Sweetser, M. F., ed. The White Mountains; a hand- Universal spelling-book for primary schools, with exercises in the elementary rules of arithmetic. Balt., J: B. Piet, [1881]. 3-144 p. il. S. bds., 15 c. Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène E. Discourses on architecture from the French by B: Bucknall. V. 2. Bost., Ja. R Osgood & Co., 1881. il. 8°. cl., $5. 40 Universal spelling-book. 15 3.00 HARPER & BROS., N. Y. O'Hanlon, A costly heritage (F. S. L., 193) 1.00 PETER HENDERSON & Co., 35 Cortlandt St. Shepherd, English grammar. N. Y. Henderson, Hand-book of plants. HENRY HOLT & Co., N. Y. Poynter, Among the hills... Stimson, Glossary.... D. LOTHROP & Co., Boston. JOHN E. POTTER & Co., Phila. 1.00 1.00 LITTLE, BROWN & Co., Boston. .$2.25; 3.00 McDermott, Poems from an editor's table 1.25 50 1.00 30 Bright, English flower-garden. 1.00 Core, Questions on Stewart's physics.. Euripides, The Heracleida.. Medea Kingsley, Two years ago, Eversley ed., 2 2.00 E. STEIGER & Co., N. Y. 80 The Publishers' Weekly. JULY 2, 1881. 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." Notes from librarians will also be gratefully received. In case of business changes, notification or card should be immediately sent to this office for entry under "Business Notes." New catalogues issued will also be mentioned when forwarded. “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. In presenting to our readers the report of the Board of Trustees of the Booksellers' and Stationers' Provident Association, together with an account of the second annual meeting, we again desire to direct the attention of the whole trade to the existence of the association, and to repeat the hope so frequently recorded in these columns that the interest in the association and direct participation in its labors may become more general among the entire trade. The demand made upon its members is small; the results that may be attained are most beneficial. THE CONDITION OF THE BOOK shortly done in his behalf. He cannot carry a stock large enough to secure and retain custom unless he has a margin sufficient to secure him against loss. There prevails in some minds an impressiom that there is less hazard in carrying a stock of books than in dealing in most other commodities. This is an error. There are fashions in books as in other things. The bookseller's stock is not perishable in the same sense that a fruiterer's is. but the books are few which make a "hit," and fewer still which take a place as permanent literature, and the dealer who carries over any considerable supply of one season's books to the next, unless they are tolerably good editions of standard books, is as badly overloaded as a dry goods dealer who is burdened with last year's patterns. From the Boston Journal, June 17. At the Convention of Booksellers and Stationers held at Chicago, last week, resolutions were adopted with reference to the abuses which have demoralized the book trade of late years, and urging the imperative necessity of reform. People who remember the attempt which was made several years ago to check the evils which then as now were clearly recognized by publishers and booksellers, and the dreary failure which followed, will not be sanguine as to any enduring results of the Chicago meeting. Nevertheless, it would seem that the mere instinct of self-preservation would compel the trade to arrange some concert of action and adhere to it. The bookseller is essential to the success of the publisher, and he cannot prudently be displaced by the book agent or by any system of direct dealing by mail and express between publisher and buyer. The bookstore, with its opportunities for the leisurely inspection of books, and with the sug gestions as to editions, styles, bindings and prices which the intelligent bookseller is able to make, should be the medium through which publishers should reach the book-buying public. But the bookseller's prosperity has been assailed from so many different quarters of late years that he is in a fair way to be eliminated from the trade unless something is These are the ordinary contingencies of the trade, which the prudent dealer would have to provide against if he were given a fair chance. But in order to have a fair chance, especially if his place of business be out of the large cities, and his book-buying constituency be not a large one, the ordinary trade discounts are not too great to give him a living prospect. Here the publisher steps in with the advertised offer to send to any buyer, postage paid, and at the regular retail price, any book on his list. The buyer has little reason to go to the bookstore when he can deal direct with the publisher on the same terms. But this is not the by which they admit to the privileges of full worst of it. The publishers have an easy code trade discounts a good many large buyers, and some who are not large buyers, and the booksellers are few, probably, who have not had some customer leave them in a rage because they could not give him as good terms as he had been in the habit of getting from the publishers. When a bookseller discovers that the man to whom he is trying to sell books can actually buy at better terms than he can, he might be pardoned for putting up his shutters and going out to drown himself. The result of the attempted combination in the trade a few years ago was a positive pledge all