| 494 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/494 | The Author, Vol. 14 Issue 09 (June 1904) | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=%3Cem%3EThe+Author%3C%2Fem%3E%2C+Vol.+14+Issue+09+%28June+1904%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 14 Issue 09 (June 1904)</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Publication">Publication</a> | 1904-06-01-The-Author-14-9 | | | | | 225–252 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=14">14</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1904-06-01">1904-06-01</a> | | | | | | | 9 | | | 19040601 | Che HMuthor.<br />
<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.)<br />
<br />
FOUNDED BY SIR WALTER BESANT.<br />
<br />
Vou. XIV.—No. 9.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TsLEPHONE NUMBER :<br />
374 VICTORIA.<br />
<br />
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS :<br />
AUTORIDAD, LONDON.<br />
<br />
—____—>_+____—_-<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
OR the opinions expressed in papers that are<br />
signed or initialled the authors alone are<br />
responsible. None of the papers or para-<br />
<br />
graphs must be taken as expressing the opinion<br />
of the Committee unless such is especially stated<br />
to be the case.<br />
<br />
Tur Editor begs to inform members of the<br />
Authors’ Society and other readers of 7he Author<br />
that the cases which are from time to time quoted<br />
in The Author are cases that have come before the<br />
notice or to the knowledge of the Secretary of the<br />
Society, and that those members of the Society<br />
who desire to have the names of the publishers<br />
concerned can obtain them on application.<br />
<br />
— ><br />
<br />
List of Members.<br />
<br />
Tu List of Members of the Society of Authors<br />
published October, 1902, at the price of 6d., and<br />
the elections from October, 1902, to July, 1903, as<br />
a supplemental list, at the price of 2d., can now be<br />
obtained at the offices of the Society.<br />
<br />
They will be sold to members or associates of<br />
the Society only.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Pension Fund of the Society.<br />
<br />
Tux Trustees of the Pension Fund met at the<br />
Society’s Offices on the 19th of February, and<br />
having gone carefully into the accounts of the<br />
fund, decided to purchase £250 London and North<br />
Western 3 % Debenture Stock. Accordingly, the<br />
investments of the Pension Fund at present<br />
standing in the names of the Trustees are as<br />
follows.<br />
<br />
Vou. XIV.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE Ist, 1904.<br />
<br />
[Prick SIXPENCE.<br />
<br />
This is a statement of the actual stock; the<br />
money value can be easily worked out at the current<br />
price of the market :—<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Wonsols 28 4 i £1000 0 O<br />
Docal boas 0. 500 0 O<br />
<br />
Victorian Government 3 % Consoli-<br />
dated Inscribed Stock ............64- 291 19 a1<br />
War loan... 2019 3<br />
<br />
London and North Western 3 % Deben-<br />
ture StOCk’; 3 .-6..4.56 prs 250 0 0<br />
AB ap eure asa £9243 9 2<br />
<br />
Subscriptions from October, 1903.<br />
: £8. cd.<br />
Nov. 13, Longe, Miss Julia. 20) 50<br />
Dec. 16, Trevor, Capt. Philip. - 0 58 0<br />
1904.<br />
<br />
Jan. 6, Hills, Mrs.C. H. . ~ 0 5 0<br />
Jan. 6, Crommelin, Miss . : 20 10 0<br />
Jan. 8, Stevenson, Mrs. M. EK. . - 0.5 0<br />
Jan. 16, Kilmarnock, The Lord . .~ 0 10-0<br />
Feb. 5, Portman, Lionel . : ~ ob 00<br />
Feb. 11, Shipley, Miss Mary 2 0 5 0<br />
Mar. Diiring, Mrs. . : : 707 5) 0<br />
Mar. Francis Claude de la Roche . 0 5 O<br />
<br />
Ou<br />
o<br />
<br />
April18, Dixon, W. Scarth<br />
<br />
April18, Bashford, Harry H. : . 0 10. 6<br />
April19, Bosanquet, Eustace F. . . O10 6<br />
April23, Friswell, Miss Laura Hain. 0 6 0<br />
May 6, Shepherd, G. H. Ob 0<br />
Donations from October, 1908.<br />
Oct. 27, Sturgis, Julian : : -90 0 90<br />
Nov. 2, Stanton, V. H. : : 7 5b 0 0<br />
Nov. 18, Benecke, Miss Ida . : 7 1.00<br />
Novy. 23, Harraden, Miss Beatrice 75 020<br />
Dee. Miniken, Miss Bertha M. M.. 0 5 0<br />
1904.<br />
Jan. 4, Moncrieff, A. R. Hope . 5 0 0<br />
Jan. 4, Middlemass, Miss Jean . 010 O<br />
Jan. 4, Witherby, The Rev. C. . 0 5 0<br />
Jan. 6, Key, The Rey. 8. Whittell 0. 5 0<br />
226<br />
<br />
£8, d.<br />
Jan. 14, Bennett, Rev. W. K., D.D. 015 0<br />
Jan. 2, Roe, Mrs. Harcourt 010 O<br />
Feb. 11, Delaire, Miss Jeanne 010 O<br />
May 16, Wynne, C. Whitworth 5 0 0<br />
<br />
—_—__+ 0 ——__—_<br />
<br />
FROM THE COMMITTEE.<br />
<br />
—+—>— +<br />
<br />
HE Committee held their monthly meeting<br />
on May 2nd, at 39, Old Queen Street. The<br />
first business, as usual, was the election of<br />
<br />
members and associates, and seven fresh mem-<br />
bers and associates were elected. The number<br />
is small owing to the fact that the April meeting<br />
was held towards the middle of the month, and the<br />
May meeting at the earliest possible date in May.<br />
The total number of elections for the current year<br />
now reaches 110.<br />
<br />
Two cases were before the Committee. The<br />
first referred to a question of accounts between an<br />
author and a puohehee The Committee decided<br />
to endeavour to obtain a settlement of the case by<br />
entering into negotiations direct with the publisher,<br />
hoping by these means to discover, if possible, an<br />
explanation of the points in dispute. The second<br />
case raises questions of interest and of some diifi-<br />
culty between a member of the society and an<br />
author’s agent. As the matter is still under the<br />
consideration of the Committee, no further state-<br />
ment can be made at present.<br />
<br />
It was decided, subject to the approval of the<br />
President of the Society, to forward an address to<br />
the President of the Spanish Academy on the ter-<br />
centenary of the production of “ Don Quixote.” The<br />
draft of the address was laid before the Committee<br />
and approved. Mr. George Meredith, the President<br />
of the Society,. has also signified his approval of<br />
the draft.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
Cases.<br />
<br />
Since the May issue of 7’he Author eight cases<br />
have been placed in the Secretary’s hands for<br />
settlement ; three for money, one for money and<br />
accounts, two for the return of MSS., one for the<br />
settlement of contracts between author and pub-<br />
lisher, and one for accounts merely.<br />
<br />
Taking them in reverse order, the case for<br />
accounts referred to a Canadian firm, and conse-<br />
quently cannot be settled for some time. Again<br />
the case for the settlement of contracts, owing to<br />
complicated negotiations, cannot be adjusted imme-<br />
diately. Where demands were made for the return<br />
of MSS., the MSS. have been sent to the Society’s<br />
office, and returned to the members concerned.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
In the case of accounts and money, with the con-<br />
sent of the Chairman, the matter has been placed<br />
in the hands of the Society’s solicitors, as it has<br />
been found impossible to get any answer from the<br />
publisher. Of the three cases for money, one has<br />
been satisfactorily settled, one has had to be post-<br />
poned for technical reasons, and the other has been<br />
postponed owing to the absence of the publisher<br />
from his office.<br />
<br />
The last case contains some curious points, as<br />
the publisher sold a portion of the author’s rights<br />
some time ago without communicating with the<br />
author, and without accounting for the amount he<br />
received, when rendering his usual statement. No<br />
doubt, however, a satisfactory explanation will be<br />
forthcoming when the Society has put forward the<br />
author’s just demands.<br />
<br />
Another small case which was placed in the<br />
hands of the Society’s solicitors has been satis-<br />
factorily settled, without the necessity of taking it<br />
into Court.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
May Elections.<br />
<br />
Jackson, John ; . St. Dunstan’s House,<br />
Fetter Lane, Fleet<br />
Street.<br />
Kenward, James, F.S.A. 48, Streatham High<br />
(Elvynydd) Road, 8.W.<br />
Kirmse, Mrs. L. Fontainbleau, Manor<br />
toad, Bourne-<br />
mouth.<br />
Kirmse, Richard Fontainbleau, Manor<br />
Road, Bourne-<br />
mouth.<br />
<br />
Shepherd, Geo. Henry 27, King Street, St.<br />
- James’s Square,<br />
Hilfield, Bath Road,<br />
<br />
Bournemouth W.<br />
<br />
Simpson, Miss Gaynor<br />
Stowe, Edwin "<br />
<br />
Oo<br />
<br />
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MEMBERS OF<br />
THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
— to<br />
<br />
(In the following list we do not propose to give more<br />
than the titles, prices, publishers, etc., of the books<br />
enumerated, with, in special cases, such particulars as may<br />
serve to explain the scope and purpose of the work.<br />
Members are requested to forward information which will<br />
enable the Editor to supply such particulars.)<br />
<br />
AGRICULTURE.<br />
<br />
Buy EnGuisH AorES. By C.F. Dowsetr. 2nd Edition.<br />
83 x 54, 224 pp. The Author: Winklebury, Basing-<br />
stoke, 33. 6d.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 227<br />
<br />
ART.<br />
Great Masters. Parts XIII.and X1V. Edited by SIR<br />
Martin Conway. Heinemann. 5s. n. each.<br />
IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING: ITS GENESIS AND DEVELOP-<br />
MENT. By WyNFoRD DEWHURST. 124 x 83, 127 pp.<br />
Newnes. 25s. n.<br />
BIOGRAPHY.<br />
<br />
ELEAN 2 OrmMEROD, LL.D., EcoNoMIC ENTOMOLOGIST.<br />
Autobiography and Correspondence. Edited by ROBERT<br />
WALLACE. 9 X 53, xx.4+ 348 pp. Murray. 21s. n.<br />
<br />
Kings AND QuEENS | Have Kyown. By HELEN<br />
VACARESCO. 9 X 53,330 pp. Harper. 10s. 6d.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
DRAMA,<br />
<br />
SUPERLATIVE FRIENDSHIP. ‘“ A Home or School Play<br />
for Ladies or Girls.’ By the Rev. JOHN BRUSTER.<br />
Simpkin, Marshall & Co., Ltd. 9d. nett.<br />
<br />
EDUCATIONAL.<br />
<br />
ELEMENTARY SCIENCE AND NATURE ‘STUDY. By H.<br />
THISELTON Monk. Simpkin Marshall & Co. 1s. 6d. 1.<br />
THE GLOBE GEOGRAPHY READERS. By Vv. T. MURCHE.<br />
Macmillan, 2s. ‘<br />
FICTION.<br />
<br />
Ture Girt. By S. MACNAUGHTAN. 72 X 5, 309 pp.<br />
Hodder & Stoughton. 6s.<br />
<br />
CELIBATE SARAH. By J. BuyrH. 73 xX 54, 292 pp.<br />
Grant Richards. 6s.<br />
<br />
For Love AND Ransom. By ESME STUART, 7% X 5,<br />
379 pp. Jarrold. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
Miss ARNOTT’S MARRIAGE, By RICHARD MARSH. 73 X 5,<br />
341 pp. J. Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
Bats av TWILIGHT. By HELEN M. BouLTON. 74 X 5,<br />
304 pp. Heinemann. 6s.<br />
<br />
THe OrANGERY. A Comedy of Tears. By MABEL<br />
DEARMER, Author of “The Noisy Years,’ etc. Smith,<br />
Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
NATuURE’s COMEDIAN. By W. E, Norris. 7] X 55,<br />
310 pp. Longmans. 63.<br />
<br />
GLENCAIRLY CASTLE. By H.G. HurcHINson. 7] X 5,<br />
326 pp. Smith, Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
BrRoTHERS. The True History of<br />
By Horace ANNESLEY VACHELL.<br />
Murray. 6s.<br />
<br />
CourT CARDS.<br />
Unwin. 6s.<br />
<br />
In THE Wronc Box. By Fox RUSSELL,<br />
317 pp. Everett. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
ARouND A Distant STAR. By JEAN DELATIRE. 7$X 5,<br />
301 pp. Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
ENGLAND'S ELIZABETH. By His Honour JuDGE i. A.<br />
PARRY. 7% X 5,351 pp. Smith, Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
BIANCA’S CAPRICE, and Other Stories. By MorRLEY<br />
Roperts. 8 X 5,312 pp. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE BLUNDER OF AN INNOCENT. By E. MARIA ALBANESI,<br />
New Edition. 7% x 5, 322 pp. Methven. 6s.<br />
<br />
Mapes ov Money. By DorRoTHEA UERARD.<br />
336 pp. Methuen.<br />
<br />
OvuR MANIFOLD Nature. By SARAH GRAND. Cheap<br />
Edition. 74 x 4%, 282 pp. Heinemann. 2s.<br />
<br />
SmoKING FLAx. By the Rey. Sivas HocKkIne. 7% X5h,<br />
340 pp. Partridge. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
Musm%. The Story of an Anglo-Jap imese Marriage.<br />
Pearson. 6d.<br />
<br />
Treason. A Romance of Politics. Tynedale Press<br />
<br />
a Fight against Odds.<br />
8 x 54, 397 pp.<br />
<br />
By ANSTICE CLARE. 7} X 5, 315 pp.<br />
<br />
7% xX 5,<br />
<br />
7% X 5,<br />
<br />
6d.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
DorotHEA. By MAARTEN MAARTENS. 7} X 9, 573 pp.<br />
Constable. 6s.<br />
<br />
A PRINCE OF CORNWALL.<br />
7% x 54,410 pp. Warne. 6s.<br />
<br />
By C. W. WHISTLER.<br />
<br />
IN THE WHIRL OF THE RIsinc, By B. MITFORD.<br />
72 X 5,311 pp. Methuen. _ 6s.<br />
THE MASQUERADERS. By “Rrta.’’ 7% X 5, 371 pp.<br />
Hutchinson. 6s.<br />
THE WINE OF LOVE.<br />
311 pp. Nash. 6s.<br />
DEALS. By Barry PAIN. 72 X 5}, 279 pp, Hodder &<br />
Stoughton. 5s.<br />
<br />
Love's Proxy. By RicHarpD BaGor. 73 X 5, 305 pp.<br />
Arnold. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE LovETHAT HE PAsseDBy. By Iza Durrus HARDY.<br />
74 X 5,388 pp. Digby Long. 6s. é<br />
<br />
THE STONE-CUTTER OF MempHiIs. By W. P. KELLY,<br />
72 X 5,371 pp. Routledge. 6s.<br />
<br />
A WisE AND A FoontsH VIRGIN. By GERTRUDE<br />
WARDEN. 73 X 5, 296 pp. F. V. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
A JAPANESE MARRIAGE. By Dovugnuas SLADEN. New<br />
Edition. 8} x 53,401 pp. Treherne. 6s. n.<br />
<br />
ALLAN QUATERMAIN. By H. Riper HaGearp. (Cheap<br />
Edition.) 8% x 53, 182 pp. Longmans. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
Youna Love. By L. DouGAut. (Cheap Edition.) 74 X 5,<br />
179 pp. Black. 6d.<br />
<br />
AN ISLEIN THE WATER. OH, WHAT A PLAGUEIS LoVB!<br />
By KATHARINE TYNAN. (Cheap Edition.) 74 X 5,<br />
221 +150 pp. Black. 6d. each,<br />
<br />
By H. A. HInKSON. 74 X 5,<br />
<br />
HISTORY.<br />
<br />
SociaL LIFE UNDER THE Stuarts. By ELIZABETH<br />
GoDFREY. 82 X5%, 298 pp. Richards. 12s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THE PUNJAB IN PEACE AND WAR. By 8S. 8. THORBURN,<br />
Indian Civil Service (retired). Blackwood & Sons.<br />
12s. 6d. n. Two maps and four battle plans,<br />
<br />
LITERARY,<br />
<br />
SrortEs FROM DANTE. ~ By NortEY CHESTER. 7} X 43,<br />
238 pp.. Warne. 2s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
Ke.Lric RESEARCHES. By E. W. Byron NICHOLSON.<br />
800 pp. H. Frowde: Oxford University Press, 21s. n.<br />
<br />
MEDICAL.<br />
<br />
THe MerpicaL CurricuLumM. By Proressor E. A.<br />
SCHAFER, LL.D., F.R.S. .82 x 53,30 pp. Elinburgh :<br />
The Darien Press.<br />
<br />
ORIENTAL.<br />
<br />
SAYINGS OF K’UNG THE MASTER. (The Wisdom of the<br />
Kast.) Selected, with an Introduction, by ALLEN<br />
Upwarp. 64 xX 5,50 pp. The Orient Press. 1s.n.<br />
<br />
POETRY.<br />
<br />
GRANUAILE, A QUEEN OF THE WEST. A Poem in Six<br />
Cantos. 2nd Edition. By CHARLES RICHARD PANTER,<br />
LL.D. 74 X 54, 207 pp. Jarrold & Sons. 5s.<br />
<br />
Porms. By Sir Lewis Mornis. (Authorised Selections)<br />
54 X 34, 340 pp. Routledge.<br />
<br />
POLITICAL.<br />
GREATER AMERICA. By A. R. COLQUHOUNs<br />
436 pp. Harpers. 16s.<br />
FiscAL Facts AND Ficrions. By F.G. SHAW.<br />
4s. n.<br />
<br />
9 x 6;<br />
Saillitre,<br />
<br />
SOCIOLOGY.<br />
THe PRIZE: SOCIAL Succpss. By F. C, CONSTABLE.<br />
7 x 43,177 pp. Grant Richards. 5s. n,<br />
TECHNICAL,<br />
A TEXxT-BoOK OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. By<br />
Witrrip T. LINEHAM. ‘7th Edition. 1066pp. Chay-<br />
man & Hall. 12s, 6d. n.<br />
228<br />
<br />
THEOLOGY.<br />
Paraposis, or “In the Night in Which He was (?)<br />
Betrayed.’’ By E. A, ABBOrT, (Diatessarica, Part IV.)<br />
9 x 6, xxiii. + 216 pp. Black. 7s, 6d, n.<br />
THe YOUNG PRIEST. Conferences on the Apostolic Life.<br />
By HERBERT CARDINAL VAUGHAN. Edited by his<br />
<br />
Brother, MONSIGNOR CANON J.S. VAUGHAN. 7] X 5,<br />
347 pp. Burns & Oates. 5s.<br />
TOPOGRAPHY.<br />
Tur New Forest. By Horace G. HUTCHINSON.<br />
94 x 68,310 pp. Methuen. 21s, n.<br />
<br />
STRATFORD-ON-AVON.<br />
(Illustrated Pocket Library.)<br />
3s. Nl.<br />
<br />
THe QUANTOCK HILLS: THEIR COMBES AND VILLAGES,<br />
<br />
By SrpNeY LEE. New Edition.<br />
7 x 5, 304 pp. Seeley.<br />
<br />
By BratTrRIx F. CresswELL. Homeland Association.<br />
2s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
TRAVEL.<br />
PRESENT-DAY JAPAN. By AuGusTaA M. CAMPBELL<br />
DAVIDSON. 94 X 6, 331 pp. Unwin. 21s.<br />
THe SToRY OF ALPINE CLIMBING. By FRANCIS<br />
GRIBBLE. (The Library of Useful Stories.) 6 x 39,<br />
