New-York tribune., 1900-12-29
ROCKS AND AUTHORS.
CURRENT TALK OF THINGS PRESENT
AND TO COME

CURRENT TALK OF THINGS PRESENT
AND TO COME.
Indications are that there will be a large num-
Der of good books published in New-York the
coming spring in response to the same good de-
mand spri1ging from the country's general
prosperity that has made the holiday trade so
active In the case of publishing houses with
English connections this is further stimulated
by the activity in the London houses preparing
for the trade of the London season." The
season In London is better time for pub
fishing than the holiday period, because in Eng
land Christmas is more of rural festival, while
everybody is in town for the season" and. be-
ing nearer the sources of supply. more disposed
to buy books.
Lord Rosebery's Napoleon: the Last Phase
has already reached it's sixth edition.
Under the title of Architects of English
Literature" E P. Dutton & Co will publish at
an early date a collection of biographical
sketches of great writers, from Shakespeare to
Tennyson, by r. Farquharson Sharp. They
written, the author says in an endeavor to dis
entangle the from the mass of biographical
detail that often surrounds him; to give an
impression of the personality of each author in
a succinct narrative. A special feature of the
book is a page of fac-simile of the handwriting
of each man included. taken. with the excep-
ton of the Shakespeare signature from the
British Museum collection.
The committee appointed by the new Publish
ers' Association last summer to devise means for
correcting abuses in the publishing trade, es-
pecially the matter OF price cutting. has made
a report that is printed in THE Publishers
Weekly" The committee recommends that the
association be Incorporated, and submits
draft of bylaws that contain provisions for the
enforcing of the discipline deemed necessary to
meet the prevailing conditions. The objects of
the association. among Others are to reform
abuses" to secure freedom from unjust or un-
lawful exactions" and to procure uniformity
and certainty in the customs and usages of the
trade and commerce of book publishing" to
settle differences between it's members and be-
tween them and others carrying on business
with them, and to provide rules and regulations
tending to promote the best interests of its
members
If a member shall be charged with violating
any provision of the bylaws or any resolutions
hereafter adopted by the association, or charged
with conduct inimical to its interests. or shall
refuse to be governed by the acts of the asso-
citation, he shall be summoned to appear before
the directors to answer the charges If the
charges are sustained the association shall make
such oroer or resolution in the premises it
may deem proper and expedient. The report is
signed by G. B. NJ. Harvey. chairman; George
P. Brett and Frank H Dodd The Board of
Directors for the first three years is to consist
of Charles Scribner, George Mif1in George P
Brett, G. B. NJ. Harvey, General A. c. Mcclure
Craig Lippincott, Colonel Daniel Appleton
FRANK II. Scott and Frank NJ Dodd 1t is not
expected that any decisive steps will be taken
until after a meeting of the association some
time in January. but it is hoped that a new
basis for trade action will be put in practical
operation for the spring.
AS is well known, the principal abuse to be
remedied is the ,denoralization caused by price
cutting. Concerning the matter 1.-THE Publish
ers' Weekly" says seditorially:
1t is not possible at the present writing to in
dcate what the line of action is likely to be- but
some things may be considered certainties. The
publishers do not intend to make the movement
basis for increasing the price of books as sold
by them, and will profit only as a better dis
tributing system increases their total sales. The
movement will be- based a full recognition
of this point: that the advertised prices of books
are no longer fact but fiction, and that they
work to the disadvantage of the public as well
as the trade by enabling purchasers to
get the better of others on articles which ought
to be of standard price. This idea of actual
standard price, on which the whole business of
book dealing is based, has been adopted in later
years by manufacturers of and dealers in a
number of patented or trademark articles .
This reasoning applies specifically to copyright
books where the author, the publisher his
agent, is entitled to place his wares before the
public on a definite basis, in which the competi-
ton is rather with quality than with price .
Naturally, there will be to apply this
principle TO the classes of books which are not
proprietary l. E., the rival editions of authors
out of copyright, which are sold with reference
to mere cost Of paper and print since the ele-
ments of publishers risk and of authors re-
muneration have both dropped out of considera-
ton in such cases. The retailers as
pressed themselves as ready to join in a general
plan for the good of the trade which keeps in
view also the interests of the customer.
There is another side to this matter of dis
counts which is the cause of so much wailing
among the publishers" said one of them re-
ferring to the report of the committee of the
Publishers Association. THE great sales of
books that make records of three hundred thou
sand or four hundred thousand made possi-
BILE by the cut prices of the department stores;
they push this part of their business with the
same energy that makes them successful in
other lines If comes to you and says
How much discount will you give on three
thousand copies of such and such book?" can't
you afford to make him a cheaper price? On
such an order you get the printing and the
binding done more cheaply than on a small
number The ordinary little bookseller will come
TO you and say that he will take twenty copies
and perhaps he will take twenty more when
he sees how it goes. Then he puts a few in his
window and walks around with his hands in his
pockets waiting for the public to come in and
buy them. The other man gets a bigger dis
to- r6or,R axif6 tEa iaY