around not to sell to any customer at more than twenty per cent. discount. There were two consequences to this agreement; the first, that every buyer, small or large, promptly claimed the twenty per cent. discount; and the second, that the book-butchers" went on a-butchering, selling at any price they pleased, and had no difficulty in getting all the books and all the credit they wanted, notwithstanding the fact that all the reputable publishers had pledged themselves to have no dealings with undersellers. Even this is not the sum of the bookseller's woes. He is cut off from the handling of textbooks by the net-price system and the dealings of publishers with committees through salaried agents. The quickest-selling books, to a large extent, are taken from him altogether, and sold by agents on the subscription system. Then he is exposed to the competition of every dealer in notions who feels like adding a "book-counter" to his other attractions; and, finally, the system of trade sales unsettles prices, stocks up the book-butchers, and knocks off a certain per cent from the value of the books which the bookseller is carrying. Taking all these things into consideration, it is clear that the lot of the average bookseller is quite far from being a happy one. The traditional bookseller of the past, intelligent, courteous, with a genuine love for books and an extensive acquaintance with their contents, is fast becoming only a tradition, or if he lingers, it is to find himself crowded to the wall by the practitioners of the new order of things. It is a pity to see the honorable traditions of a trade so respected and so essential to the best interests of literature, fast passing away, and although it seems like hoping against hope, we cannot but wish that a way may be found out of the existing practices to a better and more secure system. The Journal of Commerce of Montreal, under date June 24, in connection with the above, makes the following remarks: The Board has held during the past year regular meetings each month, and has transacted such business as came before it. At the meeting held in June, 1880, the following officers were elected in accordance with Article VIII., Sections 1 and 2. President, Charles T. Dillingham; Vice-President, Charles G. Collins; Second Vice-President, Thomas R. Knox; Assistant Vice-Presidents, E. D. Hardy, Boston; D. N. Morrison, Philadelphia; R. K. Smith, Chicago; Samuel Carson, San Francisco; Harry Watts, Pittsburg. Treasurer, O. M. Dunham; Secretary, Joseph F. Vogelius; Counsel, S. Burdett Hyatt. The present membership is 283; the number of applicants for membership during the past year was 60, 58 of which were accepted and two were rejected on account of physical disability. The names of seven members were erased from the books of the Association on account of nonpayment of assessments; and we have been called upon to pay five death losses. The financial transactions of the Association during the past twelve months are as follows: RECEIPTS. Contingent There are certain growing grievances connected with the business of the bookseller which, if not dealt with in time, must result in driving him to other fields for the employment of his capital. It is only when some of the most common practices of the trade, thus characterized, are viewed from the standpoint of other departments that their inconsistency is most obvious. The wholesale grocer who sells a pound of tea, the sugar refiner who sells a few pounds of sugar, the manufacturerer who sells a pair of shoes, a yard of cotton or woollen cloth to consumers at large, anomalous as this may seem, would be doing nothing more injurious to his trade customers than does the publisher who sells a single volume to every caller, or who offers to "send by mail, postage free," any of his publications on receipt of the price From Fines from Members of Board of at which his retail customer must sell the same. But the publisher evidently does not feel himself bound by the usual restrictions and regulations of trade, for after, and even while, stocking the shelves of his larger customer, he does not for a moment hesitate to enter into active competition with him. Among the grievances under which the Canadian formerly labored, not least was the advantage which the purchaser of single books direct from the publisher enjoyed as compared with the retailer. The latter was compelled to pay duty on his goods, besides the harassing delays incident to customs regulations, while the former could get his books duty free, the post office sufficing as his shipping agent, freight carrier, Custom House, and Custom House broker. This injustice was happily done away with by the present tariff regulations, but not till after repeated representations on the part of the leading dealers. BOOKSELLERS' AND STATIONERS' PROVIDENT ASSOCIATION. President C. T. Dillingham, in behalf of the Board of Trustees, submitted the following report, which was unanimously adopted: REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. NEW YORK, June 1, 1881. GENTLEMEN OF THE ASSOCIATION:-In submitting this, their second annual report, your Board of Trustees desires to congratulate you upon the steady growth in membership, and the prosperous condition of the Association. Balance on hand at last Report. Trustees... 