The Publishers' Weekly.

MARCH 10, 1877.

PUBLISHERS are requested to furnish title-page proofs and advance information of books forthcoming, both for entry in the lists and for descriptive mention. An early copy of each book published should be forwarded, to insure correctness in the final entry.

The trade are invited to send "Communications" to the editor on any topic of interest to the trade, and as to which an interchange of opinion is desirable. Also, matter for "Notes and Queries." Notes from librarians will also be gratefully received.

In case of business changes, notification or card should be immediately sent to this office for entry under "Business Notes." New catalogues issued will also be mentioned when forwarded.

A QUESTION OF FAIR PLAY. THE latest phase of the school-book question in the legislatures is the appearance of a bill in Missouri forbidding changes of text-books during the annual sessions, and providing that in all cities of above 50,000 population there shall be every fifth year, beginning May, 1877, a letting of a contract or contracts to supply text-❘ books. Bids are to be received from publishers in sealed proposals, and the contracts are to be awarded to the lowest bidders for satisfactory books by an Awarding Commission- | a sort of tribunal-composed of two members of the Board of Education, appointed by the President, two non-office-holders, appointed by the Mayor, and the Superintenent of Public Instruction as fifth member and ex-officio chairman. This is certainly more sensible than the Wisconsin and Minnesota jobs, though the objections to it are evident; but another Missouri legislator has quite capped the climax with a bill forbidding under penalty the use of copyrighted books in the schools.

What is needed on both sides as the solution of this school-book controversy is a fair understanding of the matter by the public and their legislators. So far as by the reckless use of agents the publishers have encouraged too frequent changes and fostered political demoralization, they have brought about a public feeling for which they have only themselves to blame. But, this evil having been already much restricted by the Publishers' Board of Trade, it is only fair that the representatives of the public, the general press, should give the people a fair chance to get at the facts. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat is leading the crusade at the West, and this is its fairness:

PUB. WEEKLY, Feb. 24.

If, as is wildly alleged by the St. Louis GlobeDemocrat, the publishers make a profit of 300 to 400 per cent on their books," we must congratulate Mr. Merrill, or whosoever is behind him, on getting the people of Minnesota into the pretty scrape of guaranteeing him a cash profit of from 100 to 200 per cent on

all the text-books used in the

State of Minnesota for the next fifteen years. Seriously, the bill is a far greater wrong, and seems to conceal a much greater job, than any alleged against the publishers. A State

paying cash can obtain the full forty per cent (off the retail price) without difficulty, which makes about the price which, counting the cost of transmission,' and other expenses in this connection, the State must pay for Mr. Merrill's books. If a trial balance is struck, it will be seen that there is a saving of perhaps five per cent now, while the State puts out of its power for fifteen years any advantage from the probable reduction of prices in the near future.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 2.

Admitting the

truth

of our assertions in reference to the 300 or 400 per cent profit which the publishers are accustomed to rake in, the PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY seems disposed to congratulate the lucky fellow to whom the fifteen years' contract is to be giv en on having a very good thing, "getting the people of Minnesota into the pretty scrape of guaranteeing him a cash profit of 100 to 200 per cent on all the textbooks used in the State for the next fifteen years."

With curious inconsistency the WEEKLY then proceeds to declare that this measure is a far greater wrong, and seems to conceal a much greater job than any alleged against the publishers." The people at large will hardly look at it in that light. If the Minnesota publisher expects to make a fortune by selling books at one half the present prices, the injustice and downright swindling of existing rates become more disgracefully apparent.

