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Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), 15th May 1889, Edition 1 of 1, Page 519

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      Southey And Coleridge At The

      I must beg you to inform me , by Mr . Cottle , what length of time is allowed by the rules and

      customs of our institution for each book , whether their V * V . » - *» " ¦ *¦¦ — contents -w -v ¦ " — ' — —— — —• , < f as ™ * rmr well w w •_< . pb ^ tr as XWp 'P ^ p * their Vpf ~ ^ ^^ «•<•>¦ size K «* A - » ' ^ pf , % 1 are AI 1 Xb ^ consulted ^^ V ^ » » tw ? ~ p . il A tfc /^^ V *^

      in apportioning" the time , or whether customarily \ any committee time at in ail individual is apportioned cases choose , except to when deem the it

      proper . I subscribe to yonr library , Mr . Catcott , not to read novels orjbooks of quick reading and

      easy digestion , but to get books which I cannot get ^ " - \ — ¦ ~ - elsewhere — — — — - —— v —i -w , books -v ** r -m ^ r ~ - m . —* r of -i *** . a . massy * i * H . VK . * " ^ J knowled -t ¦ -- * --- ¦ V ' » W ^ - " ^ ta ge »» ^ w' ; and - < V * - * ^ -fc as «* »¦_»

      I have few books of my own , I read with a common-place book , so that if I be not allowed a larger period of time for the perusal of such books , I must ¦ contrive . » to t get rid of ¦ subscription

      - which — — - — — - » would ^** * - " m . mm . w .. be . « ^^ a thing ^ r * m » i ^^ V perfectl -k . *^^ . ^^< C y my it 1 useless T fc »» C 4 , K /> U V » , except *> » - ^ W J-V ^ ** " , *) so far as it gives me' the opportunity of reading your little expensive notes and letters .

      Yours in Christian fellowship , 8 . T . CoiiEKiDGE .

      I ' fines presume — 1 for —— Colerid d —— e — t — a — — ining —• ^^^ ge ^^ C ^ ^ % b escaped ^^ oo ^ " ^ ks ^ " ^ , as »*¦—f * - the ** they " ' *»•» ^— payment W were V » » p » —>¦ ^»» not •»¦» of ^ mf V

      then enforced at the Bristol Library . Possibly the expense of postage , fire shillings , which he alludes to , was a set-off against such liability .

      Librarian of the E Bristol . R . EToRitis Museum Mathews and Library , .

      ~ r

      Rtt - _ ¦ "'— »^R-^»-- ^^~~^~.'.- ,-...-...

      rtt - _ ¦ "'— »^ r- ^» -- ^^~~^~ . ' .- ,-...-::- , .... , , . - j , -.::. , ,,., c . , : „ , ~ :: ,, - ~ - . , - ¦ :-- ¦ - — ¦ . ¦• -,-,- ¦ . ^ r- ^ , - --- ;¦ - ¦ ^ —^^ jg ^

      ; May 15 , issg The Publishers' Circular 519

      The National Import Of Books. Foodwhat

      THE NATIONAL IMPORT OF BOOKS .

      drink We as now well import as what food we T , including eatto a what value we of

      upward ^ — —^— ~^»— - ^ s w ~— — of » *^«~ —^~ ~^^ m * ^ 150 - ™ r »~^ p » ^ v , 000 w ppr ^ p > ^^ ^ pp , 000 » ^^^^ ^^ r ^ st ^^ ^^ ^^^ e , ^ B rling ^^ " ^^^ ^^ ^^ a ^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^ y ^ ^^ ^ ear ^^^ ^^ . Taking the present population of the United

      Kingdom at 38 , 000 , 000 , our material food bill accordingly stands us in a full £ 4 per head for

      each unit of the population—man , woman , and child - ¦ . In 1887 according ~^^^ m ivjp to the C - ustoms »» b

      returns ' —»™ ^ , ^^^ w our ^^ ^^^ - ^^^^ import - ^^ - ^^ ^ g , ^ m ^^ r ~ of ^^ ^^ ^^^ - ^ book ^^^ ^^ ap ^ ^^ ^^ s ^ cost ^^ " ^» - ^^ ^^ ^ us p ^ ^^ exactl ^^^ ^ " ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^ y r ^ . ^ £ 224800 sterling . Treating these figures as

      we hav , e just done those of our material food bill , ( we l arrive at a cost for of the books of within

      l ^ d . " 4 d . ) f or each unit populationmanwomanand child . l £ d . against £ 4 .

