THE ENGLISH COPYRIGHT COMMISSION. 459 



his own nation but to other nations. However, I am glad to have agree- 

 ment so far ; and I hold, along with those who support the proposed 

 measure, that the enlargement of the markets by means of international 

 copyright would be a very effectual means of cheapening books. It 

 would be a more effectual means of cheapening books than at lirst ap- 

 pears, and especially a means of cheapening the best books. I may 

 refer asrain to this " International Scientific Series." One of the means 

 by which that series has been made cheap was, that the American pub- 

 lisher and the English publisher agreed to share between them the cost 

 of production, in so far as that the American publisher had duplicate 

 stereotype plates and paid half the cost of setting up the type. Now 

 it is clear that if the outlay is diminished by having one cost of com- 

 position for two countries instead of a cost for each, the book can be is- 

 sued at a lower rate in both countries than it could otherwise be. And 

 that arrangement, voluntarily made, under a kind of spontaneous copy- 

 right, in the case of the " International Scientific Series," would be 

 forced, as it were, upon publishers in the case of an established copy- 

 right. Consequently there would be habitually an economization of 

 the cost of production, by dividing it between the two countries ; and 

 hence there would be a lowering of the price. And then there is the 

 further fact that this would tell especially upon the more serious books. 

 On books of a particular kind the chief cost is for paper and print — 

 large editions being printed. Therefore it does not so much matter in 

 America having to set up the type afresh. But in the case of a grave 

 book of which the circulation is small, the cost of composition is the 

 main element in the cost ; and the economization of that cost, by di- 

 viding it between England and America, would serve very considerably 

 to lower the price. 



Q. {Dr. Smith). Then, if I understand you aright, you do not ap- 

 prove of the principle adopted in the Canada Act, in the act passed bj' 

 the Canadian Legislature of 1875, confirmed by the Imperial Act, by 

 which it is necessary in order to obtain copyright in Canada that the 

 works should be set up afresh ? 



A. I think that is obviously nothing else than a means of staving 

 off the opposition of printers, and a very mischievous arrangement. 



Q. Would it not be the fact that if a work could be set up once for 

 all in one country, and circulate in the two countries, the price of the 

 book would be diminished ? 



A.. Unquestionably. 



Q. {Sir H. Holland). You are aware of the difficulties that have 

 been raised by the United States publishers : that constant attempts 

 liave been made ever since 1854 and before to make a copyright con- 

 vention, and that there is no very great probability of these attempts 

 proving successful. Have you any particular suggestion to bring be- 

 fore the commissioners which would in your opinion tend toward making 

 the Americans favorable to a convention ? 