180 pp. Newnes. Is.<br />
<br />
A WINTER<br />
New (and cheaper) Edition.<br />
mais. 65. RB.<br />
<br />
PILGRIMAGE. By H. RipER HAGGARD.<br />
81 x 53, 376 pp. Long-<br />
<br />
Oo<br />
<br />
LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL<br />
. NOTES.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
NTHONY HOPE’S new book “ Double<br />
Harness,” a story of modern life, is to be<br />
published by Messrs. Hutchinson & Co., in<br />
<br />
the antumn.<br />
<br />
It is announced that a volume of short stories<br />
may be expected from the pen of Mr. Rudyard<br />
Kipling in the autumn.<br />
<br />
We are informed that his Majesty the King has<br />
accepted a copy of Mr. James Cassidy’s new book<br />
“Love is Love,” published by Messrs. Simpkin,<br />
Marshall & Co., at the price of 2s. 8d. net. The<br />
volume contains sixteen short stories, each of<br />
them founded on a true incident.<br />
<br />
“Where is your Husband, and Other Brown<br />
Studies” and “A Medley Book” are the titles of<br />
two books by George Frost, copies of which have<br />
been accepted by her Majesty the Queen.<br />
<br />
‘Lost Angel of a Ruined Paradise,” is the title<br />
of a work by the Rev. P. A. Sheehan, D.D., which<br />
Messrs. Longmans & Co. are publishing.<br />
<br />
The same firm is also publishing Mr. Wilfrid<br />
Ward’s ‘‘ Memoir of Aubrey De Vere,” based on<br />
unpublished diaries and correspondence.<br />
<br />
Mr. Poultney Bigelow has been appointed a<br />
Professor in the Law Faculty in the University at<br />
Boston. Mr. Bigelow’s department deals par-<br />
ticularly with ‘Foreign Relations and Colonial<br />
Administration,” and his lectures dealing with<br />
this subject will commence in the winter of the<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
present year. We understand that this is a new<br />
department in college education, and has for its<br />
object the training of young men for honourable<br />
employment.<br />
<br />
A second edition of ‘ Rita’s” new book “ The<br />
Masqueraders” is in the Press, as the first edition<br />
was sold out soon after publication.<br />
<br />
“Impressionist Painting: Its Genesis and<br />
Development,” by Wynford Dewhurst, has been<br />
published in a handsome volume by Messrs. George<br />
Newnes, Limited, at the price of 25s. net.<br />
<br />
Mr. Dewhurst has written the book with a view<br />
to preaching the doctrine of impressionism, parti-<br />
cularly in England where he considers this style of<br />
painting is very little appreciated. The book<br />
contains many illustrations which serve most<br />
effectually to demonstrate the methods set forth.<br />
Mr. Dewhurst trusts that the volume may be of<br />
real service to the cause of art education.<br />
<br />
“Buy English Acres” is the title of a book<br />
written by Mr. C. F. Dowsett, at the beginning of<br />
this year. The second edition, which contains<br />
much added matter, is now placed before the public.<br />
The book can be obtained from the author at<br />
Winklebury, Basingstoke, Hampshire. The price<br />
is 8s. 6d. net, post free.<br />
<br />
Mr. A. W. Marchmont, author of “ By Right of<br />
Sword,” has a novel entitled ‘“ Miser Hoadley’s<br />
Secret’ appearing in Methuen’s Sixpenny Library,<br />
and in the companion series, The Novelist, the<br />
same author’s popular book, “A Moment’s Error”<br />
is to be published.<br />
<br />
Owing to the great amount of revision which<br />
has been necessary in order to bring Mr. E. A.<br />
Reynolds Ball’s book, “ Mediterranean Winter<br />
Resorts” up to date, the fifth edition will not be<br />
published till the 1st of October, 1904.<br />
<br />
The intrigues between the English and Scottish<br />
Courts during the closing years of the sixteenth<br />
century form the material for Austin Clare’s new<br />
novel, entitled “Court Cards,” which Mr. Fisher<br />
Unwin has published.<br />
<br />
Mr. Grant Richards has just published a volume<br />
of essays from the pen of Mr. F. C. Constable,<br />
under the title of ‘The Prize: Social Success.”<br />
The essays treat of moral and social questions.<br />
<br />
The French Minister ‘ de l’Instruction Publique<br />
et des Beaux Arts” has lately created Mr. G. H.<br />
Clarke “ Officier d’Académie.”? Mr. Clarke has<br />
edited or written alone or in collaboration the<br />
following works: “ Le Misanthrope,” Moliére ;<br />
“Les Fourberies de Scapin,” Moliére ; “Table of<br />
the Order of French Pronouns” (Williams and<br />
Norgate) ; ‘School Grammar of Modern French”<br />
(J. M. Dent & Co.) ; “ Les Femmes Savantes,”<br />
Moliére ; ‘‘ Waterloo,’ Victor Hugo; “Primer<br />
of Old French”; ‘Le Voyage de Monsieur<br />
Perrichow.” (Blackie & Son); “ Intermediate<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
French Grammar ” (John Murray) ; “ La Bataille<br />
de Waterloo,” Houssaye (A. and C. Black),<br />
<br />
A new work by Mr. J. E. Gore, F.R.A.S., entitled<br />
“Studies in Astronomy,” is in the press, and will<br />
shortly be published by Messrs. Chatto and Windus.<br />
It will be illustrated by some fine photographs of<br />
nebulz and clusters.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. have published with<br />
illustrations a work entitled “ Aspects of Social<br />
Evolution,” by J. Lionel Tayler, at the price of<br />
7s. 6d. The book deals with the question of<br />
heredity, environment, and temperament, and is<br />
both social and medical in its character.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Brown, Langham & Co. publish early in<br />
June a new novel by Mr. E. H. Lacon Watson,<br />
author of “The Templars” and several other<br />
books. “The Making of a Man” is the title<br />
chosen for the new story, which will deal, ter alia,<br />
with the career of a celebrated minor poet.<br />
<br />
In this month’s (June) Chambers’s Journal is an<br />
informing article by Eustace Reynolds- Ball, dealing<br />
with the vie intime of the Piedmont peasantry.<br />
This is a somewhat novel subject, on which the<br />
author has had special opportunities of acquiring<br />
information.<br />
<br />
In the new issue (being the 41st) of the Sfates-<br />
man’s Year Book, edited for Messrs. Macmillan &<br />
Co. by Dr. J. Scott Keltie and Mr. J. A. Renwick,<br />
a series of statistical tables and diagrams has been<br />
brought together illustrative of the conditions of<br />
British trade and shipping from 1860 to the present<br />
date. Besides this compilation, so necessary for<br />
students of the fiscal question, may be mentioned<br />
a diagram showing the extent to which Belleville<br />
boilers are employed in the various fleets. In the<br />
general revision to which the book has been sub-<br />
jected may be noted the first appearance of a section<br />
devoted to Panama as an independent State.<br />
<br />
Mr, W. S. Gilbert produced, at the beginning of<br />
last month, a new play at the Garrick Theatre.<br />
We are pleased to welcome the return of this<br />
author to the dramatic stage. ‘That the piece is<br />
full of the old humour is clear from the fact that<br />
Mr. Arthur Bourchier is turned into a clown, and<br />
Miss Violet Vanbrugh into a columbine, and a<br />
Judge of the High Court into a pantaloon. The<br />
piece was received with much favour.<br />
<br />
“Tna,” a play in four acts by Mr. R. O. Prowse,<br />
was put on the stage of the Court under the<br />
auspices of the Stage Society. It is a study in re-<br />
morse, as the heroine thinks she has been virtually<br />
guilty of the death of her husband.<br />
<br />
Two plays by William Toynbee—“ Dolly’s<br />
Ordeal,” in one act, and “ Necessity Knows No<br />
Law: a Comedy of Personages,” in four acts—<br />
will be produced at a matinée at one of the West<br />
End theatres during the present season.<br />
<br />
229<br />
<br />
PARIS NOTES.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
HE book of the month is undoubtedly “ La<br />
Cominune,” by MM. Paul and Victor Mar-<br />
gueritte. In the form of a novel the authors<br />
<br />
give us the history of the Commune as they under-<br />
stand it, and show us a series of pictures of life<br />
in the various ranks of society during the troubled<br />
time which followed the Franco-German war,<br />
<br />
On reading this book one understands Mlle.<br />
Dosne’s anxiety to publish earlier than she had<br />
intended her brother-in-law’s book, ‘‘ Notes et<br />
Souvenirs de M. Thiers (1870-1873).”<br />
<br />
MM. Paul and Victor Margueritte endeavour to<br />
show us the various causes which led to the terrible<br />
insurrection in Paris. They describe in detail the<br />
miseries which the Parisian working-class and the<br />
bourgeois families had endured during the siege,<br />
their suspense, disappointments, distrust of their<br />
chiefs, hunger and discomfort of every kind, and<br />
finally their humiliation on hearing that the Prus-<br />
sians were to enter the French capital. The patriotic<br />
citizens were beside themselves with indignation<br />
and, taking advantage of this state of things, all the<br />
riffraff of the population thought the moment pro-<br />
pitious for a general rising against order and au-<br />
thority of any kind.<br />
<br />
The portraits of many of the historical personages<br />
are admirably well drawn, the description of the<br />
entrance of the enemy into the city, the story of the<br />
murder of Clément ‘Thomas, of the death of Mon-<br />
seigneur Darboy, and the account of the awful<br />
scenes of fire, bloodshed, and destruction are most<br />
tragic and pathetic.<br />
<br />
Many books have been written on the subject of<br />
the Commune, but none have given a more vivid<br />
and graphic description of that fatal insurrection<br />
than this novel by MM. Paul and Victor Mar-<br />
gueritte. The reader who cares to know both<br />
sides of an argument should certainly study ‘* Notes<br />
et Souvenirs de M. Thiers” before commencing<br />
“Ta Commune,” as it is just as well to know the<br />
difficulties with which M. Thiers had to contend<br />
before reading the verdict of the brothers Mar-<br />
gueritte.<br />
<br />
M. Pierre Loti appears to have renounced fiction<br />
for atime. His last book was ‘ L’Inde,” and his<br />
new one “ Vers Ispahan.” The former was pub-<br />
lished with two different titles ; the edition for<br />
France was “ L’Inde (sans les Anglais),” and the<br />
edition for sending abroad was simply ‘“ L’Inde.”<br />
In the preface to this new book the author tells<br />
us what to expect : “Qui veut venir avec moi voir<br />
i Ispahan la saison des roses prenne son parti de<br />
cheminer lentement & mes cOtés, par ctapes. .<br />
Qui veut me suivre, se résigne a beaucoup de jours<br />
passds dans les solitudes, dans la monotonie et les<br />
mirages.... ”<br />
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230<br />
<br />
This is a warning not to be despised, as the<br />
book is really a description of a voyage. It is<br />
charming, and has all the poetry of description to<br />
which one is accustomed in Loti’s works. One of<br />
the most interesting chapters in the volume is the<br />
one telling of a visit to the tombs of the two<br />
poets Saadi and Hafiz. The latter is buried under<br />
a tomb of agate in the midst of an enclosure with<br />
avenues of orange blossom and roses. ‘This garden,<br />
which was at first reserved for him, has become an<br />
ideal cemetery, as muny admirers of the poet have,<br />
at their request, been also buried there. Their<br />
white tombs are surrounded with flowers, and the<br />
nightingales are to be heard every night.<br />
<br />
A little farther on is the tomb of Saadi. This<br />
ig much more modest than that of Hafiz, and is<br />
marked by a white stone; but it, too, has a wealth<br />
of flowers around it. “Vers Ispahan” should be<br />
kept as a charming, restful book for a summer<br />
holiday. It is impossible to hurry through it, as<br />
every word is worth reading.<br />
<br />
«lias Portolu,’ by Madame Grazia Deledda,<br />
is a delightful study of humble life in Sardinia.<br />
The authoress was born in Nuoro, a little town con-<br />
taining 7,000 inhabitants, and she places her story<br />
there. In the opening chapter Elias has just<br />
returned home after a sojourn in a penitentiary.<br />
His family and friends assemble in honour of this<br />
event and of the engagement of Pietro, the eldest<br />
son of the house. Elias is féted like a student<br />
returning home for the holidays, for among<br />
these primitive people when once a sin has been<br />
punished there is no further grudge against the<br />
culprit. He may begin an entirely fresh page<br />
in his life and he will not be taunted with his<br />
past.<br />
<br />
There is no strong plot to the story, but as a<br />
psychological study of Sardinian peasants it is<br />
very charming, and gives us an idea of an entirely<br />
different world, and of a totally different way of<br />
looking at many things from that to which we<br />
are accustomed. There is great originality, too,<br />
in the way in which the story is told.<br />
<br />
“Crainquebille, Putois, Riquet et plusieurs autres<br />
récits profitables ” is the title of a volume of short<br />
stories and sketches by M. Anatole France.<br />
<br />
“ Crainquebille” is a literary gem, one of the<br />
simplest and most pathetic of episodes told in<br />
the simplest and most exquisite style imaginable.<br />
The hero of the story is only a costermonger, and<br />
the incidents déscribed are such as one might<br />
witness every day in crowded cities, but every<br />
person lives, and there is deep pathos and tragic<br />
humour underlying the whole.<br />
<br />
“Putois” is a charming sketch, an excellent<br />
example of the way in which history can be built<br />
on a foundation of fiction.<br />
<br />
“Riquet,” though only a little dog, has not<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
lived with M. Bergeret to no purpose. He is mar-<br />
vellously philosophical, and his “ Thoughts ” are<br />
well worth reading. There are about a dozen<br />
other sketches or stories in the volume, each one of<br />
which has its special raison d’étre.<br />
<br />
“ Joseline,” by M. Edouard Delpit, is a book<br />
which will please readers who prefer a dramatic to<br />
a psychological novel. There is plenty of incident,<br />
the characters are well drawn, and the story itself is<br />
quite possible. The most interesting personage in<br />
the book is a wealthy, self-made man, who, until<br />
the age of fifty, has had a very lonely life. He falls<br />
in love with a young girl who is secretly engaged<br />
to a young workman. For the sake of her family<br />
she consents to marry the millionaire. He, how-<br />
ever, discovers the true state of matters, and shows<br />
great nobility of character. The dénowement is<br />
tragic.<br />
<br />
Among the new books are: “ Paravent de soie<br />
et dor,” by Madame Judith Gautier; “Le Mar-<br />
quis de Valcor,” by Daniel Lesueur ; “ Isolée,” by<br />
Brada ; “ Autour des Iles bretonnes,” by M.<br />
Caradec ; “La Vie d’un simple, or Mémoires<br />
d’un métayer,” by M. Guillaumin ; “ De la Paix,<br />
du Désarmement et de la Solution du probleme<br />
social,” by Madame Winteler de Weindeck; ‘‘Visions<br />
bréves,” by M. Radet.<br />
<br />
M. Jules Claretie has just published the sixth<br />
volume of “ Vie 4 Paris.”<br />
<br />
An interesting case has been brought into the<br />
law courts. The widow of Leconte de Lisle pro-<br />
tested against the publication of a book entitled<br />
“ Premicéres Poésies et Lettres inédites de Leconte de<br />
Lisle.” The verses and letters were wrilten during<br />
his college days (about the year 1858) by the poet,<br />
and M. Guinaudeau, who brought out the volume,<br />
received them from a former friend of Leconte de<br />
Lisle.<br />
<br />
The widow of the poet, as residuary legatee,<br />
objected to the publication of poems, which her<br />
husband had never deemed worthy to include in<br />
his complete works, and the sale of the volume was<br />
stopped until a decision was given.<br />
<br />
M. Guinandeau claimed that these poems came<br />
under the heading of ‘‘ posthumous works,” and as<br />
such belong to the person who owns them, and that<br />
this person has the same rights as an author with<br />
regard to them.<br />
<br />
M. de Hérédia, M. Henry Houssaye, M. de<br />
Nolhac, and other distinguished literary men wre<br />
to Madame Leconte de Lisle expressing<br />
pathy with her and their approval of the<br />
had taken in the matter.<br />
<br />
The judgment has just been g<br />
Guinaudeau and his publisher have to<br />
francs indemnity to Madame Leconte<br />
