Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-10

cluding one increasing the pension of the
widow Of Gen. Robert Anderson, the hero
of Fort Sumter, to 800 month.
! The House at ten O'Clock adjourned.
General Congressional News.
The Senate committee on patents gave a
hearing Friday morning to gentlemen inter
ested in the pending International Copy
right bill.
George Walter Green, secretary and coun-
sci of the American Copyright League stated
that never before. in the history Of copyright
agitation had there been that unanimity of
purpose which now existed on that part of
all classes. A few years ago. when a like
hearing was had before the committee, there
was absolute want of harmony.
Today every organization concerned and
every class of the great American people,
the great consuming public, was practically
unanimous in endorsement of the pending
bill. 1t was time that the stigma Of piracy
were removed from all concerned In the
book trade because they were all pirates. so
long as the present condition continued.
In reply to the many questions propounded
by the committee Mr.. Stedman said in sub
stance that he didn't think the proposed law
would materially increase the price of books
by American authors in this country but
that it would increase the sale Of such books
very largely, because they would then have
equal chances with the hooks of the English
French and German authors. He thought
the passage of the proposed law would ee
vate American taste Mr.. Eggleston of
New York and Mr.. Walsh of Philadelphia,
also spoke in favor of the bill. Michael
Corcorau of Cambridge, Mass, of the press
mans union, gave the committee information
e Al l. Ii n. L,.
ness.
Gardner G.. Hubbard of Washington, op-
posed the bill as one the only effect of which
would be (and the only reason for asking it
was) to increase the price of books. He
claimed to represent sixty million people in
the United States and argued that the Amer
lean authors were better protected under the
existing laws than American inventors, the
former being protected for ~ years and the
latter only IL years. He declared there was
no such thing as the right of property to be
found anywhere in the annals of the world,
and no such thing as the natural right of
property.
Dana Estes of Boston, secretary of the
International Copyright Association, spoke
in favor of the measure. He thought the
American author was fully protected now IN
his own country, but that he was not pro-
tected from competing foreign wares, which
were put upon the market by American pub
fishers, not only lessening the sales of the
works of the American author, but often
preventing them from being published at all,
because the American publisher would say,
why should pay for your work when
can use equally good foreign work without
any cost to me?" He spoke of France as
country whose authors were the best pro-
tected and whose books were the cheapest
and laid il down as demonstrated fact that
where the broadest protection was given
books they were the cheapest
Senator Hiscock said As | understand it
the only change proposed by the bill in the
existing law (outside of the reciprocity sec
tom is that the proposed measure opens the
United States to copyright by foreign au-
thors.
Estes-That is all there is of H.
Hiscock-And it has another provision that
,hey cannot take advantage of it except for
books that are printed In this country.
Estes-Yes, 1t has these two elements.
As an illustration of the lack of conscience
on the part of English book pirates he men
toned the case of q book by an American
suthor on the pleasures Of being an Ameri-
can child. which was repubished in Glasgow
and made to apply to British children, while
the name of the author was retained and the
list of his other books.
Eygleston here explained in reply to other
questions by Hscock, that if foreign works
were copyrighted in this country they could
not be pirated, cheap editions would not be
issued and American authors would thus be
secured from the unfair competition to which
they are now subjected,
The House committee on military affairs
agreed to report favorably on the Cutcheon
bill appropriating s7,435,000 for coast de-
fences.
/ The investigation of trusts was continued.
Parsons stated that in the case of the North
River Refining Co. of which Mr.. Mellen was
the principal owner, there was transfer
of interests after Moller signed the agree
1 ment, as he desired to withdraw. Then Searles
of the Sugar Trust Board bought out Mr..
! Mellen. The par value Of the stock OF the
/ North River Co. was $3.50. 900, Searles paid
| ss25. 900 cash for it. When the stock was
/ turned over to the trust its certificates TO the
amount of 500, 200 we're given in lieu of 1t.
/ less than Is per cent. or Sa95,ooo net, TINS
ratio of exchange however the witness main
ta;ned was no criterion as to dealings with
other refineries. Chairman Bacon pressed
the witness as to the amount of certificates
owed bv varions parties to the trust. Par
SONS declined to answer for the reason that it
was simply private matter. The chairman
announced that the, committee decided not
to press the question for the present. Con.
tinuing Parsous said the board believed 20
nar cent. of trust capitalization of s5e,ooo,-
eOO was represented by real nroperty OF
xarions refneries and the other 80 per cent.
by paten. rights, experience and good will
Of the members of the trust board
Parsons stated that the machinery and pro-
cesses for combined manufactures did not
tend to dispense with labor. John pod-
worth of the New York Commercial Bullet
in. testified that both raw and refined sugar
had advanced since the formation OF the
trnst Francis B. Thurber of New York
said the price of standard sugar had ad'