New-York tribune., 1906-10-26
The Var in England OUer the
Prices of Books.
London. October IS.

London. October IS.
Times have changed since the publisher was
thrifty tradesman selling his own books and hir-
,,g the hacks of Grub Street to write for him.
The making of books is now a complex Industry,
with the publisher somewhere in the distance
hetveen the author and the reader with n swarm
If nliddlernen around him more or less concerned
in the marketing and distribution of literary
wares. There is the authors agent, who gets
commission for finding publisher and arrang-
.rg copyrights and serial rights. There are the
wholesale and library agents. who give the
largest orders for the work. There are finally the
retail booksellers who sell IL in their shops and
stalls. All these middlemen make living out of
,be book trade, and, with the exception of the
suthor's agent, all have share in the pub
usher's profits Not only is the successful author
more Independent than formerly in business
matters since there IS some one 10 drive some
sort Of bargain for him, but the publisher also
is more dependent upon booksellers and their
agents wholesale and retail for turning over the
stock \ considerable portion of every edition
goes TO the lending Libraries. which dispose Of
rernainders at their own convenience as soon as
N. demand for the book slackens- The bulk of
fl however, must be marketed by the bookss!l-
ers or left unsoldi and they must be allowed
reasonable period during which they will not be
exposed 10 undertaking or ruinous competition.
The publishers, IN order TO protect booksellers
scattered over the kingdom. have been forced to
prearrange the wholesale and retail prices at
which books shall be bought and sold for six
rnorths Otherwise the small dealers would have
been driven out Of the trade and the current
system for the distribution OF books would have
broken down
Now, what is known the book war Is
Eaged over the n1iddlemans right to sell a
a -Fe er-F a. T7rfr within siy
months. THE Times for the sake Of in
creesing its circulation and advertising, started
q book club year ago and gave large orders,
which were greedily welcomed by the publishers.
i rece.ved the usual trade discounts and some
thing into the bargain. for a special allowance
Of Is per cent was made, with the under
standing that il should be expended in adver-
ts.ng IN The Times" So long as the Book
Club confined its operations TO lending books
to its subscribers there was no trouble, for
Nudes and Smiths competing libraries were
expected TO take care Of their own interests.
1t was the sale OF secondhand books that
created disturbance. and OF this there was full
warning when the prospectuses Of the club
were issued and widely advertised. II the pub
fishers did not appreciate at the outset the
mischief which would be done through prena-
ture sales Of secondhand books the booksellers
were forcibly reminded Of the ruinous competi-
ton that had arisen. The sales became as
prominent q feature of the new library as the
lending operations. and were advertised IN a
most pushfuI way. The publishers. under press
ure from the booksellers, adopted last July a
regulation that a secondhand copy Of net
book could not be sold for less than the retail
price within six months OF the day Of issue.
THE Times complained that this involved a
breach Of agreement and declined 10 comply
with It Accordingly, the Publishers Associa-
ton, by q unanimous vote. has decided that it
Will net sell books the Book Club except at
the retail price and that It Will withdraw its
advertising from The Times" On the one
hand, there is the claim that the natural life Of
q book-the period during which It can COM
mand the original retail price-cannot be short
ened by a newspaper club at the expense Of
booksellers and other competitors; and, on the