Robinson, C: S. Sermons in songs. (D12) D. $1.25. Funk & W. Pettibone (The) name. Sidney, M. p. 5oc......Lothrop. Peyer, A. Atlas of clinical microscopy. 1st Amer. ed. (D5) O. $6..... Appleton. Phillips, A. W., ed. Connecticut almanac. (D12) D. p. Peck. 10C...... Phillips's dictionary Eng. language. (D26) T. p. 5c. See Hoffman, N. J. Pilgrim ser. See Barrows; Hazard. Pitman, B, and Howard, J. B. Phonographic reader. Pleasant stories. Boden, J. bds. $1.25. Pott. Political crime. Gibson, A. M. $1.50.......Gottsberger. - fairy tales. N. iss. (D5) S. $1.25..... - speaker. Baker, G. M. 50c.... Knox. Lee & S. Porter, Rose. Honoria. (D5) S. $1.25....... Randolph. Practical medicine. Pepper, W. subs. $5; leath. $6; hf rus. $7.... Lea Prévost d'Exiles, A. F. de. History of Manon Lescaut. Prince Zilah. Claretie, J. p. 50c..... Appleton. Appleton. Roth, E: Index to Littell's Living Age. V. 1. (Biography ..Roth. [Noah-Pius IX.]) (D19) O. p. $2 Roumanian fairy tales. Kremnitz, M. $1.50.....Holt. Rover of the Andes. Ballantyne, R. M. $1.50....Nelson. Ruskin, J. Aratra Pentelici. (Sculpture.) (D26) S.--Art of England. (D12) S.-Deucalion. (Waves; Stones.) V. 1. (D12) S.-Eagle's nest. (Natural science, etc.) (D12) S. -Love's meinie. (Greek and English birds.) (D12) S.— Mornings in Florence. (Christian art.) (D12) S.-Our fathers have told us. (Hist. of Christendom.) (D12) S.St. Mark's rest. (Hist. of Venice.) (D12) S. ea. p. 15c. Lovell. Rutherford, Samuel. See Key 2, etc. 15c.. Ward & D. Ruthieston. (D5) D. $1.25.... ......Pott. St. Bernard of Cluny. The celestial country. (D5) O. Schaff, Philip. Teaching of the twelve apostles. (D12) O. Putnam. Putnam. (D26) S. 15 c...... ...Lovell. Self or bearer. Besant, W. p. 15 c.. Cassell. Senior, W. See Francillon, R. E. Rand, McNally & Co.'s guide to southern California. (Steel) (D26) D. p. 50c.... ........Rand, McN. Randolph, A. D. F. Verses. (D12) S. $1......Scribner. Rankin, J: C. Coming of the Lord. (D12) D. 75c. Funk & W. Lovell Rame, Louise de la. Othmar. (D5) S. Sr....Lippincott. Rico and Wiseli. Spyri," J. $1.50.... ..Appleton. Ogilvie. ..Harper. Seymour, T: D. Introd. to verse of Homer. (D26) D. 60 c.; p. 45 C. Shakespeare, W: Hamlet. (Sprague.) (D19) S. p. 45 c. Winchell. See Dall, Mrs. C. H. Shakespearian myth. Morgan, A. $2.......R. Clarke. Shaw, Catharine. On the cliff. (D26) D. $1.25.... Carter. Shepard, Hazel. Great cities of the ancient world. (D19) O. bds. $1.50.... ......Routledge. Shepard, Ja. H. Elements of inorganic chemistry. (D12) D. $1.12. Heath. Shepard, W:, ed. Enchiridion of criticism. (D12) S. $1.50. Lippincott. Shoemaker, C: C., ed. Young folks' dialogues. (D19) D. p. 25 c. bds. 40 c.... Nat'l School of Oratory. Short studies from nature. (D5) D. $1.50 Cassell. Shuey, E. L. Joy to the world. (D19) D. p. 5 c. United Breth. Pub. House. Sidney, Margaret. The Pettibone name. (D12) D. p. 50 t. Lothrop. ...Scribner. Silent South. Cable, G. W. $1....... ...Harper. Simms, W: G. The scout. (D12) S. p. 30 c....... Lovell. Southward ho. (D12) S. p. 30 c... The Yemassee. (D12) S. p. 30 c...... Sintram. See Fouqué, Baron F. .Lovell. ..Lovell. White, S. & A. .... Skin diseases. Duhring, L. A. 6o c.............. Rand, McN. Speight, T. W. A barren title. (D12) S. p. 25 c.. Harper. Spiritualism. See Horn, Mrs. S. G. White, S. & A. Spurgeon, C. H. My sermon-notes. V. 2. (D12) D. $1. Funk & W". Spyri, Johanna. Rico and Wiseli. (D26) S. Stables, G. O'er many lands, on many seas. $1.25; cl. $2. Starr, L. See Pepper, W. $1.50. (D3) O. bds. Stars and constellations. Hill, R. $1............. ..... Funk & W. Story, W: Wetmore. Fiammetta. (D19) D. $1.25. Poems. 2 v. (D19) S. ea. $1.25.. Story of a ranch. Rollins, A. W. $1.. - of a sculptor. Fargus, F. J. p. 10 c.... - Same. p. 20 C... - of a short life. See Ewing, Mrs. J. H. P. $1.35........ Westermann. Strange stories from history. Eggleston, G. C. $1. Harper. Stray thoughts. Parker, M. H. $1.50........ Cupples, U. Cranston & S. Valor and enterprise. (D12) S. $1.... Warne. Warne. Student's classics. See Ferguson, E. C. Sun (The). Guillemin, A. $1.. -songs. Augsburg. bds. 35 c .Funk & W. ....... Warne. Sylvia's daughters. Scannell, F. $1.50.. Chautauqua Press. Talmage, T. De W. Technology, Manuals of. See Hummel. Coombes. Vanderbeck, C. C. See Richardson, I. G. 50c.... Vespucci, Amerigo, Letters of. Force, M. F. p. 25c. Clarke. Viardot, L: Wonders of European art. N. ed. (D19) D. Waffie, A. E. The Lord's day. (D12) D. $1. Ginn. H. GRAY, Manchester, Eng., has issued an interesting hand-list of Books on Coins, also of Tradesmen's Tokens." (16 p. 16°.) Winchester, M. E. Lost Maggie. (D26) S. 50c..Carter. - Three years at Glenwood. (D5) D. $1. 