      The , disparity , is , to say the least , noticeable , if not antithetical .

      Without entering into any discussion with the —— mediaeval ^^ w ~ »^_ p —~^"" ^ — pp ^—^ p" ^^^ metap p ^^^^^^^ - ^ fp ° - ^^ ^ fer- ^ pF JL ^ m T hysician P ^ " pUPJ * » 'P 11 ^^ B ^ PP ¦ i " ¦^^ p »^^^^ ip ^ h ¦ s bp as ^» r ^ fep to - ^ " ^* the - ^^ ^ ^^ ^—» - exact ^^^ ™ - ^^ — ^«"

      number of myriads of ' pure intelligences who could ¦ 1 P > H without ¦ ¦ ¦¦ PBV RRi IRRRP " ^ pf piB crowding P . ^ Hfc find a ¦>• Locus JPi- » » standi

      — - ~ — " ^ " , ^ ^ B- ^^^ pT ^ pT ^ pT V W « J * H *¦¦«* P > P" » , <« P ^*« pB * *^^^ ^ H' ^ B' « P ' ' ^* ' *** T *^ " ^ W ^ ^ ^ ™ ^ ^ P" ^^ - ^^ on the point of a needle , we will take it for g m m ranted ——¦ ~^ ^ *^ v ^^ ^ p' ^ vp ^^ ^ nv that ^ pp « p > pi ^ p ^ " ^ v ^ pp the W p *> ppJ ^ ppp * ppp intellectu > pp ^ ppp w ^ Ir ppjpp ^ pjv ^ . p * ^ p * ^ pj «^ al ^> vppi and pjr ^ ^ v pp p ^ p * spiritual r ^ pv p ^ ^^ ppi ^^ v p « pi ^» " ^ P' Ipk

      being * rare' ( in the physical as well as the ordinary meaning of that word ) it packs . _ very

      close . ^ Still , some o — of us may think 7 , ^ that there — - ^ is some truth in the sentiment to which the

      noble and accomplished lord at the head of Her Majesty ' s Government gave public utterance not > so long ago to the following effectif

      - ¦¦ — *— - ^^ ^ pp" ppp ^ - ^^ ^ p ^ p > - ^^ v ^ p ^^^ - ^^^^ i ^ pph ^^^^^ y % ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^— ^^ ^^ — ^^^^^ b ^^ —^^ ^^ ¦ ^^ , ^ ""™ « pip not in his exact words : * If we only took aa muchtrouble - -m ^ m v ^ pp ^ » to fill our heads » r as F we do to fill ~— —~^ v ^ ^~ ^^ , p | ^ ppppip * py ^^ ^ p ^ rr ^^ p ^^^^ ^^ b pppr ~* m ^ ^»^^ ^ pp ^ ' ^ " ^ ^ p' ^^ ' — ^^^— " ^ P »^ " ^ » " " ^ P" ^ '"^ ^^ " ^~ ¦ r ^^ - ^ ^^ ^ pp

      our stomachs , what different people most of us would be ! ' The writer of this articlefindin

      the cap to fit himself only too well , would , not g venture * ~^ p ~ - ^* ^ m w ¦¦ » i I pPto ^ f oa ^» p * pw > PM rfBa its V w » m ¦ adj M ¦ ^ pPPJPJ 4 fustment ^^ w > fpIP V ^ IP > ^ P * PA ^ ppp pVpjibb ^ PP to v ^ ^ pP 1 other ^^^ ^ pppp pbp - ^ p- * ¦¦ heads «¦> p > p > v ¦ ptf ^^^ pr r ^ p . * V

      If the reader is of an intellectual turn , and unacquainted with the matter-of-facts of

      th the at , trade exceptin , he g may value be , rather the onl shocked y other to recog hear - ^ nition Government officials ( of course in their

      wei official ht— capacity wei WP > te ^ k ht onl and A y ) value take of onl "books . We is must their

