Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-26

good profit. He sends his trash all owe,
the country and especially into the small
towns and the lesser cities. The news
stands and bookstores are stocked fall Of
the issues. When the legitimate publisher
would sell to the dealers works that will
De of benefit to humanity, and that must
IN consequence bring a living price, the
dealer says to him. See. l am all stocked
up, and these sell to a class. and / don't
find for you books AT first the
Library publisher of the order to which
refer may issue fairly good matter. He
uses all he can of standard works in the
absence of international copyright laws,
but these soon run out, and having gained
some prominence he turns to the machine
writers and the mills begin to send out the
yalueless matter referred to-"
You look upon the results as democrat
izing?n
They certainly are !"
"What are the chances for an interna-
tional copyright law ?"
Very good now. We came very near
getting it through at the last session of
Congress. The sentiment of the people is
with the authors, 1 think. The publishers.
who once hotly opposed Us, have been sat-
isied by notifications made. The printers
next stood i'll our way, but they have been
convinced, and the provision requiring the
composition to be done in this country has
made them our friends. All that threatens
now is on the other side of the water, and
relates to our foreign colleagues. Some of
the printers over there are saving to the
authors abroad, IF you permit n of your
writings to be set up in America we will
refuse to put any of your matter in type at
home"
What is the business outlook now at
the East ?n
Il think good. but really l am no Judge,
ana nave no right to express an opinion"
But mo literary men tell of the
financial condition by the activity of the
markets in which they ere Immediately in
terested p"
Not of course. The fact is, that in
hardest times some of the greatest activity
is manifest among publishers. For in
stance, the two editions of the American
Cyclopadia happened to be put out in the
two years of financial panic and trial. 1857
and 1873. Yet they met with O
sales, and were not at all affected by the
hard times"
How may that be accounted for ?"
Probably on the theory that men with
money in such seasons finding no security
for it that is entirely satisfactory, spend it
for books, and probably for Injuries, which
they would deny themselves if their money
could be earning them interest. However,
what | state is a fact. and is testified to by
publishers of valuable books
rs authorship we'll rewarded now?n
Among the good writers for periodicals,
yes; among the makers of books not so
well. and very few make much money!
You have noted the effect of the COM
petition of the Canadian transcontinental
railways upon the traffic Of our own
roads,"
1T is not surprising. I am not, how
ever, informed as to the present details. L
look back to the prime cause of all this. In
1o44 the cry was: $40 or fight and on
that Mr.. Polk went in. But it was neither
54-4O. nor fight. The line went down to
40, and now the British, with equally as
good ports as ours on the Pacific, control an
outlet that we should have dominated.
1t is much to be regretted hat the re-
suit is now what it is; but 1
am not informed as to the injury the roads
of the United States are receiving from the
unequal competition forced upon them. l
can understand, however, how it can be
as you state.