25. Cong. S. S. and Pub. Soc. ultimately appear as a book. MR. ROSSITER JOHNSON has begun in the New York Examiner a series of articles setting forth the causes and principal incidents of the AmeriTHE CLEVELAND (O.) PUBLIC LIBRARY, Wm.can civil war the series, it is expected, will H. Brett, librarian, has issued a handsome author-and-title catalogue of its German books, brought down to the 31st October of the present year. An appendix comprises a full list of the German works of reference. The catalogue in every particular is a creditable piece of work, the typography, paper, and press work not excepted. (96 p. O.cl.) been announced MR. HENRY E. KREHBIEL, of the Tribune staff, will publish next spring a compact review of the present musical season in New York. All operatic matters will be fully discussed, and the programmes of the notable concerts will be given, interspersed with critical comments. 44 PROF. W. MINTO," says the London Academy, will write the article on Sir Walter Scott' for the Encyclopædia Britannica.' He is also editing The Lay of the Last Minstrel' for the Clarendon Press. We may add-what is an open secret-that he is the author of the novel 'The Crack o' Doom,' now running in Blackwood's." MR. W. P. TISDEL," U. S. Diplomatic Agent to the Free State of the Congo,' who travelled on and along the Congo and its tributaries nearly six months, penetrating into the interior as far as Stanley Pool, and visiting several en. tirely unknown parts of that country, is now preparing his notes of travel in that section of Africa, and the book, profusely illustrated with pictures taken from photographs, will be of considerable interest. Mr. Tisdel's book, says the Nation, will be the first by an independent observer who does not share Stanley's enthusiasm, and will make some startling revelations about the true state of affairs on the Congo. The Publishers' Weekly. FOUNDED BY F. LEYPOLDT. JANUARY 2, 1886. 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" thankfully received. "Every man is a debtor to his profession, from the which, as men do of course seek to receive countenance and profit, so ought they of duty to endeavor themselves by way of amends to be a help thereunto."-LORD BACON. IS THE BOOK BUSINESS PERMANENTLY CHANGING? THE time for selling is over and gone for the nonce, and the time for taking stock and counting up profits, or the contrary, is at hand with the New Year. As we said last week, the year has probably not shown as great an improvement in the book trade as was hoped for, although in some parts of the country a very satisfactory Christmas business is reported. It is doubtful whether our own trade has shared in the benefit of the prosperity of the classes whose business has undoubtedly been better during the past fall. In planning for a fair share of the prosperity which is, we may hope, to come after the general depression of the past few years, it is important, most of all, that the book trade, and each individual member of it, should face the question whether or not the conditions of book-selling have permanently changed so as to call for a change of method on the part of alert and live business men. 46 We desire during the coming year to go somewhat carefully into this question, putting aside prejudices, traditions, and theories as to 'regular" and "irregular" bookselling, and endeavoring to get at the real facts. It is undoubt edly true not only that a new class of retail dealers that is to say, the bazaar shops or the dry-goods dealers who make bookselling a part of their business-has sprung up, but that there is a new class of publishers, who publish chiefly for this line of trade. The important question for booksellers in the proper conduct of their business to decide, is as to what permanent influence this class of trade will have upon what is commonly called the "regular" bookseller and, it is proper to add, the "regular" publisher. The first thing to do is to get at the facts in the case. We therefore desire to specially invite both publishers and booksellers to give us any signifi. cant facts of their trade during the past year, as far as is consistent with ordinary business precaution, and any which they know as to the local