      V V ^^ ^ pBta g ^ k *»^ ^* W V ^ p ^ g ^ P" «^ «^ ^ P ^ P *»> ^ p ^ Vpfe W ^* # p * ^ p * B ^ fer ^ pp ^ pp- * p ^ y V V - ^ ^ " v ~— ' n / at pjppv iona on l th imports at accoun in t literature , ipso fac i t , th e ut same our

      * pjp ^ pV « p" ^ - ^ pr « bp ^ ^^ PflTP ^ p * p > p »^ BNpF ^< p ^ ^»> W ap ^ p T ^ pp > P ^ pv * ^ B ^ ^ VJff ^ pp * pvpj PJ P *¦ ^ v ^ pppi ^^ ^ pp ^— " — ~~ ^ - ^ c o - ategory ut W ¦ es ¦¦ t did the i in successful his # fam pp pt o and u vnv s ¦ Pp o historical rde - ^*« r for farmer book --- s -- .

      He > pp- — . -p * vp * wanted — ^^ kpr P ^ p * ^ r ^ ^ P > ' p « ^ hal . ^ ^ p ^ f a A * pbp toa *^ P » 9 — ^ ppp ^^ pr titles ^^ " ^^ and -v - ^ contents " — - 1 a matter of indifference—but every volume to

      be bound regardless of expense . ; Librarian -PPP s can tell us how difficult is a I ^^^ PPH- ^^ P- ¦ ¦ pi ^ PV ^ P ^^^ PW Pp ^ ppf ^^ P ^^ - ^ P' Vi ^ - ^ P 1 - ^ P ^ P ^ ^ ^^» ^* ^^^ " ^— " ^ —^ pl ^^» ^^ " ^^ - ™ w — — — —

      correct classification of books . Possibly the genus v « ¦ *^ ^ r ** V ^^ irritabile ^ f w pi * P ^ 1 ^ ^ p * pjp ¦ ~ ^ p' * r ^ pT of ' ^^ p' p ^ pj ^ authors . ^ " ^ p ^ hp" ^ p ^ ^ mp ^ p ^¦¦ p' ^ ppi p ^ apr may ^^ p ^ p ^ i ^» pb ^^ pr » not ^»^^ ¦ - ^^ altogether —— ^ ™— — —— ^^ pa ^ m ^^ ^^ — | I

      acquiesce in the literary judgment of ttie | Customs authorities . Certainl b exp i licit w - s » -

      tatemenfcs ^ tapF * ^ p * VA PPJP" ^ ^ p ^ ^ V . p »^ P" ^ even PfclPp ^ p * ^ pVJP p ^ p * ^ ' if p ¦^ *^ W « p practicable * ^ k ^ pp * »^^ PV ^ " ^ ^ P » «* ^^ p *» p »^ pp ^» ^^ would y m , «¦ - ^^ rp 1 —^ swell pp - ^ ^ p » —^ — - — the ^ - ^ — Board Tfcnarrl , of of Trade Trn ^ p » Keturns TR . P ! +, nrns _ alread alrfiarl , y v sumciently aufficientlv

      , f a ormidable bsolutel , de to terr such ent t dimensions o all but th e would most in be - y

      fatuated of specialists . We now present the following figures on

      the * Import of Books' as returned by the Board _¦—** VpT fcVA . V % of V ^ . V Trade . JL -1 . & 4 JV" -. V > S , which ¥ » XXlVlii has AXpLVI ^ 7 not A 1 V yet _ W X- * *»• published ^/ ^»* ^ - * " * --v-v ^**^^ x- *

      its detailed accounts for the past year , 1888 ; TABLE I .

      Import 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887

      £ £ £ £ £ Value Cwt . . . 202 19 , , 523 128 206 20 , , 124 352 211 22 , , 309 356 226 25 , , 5 438 42 224 26 , , 800 142

      £ . * . d . £ 8 . d . £ 5 . d . £ s . d . £ . ? . d . Cost per cwt . —say 10 7 0 10 2 « 9 10 0 8 17 3 8 12 0 i

      TABLE II .