The destruction of the books canna<br />
by this Court, so that in order<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
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THE<br />
<br />
Stop the circulation of the volumes the case will<br />
probably be brought before another Court.<br />
<br />
In an interesting article by M. Théry in the<br />
Economiste européen the question of the “Theatre<br />
Trust” is discussed in detail, The writer praises<br />
the Société des Auteurs for having “ vigorously<br />
attacked this scheme of monopoly.” M. Thery<br />
points out that by doing away with competition<br />
between theatre managers the result would be no<br />
competition between artistes, authors, decorators, or<br />
costume designers, so that French theatrical art<br />
would lose one of its chief elements of success and<br />
of universal influence.<br />
<br />
The Société des Auteurs dramatiques at its annual<br />
meeting discussed the question of the “Theatre<br />
Trust,” and decided to continue to oppose it<br />
energetically.<br />
<br />
The Syndicate of Dramatic Critics also held a<br />
meeting, at which a vote was passed that the critics<br />
would stand by the authors on the question of the<br />
“Theatre Trust.”<br />
<br />
At the theaties Madame Sarah Bernhardt con-<br />
tinues “ Varennes” until she leaves for Belgium. At<br />
the Gymnase “ Le Retour de Jérusalem” has held the<br />
pill for 200 performances, and M. Antoine has had<br />
great success with ‘ Oiseaux de Passage.”<br />
<br />
At the Gaite “La Montansier,” too, holds the bill<br />
until Madame Réjane’s departure, and at the<br />
Ambigu “ La Baillonnée” is another success for M.<br />
Decourcelles. The Porte St. Martin has put on<br />
“Blectra,” a Spanish play, and the Vaudeville<br />
“La Troisieme Lune.”<br />
<br />
On the occasion of the centenary of Georges Sand<br />
the Odéon will give a performance of the “ Démon<br />
du Foyer.” M. Ginisty has received permission<br />
from the Ministry to have a Georges Sand Exhibi-<br />
tion in the foyer of the theatre. There will be on<br />
view the most celebrated portraits of the great<br />
authoress, some sketches and water-colour paintings<br />
of hers, and various relics and souvenirs connected<br />
with her.<br />
<br />
At the Comédie Frangaise, for the centenary of<br />
Georges Sand, M. Jules Claretie has decided to<br />
give “ Claudie.”<br />
<br />
The piece which Madame Judith Gautier and<br />
M. Pierre Loti have written for Madame Sarah<br />
Bernhardt is entitled “Fille du Ciel.” It is a<br />
Chinese drama, and will be put on next season.<br />
<br />
China certainly seems to be in favour at present.<br />
The new play by Madame Fred Grésac and M. Paul<br />
Ferrier is a Chinese comedy entitled “La Troisicme<br />
Lune.”<br />
<br />
M. Maurice Bernhardt has dramatised the novel<br />
by M. Sienkiewicz, “Par le Fer et par le Feu.”<br />
This is to be put on next season at the Sarah<br />
Bernhardt Théitre with M. Huguenet in the role<br />
of Zagloba.<br />
<br />
Auys HALLARD.<br />
<br />
AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
231<br />
<br />
AUTHORS’ AGENTS.<br />
<br />
———+—<br />
<br />
WW" have read, very naturally with interest,<br />
the able and well-considered paper pub-<br />
lished under this heading in the April<br />
issue. Upon several points we emphatically agree<br />
with G. H. T., but upon one or two others we<br />
should like to make a few observations, which<br />
might even be useful to members, and should be<br />
<br />
glad if you will kindly allow us space.<br />
<br />
That the methods of agents are of growing<br />
importance, authors will not dispute ; indeed, in<br />
the interests of literature a wider separation is<br />
desirable between the literary and commercial side<br />
of the matter than exists now ; doubtless this will<br />
eventually obtain, and therefore it is essential<br />
that those methods should be sound and beyond<br />
reproach,<br />
<br />
That to the beginner the agent can be of very<br />
little service we cannot quite accept. lar more<br />
than to the experienced and established writer<br />
(who has little difficulty in finding a market for<br />
his wares) is he of use to the novice. To the<br />
beginner, in fact, he can, and should be, a very<br />
material help. ‘The novice desires to enter a re-<br />
stricted, yet highly competitive field, the customs,<br />
methods and requirements of which he is almost<br />
absolutely ignorant, and in furthering his endeavour,<br />
an agent, cognisant of all these, is of the utmost<br />
value. Again, as a rule, the beginner is too apt to<br />
rush to pen and paper upon the least provocation,<br />
without fully considering the general interest, or<br />
publishing probabilities of his idea when developed,<br />
and in cases of this sort the ageat who knows his<br />
business and has the interests of his client at<br />
heart, can, by giving judicious counsel, save him<br />
much time, and spare him much disappointment<br />
and, moreover, often put him upon the right trend.<br />
The reason why nine-tenths of rejected MSS, are<br />
declined is that they are written without con-<br />
sideration, rhyme or reason. As you fairly point<br />
out, the business of a literary agent is not run<br />
upon philanthropic lines, but it is hardly necessary<br />
for him to give greater attention to authors who<br />
earn him a large income than to such whose return<br />
ig small. Work of very well-known authors sells<br />
automatically, is besought ; it is the work of lesser<br />
authors which in the placing requires skill, know-<br />
ledge, judgment and energy. When an author’s<br />
output is not large enough to pay an agent, he can<br />
scarcely expect the agent to make any particular<br />
effort on his behalf on commission alone, but if he<br />
pays a fee to an honest agent to cover specified<br />
work, he should be able to rely upon that work<br />
being done. In theselection of an agent, however,<br />
<br />
there are two important points upon which the<br />
author, whether established or not, needs to<br />
<br />
<br />
232<br />
<br />
exercise caution. He should never entrust his<br />
work to an agent unless he is confident, in the<br />
first place, that the man he employs conducts<br />
his general business with an entire absence of<br />
favouritism, and in the second place has no per-<br />
sonal misunderstandings with any publisher or<br />
editor. Agents cannot afford to have personal<br />
animosities against either.<br />
<br />
As to the rate of commission, we consider this<br />
more of a personal question, and one dependable<br />
upon particular/circumstances, which might safely<br />
be left to author and client. Amongst authors<br />
earning large incomes there are very few so<br />
“hopelessly unbusinesslike ” as to allow unfair,<br />
or disproportionate deductions from their profits ;<br />
moreover, it must not be forgotten that it is the<br />
agent who, generally speaking, finds the openings<br />
for the author. But that the agent should always<br />
keep the welfare of his clients well before him, is<br />
only a principle of common business honesty, and<br />
whenever he plays into the hands of a publisher<br />
he is guilty of a gross breach of trust.<br />
<br />
But in indicating a system under which the<br />
agent becomes financier as well, and buys work<br />
from impoverished authors with a view of selling<br />
at a large profit to himself, G. H. T. puts his<br />
finger upon a very evil practice. The system is<br />
varied by the moneylender-agent advancing sums<br />
against unwritten work, and in this way (as he<br />
takes care not to let the author get out of his debt<br />
by always having a pocket open to him) not only<br />
secures a continuance of the “agency” but receives<br />
an unjust rate of interest for the accommodation.<br />
The evils of this system are manifold. Generally<br />
speaking, carelessness in regard to money matters<br />
is an attribute of the literary temperament. In<br />
some cases extravagance leads to difficulties, and<br />
resort to the moneylender-agent, who like Barkis<br />
is always “ready and willin’,” becomes a necessity.<br />
The ultimate effect of this upon the author is<br />
financially disastrous ; to other authors for whom<br />
the moneylender-agent acts, but who do not require<br />
his financial assistance, it is unfair, since obviously<br />
he has a deeper interest in the man who is bound<br />
to him, and consequently exploits him further,<br />
whilst, what is of more consequence, the de-<br />
moralizing effect upon literature is even more<br />
disastrous. Instead of working for, art’s sake,<br />
and endeavouring to express the best that is in<br />
him, the involved author has to grind away at<br />
“pot boilers” in order to meet obligations he<br />
never succeeds in freeing himself from, There<br />
are certain publishers guilty of the same disre-<br />
putable practice, but whilst the system is at all<br />
times an immoral one, they occupy a position very<br />
different from agents.<br />
<br />
For ourselves we see no reason whatever why an<br />
agent should not werk in unison with the Authors’<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Society, and be an ardent supporter as well (indeed<br />
we consider the Society should have the support of<br />
all in any way concerned with literature and its<br />
production). If he is afraid to have his contracts<br />
and methods inspected by an authoritative body<br />
obviously he is not conducting his business upon<br />
honest lines.<br />
<br />
Upon the subject of contracts, especially the<br />
“‘ next-two-book ”’ clause, we should like to make<br />
a few remarks. ‘The position of the beginner is<br />
this. He is unknown, and has a book which he<br />
requires published without any risk to himself.<br />
The publishers who are at all likely to undertake’<br />
this are few at the most. It is the publisher who<br />
is called upon to speculate in the venture, not the<br />
author, and it is he that dictates the terms of<br />
publication, and not the other, who can either<br />
accept or reject them. If he accepts, the book is<br />
published ; if he refuses, it is not. Harsh as<br />
existing conditions may seem—it must not be<br />
forgotten, however, that there is also the pub-<br />
lisher’s point of view—there they are, and an<br />
author, if he wishes to aim at fame and fortune<br />
must, until he is strong enough to make his own<br />
terms, accept them. Authors moreover should<br />
remember, what is frequently overfooked, that no<br />
book is absolutely necessary, that the world will<br />
still revolve if his song remains unsung, and to<br />
dictate terms to a publisher is in these days to<br />
incite his amusement.<br />
<br />
As to the “ next-two-book ” clause in particular,<br />
G. H. T. advises that no author should in any<br />
circumstances bind himself to a publisher for<br />
more than one book, but against this advice we<br />
must, with deference, again adduce our immediate<br />
argument—that until an author is strong enough<br />
to make his own terms he stands between accepting<br />
those of the publisher and being published, or<br />
refusing them and remaining in obscurity. A<br />
case came within our business not long since. A<br />
publisher—who does not enjoy the reputation of<br />
being the most generous in the trade—agreed to<br />
publish a first work on condition that he had the<br />
refusal of the next two. At the time, as a matter<br />
of fact, we advised the author not to sign. The<br />
publisher replied that those were his terms and<br />
could be taken or left. The author in question,<br />
anxious to secure publication, accepted, with the<br />
result that the book has boomed and gone already<br />
into a fourth edition, Now, if this author had<br />
declined these terms, from our experience and<br />
knowledge of the character of the work, we are<br />
certain no other publisher would have undertaken<br />
it; and if the author had not accepted them,<br />
instead of being established as a successful author,<br />
he would still be in obscurity and likely to remain<br />
there. It is perfectly true that he is tied to this<br />
publisher, upon not very liberal terms, for the<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
next two books, but on the other hand he has<br />
now a literary reputation which cost him nothing<br />
to achieve; he has even made an immediate cash<br />
profit through the achievement. There is also the<br />
publisher's point of view. Now that this author has<br />
made a reputation, through the publisher’s enter-<br />
prise, certain other publishers are very anxious<br />
to secure his future books, but the publisher in<br />
question speculated in the first instance, and after<br />
all it is only reasonable that he should reap the<br />
benefit of his enterprise instead of others who were<br />
prepared to risx nothing. In view, therefore, of<br />
the present conditions of publishing, we do not<br />
think that an author will be wise in all cases to<br />
follow the advice of G. H. T. upon this point.<br />
The difficulties of a new writer procuring first<br />
publication are becoming increasingly complex,<br />
and we do, not consider they are likely to be<br />
reduced by’ the novice attempting to dictate terms.<br />
We should not have the least objection to the sub-<br />
mission of an agreement of this or any character to<br />
the Society, but at the same time we should feel it<br />
incumbent upon ourselves fully to explain the<br />
novice’s position in the literary world of to-day.<br />
There is no profession the working arrangements<br />
of which can be regarded as altogether perfect,<br />
and since all are humanly exercised we doubt if<br />
there ever will be one. Certainly we do not think<br />
that G.H.T. is right in thinking that the ideal<br />
literary agent would be one who worked for a fair<br />
number of authors at a fixed annual sum. An<br />
agent is now remunerated by commissions upon<br />
orders which he secures. Naturally, his com-<br />
mission is the only inducement he has to obtain<br />
orders, and if his commission were compounded for<br />
an annual sum the inducement would be lost and<br />
the author the first to suffer. However conscien-<br />
tious the agent may be, it would be impossible for<br />
the author to obtain from him the same satisfactory<br />
results as he does when the agent’s profit depends<br />
<br />
entirely upon his successes.<br />
<br />
Spricc, Peprick & Co., Lrp.,<br />
GALE PEDRICK,<br />
<br />
Managing Director.<br />
<br />
—_—__—_—_—<>_+—_—_-<br />
<br />
LEGAL NOTES.<br />
<br />
et<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Wuat’s In A Name?<br />
<br />
HE right of an author or of his assignee<br />
in the name which he has given to his book<br />
sometimes occasions inconvenience to another<br />
<br />
author who has selected a similar name for his own<br />
work ; and the law upon the subject is perhaps a<br />
little indefinite and is not always clearly under-<br />
stood. Whatever the precise nature of the right<br />
<br />
233<br />
<br />
may be, it is not easy for the writer of a new work<br />
to avoid infringing it, and a number of interesting<br />
suggestions have been made in The Author for pre-<br />
venting, by a scheme of registration, infringements<br />
from occurring in future. Obviously if the author<br />
can search in a complete register of book-names<br />
he will have a chance of avoiding for himself the<br />
inconvenience of a dispute arising out of his<br />
adoption of a title already used. The matter,<br />
therefore, divides itself naturally into a discussion<br />
of the existing state of things, and the definition,<br />
if possible, of the rights at present existing, and of<br />
the proposals made with a view to improvement in<br />
the future. here have not been many cases<br />
decided in the law courts with regard to the right<br />
to names of individual books, for reasons which are<br />
not difficult to guess at. On the other hand, there<br />
have been several where the names of periodical<br />
literary productions have been concerned. The<br />
selection of names for individual books lies with<br />
the author, and any confusion with the name of<br />
another is accidental on his part. The selection of<br />
names of magazines by publishers is done more or<br />
less deliberately. A name is chosen on account of<br />
the merit which it is believed to possess, and the<br />
chooser of it is usually aware of the existence of<br />
the rival publication. Where he has knowingly<br />
chosen a name which runs close to that used by<br />
