On this page

• Text (1)

  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.

  • 

    <8sr Oct I? 1890 The Publishers' Circula...

• Transcript

  • 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.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    London Booksellers' Society Inaugural Di...

    to gtrange say j t things — hat that . Now publisher what has is Is done . 3 d— . ? many If

    —¦ and a i ¦ publisher t ** sell o ~ to — — the would « - » trade bring at a out shilling - a series f that at Is would - . 4 < 2 .

    be — V a * - ' ^ good ^ »^ - ¦ thing - i i . , because a shilling i 1 — i ^ , * — is — a re - spectable sum to handle as compared with

    an ninepence much much tnere there ( hear is is , still sun hear ) much mucn . After more more accomp for ior us us lishing to to do do .. so

    We must have some uniform scale at which Public and Free Libraries are to be supplied .

    It seems a monstrous thing that when a Free / Library is started the order for i the

    books a . ^ ^^ - should ^ not be divided among — — — the local booksellers , who contribute to the rates _ « ¦ V V ¦ ft A . « M

    of the locality , but that ^ the ^ ord ers should * go to some distant townbecause some

    bookseller was following the , suicidal policy of selling at the lowest marg tj in of profit . This

    must pjw" ~~—^ cease * and our Council will endeavour j . to bring about , a satisfactory solution . ( Applause . )

    Then there is the question of imperfect books . You ^^^ - ^^ - ^^ m may ~ i g call it a small matter , — but it - causes — — — — - - _ —~ - - a - _ - - _ -

    great amount of irritation . Some publishers act in a generous and proper spiritgive a

    fresh copy ^^ at once when an . X imperfect X , book ^ J is returned to them , and that is the proper XX thing C 7

    to do . Other publishers , again , say ' We will have it put X rig ht , ' and that putting M . CD rigCJht

    means some three or four weeks . All this time the poor bookseller is harrassed by his customerwho fails to

    understand the process , and fancies , that his bookseller has been able to sell the book cheaply

    to him because it was known to be imperfect X (\ laug O hter )^ . We want a fresh copy X •/ for

    every meeting imperfect at Stationers one ' ( hear Hall , hear I ventured ) . At our to

    throw out a hint that the Booksellers' Provident Institution might make overtures to us

    regarding their institution with a view to extending its usefulness . The directors have

    doubt made done no sign a . great This and institution noble work has , but no the state of society has and considerabl does not y altered

    since since it it was was instituted institntflfk and iit t does not annear to have had of late very ^ much encouragement appear of from life the insurance trade . companies The enormous has no doubt expansion had

    much to do with it . I should like to confide to you that I am at present endeavouring to

    formulate a scheme with some insurance offices by which * " ^^ " " every ^ i- ' * ^^ J ^ » member JIA & V 4 AA *^ ^^^ . of V ^ « . our V ^ * . * . Societ rv . ^ ^ - ^ ^^ Jfc ^^ y Jwill

    receive at the age of sixty an annuity of £ ' 20 , £ 40 each ° r £ -- 0 member 0 , depending 1 MVJI . . You JIV / IA upon know JXllVTf the that UilUU amount while II 1111 U you » paid VIA may 111 W by

    ^ a member of the Booksellers' Provident have Institution to , when in the hand evil to day petition comes for , you an

    ^ lowance go ( laug , cap hter , and , cries of ' No , no' ) . ^ 11 , that is my notion of the thing . The

    all applicant the melanchol has to go y things and fill in in a connection petition telling with fos

    past life ( laughter ) . I have arranged with Societ * n insurance y who office joins that will every receive member at the ^ of our of

    m J ** ** V I VJL 1 AM » f JLM . M . M . V / VV / A W ^ - # »* V v »»_ r age *^*^ ^ - ^ ^ - ^ *• ** ™* he ty year dies s before the sum he of is £ 20 sixt , £ 40 , his or widow £ 60 a year will .