By a juggle between the retail prices at which a single book is sold and the wholesale rates at which any publisher is willing to supply a great State for cash, unscrupulous or ignorant journalism is provoking a mistaken public sentiment on this question which the publishers should take pains to set right. The Minnesota contract is more a job against the State than against the publishers: its result, in all human probability, would be to provide its schools with an inferior class of made-up books, at a cost which in the long-run would be greater than that at which regular publishers furnish books which competition has made the best possible. As a matter of fact, further, the actual profit of the educational publishers, as we have elicited by direct questioning of sev eral leading men, rarely averages above the ten per cent of the tailor, the shoemaker, the builder," instead of the " thirty or forty times as much" alleged by the Globe-Democrat, which persists in ignoring the most considerable elements of cost, such as illustration, which reaches in present books from $1500 in a primary arithmetic to $5000 or $10,000 in the more expensive works, and which assumes, what is rarely the case, that the publisher sells books at his nominal retail price. We hope the Globe-Democrat, which proposes to be anxious for facts, will give them, and we expect soon to give it some detailed figures from the actual expenses of leading publishing houses, which we trust it will be so good as to reprint.

66

SINCE the editorial of our last issue was in print, news has come of the withdrawal of Wil

son, Hinkle & Co. also from the Board of

Trade, and Messrs. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co. have issued a new price-list on the "net" basis. The withdrawal of these two houses seriously endangers the existence of the Board, an event greatly to be regretted. The danger is that in the lack of agreement the evils of the old agency system will again develop themselves. The one way to prevent this is by a public and trade feeling which shall hold principals to as direct responsibility for the permitted acts of their agents as for their personal honor.

A BRIGHT bookseller has all his customers posted as to what new books there are, and takes pains to call attention to the salient features of those most likely to prove attractive. This is just what one of our "trade tools," the Literary News, does for him, and as the March issue, with the prize question on poems, is just ready, we call the attention of our friends to the usefulness of this imprint circular. propose, during this year, to devote especial attention to making this little monthly peculiarly attractive to the book-buying public.

BOOK NOTICES.

We

HARRIET MARTINEAU'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY, edited by Maria Weston Chapman. (Osgood.) Harriet Martineau wrote the history which fills the first and a portion of the second volume of this work when in her fifty-third year, and when suffering from what was supposed to be a mortal illness. It is carried to the year 1855, its distinguishing feature being the unfaltering honesty with which she writes of her own character, her literary efforts, the many noticeable acts of her life, and the frank estimate she places upon the many celebrated men and women with whom she was brought into intimate relations. Mrs. Chapman takes up the history from 1855, and continues it until Miss Martineau's death in 1876, adding many valuable supplementary studies of this remarkable woman's early life, gathered from her friends, and ample details of her later years, supplied by an immense mass of journals, letters, diaries, etc., placed at her disposal by Miss Martineau herself. Harriet Martineau's efforts as a philanthropist, as theologian, and a writer on political economy, fields into which women rarely enter, have placed her among the remarkable

a

persons

of this century. She was known also as a strong opponent of slavery, an advocate of woman's rights, and a believer in mesmerism. All of these subjects, with many interesting details leading to them, receive ample justice from her own pen and that of Mrs. Chapman. The work is published uniform with the "Life of George Ticknor," and will probably command even a greater sale than that noticeable biography, as it appeals to the interests and sympathies of almost every class of readers. Two very fine portraits on steel of Miss Martineau embellish the work. 2 vols. Svo, cloth, $6.

LE CHIEN D'OR (The Golden Dog), a Legend of Quebec, by William Kirby. (Lovell, A., W. & Co.) This story opens in Quebec in the year 1748. It is a wild and exciting tale of love, that stops at no crime to gain its object. The days of the Borgias seem to be revived in it, as there is a beautiful and unprincipled girl who bouquet. The story is a long one, with a most kills her rival through the means of a poisoned intricate plot, which will well repay the trouble of unravelling it. The scenes and characters are out of the beaten track of fiction, and have a romantic and unfamiliar air about them We do not wish

which is quite fascinating.

to convey a wrong impression in speaking of the work as a story: we should have said a novel, as it is to the most intense school of fiction the book belongs. As it is very well written, its length will only add to its attractiveness. 12mo, cloth, $2.

