404 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



been obtainable in the various shops of 

 London when asked for? also, of the pro- 

 vincial booksellers ? The " character " of 

 our Periodical it is true, has, during its 

 weekly progress, gone abroad ; and many- 

 people (fortunately for us) have persevered 

 till they did get what they wanted. But it 

 is not so in every instance ; and the cost of 

 forcing the Journal by advertisement, and 

 other means, has to us been truly serious. 

 That which by the co-operation of the book- 

 sellers might have been effected by the 

 smallest possible outlay, has cost us several 

 hundreds of pounds.* We do not wish to 

 bear unfairly hard upon the booksellers, as 

 we are aware that " periodicals " are trou- 

 blesome, and occupy time in the collection 

 and in the delivery .f It was this that caused 

 us to issue Quarterly Volumes as well 

 as weekly numbers ; and we need hardly say 

 how materially this has benefited the circu- 

 lation and notoriety of the work. 



If the great houses are to sell their own 

 publications hereafter, over the counter, and 

 the usual avenues for an extended sale and 

 notoriety are to be closed (which no doubt 

 they will be), — -then, we tell authors without 

 any fear of being contradicted, that their 

 interests will suffer very material damage ; 

 and so they will find it. 



With respect to the allowance of 25 per 

 cent, to the retail dealer, we maintain it is not 

 too large for the risk he runs. If a man over- 

 speculate on grocery, meat, or any article of 

 necessary consumption, he can find buyers 

 readily — not so with books, which are essen- 

 tial luxuries. A man may be u fond" of read- 

 ing, but he may not be able to " afford" to 

 pay for such a luxury. Whereas life must 

 be supported, and he must buy and eat. 



In the matter of books ; if they do not 

 " sell," and the retail dealer has three left on 

 his hands out of four (a not uncommon oc- 

 currence), what is their market value ? 

 Mere waste paper. We are practically ac- 

 quainted with all these matters, and speak 



* We must here notice the beneficial effect 

 produced by the introduction of the new Postal 

 arrangements. Authors are now able, indepen- 

 dent of the trade, to send their books and perio- 

 dicals all over the country without a moment's 

 delay, at the rate of 6d. per lb. weight! We 

 have ourselves benefited by this to an immense 

 extent, and shall continue to do so. — Ed. K. J. 



f Aware of this trouble, we went round to all 

 the various dealers, and offered voluntarily and 

 readily to exchange every week, until disposed of, 

 any copy or copies of the " Journal" that they 

 might purchase. This, although relieving them 

 of all risk, failed to induce them to invest the 

 outlay of even one single penny ! Hence is our 

 complaint u reasonable," and their conduct un- 

 justifiable. However, the Post-office authorities 

 have " punished" them sufficiently — Ed. K. J. 



feelingly. There are a vast many more in- 

 teresting matters connected with the subject, 

 to which we shall return. The " Cheap 

 Booksellers" must not be let off scot-free. 

 Meantime let not the public imagine for one 

 instant, that they will ever buy books one far- 

 thing cheaper because they buy them of the 

 Publishers <who issue them. We shall set 

 this point quite at rest, anon. 



(From the " Critic") 



Lord Campbell has given judgment against the 

 Booksellers' Association, and it is dissolved. 

 The question now is, what must be done? Public 

 opinion has also pronounced itself strongly on 

 the same side ; — of course it applauds those who 

 sell cheapest, even though the effect of it is to 

 destroy thousands of dealers, and make a few 

 great monopolies. Nevertheless the deed is 

 done. Sentence has gone forth against the retail 

 booksellers all over the country, who are con- 

 signed to certain ruin. It was for their protection 

 only that the association was formed. The 

 Publishers had no personal interest in it. They 

 could have no object in allowing twenty-five per 

 cent, to the retailer, beyond the benefit of the 

 retailer. [This is very questionable!] 



But the Publishers are told now, that they 

 have no right to concern themselves at all about 

 the retailer; that they have but to sell their 

 books at their own prices, leaving the retailer to 

 determine at what prices he will sell each one, 

 adding to the Publisher's price so much as he 

 considers will remunerate him. Therefore the 

 Publishers must now look to themselves alone, 

 and take no thought beyond their own counters. 

 This is the judgment of Lord Campbell, the 

 desire of the " Times," the proposal of Mr Glad- 

 stone, and the resolution of the authors. Let 

 the Publishers, then, bow to the decision, and 

 henceforth regulate their business accordingly. 



We would propose to them that they carry out 

 the principle that has been pronounced to be 

 the right one, and that in future they allow no 

 discount at all, but fix their own prices for their 

 books, and sell them at those pricts to any person 

 who j)ays cash for them over the counter, leaving 

 the buyer to sell them again at any advance 

 beyond this he will or can. This would be the 

 simplest course, the fairest to all, and it would 

 be carrying out the spirit as well as the letter of 

 the opponents of the system that has hitherto 

 prevailed. [This, brother " Critic," will never 

 do. " Live and let live " must not be altogether 

 lost sight of; and how could a retail dealer 

 "live" under such circumstances!] 



If, however, the Publishers are not prepared 

 for so full a measure of " justice to all," they are 

 bound, in fairness to themselves, to reduce their 

 discounts. The argument of the opponents of 

 the Association is, that the discount of twenty- 

 five per cent, is too great: that the retailer can 

 thrive with less profit than this, and indeed, 

 " the uudersellers " have been content with ten 

 or even with five per cent. Such, too, was the 

 effect of the decision of the arbitrators. 



So be it. The course of the Publishers is 

 clear. Let them come to a unanimous resolve 

 in future to reduce their discounts to ten, or at 