another he naturally defends his choice. The<br />
author or publisher of a book usually withdraws in<br />
order to save trouble, if not for any other reason.<br />
<br />
The right to the name of a book is not copy-<br />
right, as has been frequently explained in he<br />
Author ; and the name is not atrademark. At<br />
the same time there is in a title a right which is<br />
capable of protection, and it is in some cases of<br />
importance to an author that it should be pro-<br />
tected. In others it is a source of great annoyance<br />
to an author when some brother writer endeavours<br />
to prevent him from using a name which he fancies<br />
in order to protect a work which is of no value, and<br />
which consequently needs no protection. At all<br />
events, there are two points of view from which<br />
the matter can be contemplated : that of the author<br />
of the formerly existing work and that of the<br />
author of the second or projected work. Most of<br />
the writers who have discussed the subject in 7'he<br />
Author have apparently found themselves in the<br />
latter class.<br />
<br />
With regard to the nature of the right. In<br />
Bradbury v. Beeton, 18 W. R. 33, a case in which<br />
the proprietors of Punch sought to protect their<br />
title against one which might have been confused<br />
with it, Vice-Chancellor Malins said: “The de-<br />
fendants have no right to use a name which is<br />
calculated to mislead or deceive the public in pur-<br />
chasing.” ‘I'his simple phrase sums up the law on<br />
the subject. No author has a right to deceive the<br />
<br />
<br />
234<br />
<br />
public or to injure his brother writer by using a<br />
title which may mislead persons who, wishing to<br />
buy the book of the latter, might find themselves<br />
purchasers of the book of the former.<br />
<br />
In Kelly v. Hutton, L. R. 3 Ch. 903, Lord<br />
Hatherley said that there was nothing analogous<br />
to copyright in the name of a newspaper, but that<br />
the proprietor had a right to prevent any other<br />
person from adopting the same name for any other<br />
publication. It has also been pointed out that,<br />
should a journal change its name, anyone can<br />
adopt the old name for another periodical, so long<br />
as he does not in any way hold out the latter to be<br />
in fact the former.<br />
<br />
In the dealings of ordinary commerce there is a<br />
protection afforded to the labels and wrappers or<br />
to the name of a well-known article of commerce<br />
which is not derived from the registration of a<br />
trademark. This offers a close parallel to the<br />
protection afforded to the title of a published<br />
book, and it would appear to be founded upon the<br />
same principles. Traders are not always honest,<br />
and are sometimes ready to “‘ pass off” their goods<br />
as the better-known goods of some other producer.<br />
The goods of the latter may be distinguished by a<br />
trademark, and this may be imitated, together with<br />
the general design and ‘“‘get-up” of the article<br />
sold. The injured party then proceeds to ask the<br />
Court to forbid the infringement of his trademark,<br />
and to forbid the goods of the rival being “ passed<br />
off” as his. In defence, the rival may assert that<br />
the trademark is one not properly upon the register<br />
and move to strike it off. If he fails in this, the<br />
plaintiff will be entitled to the full protection which<br />
he seeks, but even though upon this point the<br />
judge’s decision is adverse to the plaintiff, and<br />
the trademark is found to be one which should<br />
not be on the register, there may still be a decision<br />
in favour of the plaintiff upon the question of<br />
“passing off.”<br />
<br />
“No man has a right to pass off his goods as<br />
though they were the goods of another.” There<br />
can be no doubt as to this, but it is essential in a<br />
‘passing off” case to prove where a trade name<br />
or wrapper or similar thing has been imitated that<br />
the name or thing sought to be protected is generally<br />
known as distinguishing the plaintiff's goods. It<br />
is enough to prove that the “ passing off” is likely<br />
to interfere with the sale of the plaintiff's goods ; it<br />
is not necessary to prove that it has in fact so<br />
interfered, or that it was intended to do so. In<br />
The Author of August, 1900, there was quoted an<br />
instructive case as to titles tried in America, where<br />
the University of Oxford obtained an injunction<br />
against an American publishing firm to stop them<br />
from bringing out a Bible entitled an‘ Oxford Bible:<br />
The Sunday School Teachers’ Edition.” The learned<br />
judge said with reference to the use of the name<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Oxford and to the point taken that this was merely<br />
a place name: “But this word is part of the<br />
plaintiffs’ name, and as such has given name to the<br />
plaintiffs’ Bibles and has come to be a means of<br />
showing their origin. The defendant has no con-<br />
nection with the place or name, and this use of<br />
the name by the defendant can be for no purpose:<br />
but to represent the defendant’s Bibles as coming<br />
from the plaintiffs.”<br />
<br />
Of course the intentional use of the name made<br />
this instance worse, but it was not essential, andi<br />
the case is otherwise interesting as showing the:<br />
grounds on which the injunction was granted.<br />
This, therefore, it is submitted, is the legal position =<br />
that A. must not take for his book the name used<br />
by B. so as to have his (A.’s) book mistaken for<br />
B.’s. Probably in a great majority of the cases.<br />
where an author of a new book is attacked by the<br />
author of an old one because he has published, or<br />
has let it be known that he is going to publish, a<br />
work under the name used for the old one, the-<br />
author of the old book could suffer no damage, as.<br />
nobody ever heard of his book, or everyone has.<br />
forgotten it, and nobody could mistake the<br />
new one for the old. In a great majority of these-<br />
cases A. can snap his fingers at B. if he chooses to-<br />
do so, so far as any action at law is concerned. In<br />
practice, however, he may not like to run the risks,.<br />
or if he does not mind doing so, his publisher is<br />
nervous, and declines to go on unless the name is.<br />
changed. From the other point of view, the author:<br />
who sees that another writer is going to bring out<br />
a book with a name which he has used for a book.<br />
which is in circulation has a legal right to prevent<br />
this being done, andit would be difficult to show that<br />
he is not perfectly justified in protecting his own pro-<br />
perty. When he is merely bluffing or asserting for his.<br />
deceased work a claim to fame which it does not<br />
possess, the question has to be decided whether he-<br />
is to be treated with contempt or humoured. If I<br />
appear tohave minimised the danger or the annoyance-<br />
arising from the question of a used title, it is only<br />
because I think that to someextent it is exaggerated<br />
by writers on the subject in The Author. I<br />
have myself suffered from the nuisance, as I had<br />
to change the name of a novel, after it had been:<br />
announced in advance, because the writer of a.<br />
short story having the title I had chosen, declared<br />
that she was bringing out, or was thinking of<br />
bringing out, a volume of tales in which that par-<br />
ticular short story (for which she had used the name-<br />
I had chosen) would figure as the first item, giving<br />
its name to the book. My publisher was desirous.<br />
of treating a lady with courtesy, and of avoiding<br />
controversy, 80 my name was changed, although the:<br />
first pages were already set, and although we agreed<br />
that the other author had no legal right to stop us<br />
and could not have succeeded in any action brought.<br />
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THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
with that intention. My book is as dead now as<br />
a doornail. I certainly should have no right to<br />
prevent anyone from using the title I ultimately<br />
chose, and I should not try to do so.<br />
<br />
With regard to the question what amount of<br />
circulation or “life” a book should have in order to<br />
enable its author or the owner of its copyright to<br />
prevent a new book from being published under the<br />
same name, it is difficult to find or to suggest any<br />
definite rule. I would submit, however, that a book<br />
discoverable in the bulky “ Publishers’ Catalogue<br />
of Current Literature” would be entitled to protec-<br />
tion, and that a book not to be found in that and<br />
never heard of by the author of the new work, or<br />
by his publisher or the publisher’s reader, would<br />
probably be held to be entitled to none. I have<br />
said nothing about such titles as “Tom Jones” or<br />
“Qlarissa Harlowe,” which someone suggested.<br />
No author or publisher would be responsible for a<br />
new book so named, and no bookseller would sell<br />
it. I propose in a future article to discuss the<br />
remedies suggested for the existing state of things.<br />
The suggestions have been principally made in<br />
order that the author of a new book may know<br />
whether his proposed title has been used before.<br />
<br />
BE. A. ARMSTRONG.<br />
<br />
—___—_——_—>_+___<br />
<br />
MUSICAL COPYRIGHT BILL.<br />
<br />
—_+—~ + —<br />
<br />
As AMENDED BY THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON<br />
Law.—Printep, March 24, 1904.<br />
Arrangement of Clauses.<br />
<br />
1. Offences.<br />
<br />
», Power to apprehend persons committing<br />
offences under Act.<br />
<br />
3. Appeal to quarter sessions.<br />
<br />
4. Alternative procedure by production of true<br />
copy of entry of copyright,<br />
<br />
5. Search warrant and seizure of pirated music.<br />
<br />
G. All copies and plates seized to be brought<br />
before court.<br />
<br />
7, As to forfeiture and destruction of copies<br />
and plates seized.<br />
<br />
8. Penalties.<br />
<br />
9. Recovery of penalties.<br />
<br />
10. Interpretation.<br />
<br />
11. Short title.<br />
<br />
12. Registration of copyright and date of first<br />
publication.<br />
<br />
13. Commencement and application of Act.<br />
<br />
14, Application to Scotland.<br />
<br />
15. Saving for foreign copyright.<br />
<br />
Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent<br />
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of<br />
<br />
235<br />
<br />
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons,<br />
in this present Parliament assembled, and by the<br />
authority of the same, as follows :—<br />
<br />
1. Any person who—<br />
<br />
(1) Prints, or causes or procures to be printed,<br />
any pirated musical work ;<br />
<br />
(2) distributes or carries about any copies of<br />
any pirated musical work for the purpose<br />
of sale, or of being dealt with in the course<br />
of trade ;<br />
<br />
(3) sells, or causes or procures to be sold, or<br />
exposes for sale, or offers or keeps for sale,<br />
or solicits orders by post or otherwise, for<br />
any copies of any pirated musical work; -<br />
<br />
(4) is found in the possession of any copies of<br />
any pirated musical work or the plates<br />
thereof for any of the purposes above<br />
mentioned ;<br />
<br />
shall be deemed to have committed an offence<br />
under this Act if it be proved to the satisfaction of<br />
the court that he knew that—<br />
<br />
(a) such musical work was pirated ;<br />
<br />
(b) or that such plates were the plates of pirated<br />
<br />
musical works.<br />
<br />
2. It shall be lawful for any police constable, on<br />
the request in writing of the owner of the copyright<br />
or of his agent thereto authorised in writing, and<br />
on the production to such constable of a copy of<br />
the entry of such copyright in the book of registry<br />
certified under the hand of the officer appointed by<br />
the Stationers’ Company, and impressed with the<br />
stamp of the said company, in terms of the Copy-<br />
right Act, 1842, and at the risk of such owner,<br />
to take into custody, without warrant, any person<br />
who, within view of such police constable in any<br />
public place, or place to which the public have<br />
access on payment or otherwise, commits an offence<br />
under this Act, and whose name and address shall<br />
be unknown to and cannot be ascertained by such<br />
constable.<br />
<br />
3. If any person feels aggrieved by any convic-<br />
tion made by a court of summary jurisdiction for<br />
an offence against this Act, he may appeal there-<br />
from to a court of quarter sessions where the fine<br />
imposed exceeds forty shillings, or the value of the<br />
articles seized exceeds forty shillings.<br />
<br />
4, Whenever a certified and stamped copy of an<br />
entry of a copyright in the book of registry is<br />
required by this Act to be produced to any person,<br />
it shall be sufficient if instead of such production<br />
a true copy thereof is given to and left with such<br />
person.<br />
<br />
5.—(1) Where on the information upon oath by<br />
the owner of the copyright in any musical work, or<br />
of his agent authorised thereto in writing, of an<br />
offence under this Act, a court of summary juris-<br />
diction is satisfied that there are reasonable<br />
<br />
<br />
236<br />
<br />
grounds for believing that pirated copies of<br />
such musical work specified in such informatior, or<br />
the plates thereof, are being kept for purposes con-<br />
stituting an offence under this Act, and are to be<br />
found in or upon any house, premises, or place<br />
within its jurisdiction, the court may, by warrant,<br />
authorise any police constable named and referred<br />
to in such warrant to enter such house, premises,<br />
or place at any time between the hours of nine in<br />
the morning and six in the afternoon, and to search<br />
for and seize and carry away such copies and plates.<br />
(2) The court may, if it appears necessary,<br />
empower the constable named in such warrant with<br />
such assistance as may be found necessary to use<br />
“force for the effecting of such entry as aforesaid,<br />
whether by breaking open doors or otherwise.<br />
<br />
6. All copies of musical works and _ plates<br />
thereof so seized shall be brought before a court<br />
of summary jurisdiction for the purpose of its being<br />
determined in accordance with the provisions here-<br />
inafter contained whether the same are or are not<br />
liable to forfeiture and destruction under this Act.<br />
<br />
7.—(1) As soon as may be after any copies of<br />
pirated musical work, or plates thereof, shall have<br />
been brought before a court of summary juris-<br />
diction under the provisions of this Act or the<br />
Musical (Summary Proceedings) Copyright Act,<br />
1902 (in this Act referred to as “the Act of<br />
1902’), the owner of the copyright, or his agent<br />
thereto authorised in writing, shall, if the person<br />
alleged to have been dealing with such copies or<br />
plates, or to have been in possession thereof under<br />
such circumstances as to constitute an offence<br />
under this Act, is known or can be found, apply to<br />
the court to issue a summons to such person to<br />
show cause why the same should not be furfeited<br />
and destroyed, and the court may issue such<br />
summons accordingly, and on the hearing of the<br />
summons may order that the said copies and<br />
plates or any part thereof be forthwith forfeited<br />
and destroyed, or be otherwise dealt with as the<br />
court may think fit.<br />
<br />
(2) If such person is unknown or cannot be<br />
found an information or complaint shall be laid by<br />
or on behalf of the owner of the copyright, or by<br />
his agent thereto authorised in writing, or on<br />
behalf of the police, for the purpose only of enforcing<br />
the forfeiture and destruction of such copies and<br />
plates, and the court may without summons, on<br />
proof that the musical work to which the copies or<br />
plates seized relate is pirated, or that such copies<br />
or plates were in the possession of such person<br />
under such circumstances as to constitute an<br />
offence under this Act, order such copies or plates<br />
or any of them to be forfeited and destroyed at<br />
the expiration of a period of two months from<br />
the making of such order, unless within the said<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
period some person alleging himself to be the<br />