FERNE FLEMING, by Mrs. Catherine A. Warfield. (Peterson.) The hero and heroine of this novel are brought to the notice of the reader in a theatre in one of the Southern States before war times, in which a false alarm of fire Occurs. The heroine, Ferne Fleming, is then only a little girl of twelve summers, but she meets her destiny and never deviates from it, through the four hundred pages and more, in life in ante-slavery times is a favorite subject which her eventful story is recorded. Southern with Mrs. Warfield, and one she is fully competent to deal with. In the present novel we have the first shadow of secession, and some very clever pictures of Southern men and woit is not wholly solved in this work, the reader The plot seems very ingenious, but as closes the book, after intense attention, rather unsatisfied as to the final fate of the lovers, whose further history is promised in a sequel already in press, entitled "The Cardinal's Daughter." 12mo, cloth, $1.75.

men.

man.

THE TURKS IN EUROPE, by Edward A. Free(Lovell, A. W., & Co.) Three questions are discussed in this little pamphlet-" Who Turks done in Europe?" and "What is to be and what are the Turks?" "What have the done with the Turks?" The suggestions it intelligent. 12mo, cloth, 25 cents. contains are apt, and the arguments clear and

THE GOLDEN BUTTERFLY. (Harper.) This amusing novel is by the authors of " ReadyMoney Mortiboy" and "When the Ship Comes Home." The heroine will be found a decidedly original creation, as she has been secluded entirely from the world until almost her twentieth year, and educated on a new theory, which places reading and writing at the end of the scheme, as almost unnecessary accomplishments. There are some very entertaining descriptions of Californian life, and quaint characterizations of Americans. The humor is thoroughly genuine and abundant, from the very opening chapter to the end. One of the very clever novels of the season, that will gain no end of readers and make every one brighter and happier from the reading. 8vo, paper, 75

cents.

SCAMP AND I, by L. T. Meade. (Carter.) A spirited story of life among the lowly in the great city of London. "Scamp" is a knowing little dog who plays a great part in the various exciting scenes of the story. Of course there is a moral pointed, but it is not too obvious to

R. G. HUTCHINSON, 44 Maiden Lane, New York, has added to his list several new styles of Clough's patent steel-wire cork handles and pocket corkscrews, one of which is represented by cut below. These goods are all new, and

are either tinned or nickelplate finished. They are intended as a permanent handle, and adapted to all sizes of corks, from that of a small vial to a demijohn. The pocket

corkscrew is of a similar character as the above, with an improved metallic case in addition, that covers the screw and can readily be attached to a key-chain. Mr. Hutchinson has taken the agency of the Star Mucilage Bottle with patent rubber cap. The cut gives a fair representation of the bottle, the cap or brush part being rubber. When held perpendicularly in the hand, pressing upon the rubber brush will cause the mucilage to flow freely or slowly according to the pressure put upon it. The bottle being perfectly air-tight, it is impossible for the mucilage to

No. 2.

Fig. 2 represents the "Yale" desk and a person writing thereon as if taking notes from a book. The top is black walnut, the bottom is lined with green oilcloth, and the outer rim is ash. These desks can be attached and detached easily on any arm-chair, and are said to be found by experience to be the most easy and natural method of writing, as they are adjustable at will to correspond with any sitting position or movement of the body. They are always ready and convenient for use wherever it is desirable to sit, in doors or out, in a warm or cool place, and they are as suitable for a lady as a gentleman. They are sold at $3, plainly finished with castings complete, without chair and book-holder; with book-holder, $3.50, with a liberal discount to the trade.

THADDEUS DAVIDS & CO., 127 and 129 William street, New York, have issued a new price-list at greatly reduced rates. The goods, however, will be kept up to their usual standard quality. Price-lists will be sent on application.

G. D. B. HALL, of Kalamazoo, Mich., is about to sell out his book and stationery business.

VICTOR E. MAUGER, 110 Reade street, New York, will soon give the trade a very elegant show-card. The design is a general configuration of his revenue stamp, and is handsomely illuminated in colors. The orders for his Quadrantal Rounded Corners have been so numerous that he has been unable to supply the demand, but with his present arrangements he expects to ship all orders promptly.