trade in their own vicinity and elsewhere; and we shall try to supplement any statementswhich we receive, either for publication or for private consideration, with investigations of our own. We would point out especially that many lines of books on which there is no copyright or proprietary interest of any kind are, as a matter of fact, sold on quite a different basis from copyright books-not so much because of the difference made by copyright as because the element of risk was long ago eliminated from their natural price. A publisher issuing a set of Dickens or Thackerey is pretty sure to make both ends meet in the long run if he can see his way to printing a better edition at a lower price than any already in the market. This kind of publication has been pushed within the last year or so into lines not hitherto considered safe, the best illustration of which is found not so much in the case of George Eliot's works as in those of Carlyle and Ruskin. It had never been supposed that Ruskin's works were capable of wide popular sale, but the newer publishing houses have undertaken Ruskin in a very creditable shape and at a low price, and have produced an unusual activity in the works of this author, which had hitherto been handled by one of our best-known and most conservative firms exclusively. Most of the old publishing houses state as their experience that towns and villages which a generation ago would take ten or a dozen copies of a new work will now order one or two only, and that the actual size of editions, despite the great growth of the country, is smaller on an average than in those days. On the other hand, a reason for this is found in the fact that we are issuing thousands of books where a generation ago American presses produced only hundreds or perhaps tens. The railroads and the mailshave also made vast difference in this as in every other business. We believe that a free discussion on the lines we have indicated will be of considerable help. We again, therefore, urge upon the trade, wholesale and retail, to send us the facts, that we may have a general and open talk as to how the book business is to be bettered. WE remind the trade that our Annual Summa ry number will be issued for the week ending January 30th, and ask that they will promptly supply us with copy for their advertising favors. This number we believe to be one of the most useful of the year, and not least to the smaller publishers, whose lines are difficult to keep track of in any other way. It is they who lose most by not keeping themselves before the reading and bookselling public, and we therefore urge upon all such-whose books we cheerfully record through the year free of cost to them-to give us their proportionate contributions to the advertising pages of that number. WE print elsewhere, from the London Publishers' Circular, the interesting comments on the international copyright movement in this country, from the pen of Mr. Edward Marston, of Sampson Low, Marston & Co., who had but recently returned from a journey through this country. Notwithstanding the good advice, the PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY declines to take the " firm stand" represented by the preference "that the reform should be postponed for a generation rather than that a 'manufacturing clause' should be embodied in it." It prefers something within this generation. INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT. THE effort to put a stop to the great copyright scandal is to be renewed at the present session of Congress by the introduction once more of a bill providing "that the citizens of foreign states and countries of which the laws, treaties, or conventions confer, or shall hereafter confer, upon citizens of the United States rights of copyright equal to those accorded to their own citizens, shall have in the United States rights of copyright equal to those enjoyed by citizens of the United States.' The bill is fathered by the American Copyright League, which has been reorganized with James Russell Lowell as President, and it is to be introduced by Senator Hawley in the Senate, and Mr. Randolph Tucker in the House Like a great many things which have been long talked of without being acted on, the question of international copyright is but little understood by the general public, and yet it is one of the simplest questions of contemporary politics. When an American writes a book the law recognizes his property