The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-08-20

Ii
men for hand
ling tho books 177,3S033
We have a to-
tai deduction
of .............. 31s,259.26
And aremain-
der of. 56S,642.39
Thus it is evident that if the public
had bought these books directly from
as the unnecessary expenses of adj
vertising, and Of paying middlemen
for handling them, being avoided, the
books would have cost them only
1858, 642.39, being almost SO per
cent less than 1886, 901. So which they
have paid for them, and our net pro-
ceeds would have been none the less.
A BETTER ILLUSTRATION.
The above figures show clearly the
possibility of great reduction from
our prices as heretofore given, with
out diminishing our net income, but
they do not necessarily show that it
is possible for us to manufacture and
sell books at such low prices pithout
loss us. AS we have never made pre-
tense of publishing books from char
table or philanthropic motives, and
do not wish our friends to think we
are doing so at loss, we will give
conclusive and interesting illustra-
ton of how we can afford these low
prices.
LIBRARY OF UNIVERSAL KNOWLEDGE.
After a labor of nearly two years
by an able corps of American edit
ors and writer's, for whose services
we have daid nearly $4,000, we have
within the brief period OF less than
ten months made electrotype plates
for the Library of Universal Knowl-
edge at a further cost of nearly $780,
600, making a total investment on
this work of about 100000 This la
Dor all being done and paid for, the
5 large octave volumes, making the
largest Cyelopgdia ever published in
this country, can be manufactured
at cost per set of ID volumes of
For paper......... .......,.........x2 OF
For printing. ........................ DC
For binding. ................. ..... 2 As
Total........... ......-......$5 96
These c,cctrotype plates which we
have manufactured will readily print
100000 copies, and then by slight re-
pairing will print from 10000 to
to 100000 additional copies, but to
make Jour estimate absolutely safe
we will assume that it will be neces-
sary to manufacture new set of cleo
trotype plates after 60, 600 copies have
been printed Thus we must add to
the above cost of the manufacture
Of one set of the books ($5.96), an
additional 81 as the proportionate
cost of the plates for each set of l5
volumes. A further item must also
be added to cover expenses of office,
handling, shipping, etc, which expe-
rience leads us to estimate below so
cents per set, but as we must do at
least safe business we will add, in
stead, for this item another 81, max
ing the total cost Of manufacture and
handling the Is octave volumes of the
Library of Universal knowledge,
$7.96.
Thus YOU see that il we sell copy
of this great Encyclopedia even at
the net price of $40, we still have a
net profit of over -. AS we have al
ready sold about $4,000 sets in adj
vance of completion, we think it very
safe to estimate land we have heard
of neither friend nor enemy who
makes an estimate lower) than we
shall sell, as fast as we can manufac-
-ture them, at least 100000 sets, and
allowing our figures above given to
be correct, we have the comfortable
sum of 100000 to cover contingcn-
cies, and dividends to our stockhold-
crs.
As some of our friends may ques-
ton whether our estimates above are
perfectly safe, and as we have heard
of some instances where the accura-
cy Of figures previously given by us
has been disputed by our enemies,we
will say that the cost of paper is put
at 8 cents per pound, the cost of press
work at $120 per thousand impress
sions, and the cost of binding at 161
cents per volume.
THE PRACTICAL POINT.
We now come to the practical
point, in which you are Interested
how you may get the books you want
at the lowest possible cost.
1t is evident that it can only be
done by your doing away, so far as
you are concerned, with your i'm
mense expenditure for advertising,
and with the commissions which we
or you are compelled to pay the mid
dlemen, if you buy through the mid
dlemen.
Another extremely important point
In enabling us to afford the lowest
possible price is that we receive quick
returns for the investments we have
made.
You readily see that we have in
vested about 100000 cash, before we |
we're able to offer you a complete set |
Of the Library of Universal Knowl-