person in whose possession the copies or plates<br />
were found, or to be the owner of the copies or<br />
plates to which such order relates, or of any part<br />
thereof, shall attend before such court and shall<br />
lodge a claim in writing to such copies or plates or<br />
any part thereof, and stating therein his true name<br />
and address, and shall thereupon apply to the said<br />
court to issue a summons (which the said court<br />
shall upon such application issue) to the person<br />
claiming to be the owner of the copyright, to show<br />
cause why the same should not be given up to him.<br />
<br />
(8) If such applicant at the hearing of the said<br />
summons establishes to the satisfaction of the<br />
court his claim to have the whole or any part of<br />
such copies or plates given up to him, the court<br />
may make an order to that effect, but at the<br />
expiration of the said period of two months, or, if<br />
a claim is then pending, on the determination of<br />
such claim, all the said copies or plates (if any)<br />
referred to in the original order of the court, and<br />
not given up as aforesaid, shall be forfeited and<br />
destroyed or be otherwise dealt with as the court<br />
may think fit, and thereafter no person shall be<br />
entitled to any compensation or redress in respect<br />
of such forfeiture and destruction.<br />
<br />
8. Every person who shall commit an offence<br />
under this Act shall be liable to a fine not<br />
exceeding five shillings for each copy and five<br />
pounds for each plate in respect of which the offence<br />
was committed, provided the whole fines inflicted<br />
on any one offender in respect of the same offence<br />
shall not exceed twenty pounds.<br />
<br />
9. All fines under this Act shall be recoverable<br />
and applied, and any act or thing authorised to<br />
be done by or in a court of summary jurisdiction<br />
shall be done under the provisions of the Summary<br />
Jurisdiction Acts in England, Scotland and<br />
Ireland respectively. :<br />
<br />
10. In this Act the several expressions to which<br />
meanings are assigned by the Act of 1902 have the<br />
same respective meanings.<br />
<br />
The expression “ plates” includes any stereotype<br />
or other plates, stones, or matrixes or negatives<br />
used for the purpose of printing or reproducing<br />
copies of any pirated musical work,<br />
<br />
11. This Act may be cited as the Musical Copy-<br />
right Act, 1904, and this Act and the Act of 1902<br />
may be cited together as the Musical Copyright<br />
Acts, 1902 and 1904, and shall be construed<br />
together as one Act.<br />
<br />
12. On and after the commencement of this Act<br />
the proprietor of the copyright in any musical<br />
composition first published after the commencement<br />
of this Act, or his assignee, shall print, or cause to<br />
be printed, upon the title page of every published<br />
copy of such musical composition the date of the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
first publication thereof, and otherwise this Act and<br />
the Act of 1902 shall not apply.<br />
<br />
13.—(1) This Act shall come into operation on<br />
the first day of October one thousand nine hundred<br />
and four, and shall extend to and apply in the Isle<br />
of Man as well as to and in the United Kingdom.<br />
<br />
(2) In the application of this Act to the Isle of<br />
Man all penalties recoverable under this Act and<br />
all Acts by this Act or the Act of 1902 authorised<br />
to be done by or in any court of summary juris-<br />
diction may be recovered or done before or by a<br />
high bailiff or two justices of the peace.<br />
<br />
14. In the application of this Act to Scotland,<br />
the following provisions shall have effect. :—<br />
<br />
(1) All jurisdiction necessary for the purpose of<br />
<br />
this Act is hereby conferred on sheriffs :<br />
<br />
(2) In section five hereof the words “order (in<br />
<br />
which atime and place of hearing shall<br />
be named)” shall be substituted for the<br />
word “summons,” and the words “ after<br />
parties have been heard at such time and<br />
place as may be named in the order” for<br />
the words “on the hearing of the sum-<br />
mons,” and “at the hearing of the said<br />
summons”; and the words ‘“ without<br />
summons” in said section five (subsection<br />
two) shall not apply.<br />
<br />
15. In any case to which an Order in Council<br />
under the International Copyright Acts applies in<br />
respect of musical copyright an_ extract from a<br />
register or a certificate or other document stating<br />
the existence of the copyright, or the person who is<br />
<br />
the proprietor of such copyright, if authenticated<br />
as directed by the seventh section of the Inter-<br />
national Copyright Act, 1886, may be deposited<br />
with the officer appointed by the Stationers’ Com-<br />
pany for the purposes of the Copyright Act, 1842 ;<br />
and the deposit of such extract, certificate, or<br />
document, and the registration of such extract,<br />
certificate, or document, on the books of the<br />
registry kept under the provisions of the Copyright<br />
Act, 1842, shall, for the purposes of this Act, be<br />
deemed to be the registration of a copyright within<br />
the meaning of the Copyright Act, 1842, and the<br />
owner of such copyright, or the person who, under<br />
the said section, is authorised for the purpose of<br />
any legal proceedings in the United Kingdom, and<br />
is deemed to be entitled to such copyright, shall,<br />
for the purposes of this Act, have all the rights<br />
and be subject to all the liabilities conferred and<br />
imposed on the owner of a copyright registered<br />
under the Copyright Act, 1842, or his authorised<br />
agent, and a true copy of such extract, certificate,<br />
or document may be given to and left with any<br />
person, Whenever a certified and stamped copy of<br />
an entry of a copyright in the book of registry is<br />
required by this Act to be produced to such person,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
237<br />
ENGLISH IN THE MAKING.*<br />
<br />
—_. <4 —_<br />
<br />
HE knowledge of language and the study of<br />
English, ought to be to the author what the<br />
mixing of colours and the study of technique<br />
<br />
is to the artist.<br />
<br />
There are some artists who delight to boast<br />
their ignorance of technique. Their cult is small.<br />
Unfortunately there are many authors who attempt<br />
to write without any studied knowledge of language<br />
and the use of words. They do not make a boast<br />
of their ignorance. They are not cognisant of it.<br />
Nor are the semi-educated public who read their<br />
works.<br />
<br />
It is essential from time to time that a seer (in<br />
its original sense) should step forth and proclaim<br />
as Mr. Bradley has done in his book the causes by<br />
which the more remarkable changes in the language<br />
were brought about, and the effect which these<br />
changes have had on its fitness as an instrument<br />
for the expression of thought.<br />
<br />
He commences with a chapter on the making of<br />
English grammar. He continues by showing the<br />
extraordinary influence of foreign tongues upon the<br />
formation of the language. How the words of one<br />
tongue have been accepted, of another rejected<br />
without, in some cases, apparent reason.<br />
<br />
Then follows the process of word-making in<br />
England after English had become a settled speech,<br />
and lastly, chapters on the changes of meaning, and<br />
some makers of English.<br />
~ To the author who would be an artist in language<br />
the last chapters are the most important. To<br />
know the right meaning of a word and its proper<br />
application, is half-way to the writing of clear and<br />
forceful English.<br />
<br />
The book does not deal with the subject<br />
exhaustively. Yet it may suffice to sow the good<br />
seed, and the seed in some cases may bring forth<br />
the good fruit. On this hope the book is recom-<br />
mended to all.<br />
<br />
—__—___+—<—_+—___———_<br />
<br />
A ROUND STONE OR TWO.<br />
(EMBEDDED IN A Book.)<br />
<br />
—- + —<br />
<br />
«Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”<br />
Old Proverb,<br />
<br />
N a terse preface of justification Miss Findlater<br />
<br />
asserts (with a ‘‘ venture”) that such dwellers<br />
<br />
may : at least it is their privilege to throw a<br />
<br />
few. Then with well-considered aim from the<br />
<br />
honourable interior of her own glass Fiction-House,<br />
<br />
* “The Making of English,” by Henry Bradley. Pub-<br />
lished by Messrs. Macmillan & Co.<br />
<br />
+ “Stones from a Glass House,” by Jane Helen Findlater<br />
(James Nisbet & Co., 68.).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
.238<br />
<br />
this novelist-critic proceeds to throw her stones<br />
straight from the shoulder—in eleven fairly hard-<br />
“hitting chapters. To be plain, Miss Findlater<br />
considers that the writer of fiction must know<br />
more than the mere reader of it, about the merits<br />
or defects of a story. ‘To have attempted to<br />
write fiction is to know its difficulties; and a<br />
realisation of these gives at once more leniency<br />
and more severity to criticism. The novelist will<br />
always judge technical faults severely ; because he<br />
knows that it is generally possible to avoid such<br />
blemishes by care and skill. But he will always<br />
be more merciful than the novel reader in judging<br />
faults of conception, knowing, as every writer does,<br />
that this is a matter over which the writer has<br />
very little control. The novelist has a further<br />
excuse for writing about novels—that no one can<br />
write about them with the same deep interest.”<br />
Miss Findlater says she has tried to treat some of<br />
our present-day fiction in a synthetic manner, so<br />
as to show the cause, development, and tendencies<br />
of each group of books. The present state of<br />
book reviewing is, she considers, extremely unsatis-<br />
factory. ‘Criticism, from being practised by the<br />
few and competent, has become a trade carried on<br />
by the many and singularly unfit. The first and<br />
most glaring defect in modern criticism is its<br />
tendency to over-praise. ‘I'o spoil our authors by<br />
injudicious praise is quite as bad as, if not worse<br />
than, crushing, or trying to crush them by over-<br />
severity ; in either case the goose that lays golden<br />
eggs for a greedy public may be killed ; there is,<br />
however, a refinement of cruelty in the modern<br />
method of author-murder decidedly reminiscent of<br />
the butt of Malmsey. There should be a standard<br />
of art in the mind of every real critic by which<br />
we can measure the stature of each applicant for<br />
fame. The true critic is the author’s best friend.<br />
Moderate praise, temperate adjectives, a degree of<br />
fault-finding, and,a sympathetic appreciation for<br />
what is attempted as well as what is accomplished,<br />
these are the signs of the true critic. Reviewers<br />
have two snares laid ready for their unwary feet:<br />
they are apt either to hail some new-comer who is<br />
not a genius as if he were one; or they entirely<br />
fail to discern genius when they encounter it. It<br />
is always possible, however, to compare the scope<br />
of a new writer with that of his predecessors,<br />
however widely separated the form in which he<br />
finds expression may be from the models of other<br />
days. Does he touch life at as many points as<br />
they did? Is he as true to nature as they were ?<br />
It is on these things and not on the perpetually<br />
changing element of form that a writer’s claim to<br />
greatness must eventually rest. And until the<br />
critics realise this, that a book with small ideas<br />
cannot be great, and that greatness must be sought<br />
for in the constitution of a book, its essential ideas,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
not till then will reviewing be other than it is,”<br />
“As Compared with Excellence” is the title of<br />
this excellent chapter on criticism and reviewing,<br />
Pressure on space prevents further quotation from<br />
this very interesting and thoughtfully written<br />
“Essay in criticism”’: it is well worth a careful<br />
perusal,<br />
$$ —_<br />
<br />
MAGAZINE CONTENTS.<br />
<br />
9<br />
<br />
THE BOOKMAN,<br />
Cardinal Newman,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE CONTEMPORARY.<br />
<br />
The Nestor of Living English Poets.<br />
<br />
By T. Churton<br />
Collins. ;<br />
<br />
THE CORNHILL.<br />
<br />
How I traced Charles Lamb in Hertfordshire.<br />
Rev. Canon Ainger.<br />
<br />
Historical Mysteries. V. The Case of Elizabeth Canning.<br />
By Andrew Lang.<br />
<br />
THE FORTNIGHTLY,<br />
<br />
A French King’s Hunting Book. By W. and F. Baillie-<br />
Grohman.<br />
<br />
R. D. Blackmore and His Work.<br />
<br />
A Plea for a Reformed Theatre.<br />
thorpe.<br />
<br />
By the<br />
<br />
By James Baker,<br />
By Mrs, B. A. Cracken-<br />
HARPER’S.<br />
<br />
The Primitive Book. By Henry Smith Williams, LL.D.<br />
<br />
THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW.<br />
“ The Life of John Bunckle, Esq.” By John Fyvie.<br />
<br />
MACMILLAN’S MAGAZINE.<br />
The English Theatre. By G, G. Compton,<br />
<br />
THE MONTHLY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
Literature and History. By C. Litton Falkiner,<br />
<br />
THE NATIONAL REVIEW.<br />
<br />
Huxley. By Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B.<br />
<br />
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.<br />
<br />
The State and Scientific Research. By Sir Michael<br />
Foster, K.C.B.<br />
<br />
Against a Subsidised Opera. By Hugh Arthur Scott,<br />
<br />
Lord Acton’s Letters. By The Right Honble. Sir<br />
Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, G.S,C.I.<br />
<br />
THe PALL MALL MAGAZINE.<br />
The Country of George Meredith. By William Sharp,<br />
More Avowals. By George Moore,<br />
<br />
TEMPLE BAR.<br />
<br />
“T Seminatori :” A Translation from D’Annunzio.<br />
A, H, Clay.<br />
<br />
By<br />
<br />
THE WORLD'S WORK.<br />
Edward Elgar: His Career and his Genius, By Rose<br />
<br />
Newmarch.<br />
Continental Armies in Current Fiction. By Chalmers<br />
<br />
«Roberts,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS<br />
OF BOOKS.<br />
<br />
—_+—<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an<br />
agreement. There are four methods of dealing<br />
with literary property :—<br />
<br />
I. Selling it Outright.<br />
<br />
This is sometimes satisfactory, if a proper price can be<br />
obtained. But the transaction sbould be managed by a<br />
competent agent, or with the advice of the Secretary of<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
Il. A Profit-Sharing Agreement (a bad form of<br />
agreement).<br />
<br />
In this case the following rules should be attended to:<br />
<br />
1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro-<br />
duetion forms a part without the strictest investigation.<br />
<br />
(2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the<br />
profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements<br />
in his own organs, or by charging exchange advertise-<br />
ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements.<br />
<br />
(3.) Not to allow a special charge for “ office expenses,”<br />
unless the same allowance is made to the author.<br />
<br />
(4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental<br />
rights.<br />
<br />
(5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights.<br />
<br />
(6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher.<br />
As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or<br />
doctor !<br />
<br />
III. The Royalty System.<br />
<br />
This is perhaps, with certain limitations, the best form<br />
of agreement. It is above all things necessary to know<br />
what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It isnow<br />
possible for an author to ascertain approximately the<br />
truth. From time to time very important figures connected<br />
with:royalties are published in Zhe Author.<br />
<br />
1V. A Commission Agreement.<br />
<br />
The main points are :-—<br />
<br />
(1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production.<br />
(2.) Keep control of the advertisements.<br />
<br />
(3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book,<br />
<br />
General.<br />
<br />
Allother forms of agreement are combinations of the four<br />
above mentioned.<br />
<br />
Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author.<br />
