New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-27

FIVE are to believe a plaintive correspondent
of ''1he London Morning Post the growing
popularity of our native romances has greatly
reduced our importation Of the foreign article,
and there has been "a general decline in the
values OF American rights OF British novels
We are told that "a British publisher of spirit
Is now visiting the States in order to investigate
this and other professional problems" Perhaps
we ought to shed sympathetic tears over the
plight of the BTitons now being edged out or q
lucrative market, but as a matter of fact we
see nothing to regret in the situation II the
publisher aforesaid is not only spirited, but
man Of open mind. he will tell his authors when
be returns to England that all they need TO do
In order to hold their own over here is to write
better books. No foreign novelist of genuine
ability misses his chance in this country; on
the contrary, he is sure of an appreciative au-
dience and of substantial returns 1t Is only
the mediocrity who is going to the wall, and
that strikes US as being a good thing for all
concerned. 1t is true that the American novel
ist who IS displacing him is often mediocre
enough. but that is beside the point If we
must put up with twaddle. let us at any rate
have as little of If as possible
An article in 1.-THE Author" on recent changes
in the book trade contains some Interesting ref
erenceS to the conditions with which the small
bookseller has nowadays to reckon The cir
culating library has grievOus influence upon
his business, and SO has the department store
For his losses he is himself also to be blamed,
in some measure; IT has often been asserted
Of late that he is not always as well trained
n man as he ought to be. There has been talk
Of a School Of Book Selling. MANY assistants
I might almost say most Of the assistants
in booksellers shops in Germany" Mr.. William
Hcineman is quoted as having said, have
matriculatCd at one of the universities, and sell
dom. IL ever, do you find an assistant who Is
not capable of compiling 4 catalogue, for IN
stance TO satisfy the exigent requirements OF
the Librarian Of the British Museum" There
are doubtless fewer university men to be found
in American and English book shops than in
those Of Germany but even II there were more
Of them the difficulties Of the small bookseller
would remain, we believe, rs serious as ever.
The truth is that he suffers from handicap
10 which too little attention has been paid
This is IAN era Of cheap books only I'm linn
tied sense Reprints Of the classics are cheap
and so are novels and the books printed I'm
one popular series or another; but the great
mass Of miscellaneous literature the new works
Of history. biography. travel and So on can
scarcely be described rs cheap. II the price Cf
books Of this sort could bc lowered. there would
Je everywhere large sales for them. and the
bookseller would thrive for he could carry
heavier stock and sell ii more rapidly. IL IS
the publication OF SO many books at prices
above three or four dollars Of which he can
sell comparatively few copies that throws him
back upon a none too remunerative traffic in
novels and reprints