10 place the book
trade on the monopoly basis and 10 increase tho already
enormous profits Of publisher and dealer.
H. That the of underseIlng Is an advantage 10
the people large and should bo encouraged by the
bookbuyers.
As these are the opinions OF number OF persons
In every community will You allow me 10 soy thst " Is
established fact that business In the co"nry pays
small aggres gate profit the capital invested ~
the publishing and selling OF miscellaneous books-whe
In the closing up Of such business there saiaT9er ds
prcation and greater loss than in any otheri II is also
an established fact that tho retailer must make an aver
age profit OF 80 per cent on his sales or to pnses"
not worth following Should this percentage seem ire
let borne in mind that the risk he taxes ana 'he
s,eck he carries must always he largo In pro.ioh 10
the amount OF business ransaced-for The BUSINESS IL
one OF slow growth and limited in its character ana
cannot he pushed larger proportions Ike 'he ory
goods or grocery trade Your correspondent says that
very small stocks Of miscellaneous books are kepl
in villages Of less than 5000 nhaDi.,is. q, , nnSrp
The operations Of this reform must DC i1rc orc 10 t,e, h
to so>e distant 0verSer nSer'ook, The DGnt that
il il this very system Of undertaking III the ctae a
tbpt s aoration is one Of the great objects OF the
form movement The average discount allowed to the
THs I'e 11 honSsesr ' in town Of 1900 nhabitsns, with
his sales amounng 10 Ti5ooo IN tne c29tse % gc,,
This would give gross profit of ZOO II NE N
which would include interest on NE caplia wv - p
ccnabout tho net rl"dos @ wts tha o.scs 'y
81 500 of which must ultimately come te iosSes w. Wy
dcprce atien OF stock, bad debts ec Bnt slFioS&c & m
offers all his tcmcrs discount OF ~ per e'i' ,D
the retail prices. what then 10 lew yGs b ne %
up. and the pablo has been benenlea ny te 49,, r%uiu, %
Of s local bookstore which is nothing less ' '"e
Take The CITY Of Newark \ j. which your CORE
spondent a a. Place whFs 81 s,e c"mmnity a IT
large Thas city, which pay. living prot OH It. pl,o y,
and meat and dry goods and groceries, IS s. her%" of o
profit to these who sell them. # the people o: taat
r~ir 1niuS that they are benefited by this system o.
uuderscling they greatly mistaken NO Dooh-sens
house thero will long continue 30 carry on he "uslsS
adequate basis wth me preseh. scic % oi pi.
and for simple that 1t cannot be donc wtho
withdraw their adequate capital for 0hef inyesnenS'
Mhic the Others will on lessoninS the soch o. DOCKS
and increasing the STOCK OF fancy goods bry M ooyhs
only a, orders ATE received for them until that city, WIN
it 900 inhabitants, Will lind itself without woli np-
pointed n%oSs'"I S I sc WI, nave 10 "ep'"' upon
AmJ now VIII Your corrrsponicnt kindly remember
that every book pab-hcd has wholesale price, ana n
retail price, and that 10th these are hxcd upon as,e
taat affords only lair nar.n oi pisut 10 & o.
maintain the retail price Oh the Ictlli saic tnat ,he
dealer. unless he gets that price cdnno' Yo pt "a, p,s
ness and that II l. .hc ptrlcOuS oyso'h "I u"rs.s
'I'. I ,o' ,r, ON. who from choice or Necessity has
ad0pied IT and finally, ths 1t Is underso!iln@ IN ia"
c;tifs ina has wrakrrrd or destroyed the local book
store in So many of the Thriving towns and Villages OF
he eoIIiryi Your correspondent says: " In m} travels
fnd tat The price have 10 ray for TIE TEBu ~ .a!e'
fIuul t0 10 cents. II | wcte believer
in the boak-tr;.de logic would tsK 1hn
Tribune Association 10 sell to no dealer ahO
asked over io,lr f0r a. its apers To exaino
the Illus ration o your cOrree pcnte1t, let us aupOs"
That there are hIec ncwsiealcrs III vernon where ne re-
sides TnETRBUN is sold there at Ave cents copy the
cNpgess charges competing TINS advance over me Me-"
YORK price At this price the dealer stu haS Oiy Nv
ing profit one OF Che dealers however 6tE'yiig mat
"uiGersIing - popular with Tie people. ana iidt lhc
sysiin II he adopts II viii Drlng him al TIE bhsincs- cuts
down The tIcc - four or course the other IN, rs
imu.fatey do the same. At the end OF Few nlOh,ls
non, " them being able 10 live 10y the business abandon
il; and 50 Vernon saving it, daily penny mas ms' i'
dealers, The who must ana viii have IHt TRIBUNE
Will subscribe ior =, but many OF e dilI pui cnaseis
viii manage to get along without IL. Aud now, may
ask your correspondent. II the people or vernon WOad
make or lose hy such system of Ind'fseing Ger
taipy the circulation Of newspapers l. increased by Tie
agency of ts ana tGc sale of books II largely
secured by thcr exposition ioE SAFE on the cOueFa Oi
bookstore. H.
Ne,r- YORK. Aug. 1, 575.