<br />
Never sign any agreement without competent advice from<br />
the Secretary of the Society.<br />
<br />
Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp.<br />
<br />
Avoid agreements by letter if possible.<br />
<br />
The main points which the Society has always demanded<br />
from the outset are :-—<br />
<br />
(1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement<br />
means.<br />
<br />
(2.) The inspection of those account books which belong<br />
to the author. Weare advised that this is a right, in the<br />
nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or<br />
withheld.<br />
<br />
(3.) Always avoid a transfer of copyright,<br />
<br />
—___—_+—>_+—______—-<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
gg<br />
EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the<br />
Secrétary of the Society of Authors or some com-<br />
<br />
petent legal authority.<br />
2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for<br />
the production of a play with anyone except an established<br />
manager.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
239<br />
<br />
3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for plays<br />
in three or more acts :—<br />
<br />
(a.) Sale outright of the performing right. This<br />
is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into<br />
such a contract should stipulate in the contract<br />
for production of the piece by a certain date<br />
and for proper publication of his name on the<br />
play-bills.<br />
<br />
(b.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to<br />
perform on the basis of percentages on<br />
gross receipts. Percentages vary between 5<br />
and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a<br />
percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts<br />
in preference to the American system, Should<br />
obtain a sum inadvance of percentages. <A fixed<br />
date on or before which the play should be<br />
performed.<br />
<br />
(c.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to<br />
perform on the basis of royalties (‘.c.. fixed<br />
nightly fees). This method should be always<br />
avoided except in cases where the fees are<br />
likely to be small or difficult to collect. The<br />
other safeguards set out under heading (.) apply<br />
also in this case.<br />
<br />
4, Plays in one act are often sold outright, but it is<br />
better to obtain a small nightly fee if possible, and a sum<br />
paid in advance of such fees in any event. It is extremely<br />
important that the amateur rights of one-act plays should<br />
be reserved.<br />
<br />
5. Authors should remember that performing rights can<br />
be limited, and are usually limited, by town, country, and<br />
time. This is most important.<br />
<br />
6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but<br />
should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is<br />
of great importance.<br />
<br />
7, Authors should remember that performing rights in a<br />
play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager<br />
holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot<br />
print the book of the words.<br />
<br />
8. Never forget that United States rights may be exceed-<br />
ingly valuable. ‘They should never be included in English<br />
agreements without the author obtaining a substantial<br />
consideration.<br />
<br />
9. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully<br />
drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced.<br />
<br />
10, An author should remember that production of a play<br />
is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of<br />
delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract.<br />
He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in<br />
the beginning.<br />
<br />
11. An author must remember that the dramatic market<br />
is exceedingly limited, and that for a novice the first object<br />
is to obtain adequate publication.<br />
<br />
As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete, on<br />
account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con-<br />
tracts, those authors desirous of further information<br />
are referred to the Secretary of the Society.<br />
<br />
OO<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
ITTLE can be added to the warnings given for the<br />
assistance of producers of books and dramatic<br />
authors. It must, however, be pointed out that, as<br />
<br />
a rule, the musical publisher demands from the musical<br />
composer a transfer of fuller rights and less liberal finan-<br />
cial terms than those obtained for literary and dramatic<br />
property, The musical composer has very often the two<br />
<br />
rights to deal with—performing right and copyright. He<br />
<br />
<br />
240<br />
<br />
should be especially careful therefore when entering into<br />
an agreement, and should take into particular consideration<br />
the warnings stated above.<br />
<br />
—__—_—_—_+—<>—_+____—_-<br />
<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
— 1<br />
<br />
1. VIERY member has a right to ask for and to receive<br />
advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub-<br />
lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his<br />
<br />
business or the administration of his property. The<br />
<br />
Secretary of the Society is a solicitor, but if there is any<br />
<br />
special reason the Secretary will refer the case to the<br />
<br />
Solicitors of the Society. Further, the Committee, if they<br />
<br />
deem it desirable, will obtain counsel’s opinion. All this<br />
<br />
without any cost to the member.<br />
<br />
2. Remember that questions connected with copyright<br />
and publishers’ agreements do not fall within the experi-<br />
ence of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past<br />
accounts, with a copy of the book represented. The<br />
Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new<br />
or old, for inspection and note. The information thus<br />
obtained may prove invaluable.<br />
<br />
4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send<br />
the document to the Society for examination,<br />
<br />
5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society<br />
you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you<br />
are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are<br />
advancing the best interests of your calling in promoting<br />
the independence of the writer, the dramatist, the composer.<br />
<br />
6. The Committee haye now arranged for the reception<br />
of members’ agreements and their preservation in a fire-<br />
proof safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as<br />
confidential documents to be read only by the Secretary,<br />
who will keep the key of the safe. ‘I'he Society now offers :<br />
—(1) To read and advise upon agreements and to give<br />
advice concerning publishers, (2) To stamp agreements<br />
in readiness for a possible action upon them, (3) To keep<br />
agreements. (4) J'o enforce payments due according to<br />
agreements. Fuller particulars of the Society’s work<br />
can be obtained in the Prospectus.<br />
<br />
7. No contract should be entered into with a literary<br />
agent without the advice of the Secretary of the Society.<br />
Members are strongly advised not to accept without careful<br />
consideration the contracts with publishers submitted to<br />
them by literary agents, and are recommended to submit<br />
them for interpretation and explanation to the Secretary<br />
of the Society. ~<br />
<br />
This<br />
The<br />
<br />
8. Many agents neglect to stamp agreements.<br />
must be done within fourteen days of first execution.<br />
Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members.<br />
<br />
9. Some agents endeayour to preyent authors from<br />
referring matters to the Secretary of the Society; so<br />
do some publishers. Members can make their own<br />
deductions and act accordingly.<br />
<br />
10. The subscription to the Society is £1 4s. per<br />
annum, or £10 10s for life membership.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
<br />
—_ +o<br />
<br />
EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
branch of its work by informing young writers<br />
of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and<br />
<br />
treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The term<br />
MSS. includes not only works of fiction, but poetry<br />
and dramatic works, and when it is possible, under<br />
special arrangement, technical and scientific works. The<br />
Readers are writers of competence and experience. The<br />
fee is one guinea,<br />
<br />
—__—~—¢<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
ee<br />
<br />
HE Editor of Zhe Author begs to remind members of<br />
<br />
the Society that, although the paper is sent to them<br />
<br />
free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a<br />
<br />
very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great<br />
<br />
many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest<br />
5s. 6d. subscription for the year.<br />
<br />
Communications for Zhe Author should be addressed to<br />
the Offices of the Society, 39, Old Queen Street, Storey’s<br />
Gate, S.W.. and should reach the Editor not later than<br />
the 21st of each month.<br />
<br />
All persons engaged in literary work of any kind,<br />
whether members of the Society or not, are invited to<br />
communicate to the Editor any points connected with their<br />
work which it would be advisable in the general interest to<br />
publish.<br />
<br />
Ne ee aE SEED<br />
<br />
Communications and letters are invited by the<br />
Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on<br />
no other subjects whatever. Every effort will be made to<br />
return articles which cannot be accepted.<br />
<br />
Oe<br />
<br />
The Secretary of the Society begs to give notice<br />
that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post,<br />
and he requests members who do not receive an<br />
answer to important communications within two days to<br />
write to him without delay. All remittances should be<br />
crossed Union Bunk of London, Chancery Lane, or be sent<br />
by registered letter only. :<br />
<br />
LEGAL AND GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE<br />
SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
ENSIONS to commence at any selected age,<br />
pP either with or without Life Assurance can<br />
be obtained from this socieiy.<br />
Full particulars can be obtained from the City<br />
Branch Manager, Legal and General Life Assurance<br />
Society, 158, Leadenhall Street, London, E.C.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
AUTHORITIES.<br />
<br />
eps<br />
<br />
N last month’s Author we stated that the<br />
J Masical Copyright Bill had passed the second<br />
reading in the House of Commons, had been<br />
referred to the Standing Committee on Law, had<br />
been amended by the Standing Committee after<br />
the hearing of evidence, and printed as amended.<br />
Some time has elapsed since this took place, and<br />
the Bill is no further advanced. We wonder<br />
whether it will meet the fate of all modern copy-<br />
right legislation, and be shelved to give place to<br />
measures which have a closer influence on party<br />
votes.<br />
In another column we publish the Bill as<br />
amended.<br />
<br />
Tur following letter has been forwarded to the<br />
Authors’ Society. We have much pleasure in<br />
giving it prominence :—<br />
<br />
3rd May, 1904,<br />
* We believe that the friends of the late Sir Leslie Stephen<br />
would wish to give some outward expression of their affec-<br />
tion and regard for him,<br />
<br />
It has been suggested that in the first instance an<br />
engraving should be made of the portrait by Mr. G. F.<br />
Watts, R.A., and that copies should be presented to the<br />
London Library, to the Atheneum Club, to Harvard<br />
University, to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and to other<br />
institutions with which Sir Leslie Stephen was closely<br />
associated. Mr. Sidney Colvin has kindly undertaken to<br />
superintend the execution of the work.<br />
<br />
The proposal is warmly approved by Sir Leslie Stephen’s<br />
family.<br />
<br />
It would be convenient if subscriptions and communica-<br />
tions be forwarded to Mr. Sidney Lee, 108, Lexham Gardens,<br />
Kensington, London, W.<br />
<br />
GEORGE MEREDITH.<br />
JAMES BRYCE.<br />
FREDERIC HARRISON,<br />
HENRY JAMES.<br />
<br />
A, C. LYALL.<br />
<br />
JOHN MORLEY.<br />
<br />
One of the members of the Society forwarded a<br />
poem to the editor of a well-known weekly religious<br />
paper. The editor as he was bound to do in cases<br />
where no payment is made, wrote to the author<br />
before publication, stating the fact, and was<br />
informed in answer that the member did not desire<br />
any remuneration.<br />
<br />
The writer was therefore all the more astonished<br />
to see his poem reproduced in the paper with one<br />
verse deliberately cut out.<br />
<br />
Considerable margin is very often given to<br />
editors in dealing with ephemeral matters in daily<br />
and even in weekly papers; but it is doubtful<br />
whether in a magazine, or in the case of literary<br />
work which, like a poem, is complete in itself,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
241<br />
<br />
the editor ever takes the liberty of acting in the<br />
manner set forth above.<br />
<br />
Yet one other instance comes to mind: Does<br />
not Mr. Oliver Wendell Holmes state in “The<br />
Autocrat of the Breakfast Table,” that he was<br />
commissioned by the committee of a certain society<br />
to write a poem for a festive gathering? He<br />
accordingly gave full praise to wine, and the<br />
pleasure of “ quaffing the flowing bowl,” and was<br />
astonished to find his poem reproduced with<br />
various alterations, owing to the fact that the<br />
society was a temperance society. In the book,<br />
the full poem with corrections, is printed.<br />
<br />
Such a mistake might justify the editor or the<br />
society in refusing the poem, but, surely, not in<br />
making the alterations.<br />
<br />
ONE of the daily papers has been much interested<br />
in the number of different nouns of multitude used<br />
in the English language, for the differentiation of<br />
animals and men, but the writers of the paragraphs<br />
seems to be unaware that a full list is given in one<br />
of the earliest books on sport, entitled “The Boke<br />
of St. Alban’s,” of which the first edition appeared<br />
in 1486, and the last in 1881.<br />
<br />
It is one of the most prized treasures of the<br />
<br />
older authors.<br />
<br />
bibliophile, containing treatises on hawking, hunt-<br />
ing, and coat-armour, mostly compilations from<br />
<br />
Out of the whole list we print a few examples<br />
which may prove of interest to some of our<br />
<br />
members.<br />
<br />
Herde of Swannys.<br />
<br />
Herde of Cranys.<br />
<br />
Herde of Harlottys.<br />
<br />
Bevy of Ladies.<br />
<br />
Bevy of Roos (Roes).<br />
<br />
Bevy of Quaylis.<br />
<br />
Sege of Heronnys.<br />
<br />
Mustre of Pecockys.<br />
<br />
Congregation of Peple<br />
(people).<br />
<br />
Hoost of Men.<br />
<br />
Fflight of Doves.<br />
<br />
Route of Knyghtis<br />
(Knights).<br />
<br />
Pride of Lionys (Lions).<br />
<br />
Sleuth of Beeris (Bears).<br />
<br />
Litter of Wellpis<br />
(Weips).<br />
<br />
Kyndyll of Yong Cattis<br />
(Kittens).<br />
<br />
Dryft of Tame Swyne.<br />
<br />
Harrosse of Horses.<br />
<br />
Rago of Coltis<br />
<br />
Rakoe \ (Colts).<br />
<br />
Trippe of Hares.<br />
<br />
Gagle of Geese.<br />
<br />
Brode of Hennys (Hens).<br />
<br />
Bedelyng of Dokis<br />
(Ducks).<br />
<br />
Scole of Clerks.<br />
<br />
Doctryne of Doctoris.<br />
<br />
Fightyng of Beggars.<br />
<br />
Drifte of Fishers.<br />
<br />
Rage of Maidenys<br />
(Maidens).<br />
<br />
Rafult of Knavys<br />
(Knaves).<br />
<br />
A Blush of Boys.<br />
Covy of Partriches.<br />
Desserte of Lapwyng.<br />
Fatt of Woodcockis.<br />
Congregation of Plevers.<br />
Swarme of Bees.<br />
Cast of Hawkis.<br />
Flight of Goshawks.<br />
Flight of Swallows.<br />
Teldyno of Rookes.<br />
Shrewdenes of Apis.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
242<br />
<br />
A Nest of Rabbettis. A Pontifacalite of Pre-<br />
<br />
A Mute of Houndes. latis.<br />
A Kenet of Rachis. A Dignyte of Chanonys<br />
A Soundre of wilde (Canons).<br />
<br />
A Discretion of Prestis.<br />
A Rascalt of Boyes.<br />
A Blast of hunters.<br />
A Disworship of Scottis.<br />
<br />
Swyne.<br />
<br />
A Chase of Assis.<br />
