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    THE ATTITUDE OF THE 'SOCIETY OF AUTHORS....

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    f t f ~ \ I 3 * g The Publishers' Circular April ^| 88 d * _ ' --- — - ,.. •¦ - ¦ . ^^^^^^" w > "' I

    The Attitude Of The 'Society Of Authors....

    THE ATTITUDE OF THE 'SOCIETY OF AUTHORS .

    Since our last number appeared the chief events which have occurred in connection With

    this singular controversy have been the publication of letters from Mr . George M . Smith ,

    of Messrs . Smith , Elder & Co ., Messrs . W . Blackwood & Sons ( and other publishers , who

    protest against Mr . Besant ' s general charges of robbery . Mr . Besant , who has contributed

    to the newspapers a fresh letter repeating his previous charges , declares that his society's

    three years of special and silent investigation has resulted in an accumulation of materials

    which gives a knowledge of various publishing houses * and their tricks . ~"

    Herewith we give the letters written by publishers since our last number was printed :

    To the Editor of the Times . Sir h —The statements —¦ bearing h h upon the relations ¦

    of authors - ^ pv ^ m- ^^ , ^ m and — — —»~ M publishers — — — — — — - — - — , made ^— — — - ^ Pgp ^ pk ^ p ^ at ^» ^ m ^ r - ^^ ^ the ""^^ ~ " *^^—^ two » " ~— ^^ P" ^ PP ^ W ^ recent *^ " ~^ P ° » ^ P" - ^ P" - ^^ P » - conferences arranged , by the Incorporated Society of Authors , the leading articles in the Times and

    : other important journals , and the letters which have been mans writte and other n by publishers Mr . John , indicate Murray , that Messrs the . subjects

    Longdiscussed , at the conferences have excited a considerable amount of public attention ; and some at least of theoe statements are of such a character

    that they should not be allowed to remain unanswered . An accusation was deliberately made by Mr .

    Wa Sir lter Frederick Besant Poll at the ock first at the meeting second , and meeting repeate 4 , d th b y it is the custom of publishers to render fraudulent

    accounts including to Lord authors Lytton . It , is in true the that chai variou r , Mr s . speakers Walter , B — esant ™ ~~ ~~ — - - — ~— ^ m and — —^ — Sir Frederick — — ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ¦ Pollock ¦ ¦ ¦ *^ p ^ ¦ ^^^ —^^ ~^ ppr pppi ^^ pr ^ m disclaimed *^ p »^ p » ppi ppp ^ pjr ^ PP" pp * —^~^~ pppi ^ p > pp ^ p ^ pi ^ pppp ~ ~^ p an ^ pp ^ ppp * pppip ^ p - ) , J , " ^

    tagonism . to publishers . But no disclaimer of this ¦ kind can be weighed for a moment against a direct accusation w-- - - _ - — — — — - _ - - _ - — of dishonest — — .- ____ dealing — — levellednot against b

    particular — ^^ individuals or tran __ ^ r—^_ ^ P ^^ , s actions ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^ , ^^^^ , M but ^^™» ^ p ^ v —< p > against ^ pgpr ^ p- ^^ pHPk ^^^ ^^^ pppppp 1 v ^ pg * p * p ^ publishers cannot be doubted nnd their that tran the saction accusation t s generall goes y . this It

    | length nefarious — ¦ f ' —— - — , for - —— proceedings 1 Mr . Besant — — — - - as — - ^™ - ™ - expressl * a ¦ custom i — ¦ ~ - ^— - ~^ m y - ^ p-w ¦ ^^ speak 1 p » and - ^ ^— ^ r ^ pp" pipbp ^ s Sir ¦ v ^ h of w " ^ p Frede » ^ p « pr thes ^* p ° ^ pw ^ p - e fp ^ p *

    ^ " ^ — ^ ^ t ^ n — ^^ ^ " ^^ , r ^ r ^ r ^ ^^ T ^ H » ^^^ ^^^ ——^ m ^ V ^^^ t ^ H ^^ ^ . ^^^ ^^^ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ rick ^ « t ¦ Pollock 1 ~ fc 11 . ^ p ^ ^ k *| ^ M generalises . ^ B . ^ ¦ _ ^ m _ m ~ - _ ~ _» ¦ 1 pW ^ _* _ _ _ ¦ in like " 1 1 fashi _> SV » _ 1 on * This accusation , in so far as it affects the large

    m lutel are ajori guilty y unfounded ty of of publishers dishones . That t , practices is there , I venture are must publishers to be say admitted , abso who . -