    Jiave t \ A t * _ £ 200 /~ U >^ k rf-k . . Now « . _ . I have — taken - y the » <• ¦ liberty » ^ a of ^ king this the statement , the entirely on my own

    I J r ^ ^ JHri nt , and meantim shall lay e it before Booksellers the Council ' Provi- ; ^

    posal dent comes I am willing forward to and shelve makes my us scheme some pro and

    accept , theirs . Then I have an idea to form a Number Two branch of the Society for

    assistants . The assistants of to-day are the booksellers of to-morrowbut what are we doing

    for them 1 Are we , increasing their love of books ? I do not think the man who reads

    over-night the books he has to sell the next day is likely to become _ a good salesman . He is

    apt to be inclined to give the customer a synopsis ( laughter ) . But I do say , always

    read the preface ( laughter ) . Preface reading is very advantageous — . —__ __ — _ to __ a — bookseller . _ . _ —_ — _ — __ j and — — I

    would recommend it to the assistant . I , would also have an examination for assistants

    concerning their knowledge of the various editions , & c . ( Hear , hear . ) Now we have

    i I and met if here « n any to man -night has for anything a ^/ few friendl to - — say ^/ y , I — words hope ^ — , i ^ will . « . y ¦ w m X

    get up and say it . ( Loud applause . ) Mr . Stanley «/ Phillipsin proposing the

    sr > x x o I health of * The Council , ' remarked that if , according to the maxim , in a multitude of

    counsellors there was safety , the success of the Society was assured . The toasi was coupled with the name of Mr . F . W . Walsh

    ( Messrs X . Kirby and Co . ) , who suitably responded .

    * The Hon . Treasurer and Secretary toast was proposed by Mr . J . V . Whitaker , who , in

    spite of his self-depreciation , delivered a few pointed remarks paying a high tribute to the

    x disinterested services , x •/ of o the officers whose i names were coup x led with the toast , which was

    drunk with musical honours . Mr . Calder Turner responded as treasurer

    , and explained that the selection of Mr . David Stott as chairman was proof that they

    could find within themselves the elements of their own management . He also advocat ? d

    gether the spirit to of hel unionism p each , other as they . Regarding must work the

    todinner discount 'i . Ifc ¦ ^» ¦* - ^^ ^•^ V W ^» , ^^ ^» he one ^ " ~ ^ k «^ facetiousl —I - , ^ inasmuch ^ «* ^» ' «< v r ^^ ^ m ^ ^ b ^ ^ y ^^ ^^ ^ remarked ^ as 4 v " ™ r they ^— ^— — ^ w w had ~ that ^ ~ " — ~ innocentl ^~ — it was y ^ a

    partaken of a 7 s . ( id . dinner upon subscription price , sale catalogue terms ( great laughter ) .

    ¦ qua ^ . s « » ^ ^ sw Mr ¦ i » nt i » ^ * w . speech r *^ T v ^ ^ ^^ . ^^ Burlei . ^ Jfe M ¦¦ , confirmed ^^ ^ . ^ «« g h ^ B * , w * wm in ^ ^^ ^ r the ^ the — — ^ ^ cours ^ remarks ^— - ^ ^^ — — e of ¦ — a of very the

    o chairman f mangrievances that he ( the but speaker he ) was had g been lad to a man say

    that they y had all vanished , before the action of the ^^ a H —I i ** Societ V ^^^ ^>^ ~ i . i ~ ^^ ^~ ~ ^^ y « . 0 _ He a ^_^ v ^ ^^ r ^ had * ^ 4 ' ^ ii ^ ^^^ 01 received * - ^^ - ^^ - ^^ ^~ - * - ^ r - ** - ^ , v as — — — secre — tary ^^ m ,

    | mar of many A & A the ked letters Societ ' private M T y adversel , such and y letters confidential criticising ¦ ¦ ¦ being / the invariabl thus objects pre y -

    remained venting , p yw » » ^^ * ~» . his »_ ^ secretary ^^ divul »^^ ^ ^^ ging ^*^« ^ the *^^ the ^^ - ^^ - ~ Society - — contents - ' - ^ •— ^^ — ' — ^ - — should ' . While have m ^ he

    his best attention . Mr . Edward J . Dodd proposed the health

    considering of the Chairman that they in very had selected eulogistic the terms very ,

    best man for the position . The Secretary here incidentally mentioned

    butabl that much e to of the the efforts Society ' of s success Messrs was . Josep attri h -

    Morgan , F . Hanson , and J . Newton . The Chairman having suitably responded ,

    the evening s proceedings closed .

    <8sr Oct I? 1890 The Publishers' Circula...

    < 8 sr Oct I ? 1890 The Publishers' Circular II 77

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Oct. 1, 1890, page 1177, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01101890/page/19/