New-York tribune., 1906-10-26
Literary Vese'S and Criticism.

other hand there Is reputation of the en-
Forced sale Of a secondhand article for the full
price as q bargain made between a rogue and
a blind man."
This war over the books has stirred up much
bad blood. is evident from the rancorous
charges and partisan pleadings on both Sides
The publishers complain of unjustihable attacks
made upon them in the Book Club advertise
ments, and assert that Messrs Hooper and Jack
son, as representatives of an American syndi-
cate. are conducting this business with view TO
securing a gigantic monopoly over the distri-
button of books. The manager Of the Book Club
charges the publishers with bad faith in taking
fS0OOO from it and then striving to corner it
and TO force it to violate its obligations to It's
subscribers. Criminations and recriminatons are
equally virulent on each side. but common
ground IS found in solicitude for the authors
interests! The publishers are bent upon rescu-
ing him from the domination of an American
syndicate which VIII cheat, starve, sweat vul-
garize and ensave him! THE Times" is eager
to reduce the prohibitive prices of books so THAT
his royalties may be increased and the profits be
taken out of the pockets of middlemen and
handed over TO him! Equally sensitive are the
contestants when the interests Of good letters
and the requirements of the consumers are con-
sidered. The publishers have the eloquence of
Mr.. Chadband when they expe in how disas-
trous TO English literature would be the sUprem-
acy in the book trade Of such persons as have
the conduct of the Times Book Club; and the
leading journal, while confessng that it has to
conduct its business on business principles and
has never pretended to be purely phianthroplc
institution contends that it is laboring ito IN
crease the remuneration Of authors to cheaper
books to the public and to encourage a book
buying habit from which the retail bookseller
would derive substantial profit were he not
bound down by an iron monopoly" For author
and public alike it is the same parables Cod
Inns the friend, not Short"
II is hazardous for an onooker to interpose
any opinion in so contentious matter as this,
but there two or three obvious conclusions.
The Times's" methods and tactics dis
closed Enthusiastically year ago. The publishers
must have been dull indeed not to have under
stood them. The Times" has a right TO COM
plain OF i'll treatment from the publishers. They
were not justified in taking large orders from
the Book Club and allowing a great subscription
business to be established If the conditions We're
so ruinous TO the booksellers they now repre-
sent them 10 be. They convict themselves of a
lanentabIe lack of sagacity in their belated
manifesto of a boycott against THE Times" On
the other hand. they quite right in assuming
that book ought to have chance Of living at
least six months A book is done for when it is
SOlQ at second mana a greatly TeuuCGO price,
and IT cannot be for the interests of either auth
ors or good literature that 'remanders' should
be advertised and hawked about two or three
months after publication. Moreover, books ought
TO be cheaper. When good a biography as
that of Lord Randolph Churchill by his son is
published at 96s. and worked off second hand by
the Book Club within few weeks at 7s- there is
evidently something radically defective in pub
fishers methods. The enormous sales of cheap
reprints during recent years show what mar
ket there is for standard works of a high char
acter and how readily they taken up by
people Of moderate means. Without doubt there
would be an enlarged demand for important new
books If prices were not artihcially raised at the
outset and kept beyond the reach of economical
purchasers. THE Times" may not have gone
about it IN the right way, but there is no trade
in England in urgent need Of practical
reform than the publishing business. I. N. T.