Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-26
LIBRARIANS HOLD
SECTION MEETINGS

| CONTINUED from First Page)
| fled both by the practice of other pro.
| LESSONS and by the very low percentage
| of actual failures among library schoo
| graduates. LAS Guardianship increases II
| importance the need of careful selection
! of students probably will also become
| increasingly important. Since the library
| benefits even more than the schools BY
| such action it is the duty of the library
| profession to support actively the at
tempts of the schools to maintain a high
| standard
Discuss Same Subject.
June r. Donnelly. associate professor
Boston: Josephine A. Rathbone, vice di-
rector, School of Library Science. Pratt In
stitute. Brooklyn and Mary W. Plummre
director Library School. New York Public
| Library. discussed THE Fate Averted
From Libraries by Library School En-
trance Examinations.
Training for the Work of the Chill
dren's Librarian is the subject to be
discussed by Annie c. Moore, supervisor
of work with children, New York Public
Library
In the agricultural libraries section
this afternoon at the New Willard Some
Opportunities and Problems of the Agri-
cultural Libraries" was discussed A bust
ness session is to be held late this after
noon.
The principal business at the session
tonight in Continental Memorial Hall
viii be the reports Of officers and COM
mittees Dr. j. Franklin Jameson. direc-
tor department of historical research.
Carnegie Institution Of Washington. is
to deliver an address on THE Need of a
National Archive Building" The sub
ject will later be discussed by DR.. Gail
lard Hunt. chief division of manuscripts,
Library of Congress, and Victor H. Palt-
sits. chairman public archives commits
sion of the American Historical Associa
ton.
THE Library and the Immigrant" will
be the subject of an address by John
Foster Carr director Immigrant Educa-
ton Society. New York city, while DR..
P. P. Claxton, United States commits
sioner of education, is to deliver an ad-
dress on Libraries for Rural Communi-
ties"
U. S. Imposes Duty on Books.
selves on being advanced and progressive
are we not in strange company" asked
Edwin H. Anderson. director of the New
York Public Library and president of the
association, in his address on The Tax
on Ideas" last night at the opening ses-
sion. after he had stated that Russia
and the United States are the only powers
of the first class which impose duty on
books published beyond their borders.
Great Britain, France. Germany. Austria,
Holland Belgium, Japan, the South Afri-
can Union. Argentina, Australia and New
Zealand impose no such duties. But
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Brazil and some
minor countries Of the two hemisphere,
with Russia and our own country. pur-
sue a less enlightened policy
Continuing Mr.. Anderson said:
Before the civil war, the duty on for
eign books was 10 per cent ad valorem.
During the war it was increased to %
per cent. where 1t remained. as far as
books in the English language are con-
till the act of 1918. 1t was es-
sentially a war tax. and doubtless justi-
fed by the circumstances; but 1t has
taken fifty years to lower the duty from
the war tax level, and 1t Is still so per
cent higher than before the war. 1t Is
not a tariff for revenue, since the income
to the government from this source Is in
If 1t is a protective tariff,
who is protected, and why? We get all
the light we need on this question from
the hearings before the ways and means
committee Of the House of Representa-
tves last year.
Bible Makers Plant.
For instance, the American Bible
manufacturers contended that II the
duty on Bibles. printed and bound by
the underpaid labor of England, was re-
duced, the Bible-making industry in this
country would be entirely destroyed. Has
some Of the pauper humor Of Europe
been smuggled into this country? The
price of Bibles to a hundred million peo-
pie is to be maintained in the interest
of few hundred people engaged in their
manufacture! What is best for the hun
dred million does not count. The case
is typical in its absurdity. We put tax
on the enlightenment of all the people to
serve the selfish. interests Of "a; few
Among a proud people 1t is not an IN
spring sight to see an industry begging
for, or insisting upon. an advantage IN
the race with its foreign competitors.
"Our book industry has not thriven on
this policy. The number Of books pub
lished annually in the United States is
only about per cent of the total annual
production of the world. In proportion
to population, Switzerland publishes an
nually ten times as many books as we;
the Scandinavian countries together six
times as many; Germany. France, the
British Empire, Holland Italy, Aus
tria and Japan, each from three and
one-half to five times as many. Even
Roumania. in proportion to population.
publishes over three times and Rus
STA over one and one-half times as
many. While we tail the procession In
book production, we import annually
from the other countries of the world
only a paltry cents worth for each of
u.s. In the face of these facts We cannot
claim high rank as readers of books.
Business Not Promoted.
THE tariff has signally failed to pro-
mote the publishing. the manufacture or
the sale of books In this country. Book
stores are being supplanted by news
stands: for. while we publish only per
cent of the annual production of books.
we publish 80 per cent of the world 8
periodical literature. Our tariff on Eng
lish books bears heaviest on those who
are least able to pay tour scholars. our
teachers. our scientific investigators. Else
where the most enlightened governments
do everything in their power to encour-
age such men as national assets. Here
our policy actually discourages them. An
enlightened policy would put books in a
class by themselves and on a plane above
the ordinary commodities of the world.
Instead of being taxed they should be
privileged, not for the encouragement Of
an industry, but for the education of the
people,"
The session was held in Continental
Memorial Hall and opened with greetings
to the delegates by DR.. Herbert Putnam,
librarian of the Library Of Congress.
President Anderson RESPONDED briefly