178 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



understand that, and the consequence is that they do not play that 

 game with one another ; but, practicallj-, English authors at the pres- 

 ent time stand in the same relation to the American publishers that 

 they would to the English publishers if copyright were abolished ; and 

 whether I get any money or not from America for my works is entirely 

 dependent upon the strength of my American publisher. If he were 

 not a man who would not stand being trifled with, and if it were not 

 known that he was so, he could not afford to pay me anything. 



Q. Therefore, in your opinion, the effect of the contemplated change 

 would be not in the interest of the author, but in the interest of the 

 publisher ? 



A. I think that neither the author nor the publisher would be 

 served, and I think that the publisher's business would be made very 

 precarious. He might doubtless sometimes reap large proflts, but he 

 would always be at the mercy of unscrupulous competition. 



Mr. Trollope. Are you assured that this rule to which you allude 

 among American publishing-houses always prevails ? 



A. I cannot say ; I have been assured that it does largely prevail 

 there. 



Q. Then you would be surprised to hear if I told you that a large 

 American publisher, who has been for many years in the habit of pub- 

 lishing my own books, and with whom I once remonstrated for doing 

 so without consulting me, told me that he intended to continue to do 

 so, but that he would not republish a certain work if it were published 

 by any other American house before him ? 



A. Yes ; that is a very curious fact. I know of no parallel cases. 



Q. But if the case to which I have now alluded is a type of the 

 way in which business is done in the United States, it would be sub- 

 versive, so far, of the evidence which you have given, would it not ? 



A. Quite so ; but my opinion is the exact contrary. I have been 

 informed (I do not profess to have absolute proofs of it) on exceedingly 

 good authority that a publisher who has published one or two of your 

 books in the United States would think himself very hardly used if you 

 allowed any other publisher to publish for you. 



Q. I think that you will understand the point which was put in my 

 question, which intended to convey the story of a transaction which 

 had absolutely taken place ? 



A. Quite so ; I quite understand that. 



Q. I do not know that I need hesitate to say that the publisher 

 was Mr. Harper, and you are aware that he is probably one of the 

 largest publishers ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. You also said, I think, just now incidentally, in answer to a 

 question from Sir D. Wolff, that you were very strongly of opinion 

 that American legislation would not give us the international copy- 

 right which we are seeking ? 