<br />
A Multiplieng of Hus-<br />
bondis.<br />
<br />
At the request of the Marquess-of Lansdowne,<br />
an interesting return of the financial support<br />
given from State or Municipal Funds to dramatic,<br />
operatic, or musical performances in foreign<br />
countries, has been made by the various repre-<br />
sentatives of His Majesty in Europe, North and<br />
South America, and Cairo.<br />
<br />
It would appear that in nearly all countries<br />
such assistance is given—sometimes out of the<br />
Sovereign’s purse, as in Germany, sometimes out<br />
of the Government Funds, and not infrequently<br />
out of municipal funds.<br />
<br />
Support is given in various forms—by giving<br />
sites for theatres, by actually maintaining theatres<br />
at municipal or Government cost, or by paying the<br />
deficit in the annual statement of certain theatres.<br />
<br />
The two countries that do not appear to con-<br />
tribute in any way to operatic or dramatic perform-<br />
ances, are the United States and Great Britain,<br />
and the country which contributes most is<br />
France.<br />
<br />
Four national theatres in France occupy without<br />
payment the buildings in which they are situated,<br />
subject to certain not very onerous conditions, and<br />
Parliament grants annually a subsidy fixed some<br />
years since at the following figures :—800,000 frances<br />
(£32,000) for the Opera ; 300,000 frances (£12,000)<br />
for the Opera Comique ; 240,000 frances (£9,600)<br />
for the Theatre Francais; and 100,000 francs<br />
(£4,000) for the Odeon.<br />
<br />
In Belgium the subsidy seems to be granted, not<br />
merely to the performances, but also to the com-<br />
posers of musical and dramatic works. They are<br />
entitled to certain grants on those works which<br />
have passed successfully a committee appointed by<br />
the Government.<br />
<br />
In no other country does it appear that the<br />
subsidies are paid direct to the author or the<br />
composer. As, however, the work is bound to be<br />
written by a Belgian, they will not benefit the<br />
writers of any other country.<br />
<br />
The return has been collected in order to enable<br />
the Government to arrive at some conclusion on<br />
the question of the national opera or national<br />
drama for Great Britain, and will afford very<br />
favourable evidence for those who have been<br />
agitating in the matter.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Str Henry M. Sranuey died on May 10th at<br />
his town residence, Richmond Terrace, Whitehall,<br />
<br />
With regret we chronicle the decease of one of<br />
the most distinguished explorers of modern times,<br />
In this character his first claim to fame was his<br />
finding of Livingstone in 1874, and his last the<br />
famous leadership of the expedition for the relief<br />
of Emin Pasha in 1885.<br />
<br />
His literary labours consisted mainly of the<br />
volumes written after his great journeys, though<br />
in his early days he had done considerable work as<br />
a journalist in New York. He had been a member<br />
of the Society for some years, no doubt prompted<br />
by a sympathetic feeling for his fellow authors, as<br />
he did not utilise the benefits of the society to any<br />
great extent.<br />
<br />
—_r-—<br />
<br />
MISS ELEANOR A. ORMEROD, LL.D.*<br />
<br />
— oe<br />
<br />
PYNHE Life of Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod, edited<br />
by Mr. Robert Wallace, has just been pub-<br />
lished by Mr. John Murray.<br />
<br />
It is the record of a life devoted to the benefit of<br />
her fellow creatures. Mr. Wallace calls her an<br />
“Economic Entomologist.” This is a_ highly<br />
technical description of the talented lady. Born<br />
of a good old Gloucestershire family, she was<br />
devoted from her childhood to the science of<br />
Natural History. As she grew in years she turned<br />
her knowledge to practical use for the good of<br />
others. She studied how she could remedy the<br />
many ills brought by insect pests to the farmer’s<br />
crops. Her work was carried on with untiring<br />
unselfishness, and with the greatest modesty.<br />
The book, which is a record of that work, is full<br />
of interest on account of the strong personality of<br />
the subject. The letters that Miss Ormerod wrote<br />
for the benefit of those who suffered were very<br />
numerous, and the subjects she dealt with brought<br />
her into correspondence with many of the best<br />
known scientists of the last century.<br />
<br />
Through her life she obtained much recognition<br />
of her untiring and useful work. She was presented<br />
with Gold Medals from the Royal Horticultural<br />
Society in 1900, and University of Moscow in 1872,<br />
and Silver Medals from the Royal Horticultural<br />
Society for Collection of Economic Entomology<br />
in 1870, Société Nationale d’Acclimatation de<br />
France Entomologie Appliquée in 1899, Inter-<br />
national Health Exhibition, London in 1884,<br />
Moscow Polytechnic Exhibition in 1872, and was<br />
the first woman to receive the honour of LL. D. of<br />
the University of Edinburgh.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* Eleanor Ormerod, LL.D., Economic Entomologist,<br />
Autobiography and Correspondence, Edited by Robert<br />
(John Murray.)<br />
<br />
Wallace,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
The Society of Authors, acknowledging her dis-<br />
tinction in the work which she had made her own,<br />
endeavoured also to show its recognition of the<br />
value of her studies. In the year 1896, twelve<br />
years after the foundation of the Society, it was<br />
decided to elect ladies us members of the Council.<br />
In order to show the wide extent of the Society’s<br />
work in all branches of Literature, the Committee<br />
desired to appoint some lady whose scientific<br />
researches and literary reputation would entitle<br />
her to this position. The lady best qualified<br />
was Miss Eleanor Ormerod, and her qualifica-<br />
tions were so great as to exclude all other com-<br />
petitors. She was unanimously elected a member<br />
swith five others—Mrs. Oliphant, Miss Charlotte<br />
M. Yonge, Mrs. Lynn Lynton, Mrs. Humphry<br />
Ward, and Miss Flora Shaw (Lady Lugard) the<br />
first lady members of the Council of the Society.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
—_—_______s—_<—_2__—__—_<br />
<br />
FROM FAR WESTERN CANADA.<br />
eee<br />
<br />
HERE is no doubt plenty of the raw material<br />
<br />
of literature in British Columbia. But for<br />
<br />
the most part it is very raw, and accessible<br />
<br />
only to the adventurous. The wildest, the most<br />
picturesque, and the richest in natural resources of<br />
all the provinces of the Dominion of Canada, it is<br />
at the same time the most westerly. It fronts on<br />
the Pacific, and, therefore, is farthest away from<br />
such stores of literature, art, and learning as<br />
Canada possesses. To some extent, therefore, the<br />
conditions are disadvantageous. A belt of country<br />
on either side of the Canadian Pacific Railway has<br />
been written about with great assiduity, so that<br />
the traveller now knows what to expect after he<br />
has passed the vast expanse of the North-West<br />
prairies and begins to approach the inaccessible<br />
and snow-capped Rockies and Selkirks. | But<br />
those grand and silent barriers once passed and<br />
British Columbia entered, the explorer cannot fail<br />
to feel that he has come to a new region. The<br />
feeling will be accentuated, if with knapsack and<br />
gun on shoulder, he wanders away from the main<br />
avenue of traffic, through a land of mountains,<br />
lakes, streams, deer, bears, Indians, mountain<br />
goats, and scattered mining and ranching opera-<br />
tions. As the Switzerland of the Dominion, it<br />
has 400,000 square miles against Switzerland’s<br />
16,000, and against the 121,000 of the United<br />
Kingdom. Its population of less than 200,000<br />
persons, 28,000 of whom are Indians, and 14,000<br />
Chinese, are chiefly occupied (with the exception<br />
of these interesting aliens and aborigines), in<br />
pushing their fortunes in mining, agriculture,<br />
fishing, ranching, lumbering, and politics. They<br />
are all, so to speak, up to the neck in natural<br />
resources the most splendid and various. The<br />
<br />
243<br />
<br />
waters teem with fish, the soil is astonishingly<br />
productive, there is gold and copper in the hills,<br />
and the timber in the forests is of appalling<br />
magnificence. But, Tantalus-like, many of these<br />
pioneers are unable to take advantage of the wealth<br />
around them. The day has yet to come in British<br />
Columbia when the necessary capital for operations<br />
is bestowed with a wise and liberal hand. At the<br />
present time the astute financier of the United<br />
States is awaking to the unrivalled opportunities<br />
of the country, and cutting out the more<br />
elephantine Croesus of Britain. ‘The difference<br />
between them is that the American looks after his<br />
money and sees that it is put to good use, while<br />
the Britisher flings abroad his gold and lets it look<br />
after itself.<br />
<br />
It will be readily gathered that in a country of<br />
this kind, there is not much call for literature of<br />
the higher kind. There is a great sale of the<br />
ten-cent magazines of the United States. There<br />
would be an equally good sale of English periodicals<br />
if the postal arrangements of the United Kingdom<br />
were not so absurdly restrictive. Something lurid<br />
and dramatic in the way of a story is as much<br />
appreciated here as it is in other unformed and<br />
rudimentary communities, and the publishers of<br />
Toronto, as well as of the United States, supply us<br />
with a continuous succession of fresh literary<br />
mushrooms put up in the most taking style. It<br />
must, however, be allowed that there is a saving:<br />
remnant of cultured people who are glad to hear:<br />
the distant echoes of a life they once enjoyed, and<br />
who are the pioneers of art and literature in the<br />
midst of a life that is almost entirely devoted<br />
to subduing the earth and the pursuit of the<br />
dollar. The praiseworthy efforts that are being<br />
made by the Province in the cause of primary, and.<br />
to a small extent in secondary education, give<br />
room for the hope that its percentage of intelligent<br />
readers will ultimately not be less than that of<br />
Hastern Canada. Also, the library at the really<br />
fine Legislative Buildings at Victoria is much<br />
more “literary” than might be expected, and there<br />
is a Carnegie library in the city of Vancouver, con-<br />
taining a few works on history and science, and: —<br />
many volumes of fiction that are already redolent<br />
of microbes from frequent perusal.<br />
<br />
Besides, there are writers. The newspaper<br />
Press is far better than could be expected. British.<br />
Columbia has in E. Clive Philipps-Wolley a poet<br />
who, in his “Songs of an English Esau,” has<br />
shown that he possesses the divine gift in no small,<br />
measure, and who has also written a number of<br />
clever novels. Mrs. L. A. Le Fevre has written<br />
a creditable little book of verse, and she appears.<br />
also on the pages of Lord Dufferin’s very interesting<br />
<br />
volume to the memory of his talented mother..<br />
<br />
Mrs. Julia W. Henshaw has written several novels.<br />
<br />
<br />
244<br />
<br />
besides many magazine articles. Mr. R. E. Gosnell,<br />
formerly Government Librarian and now Secretary<br />
of the Bureau of Provincial Information, is the<br />
author of the most important current standard<br />
work on the position and resources of the Province,<br />
as well as many cognate articles. He is also en-<br />
gaged on a Life of Sir James Douglas, the first<br />
Governor of the Province, The names of Agnes<br />
Deans Cameron, Isabel A. R. Maclean, and<br />
J. Gordon Smith, are on the list of those British<br />
Columbians who are doing honourable service with<br />
their pens ; and there may he others that a wider-<br />
sweeping or narrower-meshed net than the present<br />
writer is casting, might gather in.<br />
<br />
But even the briefest survey of things literary<br />
in British Columbia would be incomplete that did<br />
not mention the work of Father A. G. Morice,<br />
O.M.I., a French missionary-priest, who began his<br />
work among the Déné Indians of the interior in<br />
1885. In addition to making a language for the<br />
Dénés, which he has reduced to written phonetic<br />
signs, he has contributed many philological papers<br />
and articles on aboriginal manners and customs to<br />
the proceedings of scientific societies. He is now<br />
engaged on a history of British Columbia, treating<br />
especially of its early days under the Hudson’s<br />
Bay régime, and the publication of this important<br />
work may be looked for during the present year.<br />
It is understood that it will contain much informa-<br />
tion from original sources, and that in some of its<br />
conclusions it will contradict the statements of<br />
former historians. Father Morice is possibly the<br />
only author of this continent who makes a practice<br />
of printing his own works. This was forced upon<br />
him in the first instance by the fact that he was<br />
too many miles, by forest trail, from any printer’s,<br />
to be able to avail himself of expert assistance in<br />
making and setting up the strange shorthand-<br />
looking type from which the Déné prayer books are<br />
printed. He therefore had his printing outfit<br />
“packed” out to the distant settlement and<br />
accomplished the typography with his own hands,<br />
Lying before me as I write is a very neatly-printed<br />
pamphlet of 74 pages, which the worthy Father<br />
set up and “worked off,” entirely unaided. It is<br />
entitled “A First Collection of Minor Essays,<br />
mostly Anthropological, by Rev. Father A. G.<br />
Morice, O.M.I., Hon. Mem. Philological Society of<br />
Paris, and of the Natural History Society of British<br />
Columbia, Corresponding Mem., Canadian Insti-<br />
tute, and the Geographical Society, Neufchatel.”<br />
<br />
Mrs. Julia W. Henshaw, whose name I have<br />
already mentioned, is at work on “A Book of<br />
Mountain Flowers,” which, when it is published,<br />
will be highly prized by those who are awake to<br />
the beauty and paramount interest of the western<br />
mountains from Alaska to the Sierras, Mrs.<br />
Henshaw is an expert in photography, and she is<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
making a most comprehensive collection of photo-<br />
graphs of the various plants im situ, which, of<br />
course involves much intrepid climbing. There is<br />
probably no one so well furnished for this task as<br />
this clever journalist. She has had much expe-<br />
rience in the mountains, and is an ardent sports-<br />
woman and a keen observer.<br />
Bernarp McEyoy.<br />
———_-——_> _____.<br />
<br />
THE BLACKMORE MEMORIAL.<br />
a,<br />
<br />
E regret that an account of the unveiling<br />
of the Blackmore Memorial in Exeter<br />
Cathedral was too late for insertion in the<br />
<br />
May number of The Author. An event so full of<br />
interest to members of the Society cannot pass<br />
unchronicled.<br />
<br />
No one could have had better qualifications for<br />
the duty than Mr, Phillpotts. He has long been<br />
known as a sincere writer on, and chronicler of<br />
the beauties of Devonshire. ‘To no one, therefore,<br />
would Mr. Blackmore’s work appeal more warmly.<br />
John Ridd, Davy Llewellyn, the Doone Valley, and<br />
the Bideford district must be to Mr. Phillpotts<br />
familiar faces and familiar places, so that his address<br />
was bound to come from the heart, and be touched<br />
with the same spirit which fired the author of<br />
“Lorna Doone” and “ The Maid of Sker.”<br />
<br />
Mr. James Baker, another member of the<br />
Society, had heen acting as Chairman of the Com-<br />
mittee and Mr. R. B. Marston as Honorary<br />
Secretary and Honorary Treasurer of the Fund.<br />
<br />
The Memorial took the shape of a tablet with a<br />
bas-relief head of the author and a stained-glass<br />
window. The marble tablet with the portrait was<br />
executed by Mr. Harry Hems, of Exeter, and is<br />
a good likeness. The window portraying the<br />
character of John Ridd was largely given by<br />
Mr. Perey Bacon. The corrected wording of the<br />
tablet is as follows :—<br />
<br />
This Tablet and the window above area tribute<br />
<br />
of admiration and affection to the<br />
memory of<br />