      Particulars of the Import of Books , Bound or " Unbound including Maps and Charts . , Weight and Value for the Year a 1886 and 1887 .

      - 1886 1887 Cwt . £ Cwt . I « £ _

      From .. Holland TTolland Germany . 66 2 , . 827 827 394 20 69 69 , ,. 799 799 2 77 . , 674 674 575 68 68 19 , . 307 307

      „ „ Belgium France 4 1 , , 706 63 18 , 087 448 4 1 , , 863 55 18 , , 831 142 „ United United States States 8 8 . , 327 327 54 54 , . 667 72 2 8 8 . , 117 117 52 52 . , 310 310

      „ „ Obher Foreign Countries , 609 4 , , 068 , 935 4 , , Total from Foreign Countries 24 , 600 220 , 133 25 , 429 219 , 033 "

      From .. Australasi Au British stralasi East a a Indies 294 302 302 2 22 , , 365 219 365 4 147 147 32 4 , 981 981 199

      „ Canada 263 , 857 not returned „ „ Other BritisnPossessions 183 864 134 664

      Total from British Possessions 1 , 042 6 , 305 713 5 , 767 Totnl 25 , 542 ~ 226 , 438 26 , 142 224 , 800

      The pim nmpp * - ^ p » first p ^^* jp * r *^ ^ p » tabl ^^*^ w r ^^ ^ p » e - ^^ , pj pk it ^ - will w w p ^ ^ ^^ ¦ be ^ p' -pp- seen i ^^ - — - — ' — , -y r g ^ 3 ives — — the

      comparative import for the five years ending 1887 , with the weight in cwts ., and value . I have pit calculated and added the com ¦ -

      -pi ^ B ^ AVp PV W ^^ ' p ^^ P * * . ' W ¦•¦» ^* P" ^ PW p >« r ^ T PAP * ^ ppr ^^ w ¦ PI VPJ ( PPI ^*^ « y V - ^ - ^^ ~ mr— - ^ pr - ^ - mm -w —^ - ^ ^— - —*— • —• parative cost per cwt . for each year . The second 41 pjfc table 7 0 ci fP lies all the mr * official ¦ i ¦ - ^ - ^ ' informa - ¦ ¦ - ¦ -

      tion ¦ j ^ pV ^^ j ^^^ ^^^ r that ^> VA < ^ P *^ Tp" T is ^* r m , ^^ pv available supp Jm ^ r ' « W-r m" ^ ^^ ^^^ W-mW as ^ * r ^^ V regard ^ r " ™ *¦ " m ' - ^ s the »— " ^^ — respective ¦—'' ^— ' ^ * ^ countries ^^ V v w ^ WTA p \ p ^ pi mmr PBjv pk ^ V ^ F B ^^ P ^ from 4 PP * pBHp ppT ^ P"t P R which V V ppg a ^ Pa ^ ppp P 1 ^ pp we p . p ) ^^^ v receive "i" ^ ^ p > ^^^ ^ p > w ^^ v ^^^ our — - w ^~^ — - books > ^ - ^^ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ™ ^^ . ^ ^^ ^

      Examination of these figures shows that there ¦ AS pTaJVpi ^ i m * pw % * has a pii pjiynif been r ^*** ^ p' ^^ ¦* ^* ^ a l- ^ t * stead m " -r f ^* p- ' ¦ ¦¦ *¦¦ - **¦¦ y w , » a gradual f ^^ ^^ —~»» - ^— ^ - — — growth r ^ m ^^ in — ^^

      quantity , 1887 showing an increase of just one-third on 1883 , while during the same period mtpfp there has # P been an equally steady -mw- and — — — — —

      ^ ^ g ^ B jQp , ^ m ^^ YpPTfc T ^ F , ¦ pi ^ p ^ p ^ ^ p ^ » *¦* ^ f'WP ^ p' F ^ P ~ ^* P * ^** ' " ¦¦ * mm ¦ m * >^^» " ^ ¦ ' ^ P- ^ »^ j— . » ^ --- w -m- j gradual diminution in cost to the extent ^ of

  • Citation
    • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), May 15, 1889, page 519, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15051889/page/9/