    It would indeed bo impossible to find any considertfra able same body observation of men , in mi any ght calling not with of equal life , to force whom be

    applied ; but it is unusual , and seems unfair , to raise tional general cases of charges misconduct upon . the strength of

    excepignorantl That the y is imputation sufficiently has obvious been made when ra it sh is ly con and - sidered ¦ - in the lig h h ht of the remed ¦« y suggested ¦¦ V « . It is

    — —r * - — w —w— - — — — — - ' — — - - — — — — — — — — - -r — —* m W ^^ ^^ " ^ ^ . ^^ fc ^^^ W ^^* ^^ r ""^^ ^^ ^^ ^ V >^ " ^ ^ WW ^ " W ^ T the asserted cost of that producing publishers a book make , and ' pecret are profits enabled ' on to do ~ — - " - so ¦—V by ^ m the - " circumstance - ¦ , ^ --- _ ^ , of —r- - their _ ., _ , „ , ¦ rendering rm ¦¦ ^ ¦¦ I ¦¦ I I - — - » ¦« ^^ ^^ I I I M ^^ ¦ K accounts - ^^^ " ^^^ ^^ - *^ - ^ Tmi ¦ — - ^^ ¦ I

    the and items it is in of substance which are contended not properl that y if vouched publish for ers , were to be called upon to produce vouchersauthors

    would be protected . Both Mr . Besant , and . Sir Frederick Pollock seem to be unaware of the

    inconm ~

    The Attitude Of The 'Society Of Authors....

    produce trovertiblo vouchers fact , tEat for no the publisher item 1 * of an could account refuse fur to

    nished to an author . The publisher must either be either the partner character ii or is the bound agent to of verif the y his author accounts ¦¦ , and . in If

    have he i ~^» " were ^^ ^^^ to to refuse l ""^ —— to his to do — solicitor — — so , an who author ^^ g would ^ ™ " ^^ would ^^ ^^^ i ^ ip ^ i ^ p » r . ^ obtain W ^ onl ^ j ^^^ y ^« satisfaction app for y him . by a very simp ; le legal process .

    As to Lord Lytton ' s statement , that the author who seeks legal advice will find that the subject is ' so entirely outside the ordinary experience of solicitors

    that no honest solicitor will venture to give him , advice or the respecting making up the of management publishers' of accounts his contr / it acts is ,

    really too astounding , and may be left to speak for itself . Messrs . Longmans to have been so much

    ^ p ^ PA *^^^^ P ^ U ^ W ^^ f ^^ fP **^ V ^^^ r V ^ H ^ IK ^ V ^ l ^ p ^ ' ^ . ^ V ^ kfj ^ h ^ ^ V ^^ B ^ ^ tV ^^*^^ ^^^^ appear ^ ^^ ¦>^ C HV ^ ^ i ^ t ^ ^ ^ i ^^ i ^ tK ^ W ^ H ^ >^ tV ^ i ^ ^ tW ^ P ^ F ^^^ . ^^^ ^ t ^ t ^* ^^^ " ^*^^ ** ' ^ 4 tV ^ B ^ t ^ tV ^ tV ^ V ^ B ^ t ^ pv ^ k ^^ f ^ L impressed with Mr . Besant ' s remarks at the first conference , as to have hastened , in the interval between the first and second meetings , to assure

    him that they would in future adopt the practice of giving vouchers for accounts ; and this announcement was received with cheers at the meetings and

    has since been referred to in the press as an important step in the direction of curing a serious evil . Mr . John Murray and Messrs . Macmillan &

    h Co ave ., on , confined the other themselves hand , in to their pointing letters qu to $ the that Times their , booksaccountsand vouchers have always been

    open to , authors . , The true meaning of Messrs . Longmans' fetter

    Pollock cannot be ' s reference very clearl to y it gathered , but the from accepted Sir Frederick interpretation would — appear ii to be , tha 7 — t it is their intention

    in future to accompany accounts rendered to authors r with vouchers for each item . If that be their intention , their offer certainly has the appearance of

    as being a means a step of in permanentl advance of y the removing present the system atmosp ; he but re , of ^^ ^ v susp *^ ^~— ^^ ^^ icion v ^^ m * - ^^ ^^ which v v ^^ * w - ^ , h ^ however ^^ ^^ ¦ w w ^ iir w ^^ mm unjustly ^ f ^*^^ ^^ m ^ ^^ mm w , m appears ^ V V ^ r m ^ ^^ w * w ^ to ^ 0 ^^

    surround me to be illusory publishers . It ' accounts may be , pointed the plan out , seems to beg to in withthat a voucher gives no information beyond

