New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-22
copvp,ngT IND BOoK.PRIOES.

The movement 1Or SNP'
has never before reached the point IL marhS
to-day. bill harmonizing for the lirst tin'e
all the conflicting interests has now Deeh APP
proved by the respective committees OF Do'h
houses of Congress. There appears 10 nave
been no real opposition in the House judiciary
Committee. which is of itself most gratifying
and encouraging circumstance; though several
members reserved the right to oppose the Dill
later. Copyright bills have several times sue
cessfully run the gauntlet OF the committee III
one house or the other, but never have stoou
On this footing in both at once, and have never
presented the question in such shape as 10
receive the united support of all the interests
concerned The tenor of the adylces from
Washington is so encouraging that there seems
to be good ground for hope that the bill VIII
be passed from moral and patriotic motives
and without regard to party lines
The only weapon the opponents Of inter
national copyright have left is the threat that
books will be made dearer. This has been very
effectively used especially in the West, and
many of the advocates Of copyright have I'M
thinkingly accepted the prediction as correct
going on to argue that we ought to get our
books honestly, or not at all. This IS sound
enough, but there is no need Of any such con-
cession TO the enemy If the passage OF TINS
bill will make any books dearer-and some lew
it probably will-they will not be such that the
mass of people will feel the increase at all. On
the other hand the direct effect of copyright
in general is to cheaper books. The proof OF
this is to be found in the fact that books are
much dearer in the United States than in coun-
tries having international copyright, the diher-
ercc being tco great TO lie due entirely to diner
ences in cost of production Many OF the
earnest friends of copyright are just waking up
to this fact and DIR. Edward Eggleston con-
fessed the other day at Washington that he was
one of those who had changed his views. The
most practical statement regarding the probable
effect of the law in this direction has been made
by Mr.. Brander Matthews. The statistics used
were those Of 1886-:he latest available. OF
the 1910 books published in this country in
that year, 275 were school-bOoks, and these
would not be made dearer. as practically all
our school-bOoks ale written by Americans.
One-tenth, or 49, were law-books, and these
are, necessarily, mostly American. Books
classed under science and theology numbered
894. or nearly 2 per cent and these are seldom
pirated nowadays. International copyright
could not make them dearer. The class includ-
ing history, literary history, biography, poetry,
etc..-nearly all Of "belles lettres" except
fction-number 1,121, or nearly one-quarter
of the whole. Most Of these are American
books, or where they are not, they cost no more
than they would if they were American books.
The lack Of international copyright does not
give us cheap "solid reading" The best
known issues Of cheap books are the Franklin
Square Library" and Harpers Handy Series"
They issued in that year 116 books-only five
of them were by Americans; 90 were novels
Juveniles numbered 458, or one-tenth Of the
books published in the United States in 1885,
but here the law would have no i'll effect.
America produces the best juveniles now, and
exports its juvenile magazines to England.
There is only one important class of books
COMMUNICATION, which numbered 1,080, or
nearly Fourth of the whole. The law would
undoubtedly affect these. 1t would no longer
be possible for the trash poured out by horde
of obscure English noveists to be sold for next
to nothing. There would be less Of it pub
lished and Sold more American novels would
be published. We should gain in every way.
AS for the effects already seen in countries
having international copyright, every traveller
knows that in France and Germany books are
far cheaper than here. Well printed books can
be bought there for five and even two cents.
Similar tendencies are already showing them
selves in England where there are curious re-
strictions upon book-publishing Figures like
these are conclusive.