46 No. 5... No. 7....... Death $237 00 58 30 53 00 23 00 230 00 23 20 232 00 In their first annual report the Board urged upon you the necessity of your giving your individual assistance and support to the work of increasing our membership. Have you done so? This is a question for each member to answer for himself, and if he finds that the answer is in the negative, now is the time for him to mend his ways and take hold earnestly of this work. No association of the nature of ours can succeed without this individual work on the part of its members. Twenty-two members were elected at the April and May meetings of the Board, showing a disposition in the trade at this time to join the Association if encouraged. The universal prosperity with which the country is now favored, and the wise legislation at Albany, encourages us to believe that we can with proper exertion increase our membership one hundred per cent the present year. Respectfully submitted for the Board of Trustees. CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM, President. The chairman announced that the amendments to the Constitution, that were proposed and sent out thirty days previous to the general meeting, were withdrawn by the member that proposed them. The Constitution therefore stands as originally adopted. The Association then proceeded to the election of five trustees in place of C. E. Cunningham, with C. T. Dillingham; J. T. Ryan, with American News Company; Arthur E. Welch, with Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.; Robert Morris, with D. Appleton & Co.; John H. Ireland, with Harper & Brothers; whose term of office had expired. All of the outgoing members were unanimously re-elected for three years. The following resolutions were introduced and adopted: Resolved, That the thanks of the Association are tendered to Messrs. Geo. A. Leavitt & Co. for the use of their hall for the annual meeting of the Association. Resolved, That the thanks of this Association are tendered to The Publishers' Weekly, The American Bookseller, Geyer's Stationer, and The American Stationer, for their courtesy in publishing the proceedings of this Association; also to Messrs. Henry Holt & Co. for giving the use of their offices for meetings to the Board of Trustees. are Resolved, That the thanks of the Association tendered to the Secretary, Mr. Joseph F. Vogelius, who has faithfully performed without charge all duties appertaining to his office. At a subsequent meeting of the Board of Trustees the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Charles T. Dil lingham, N. Y.; Vice-President, Thomas R. Knox, with Jas. Miller, N. Y.; Second VicePresident, Robert Morris, with D. Appleton & Co.; Assistant Vice-Presidents, out of town: Charles E. Butler, with J. B. Lippincott & Co., Phila.; Eugene D. Hardy, with Roberts Brothers, Boston, Mass.; R. K. Smith, with Jansen, McClurg & Co., Chicago, Ill.; Samuel Carson, San Francisco, Cal.; Harry Watts, with J. R. Weldin & Co., Pittsburg, Pa.; Treasurer, O. M. Dunham, Manager Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., New York: Secretary, Jos. F. Vogelius, with Henry Holt & Co., New York; Medical Examiner for New York City, J. G. Wilbur, M.D., 153 Broadway, New York; Counsel to the Association, S. Burdett Hyatt, 13 Cortlandt Street, New York. J. F. VOGELIUS, Secretary. CONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCE. PARIS, May 31st. MEN of talents who hold a gifted pen may confidently bide their time, sure that a little sooner or a little later, full justice will be done them. We have had a striking example of this truth. G. Pallain has just given us the "Correspondence Inédite du Prince de Talleyrand et du Roi Louis XVIII., pendant le Congrès de Vienne," 8vo, 28+532 P. It has an excellent preface, and valuable notes. Talleyrand's reputation has increased immensely by this publication, which shows him to have been a man of uncommon ability, and exhibits the characteristics of his great talent. Strange to say (for here we are on intellect's most delicate domain) universal suffrage proves to be a better judge than men of eminent talents. Thiers and Vaulabelle gave us wrong impressions of these letters. Our other histories are: L. Blanc's terre," 10th vol., 18mo, 321 p., of letters which first appeared in Le Temps and afterwards in 8vo; A. Bouche Leclercq's "Histoire de la Divination dans l'antiquité," etc., 8vo, 420 p. (this third volume gives a history of oracles of the gods, of heroes, of the eminent dead, of foreign oracles domesticated in Greece); M. Pegot-Ogier's" Histoire des îles de la Manche," (Jersey, Guernesy, Alderney, Sark, and Herm), 8vo, 22+560 p.; and. T. Zeller's " Diplomatie Française vers le milieu du XVI. Siècle, 8vo, 13+416 p. (the correspondence of G. Pellicier, Francis I.'s ambassador to Venice). In archæology we have C. Clermont Ganneau's Etudes d'Archéologie Orientale," 8vo, 39+156 p. (the first part of the work's first vol., it is a dissertation, illustrated with 8 pl., of the "Palestrina Phenician Cup "); and the first number of G. Perrot and C. Chippiez's" Histoire de l'Art dans l'Antiquité," (the first volume will treat of art in Egypt, and will be illustrated by 600 engravings; the work will be in five or six volumes, and will trace art's course in Assyria, Persia, Asia Minor, Greece, Etruria, and Rome). The fortnight has produced only one book of travels: Abbé L. Vigneron's "Deux Ans au Se-Tchouan," 18mo, 10+299 p., with wood-cuts