    what , is , or easily may be , contained in the account . It is simply evidence . Moreover , the mere fact of a publisher seeming to think it ' necessary to satisf - ¦ -

    cal an culated author ~ to that — — occasion ' he ^ " ^^ — is ~^ f- ~ not " a ^ " —* ~ - ^™ fe ^ w ^^— rob eling ^^ ~^ r ^ bing ^^ v ^ - ^^ ^— of ^^^ ^*^ him ^ k ^^ discomfort ^^ w , would —^^ - w ^ pr ^ tf ^ v ^ p ^ ^» p * p on be ^ y . both — — — sides - — - — -r * . v And * - ~ - ¦ ¦ — — much — ~ - »* ^— i as ^— ^ ^» it — ^ pr may ^ ¦ v ^ b h surprise . « pr WH ^ Pl . BP . ^ ^ P » ^ * % * ^ p ^ f some ^ pT ^ P ^ ^»^ P »^ P ^ ^ P ^» of ^^ ^"

    the expressed gentlemen their who opinions , during of this the relations controversy between , have authors -- and --- publishers ^— — - it is nevertheless a fact th i at

    there — — are many ^_ — au thors — - ^ ' * — ¦¦ r who — ' —* ¦ ¦ would ^» V ^ i » ^ i » ^ »^ f ^ p » ^^ feel Tpr ** pr ^«^ ^ b *^ hurt 4 b ^ pp ^ ^^ ^ IF ^ at IF ^ v ^ » ¦ a ^^ wan course t of of confidence proceeding on which their part would and seem would to imp request pk ly a

    their publishers — — - - - — ^— — not - - — to — — — — conti ^^ - — nu ^^ ^ pr , — e v — ~* to ^ m ^>^ trouble ^ v - * pp ^ ( B i (» - ^ b H p . gp ^ - ^^ - them ^ M ^ p >^ p > ^ p ^ ^» - ^ ' with vouchers . It is my belief that this custom , which must ' — - ^ - be -w more «~*^^ ¦ — or — - — less _ -m - ^ p ^ ¦ » P » ¦¦ cumbrous - ^^ PB ^ .. Ik ^ P ^ PH IV ^ PFPPJP ^ p ^ V and > PVB trouble hrfdPfa PPWV > P « - W ^ ^^ ^*^ ^ *^^*^ ^^^ ' pj ^^ ^^^

    gradually some , would fall , into even disuse if at , and first vouchers generall would y adopted only , be supplied when asked for—which is exactlthe

    present ¦ ^ . condition of affairs - ~ - -- — — . * « i—^ - — - ^ ' 'm t ^ w ^ — * >^*^ VPi ^ PW ^ pir fapTppHPi y w ^ p » < p « j ^ ---While holding f ~^ J the ~ r ^^ op — ¦— inion ^^ — - - ^ — -- ^ that *** - ¦¦ ¦ ' ••^ ¦ - ^ any ' *¦ ^ p ^ p . w i ge ^ Mph ^ p ^ n plMI eral ^ pp ^ tip » ' ¦ W ^ pTPji al ¦ krfV

    -teration that has is been unnecessary proposed , and is that illusory the , onl I regard y alteration it as intolerable that publishers vi - ^^— h should pF- i i f - »^ p be v ^ ppp subjected to

    these that t that hat — view view the charges - choice — really reallv - . and — - — lies lies of -- insinuation --- every - —^ between - between - - - p ' p _ i publisher —p s two two ^ ; pppr ^^^ ppj and ^>^ alternatives altartm it who p ^^ ^ p ^ seems r ^ ppTpb ¦ t , . i agrees vAa * ^ ^^^ m . . to ^ ^ Q ^ r ^ Wtp ^ R He He me in ^• " ^^^

    must rendering either « to m relinqui authors sh of * ¦ all accounts business containing inv olving _ items the p ^ p ^ ^^^

    judicial of ^^ expenditure to the , interests which ^ would of both obviousl ^ authors ^ y * and be pub pre - - lishers * as excluding ¦¦ a mode of publication 1 which »¦¦ is ¦—

    admitted — - ^ M ? A ^ A , ^ . ^ B , to A _ be T ^ - — ---- tha A M _ j— ___ jp ( --- most p . ^^ . ^ ^ . A - —* - ^ - appropriate ~— - —^ ' ¦¦• - r ^ i-j 9 ^»^ * » r * iJpF < p r ^ pp in ^ ^ WT a ¦( F large * tt ^^ " ^

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), April 1, 1887, page 328, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01041887/page/6/