New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-30
ryGLJSH AUTHORS And AMERICAN PUB-
LISHLRS.
,rrrrDs FROM GEORGE W. sMALLEY AND WILLIAM
BLACK.
FfOnl nc ANennVin.

From
II onDpars from INC cOpOus cOrre-
ronl'ncc vol have printed that Ne'sr, sampson Low
mnr,ion Co are the English publishers OF Nf. IiaIt
JtT.-o novels Mr.. Russell signed e Hela! cou.iuVt
49,, tI. i'm terms which they construed as ehuhS
them 10 sell yancc sheets 10 NtSNT'' NV IN, m 81,
trct,ts 6ftnc fact that be had con'eyeG away 10
Mcs.r- sampson Low CO. TINS IlEht MI i ill., "l
iapt o HE fa, that they had sold advance seoiS al NE
novels ignorant that the llGlef9 nau Do4' i 5V d Az
1hIt his publishers hdd received uuT i h ,d
money Hearing that large editions oil ms noohS ma
irr o1d in tic United states, lac naturally complains TO
iur.bc lie obviously supposed that II any body III
tuu,l va, 10 ,t auytihg IRON these American sIIe'
he Ought get IL, and not N'sSi7 .;'HlUl w.
ton 4 Co II wrong in any 3i Inc, pIt'tr' ~
Marston or Mr. Clark Russell Viii doubtless 81 me Isht
nnt Mr. M1rston WiH pcnaj' III any li rarf onV has
able compctr r narrative T "fT ,5t T' clicT
t. hc an accurate summary OF the mater a. uAoH'e" III
!G, y , ,nction wish to ask Is this: DO or do not
English publishers or any ot them MAKE PIacuco Oh
selling to American publishers an E'slNn aHtnod iiS'
ar in ,lsc M Marstou- phrase MS conuusch- inter
cts vitnont the knowledge OF the EShsh aalhor, ana
do they retain the proceeds OF the'e sues "o,,l Tue
. 10 o b oioIIly ON account thor pracc, from
Incurred '.cii o''I IN. d.t.-1 Them nor in YOUR
c1lIn,ns attach them But think Americans may rea-
,"ahy u0ulr whether any part OF this obloqny can be
f,,ri nirrrcd from American publishers 10 the broad
shoudcr, of their ENGLISH brethren some sL-h' NlItt
of the burden might tBc place should II TURN out 'hat
,be A,nrricns have paid where they were not
known have paid. AMI where inc autii mac I'S'lNo"
mo bpncft from their payment. 10 not I0r one mo
,not .1I,rosc That English publishers are not strictly
,i, thdr LEGAL n fhts or that they do not consider
nerfrctly justified in their dealings with Eng
iish authors do the American puHlstrs' ne Piht
u what the public ana me authoI VIII '4Hh Va
Ihe whole truth Il known u W. g
NV object in adding to this correspondence, the
beginning cf which happened not TO nave seen Is 10
10 ,,rr So tcStimonv for think. when direct at
Tack j. made on an American firm. English authors WHO
have hpcu fairlV aud even literally. Uoated ~ thdt nIh
for years and years back, Ought ia common "9u.E 10
come forward and say 50. My testimony, then Is TINS:
tbnC The IIaipers have been my American Qubscrs iof
over dozen wears; and that althoueh no one can De
src the ,,tnis hment OF international copNlSht more
4Lon 40, I Greatly doubt whether, hdd international
con,riOht Alstcd shOud have been uuCH DtlIer On;
whc besides the fairness Of their pecary arrange
Jnrnts they have always shown themselves
most courteous and friendly, which also counts
Tor something in this masic-anteih SORT OF
Irnrl III me give one Instance. Last
wear Mcssrs Perry Mason CO. OF l'ooto a-Aed me 10
srite short story for their Youths CODbGn0H and as
bSnrencd TO ma c subject handy, did 80. For the
American use of this story Of ten columns thY sent Inc
check for a considerable sum, 50 hal hau 10 llght 10
cvnect an thing further from That h'dc or the water
However the Mcssrs. Harper wrote 10 Perry Mason
little volume price dollar; ana Mt the same tIlnc
wrote 10 me Informing me of the circumstance ana say
ing they would pay royalty or ten PER cent on al
oonies od These facts To be noted: hrSt hdd al
ready been amply paid for the thing such as IL was sec
oud if there any kind of property IN IL IN Alnerlc)
That belonged Perry Mason Co, ana, thild that the
permission reprint along win the use OF Two or fee
small wood blocks granted 10y that firm after had
ceased 10 have ANYTHING do with the story. Now the
addition al fact that the Harpcrs should unsouGht write
and undertake 10 pay this royalty speaks for itself
wander how many English fir ms there are whO IN sim
far circuus stances. would have done inc IKE nope
there are a great many but am not sure 49,