The record-union., 1896-07-12
TWO REPRoACHEs REMOVED.

in the Critic recently there was a
letter from Its London correspondent
upon the effect of the bicycle on the
hook trade in England. The correspond
ent ascertained for the CRITIC that the
wheel has much injured the book trade,
but only in one direction, namely, it has
made the weekly novel. the society
novel, fashionable fiction and the light
reading matter unstable. because the
readers of that character OF literature
are awheel in their hours of leisure. The
result is that a vast line Of popular
novels listed to be published last spring
and this summer have been put over
until October.
Why until October, we ask? and the
answer is that the patrons Of these pub
ncations are of the class who confine
their riding to the inner row of Re-
gents Park, to see and be seen. These
will abandon the wheel presently until
next summer again, and In the mean
while will return to their favorite nov
els. But this does not apply, says the
correspondent, to that large class OF
sensible people who use the wheel for
the good that it does them and not be-
cause of a fad or a craze, or to see and
to be seen
Are we to conclude from this that the
Critics correspondent, one of the best
by the way, means to imply that these
sensible riders are not readers? Prob
ably not What he means is that they
read pretty much. as Of old, but not the
class of literature that the inner circle
riders affect. So we form the judgment
that the damage to the book trade in
England Is rather a beneficial thing for
the cause of good literature.
But we now have the subject present
ed In our own country in local light
The New York Times recently set out
to ascertain how far wheeling has af-
fected the reading of books in this coun-
try. at least as reflected by the sales OF
dealers and publishers. The Putnams
inform the Times that the result has
been disastrous to the trade; that after
a mans days business Is over he can
not find time to indulge in his book anc
also In his favorite pastine. Literary
pursuits. therefore, suffer before physical
endowment and betterment. But the Put
MANS think this effect will be only tenn
porary. Their theory IS that wheeling
means a large increase in vigor ano
good health among the people. and thai
once the present phase of the wheeling
Measure is over, this better physica
condition will manifest itself in a prac-
tical manner. and people will be able tC
read more and enjoy books better. L
will be observed that the Putnams d.
not speak of any specific class of publ
cations as taking injury, but the whole
book trade.
Leggat Brothers testify that the ef
feet upon the trade has been "deplora
hIeD viewed from the booksellers
standpoint They declare that they hav'
lost more money In the past four year!
than they made in the preceding six
teen, and bicycling they insist is th'
main. n not the only cause Of the trou
ble This seems improbable. It is |
statement altogether unreasonable
since there has been business depres
sion In other lines to which wheeling
could bear no possible relation, it Is un
thinkable that other causes have no
operated upon the book trade. e. I
Tuition & Co, Charles Scribner's Sons
Dodd. Mead & Co. and Harper Brother
all express the opinion that the bool
trade has not been materially affected
bv the wheel. These. then, more thar
offset the opinions of the PutnaIns ant
the Leggats-
we may conclude. then. that tn
"critic's' correspondent is pretty nea
10 the mark In his judgment The mat
ter ia of interest In this. that if it wer
true people cease to read because of en-
1arged outdoor exercise. it would argu
that their literary ukings and intellect
nal recreations are not strong, and w
ara uable to be easily disturbed w