and a map of that province of Central Asia and only one biography: M. A. Mignaty's "Corège," Svo, 8+455 p., and 2 photos. (an introduction on the develop ment of Italian Culture, and on the genius of the revival, followed by a life and critical examination of the works of this great Italian painter). In miscellaneous works, the first place belongs to the "Annuaire de la Société des Amis des Livres," beautifully printed by Motteroz, on vellum paper; it is a small 8vo, of 180 p., with one etching, and four copies by chemical processes of engravings; 250 copies have been printed, only 150 of them have been put on sale. I may next mention P. Pradier-Fodéré's "Cours de Droit Diplomatique," 8vo, 2 vols., 15+1217 p. These are the lighter works: Mark Twain's Esquisses Américaines," done into French by E. Blémont (five copies are printed on China paper, five on Dutch paper, for biliophiles); G. de Maupassant's "Maison Tellier,' 18mo, 316 p.; V. de Montepin's "Son Altesse l'Amour," vols. 3 and 4, 18mo, 659 p. I ought to have added to the miscellaneous publicacations, E. Zola's "Nos Auteurs Dramatiques," 18mo, 422 p. (a republication in book form of his dramatic reports to the newspapers); and A. Theuriet's "Enchantments de la Forêt," 8vo, 228 p. (he is a sort of French John Burroughs). These are the sales of works: H. Greville's "Maison de Maurèze," has found 11,000 buyers; Mortimer Ternaux's six volumes, "Histoire de la Terreur," 3000; Mme. de Pressense's "Journal de Thérèse," 6000; O. Feuillet's "Histoire d'une Parisienne," 16,000, and still sells at the rate of 300 a day; Mme. de Rémusat's "Memoirs," 18,000 (though the price is $4.50); H. Rochefort's Mlle. Bismarck," 13,000, and "De Nouméa en Europe," 8000; J. Richepin's "La Glu," 5000, and 'Mme. André,' 7000; A. Silvestre's "Farces de Mon Ami Jacques," 5000. The third part of the library of the late Ambroise Firmin Didot, will be sold next month. It is in nowise inferior to the first and second "Dix Ans de l'Histoire d'Angle-parts. G. S. A. WILLIAMS & Co., will publish shortly a story of " Cape Cod Folks," which will be exceedingly racy and entertaining if it does anything like justice to the subject. JAMES R. OSGOOD & Co., will bring out very shortly Mr. Howell's novellette "A Fearful Responsibility," coupling with it two of Mr. Howell's short stories, Tonelli's Marriage," and At the Sign of the Savage." It is easy to foretell a large demand for this book. ORANGE JUDD CO. have nearly ready "Riding and Training Saddle Horses," by George E. Warring, Jr., and Edward L. Anderson; and a new revised and enlarged edition of A.S. Fuller's "Small Fruit Culturist." Both volumes are fully illustrated. E. P. DUTTON & Co., in addition to the books already announced, will publish for the Christmas holidays, "The Children's Kettledrum,' with original colored illustrations by a cele BOOKS WANTED. BRENTANO'S LITERARY EMPORIUM, 5 UNION SQ., N. Y. brated English artist ; "Pinafore Pictures and Rhymes," with original colored illustrations by Miss Vaughan. These books were manufactured abroad, and printed by the first color printers of England, under the supervision of their Mr. Swayne. Nothing has been left undone that will fail to make these "gems of art" both attractive and instructive for children. D. APPLETON & Co. have in preparation a new volume by the author of " Manch," entitled "Wild Work: based on Incidents which occurred in the Red River Region of Louisiana;" and, in the International Science series, Illusions a Psychological Study," by James Sully. An enlarged edition of their "New York Illustrated" may be looked for shortly. The work contains double the number of pages and some sixty or seventy additional illustrations. Carlyle's Life of Burns, vol. 2, Household ed. Delisser & Farrar, F. W., Mercy and Judgment. Macmillan. Black, W., Love or Marriage. Harper. Aimard, S., Indian Chief. Peterson. Verne, J., From the Earth to the Moon. Rolfe's Julius Cæsar. Harper, 1872. Parley's Cabinet Library, vol. 3. THOMAS WHITTAKER has in preparation Canon Luckock's "Four Epochs of Worship in the Church of England," by the author of After Death;" a new edition of Grant's illustrated;" a memoir of the late Bishop "Church Seasons historically and poetically McIlvaine, by his intimate friend Canon Carns, of England; and a new church history entitled "Ecclesia Anglicana, a History of the Church of Christ in England, from the earliest to the present times," by Arthur Charles Jennings, M. A,, of Jesus College, Cambridge. American Kennel Club Stud-book. N. Y., Westininster AS salesman in a book-store, by one who has had four Kennel Club. Alger, Helen Ford. Loring. GEORGE M. ELLIOTT, 48 CENTRAL ST., LOWELL, MASS. Vol. II. of Savage's Genealogical Dict. Vols. XIV. to XX. New England Hist, and Gen. Register. Lowell, Mass., Newspaper files, also Magazines. JAMES KELLY, 25 BOND ST., N. Y. Bulwer, My Novel, Globe ed., green cl. Lippincott's ed. Bulwer, Last of the Barons, Globe ed., green cl. Lippincott's ed. E. STEIGER & Co., 25 PARK PLACE, N. Y. Commercial and Financial Chronicle for the years 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869. Complete set of the "Operator." Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. I., No. 2. Gladstone, Homer and Homeric Age, 3 v. years' experience-city preferred. Can give references. Address J. HARRY SMITH, P. O. Box 72, Lewiston, Mifflin Co., Pa. |