New-York tribune., 1876-07-12
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOOK TRADE.
THEY GATHER AT Observation-Disclosures OF MR..
RANDoLPH-TuE COMMITTEE or Thirty.

THEY GATHER AT PHTLADELPHI t-ADDRFsS OF MIR.
RANDoLPH-THE COMMITTEE or Thirty.
IrRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TEInCNE.l
PuLApELPHIA, July 1.-The book trade
opened their Centennial gathering today For they too
found themselves unable 70 withstand thelaw OF social
gravitation and some time ago decided to change their
meeting place from Niagara To Philadelphia. This Conven-
tion which Is the third annual meeting Of the American
Book Trade Association, drew TO tie Judges i4 about
a hundred publishers and booksellers from different
parts OF the country, and how many WHO are nominay
in attendance were unable to escape from the atrac-
tions OF the Main Building, one could say.
The trade have their headquarters at the Belmont Hotel
which was this morning the OF the usual pre-
minary discussions. The chief points OF debate ard
action at his gathering are the working OF the agree
mcnt Of adherence 10 retaIl prices with limit oi 20
per cent discount for schools libraries, etc. and the re-
ducon of retail prices N oi which this agreement
was originally suggested by the meeting in Cincinnati
two years ago 1t difficult to say much about the seI
of te trade until The meeting Of the General Com
mittcc Oh Thirty tonight.
Tie trade was welcomed to Philadelphia, in n neat
speech regarding the Exhibition, by Mr. John A. Black
of tie Pnla elpia Committee Of Lyc, pon, who invit'd
tie Tadc 20 take rart in an excursion Ia Atlantic CITY on
Friday. The exercises oreuc with prayer b. the
Rev. w. j. shucy of Dayton Ohio, acr which the Pres.
drut Mr. A. j. f. R1udolph, delivered his annual ad
dress In the course Of his remarks he said:
In this vast display Of Tic products OF genius OF ahcr
and of arr e.
ms hand Of ali racesEow Simple and unpIet .nous are
the products exhibit. How few of al inc surgins
passes along Uur ccriiaos-pau'c even for moment IN
iIc presence of that silent aud majestic company We
EsS Silent sTitGu ee if the eIat altitude pas@c.
heeicssly all VI consciously hyi There some VINO
has sought and found 81 Palestine Mecca OF tDe
mine" Those who SEEK in this Exhibition tie cause
behind the fact must that the simple transactions OF
cHmmerc insufficient III themselves 10 hold III check
the selfish passions and forge tie bonds brotEeIhoId
ia Ygf.l
newspaper and the hook that, with life aud
lip aud pen, continually formulate and proclaim
i myriad f0nn ha, Interests 81 the i"w are ti' III
tcIosls of the manv td by ajeo;s reg ir ot ic rEhi'
of others ndiy ua reAts arc bet n"hialhgu. IL may
of though, and sentiment and doctrine Las had 10 90
with the charge thai las been hiddc.
Dwelling the importance OF organization, lie said hc
locked forward the day wien the Association should
be more useful tie United States grows 10 he the
gr, atcst boOlnakcr OF the world. c then took NJ The
practical questions before the Convention aTauinS that
despite dicuti the retail price rule has been
OF real benefit to tie trade iu the present Dun IS ,nrr-
gcncics and that reduction of prices cannot rightly be
Lad except standard publications Whose lar.c sac
permitted small profit. lie thought the clhcf difficulty
was that too many JooAs published that had no
| right to publication.
Tic heat in the Aall was great that the Convention
concluded that discretion the better part Of yalor
One or two reports read, lut tie only Important
business was the appointment Of General Committee Of
Thirty, whose represent fairly the leaders Of the
trade present, viz j. NJ. Gushing, Baltimore II. II.
West, Milwaukee; j. l.. Hammett, Boston II. L. SIM
mons Ncw-Yoik; H. I. Coates ard Geo Woods, Plila-
dcphia; r. X. BowScr, NewYork II. Vale, CinciLnat
W A. Inghan, Cleveland; W. II. Watson. Aurora, ILL., !;
". II. Gross Hartford; B. H. TiCknor ard ChlIlcs \.
Clapr, Bostcn Charles Humphrey, Adrian, Mich. NJ
Eator Crane Rapids; Sand. Rosers Locport, NY; the
Rev w. J. shucy, Dayton. OHIO; Alex Hills, Cincinnati
W. T. Draper, AndOyer, Mass; A. G. Barnes aud |. T.
Sheldon, n. Y; VIM Lcc, Boston; Ch2s. T. Dillingham;,
NY; II. II. Kimball and R0bt. Porter Pliilad phia;
CDas Ni.ev Nrw-York; ; T. II. D0dd Ncw-York ID. H..
Carroll Baltimore Chs. G.. Collins, American News Co.,
Ncw-York; Mr.. Tibbetts Providence, r. /. To these
were added the officers aud agent Of tie Association and
! the Convention then adjourncd Much of its wok is
done through this Committee which meets tonight and
| reports tomorrow.