The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-28

ent than in the Bible publishing In
dustry. A demonstration of this was
the publication OF the Caxton Memor-
ial Bible as a part OF the memorial
exercises held In England a few
years ago in honor OF Caxton. the
first English printer. This special
edition was printed at the University
Press. Cambridge, and bound In Lon
don, distance OF sixty-three miles.
The finished volumes OF the edition
We're in the hands OF the recipients
within sixteen hours after the first
portion OF the copy was given TO the
printer This remarkable feat OF
publication was deemed IA fitting me-
mortal 10 the man who so painstak-
ingly set type for the first Bible pub
lished In England.
A specimen OF the Caxton Memoir
ial edition now rests In the British
museum beside copy OF that first
English Bible published in 1850. Both
were printed from metal type set by
hand, AS were all the earlier Bibles.
But here the resemblance in the pro
cess OF publication ceases. The pro-
cess OF plate-making has now almost
entirely superseded the old-fashion-
ed type inn Bible publication. This
reduction OF labor has reduced the
cost OF production to minimum and
Bibles are correspondingly low
priced. Last year the American
BibleN Society was able TO reduce the
price OF Il cloth-bound testament from
six 10 five cents a copy and 10 sell
complete Bible for seventeen cents.
The British society furnish IA tesla
ment for "tuppence" and Bible for
sixpence.
While the majority OF the Bibles of
the world are produced by the Ameri
can and British societies there ara
numerous other publishers both in
America and Europe engaged eXclu-
sively in Bible productions. These
furnish fine books for the subscrip-
ton trade for gifts and special usage.
The Bible societies issue only the
scriptures. All teachers Bibles and
other issues in which maps, history
and material useful TO the student
are combined with the Bible, are is.
sued by private publishers. Some or
these have built up enormous trades.
especially In illustrated Bibles. which
might be said TO form class by
themselves. During the past year in
America, Bibles have been printed In
seventy-one languages. In some or
these only single volume has been
Issued, but the plates are ready TO
supply any reasonable demand on
short notice. The British and Ameri-
can societies each publish Bibles In
quite number of languages, which
the other does not duplicate Thus
the expense OF translation and re-
vision in any language is made as
broadly useful as possible.
During the past year the American
Bible society issued 2,S26S31 volumes
and the British society 6,620,024.
While Germany, Russia, France and
the other European countries com
oined report the issuage OF 1881 900
: In addition to these are the Bibles
issued by private publishers in the
various countries. which are said to
amount TO over 5000 900. This places
the total number OF Bibles issued dur.
ing the year 1910 at nearly 100000
volumes, or one copy for every one
hundred persons on the globe.
! The estimated amount OF annual
expenditure for labor and materials
is placed at considerably over S.. 1000.
600 While there is no definite means
/ OF determining the number OF per-
sons In the world engaged in the
industry OF Bible production there is
no reason to question the following
statement made by an agent OF tho
American Bible society IF the men
engaged in fighting the evils OF super
stition and ignorance by the distribu-
/ ton of Gods word were all assem-
bled in one mighty army their num-
bers would have a conquering force
equal TO that Of any standing army
in the world
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Telephones.