On this page
-
Text (2)
-
p, _ :„ ? I 320 The Publishers' Circular...
-
What, therefore, Mr. Macmillan proposes ...
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.
-
-
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.
P, _ :„ ? I 320 The Publishers' Circular...
p , _ : „ ? I 320 The Publishers' Circular March 15 , 1890
What, Therefore, Mr. Macmillan Proposes ...
What , therefore , Mr . Macmillan proposes is that the publishers should agree together
on the above basis . But this the publishers will never do ' unless they are assured that they would be acting with the general approval
of the retail trade . ' Of the three classes of persons which would be affected by the proposed change—the
bookthe sellers first , the -named hook is -buyers thus master , and the of the publishers situation — . It is with the booksellers that the question
rests . With a view to discovering what the London trade thinks of Mr . Macmillan ' s schemea representative of the Pall Mall
Gazette , visited the leading booksellers of the metropolis — — — ¦— ___ - on . _ Saturday last , and discussed
the matter with them . The opinions of ten of these gentlemen are subjoined :- — Mb . Stoneham .
Stoneham Our representative the well known first Cit called bookseller upon and Mr . referring to , the opening paragrap y h of Mr . ; Mac- , millan ' s letterasked him if it were really true
that the bookseller , could no longer make a living ha pro m fit smiled upon . the His wares smile which was he full sold of . meaning Mr . Stone and
far more eloquent than any words could have mind been . that It left Mr . no Stoneham doubt upon at least our interviewer succeeds in 's
making that 'living profit' which Mr . Macmillan deems 1 Do to you be think a thing the terms the pas offered t . by Mr .
Macmillan on behalf of the publishers—namely , tenpence in the shilling with discount , but no extra copies—fair and just all round ?'— ' They
are very good terms , certainly—for the publisher , ' replied Mr . Stoneham . ' As bookseller you would not feel inclined to accept them in
preference to those which you now have ?'—' No . ' And you will not co-operate with other booksellers in endeavouring to bring Mr . Macmillan ' s
net Mr system . { Stoneham into practice is of K . J V op — inion ' No i ^ J . ' that * the public will not stand the abolition of the'discount system
—an opinion which is shared by many of his competitors in the trade . He further thinks that the publishers themselves can remedy
underselling by refusing to supply books to members of the trade who decline to comply with such conditions as may generally be agreed upon .
Mu . Wilson . 'I do not think the suggestion is a practical
one , ' said Mr . Wilson , of ( Jracechurch Street , the gentleman called . * It upon won't whom come our to any representative tiling . A unio next n
with but it a similar failed . object And naturally was started enoug many h . years Suppose ago , the net system * vere introduced to-morrow , if
Somebod would not y would be long start before selling somebody a 5 , s . book would for " 4 . v . i ) d . " . ' and then the rest would all have to follow , or run
the risk Mr . of Stoneham losing a thinks portion of their public trade won . ' 't stand it : what is your opinion ? ' — ' They would
' gru but mble when at they first , found of course they , ' rep could lied not Mr . Wilson get the ; book for less , they would pay the price we asked
for it . ' * ls the bookseller , pure and simple , so badly any * Idea It ought of benefiting to l > o mentioned the publishers that Mr his . Maemfllan idea is th diHtiaina should
combine to help the booksellers to iegain , a healthy ey trade aysteni position . — by Ed . . doing P . C . away with the ruinous ' underselling ' Wmt -i ¦ - ' ¦ ' ¦ » ' ¦¦ . .
not off as Mr o . fita Macmillan ble busine states ss , and ?'— in ' Bookselling the country is
things are much worse than in London . There the bookseller is driven to become stationer and newsagent — * - \ as well ~ , and ¦ even - ^ — — then — — he .- _ cannot — — — ¦ — ^ ^^ — keep ^ bi ^ ^^ ^_ - _ J 1
many books in stock . The result has been the I bringing of a great deal of the retail trade of the I country to London . People write to some London
bookseller A fe for 4 fe the - V book A V s they . K want , and he ^ for _ - 1 r wards them at discount price , plus postage . ' [ ' There is not much underselling in LondonI ¦*¦ j
suppose ?'— ' Very little . It is in the provinces , j | that prices are " cut" to so large an extent . We I aiwa }\ s sell a threepenny book for threepence — ; ¦• j 1
*/ 1 •/ 1 but at Brighton , I believe , a volume of Cassell ' s j fai National thing ~ . ' Library * can be bought for twopence- [
'What is 3 our opinion of Mr . Macmillan ' s I ' terms !'— < They work out to pretty much the I same a- > those which we get under the present i
to system have — the that same is assu discount ming , — of 5 course per cent , tha , on t we settle are - J i meat—as has hitherto been allowed . "
' It will do the Trade a Great Injury I' j Leaving Mr . Wilson , our representative went
straight to another large bookselling concern in the City , where the question was still further discussed . It will do the trade a great injury , '
remarked the senior partner . He referred to the letter from a Mr . Lupton , of Burnley , which appears in this month ' s Booksellerand which I
comp A . A . lains of even larger discounts , than those 1 offered in London . The public would see this letter , the senior par x tner thoug « -i ht , a- nd the public J . ,
the like shillin Oliver Twist and calml , would take for their more threepence . iu ! g , y ' Mr . Macmillan speaks of twenty-three years' 1
e x een perien in ce the , ' con trade tinued for our more informant than , thirty ' but I years have , i ! Underselling is no new thing ; it has existed for —
nearl in Finsbury y half a J century Circus , . beg A an man £ it 3 7 . called He allowed Lackington two- , I pence in the shilling , and this was done by others
day until s the a bookseller system became could pretty Jive ; general but wh . en In every those - ! body had to increase the discount to threepence , '
things became different . The extra penny absorbed 1 Are the a profi terms t of proposed ten per cent by M . ' . Macmillan so ! :
fair as he suggests ? ' 'No bookseller could live ! makes upon the no discount provision proposed for the acc . Besides umulation , the of scheme stock
occur or for . any Who ' s depreciatio going to n bea in r these value losses which ? may The , bookseller , I suppose . The fact is that publishers
have and if of late sacrifice years been is to making be made colossal on behalf fortunes of , any the public * , it is they , and not the booksellers ,
who should make it . ' ' You don ' t think Mr . Macinillan '« .-schemo will work f ' It is absolutely impracticable '
was the emphatic reply . , Mk . John K . Dunn .
This adverse opinion of the scheme' wa » repeated in an equally emphat ic manner by Mr . John F . Dunn , the well-known discount 4 bookseller of
Ludgate Hill and Cheapside . Suppose , ' said he , sellers that half were a dozen to combine of the and leading adopt London some book such
syHtern what would as tha happen t mentioned ? Wh by Home Mr . man Macmillan a few , doors up the streetor . someo — y , -. ne ..- juat -.... below me ,
would at once introduce , a discount __ j system on his own account . 1 should sell some book at the full 1 * - ' , r *¦ ¦¦ - ¦ ¦ - * *¦ "' ' . . ~ f »
-
-
Citation
-
Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), March 15, 1890, page 320, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15031890/page/14/
-