East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-07-10
Library News

This year the american Library AS
sociation held its annual conference
at Washington, d. c., during the last /
week of May with an attendance oil
1900 librarians.
Following is an abstract of the
presidential address given by Edwin
H. Anderson, director of the New
York public library:
The Tax on Ideas.
Russia and the United States are
the only powers of the first class
which impose a duty on books pub
lished beyond their borders. Great
Britain, France, Germany, Austria
Holland, Belgium, The South African
Union, Argentina. Australia and New
Zealand impose no such duties. But
Spain. Portugal, Italy, Brazil ana
some minor countries of the two hem
ispheres, with Russia and our own
country, pursue a less enligntened
policy. For a nation whose people
pride themselves on being advanced
ana progressive, are we not in strange
company?
! Before the civil war the duty on
| foreign books was 10 per cent ad va
! loren. During the war it was IN
creased to 25 per cent, where 1t re-
mained, as far as books in the Eng
lish language are concerned, uil the
act of 1913. 1t was essentially war
tax and doubtless justified by the
! circumstances; but II has taken %
wears to lower the duty from the war
tax level, and it is still so per cent
higher than before the war. IL Is not
tariff for revenue, since the income
to the government from this source
| is inconsiderable. II Is a protectlNe
tariff. Who is protected, and why
We get all the light we need on TINS
question from the hearings before the
wavs and means committee OF the
bouse of representatives last year
FOR instance the American bible man
ufacturers contend that II the DUTY
on bibles, printed and bound py tne
underpaid labor of England. was re-
duced the bible-making industry IN
this country would be entirely de-
stroved Has some OF the pauper hu-
NOR. of Europe been smuggled into
this country? The price of bibles 70
| hundred million people Is TO Oe
| maintained in the interest of a fe"
| hundred people engaged In thei'
manufacture. What is best Tor the
| hundred million does not count Ih'
case Is typical in its absurdity. we
nut a tax on the enlightenment OF al
i the people. to serve the selfish inter
ests of a few. Among a PROUD peo
II ple II is not an inspiring sight TO se'
an industry begging for, or insistln,
upon. an advantage in the race VIII
\ It's foreign competitors.
II Our book industry has not thrlVei
an this policy. The number OF BOOK
nublished annually in the Unite'
II states Is only about six per cent o
II tho total annual production OF TN
II world. In proportion to population
II switzerland publishes annualiy W
,ines as many books as we; tne scan
dinayian countries together SIX .line
II as many: Germany, France, the BTU
II ish Empire, Holland itaiy A"9l "
II and Japan. each from three ana one
half to five times as many Eve
III Roumania, in proportion to popula
III ,ion publishes over three times, an
Russia over one and one-halt time
az many. While we tall the procea
sion In book production. we impoi
annually from the other countries
the world only paltry six cenu
worth for each OF US. In the race
these facts we cannot claim mig
rank as readers OF books.
The tariff has signally failed TO pr
IL mote the publishing, the manufactur'
III or the sale OF books in this countr'
II Book stores are being suppianted
news stands; for while we puphS
II only six per cent OF the annual pre-
II duction Of books, we publish so pc
II cent OF the worlds periodical literf
II ture.
II The government carries newspf
II pers and periodicals IN the mails
N orc cent a pound, whereas the cost