298 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



previous occasions, in the course of those fifteen years, I had been en- 

 abled to persevere, spite of losses, by bequests. On this third occasion, 

 after the issue of the notice, property which I inherit came to me in 

 time to prevent the cessation. 



Q. May I ask how long it took before you began to be repaid for 

 your losses ? 



A. My losses did not continue very long after that : the tide turned, 

 and my books began to pay. I have calculated what length of time it 

 has taken to repay my losses, and find they were repaid in 1874; that 

 is to say, in twenty-four years after I began I retrieved my position. 



Q. Then the commission understand that your books are now re- 

 munerative ? 



A. They are now remunerative, and for this reason : As I have ex- 

 plained, I had to publish on commission. Commission is a system which, 

 throwing all the cost upon the author, is very disastrous for him if his 

 books do not pay, and, as 3'ou see in this case, has been very disastrous 

 to me ; but when they do pay it is extremely advantageous, inasmuch 

 as in that case the publisher who does the business takes only ten per 

 cent., and the whole of the difference between cost and proceeds, minus 

 that ten per cent., comes to the author. I have calculated what are my 

 actual returns, on two suppositions. I have ascertained the percentage 

 I get upon 1,000 copies, supposing that I set up the type solely for that 

 1,000 copies — supposing, that is, that the cost of composition comes into 

 the cost. In that case I reap 30f per cent. But I reap much more. I 

 was sanguine enough, when I began this series of books, to stereotype. 

 The result is, that now I simply have to print additional thousands as 

 they are demanded. If I suppose the cost of composition and stereo- 

 typing to have been paid for in the first edition, and only estimate the 

 cost of paper and printing in the successive editions, then I am reaping 

 41f per cent. The actual percentage, of course, is one which lies 

 between those two; but year by year, with each additional thousand, I 

 approach more nearly to the limit of 41f per cent. I should point out 

 that the result of this is that I receive, as may be suj^posed, a consider- 

 able return upon the moderate numbers sold. 



Q. And that being so, can you tell the commission what in your 

 opinion would have happened had there been in existence a system 

 under which three years, say, after date of publication any one could 

 have reprinted your books, paying you a royalty of ten per cent. ? 



A. The result would have been that my losses would not have been 

 repaid now. After twenty-six years' work I should still have been out 

 of pocket ; and should be out of pocket for many 3'ears to come. 



Q. {3Ir. Trollope). Under such a system do you think that you 

 would ever have recovered that money ? 



A. I am taking it on the most favorable supposition, merely supjios- 

 ing that all other things but percentage had remained the same. 



Q. ( Chairman). Assuming the system of royalty to be in existence, 