in it, and forbids the reproduction or sale of it by anybody but himself or somebody to whom he has assigned his interest. If a foreign author comes here bringing with him for sale a book composed by himself and at the same time a quantity of furniture, jewelry, and dry-goods, we make him pay duty on the furniture, and jewelry and dry-goods, and then protect him in the enjoyment of them with all the force of the Government. If, however, he seeks to secure the book by paying duty on it, we reject his offer absolutely. But we do not confiscate it to the use of the Government, as a prohibited article. We do worse than that. As soon as he lands, and it is discovered that he has a book for sale, we say to all the unscrupulous persons in the country: Boys, here is a foreigner with a book. Go for him. Get out as many copies of it as you can and sell them for your own account. See that he does not get a cent of the money. It is very impudent of him to try to own a book here. Show him no mercy." 44 If he asks why he is to be robbed in this way of his book, any more than of his furniture and dry-goods, the answer is that it is easier and more profitable to rob him of the book than of the furniture and dry-goods, because it can be reproduced and multiplied in indefinite quantities at very small expense. Besides, he is told a foreign author ought not to care to make money out of his books. He ought to be above pecuniary considerations, and ought to be satisfied with seeing the good his books do by being widely read by an intelligent people. If he asks why other persons should be allowed to make money by selling them when he is not, he is informed that the persons who make money by selling them are called "manufacturers,' and that it is part of the American system to allow manufacturers to make all the money they can out of foreigners, and especially out of foreign writers, who are generally unpractical, visionary people, who do not really mind being robbed, Sometimes he is still further crushed by being Americans, seeing how much books are needed told that he ought to be glad to be robbed by in this country in order to instruct the multitudes of his ignorant countrymen who come over here; but this argument is only used in very bad cases, where the author shows himself unusually obstreperous and unreasonable. It must be said, however, that these arguments have for a long time been growing more and more unsatisfactory to the national conscience. A greater and greater number of Americans every year find their moral stomachs sickened by the practice of robbing authors because they happen to be foreigners. A greater and greater number find some difficulty in seeing how it differs morally from the old practice of plundering shipwrecked sailors. And this growth in morality has been stimulated by the increasing number of persons who insist on sharing in the spoil. Formerly, when an author landed with a book, the man who first seized him and got hold of the book was by a sort of common understanding allowed to keep it for himself. But now the whole crowd insists on a square divide. Consequently, the share of each is very small, and there is an increasing disgust with the whole business. A sort of compromise was proposed to the foreigner some time ago, by which he was not to be robbed if he agreed to purchase a suit of clothes, a hat, and a watch, immediately on landing, at an American store; in other words, he was to be allowed to keep and sell his book if he agreed to have it printed and bound by an American printer and binder. But this again put him on a totally different footing from a foreign inventor or manufacturer. If either of these has a new idea, he can either embody it in steel or cloth at home, and bring the finished article here and sell it freely on paying duty on it, or bring the idea here and get it embodied in steel or cloth in this country, just as he pleases. The police protect him in either case from violence. The author, on the contrary, would not be allowed to decide whether he would bring his book here all printed and bound, and pay the ordinary tariff rate on it at the Customhouse, or simply bring the manuscript here and have the printing and binding done in this country. Nothing of the kind. He had to choose, under this plan, between simple robbery and manufacture, as it was called in this country. This plan, too, has been losing its hold over people's minds. People cling still to the pro |