RICHARD DoDDRIDGE BLACKMORE, M.A.,<br />
Son of the Rey. John Blackmore,<br />
Educated at Blundell’s School, Tiverton, and<br />
Exeter College, Oxford (Scholar).<br />
Barrister of the Middle Temple, 1852.<br />
<br />
Author of “Lorna Doone,” * Springhaven,”<br />
<br />
and other works.<br />
Born at Longworth, Berks, 7 June, 1825,<br />
<br />
Died at Teddington, Middlesex, 20 June, 1900.<br />
<br />
“Insight, and humour, and the rhythmic roll<br />
Of antique lore, his fertile fancies sway'd<br />
And with their various eloquence array’d,<br />
<br />
His sterling English, pure and clean and whole,”<br />
<br />
* He added Christian courtesy,and the humility<br />
<br />
of all thoughtful minds, to a certain grand, and<br />
glorious gift of radiating humanity.”<br />
Crapock NOWELL.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
pom val NO Sige | pod eh<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
The great nave of the Cathedral was filled with<br />
visitors from all parts of the kingdom when Dean<br />
Earle, Bishop of Marlborough, the Bishop of<br />
Crediton, the Chapter and Choir passed in pro-<br />
cession to the north-west door, where the monu-<br />
ment is erected. Mr. Eden Philpotts here gave<br />
his eloquent address upon Blackmore as a writer<br />
and as a man, and then unveiled the monument<br />
and window. The Dean, in an interesting speech,<br />
recalled the literary memories of the Cathedral,<br />
and eulogised the work of Blackmore. Mr. James<br />
Baker followed, referring to the elevating power of<br />
Blackmore’s writing, and thanked all, American<br />
and English, who have helped forward the work of<br />
the Committee. The special service, including the<br />
collect written by the Dean for the occasion, was<br />
then proceeded with, and at its conclusion the<br />
Dean welcomed the friends of Mr. Blackmore at<br />
the Deanery, giving an opportunity for hearing<br />
many a reminiscence of Blackmore and his work.<br />
<br />
—_—_——_——_—__—_+—____——_<br />
<br />
POSTAL RATES.<br />
<br />
——_——+—<br />
A CANADIAN GRIEVANCE.<br />
<br />
S in the United States, so in England, the<br />
question of Postal Rates has been brought<br />
prominently forward.<br />
<br />
The Committee of the Society, the Publishers’<br />
Association, and the Chamber of Commerce have<br />
used their influence with but poor effect as far as<br />
British Postal Rates are concerned. Yet the point<br />
raised would appear to be more than a mere question<br />
of authors’ and publishers’ rights, and of the best<br />
way of marketing their wares. Under existing<br />
conditions Canada is an especial sufferer. A<br />
Canadian bookseller writes :—<br />
<br />
“We sell American periodicals better because they are<br />
cheaper. They cost almost the same at the offices of publi-<br />
cation, but. the difference in postage is so great, that the<br />
British magazine (value for value) costs the purchaser<br />
about double the price of the American.<br />
<br />
“ A few figures will show you how this affects our sales,<br />
We sell about<br />
<br />
BRITISH, AMERICAN.<br />
45 Royal. 215 Strand (American<br />
60 Harmsworth. edition).<br />
55 Windsor. 125 Pearson’s (American<br />
15 Young Ladies’ Journal, edition).<br />
<br />
8 Pall Mall. 180 Munsey.<br />
<br />
2 Studio. 60 McClures’,<br />
2 Connoisseur. 165 Ladies’ Home<br />
9 Chambers’ Journal, Magazine.<br />
<br />
15 Century.<br />
15 Harper’s Monthly.<br />
14 Scribner’s.<br />
67 Smart Set.<br />
“ We have a long list of subscriptions for English periodi-<br />
cals, but we sell few of any one.<br />
“That Canadians would gladly buy British periodicals,<br />
if not too expensive, is shown by the number of Zhe<br />
<br />
245<br />
<br />
Strand and Pearson's we sell. These cost us 74 cents<br />
in New York, and are mailed to us at 1 cent per lb.<br />
(this we pay), while if we bought the English editions we<br />
should pay about 9 cents in London and 8 cents a lb.<br />
postage. Should the American edition of Zhe Strand be<br />
withdrawn, and we be compelled to buy the English<br />
edition, our sales would soon drop down to forty or fifty<br />
copies per month.<br />
<br />
“I have taken these two magazines as typical : the same<br />
can be said of every popular English periodical published.<br />
Can you not see how very important this question of<br />
postage is? How the authorities at home are compelling<br />
the Canadian public to buy American publications, publi-<br />
cations that are often openly anti-British? Can you not<br />
see that this system hits every writer of English fiction,<br />
by closing a large part of his market, and by preventing<br />
his name becoming familiar with a book-buying com-<br />
munity? Can you not see, too, how we are teaching the<br />
rising Canadian generation American methods and ideas,<br />
by forcing such publications upon them? In Eastern<br />
Canada it has been suggested that a change be made in<br />
the tariff laws, and in-coming magazines be made duti-<br />
able. This would not meet the case at all, as the duty<br />
would be a tax upon British as well as American publica-<br />
tions. It would only compel the American publishers to<br />
sell by direct subscription through agents (duty cannot be<br />
levied upon single copies). The periodical business would<br />
thus be taken out of the booksellers’ hands, and the situa-<br />
tion would not be relieved one iota.<br />
<br />
“No, the only cure is a cut in the English postal rate. If<br />
the United States can afford to mail such matter from New<br />
Orleans to Alaska for 1 cent. a lb., surely the British<br />
Government can afford to charge less than 8 cents. per Ib.<br />
for mailing the same matter between London and Montreal.<br />
<br />
But it is not only the Canadian trade that suffers.<br />
The Canadian is patriotic and Imperialistic. He<br />
is proud of being a member of the Empire, and he<br />
desires that his children should be nurtured with<br />
British ideas. He feels more than hurt, therefore,<br />
that, owing to a difficulty which might be easily<br />
remedied, the United States literature is gaining<br />
a large circulation in the Dominion and spreading<br />
views which he considers to be unhealthy and<br />
unsound.<br />
<br />
That the feeling is strong may be gathered from<br />
the contents of an article written by Mr. J. A.<br />
Cooper, editor of “The Canadian Magazine,” ”<br />
which appeared in The Toronto News. In it he<br />
states as follows :—<br />
<br />
“At present news-dealers’ counters are loaded with<br />
United States publications. The newsboys throughout<br />
the country peddle the cheapest of United States journals,<br />
The boys and girls of Canada are fed upon literature which<br />
is anti-Canadian and often immoral. On almost every<br />
Canadian table the flamboyant, sensational journals of<br />
the United States are given the place of prominence.<br />
British publications reach only the newspaper offices and<br />
a few of the large public libraries. Canadian publications,<br />
other than newspapers, are given slight consideration,<br />
though a few are making a plucky fight against national<br />
indifference.<br />
<br />
“Tf this country is to remain British in sentiment and<br />
material interests, there must be a greater familiarity with<br />
British literature and political discussions. If trade between<br />
Canada and Great Britain is to grow, there must be a mutual<br />
exchange of newspapers and class journals, At present<br />
Canada studies only United States politics, industrial<br />
methods, and advertisements.’’<br />
246<br />
<br />
Commenting on the large circulation of United<br />
States periodicals, Mr Cooper states as follows :—<br />
<br />
“The answer must be divided into two parts: First,<br />
as to British publications ; second, as to Canadian. British<br />
magazines and weeklies are crowded out of their market<br />
partly because the British publisher has made little attempt<br />
to keep them thereand partly because of official indifference.<br />
The British publisher once had a fairly good trade in<br />
Canada, but he bartered his inheritance for a mess of<br />
pottage. For example, the “Strand’’ and “ Pearson’s ”’<br />
sold here are not English editions. The sharp Yankee did<br />
not want English advertisements to circulate in the United<br />
States or Canada; therefore he bought the right to sell<br />
these two magazines in America. He gets out an imitation<br />
of the English publication of the same name, fills it with<br />
United States articles and United States advertisements,<br />
and it is these editions that Canada buys. Examine any<br />
copy of each of these publications and you will see that<br />
this is true. Trade follows the advertisement nowadays,<br />
not the flag ; therefore the wily United States manufacturer<br />
looks after the advertising pages of what his countrymen<br />
read, and of what Canadians read.<br />
<br />
“ Attempts have been made to induce the British Govern-<br />
ment to allow monthly magazines and monthly class papers<br />
to be mailed from Great Britain to Canada at one cent per<br />
pound, instead of eight cents, in order to meet United<br />
States competition ; but the British Postmasters-General<br />
cannot see any necessity fora change. They see no reason<br />
why English periodicals should sell in Canada—why British<br />
literature would be good for British connection—why<br />
British advertisements would be good for British trade.<br />
They may see it some day, but tkey refuse to see it now.<br />
They are as blind to their best interests on this continent<br />
as they were in the days of the American Revolution.<br />
When Austen Chamberlain was Postmaster-General, he was<br />
waited on by a large deputation from British Chambers<br />
of Commerce and certain publishing interests, but he was<br />
unconvinced. The matter has been discussed several times<br />
in the British House of Commons, but the appeal fell on<br />
deaf ears.”<br />
<br />
Mr. Cooper dwells many hundreds of miles from<br />
the writer of the printed letter, and a longer<br />
distance from Mr. McEvoy, of British Columbia,<br />
who kindly contributes an article from far Western<br />
Canada. Yet the last named makes a similar<br />
complaint against postal rates and United States<br />
literature.<br />
<br />
If the United States are working for postal reform<br />
merely with a business end in view,—to get better<br />
sales and a large circulation, surely the British<br />
Author and the British Publisher should make<br />
some greater effort, when in addition to the<br />
stimulus of business they have also the Imperial<br />
ideal. Imperial Penny Postage was, no doubt, a<br />
great bond of union, and worked with great power<br />
for the extension of ideas between the dwellers<br />
in the Empire, but the printed book, Empire-<br />
circulated, would have still greater influence.<br />
Imperial copyright is one great factor; this<br />
already exists. It is to be hoped that at no<br />
distant date the author may be able to distribute<br />
his property throughout the Empire with the same<br />
ease with which he now controls it,<br />
<br />
1s: 1,<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
A CAPE LETTER,<br />
<br />
—— +<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
ONTRARY to expectations, the Artistic<br />
Copyright Bill described in my last letter<br />
failed to pass into law, owing to the abrupt<br />
<br />
termination of the Parliamentary session and dis-<br />
solution of the Houses which followed the Minis-<br />
terial crisis of last year. The new Attorney-General<br />
has expressed his entire sympathy with the measure,<br />
and has promised to introduce it at the earliest<br />
possible date ; but, with the session half over<br />
and an Opposition policy of stubborn obstruction<br />
impeding business, there appears little hope of a dis-<br />
cussion of the Bill before the next prorogation takes<br />
place. In the new Parliament, of course, the pro-<br />
gress made last year counts for nothing ; were it<br />
otherwise, little time would be required to end the<br />
Bill’s vicissitudes.<br />
<br />
Musical piracy, so often referred to in The<br />
Author, seldom finds an exponent in this Colony ;<br />
but a person named Simmonds, residing in Cape<br />
Town, has lately been the object of legal atten-<br />
tions by the Musical Copyright Company, Messrs.<br />
Chappell & Co., Ltd., and Messrs. Boosey & Co.,<br />
in regard to unauthorised editions of various songs.<br />
In the case of the first-named plaintiff the Supreme<br />
Court has ordered an account to be kept, and in<br />
that of the third-named it has granted an interdict<br />
and the surrender of the copies, in both cases pend-<br />
ing an action; whilst the Resident Magistrate’s<br />
Court has awarded Messrs. Chappell damages to<br />
the extent of £20, the limit of jurisdiction.<br />
<br />
As a result of a certain transaction in dramatic<br />
rights, a shameful attempt at money-wringing has<br />
come before the Supreme Court. A Cape Town<br />
merchant named Koenig sued the proprietress of<br />
the now dissolved theatrical company known as<br />
Hall’s Australian Juveniles for a sum of £1,260<br />
(plus interest), representing performing fees on<br />
certain musical plays. From the evidence it<br />
appeared that plaintiff, who had a diverse con-<br />
nection with the Company, was engaged by its<br />
proprietors to secure certain rights; the assign-<br />
ment of these rights he quite unjustifiably obtained<br />
in his own name, on the strength of which fact he<br />
now claimed the rights as his own property. The<br />
Court unhesitatingly dismissed the plea, save as<br />
regarded an amount whiclr had been tendered by<br />
defendant, to cover royalties for which plaintiff<br />
was liable under the assignments. This amount,<br />
with costs to date of plea, was-awarded to plaintiff,<br />
by whom, however, the remaining costs were<br />
ordered to be paid. The sum claimed, which was<br />
reckoned on a basis of £15 15s. per night, was<br />
in itself preposterous; reliable evidence being<br />
adduced to show that the ordinary charge for the<br />
right of playing these musical pieces in South<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
African towns ranged from £1 to £3, or in<br />
exceptional cases £5, per night.<br />
<br />
From judicial decisions we may turn to judicial<br />
authorship. Two volumes of “ The Institutes of<br />
Cape Law,” by the Hon. A. F. S. Maasdorp, B.A.,<br />
Chief Justice of the Orange River Colony, have<br />
been published by Messrs. J. C. Juta & Co., Cape<br />
Town, and a third is to follow. Asub-title describes<br />
the work as “a Compendium of Common Law,<br />
Decided Cases, and Statute Law of the Colony of<br />
the Cape of Good Hope,” and Books I. and II.<br />
respectively deal with “The Law of Persons” and<br />
“The Law of Things”; whilst the remaining<br />
volume will have for its subject “The Law of<br />
Obligations.” In his preface, the author disclaims<br />
all pretence to original research, the work being<br />
simply a welding together of earlier text-books,<br />
with the latter’s. contradictions and archaicisms<br />
harmonised and brought up to date. Each volume<br />
is prefixed by a long table of cases cited, and the<br />
foot of every page is well weighted with references<br />
to authorities.<br />
<br />
In “ On Circuit in Kafirland, and Other Sketches<br />
and Studies” (London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd. ;<br />
Cape Town: J. C. Juta & Co.), the Hon. Perceval<br />
M. Laurence, LL.D.. has collected a number of<br />
papers which have previously appeared in the South<br />
African Law Journal and elsewhere. “They are<br />
rather a mixed lot,” says the author, “representing<br />
some of the recreations, legal and literary, of a<br />
colonial judge.” Two of the papers deal with cireuit<br />
reminiscences, four with legal matters ; three are<br />
biographical sketches ;_ whilst the volume closes<br />
with a short story translated from the French, and<br />
an address on Dr. Johnson. Apologising for the<br />
last-named item, the genial judge gives notice that<br />
“well-informed people are respectfully warned off!”<br />
The subjects of the biographical papers are respec-<br />
tively Cecil Rhodes, Lord Russell of Killowen, and<br />
Sir Frank Lockwood.<br />
<br />
A number of books treating of South African<br />
affairs from the inside have been issued from<br />
British houses during the last few months. One<br />
of the most notable of these is “The Essential<br />
Kafir,” by Dudley Kidd (London: A. & C. Black),<br />
which professes to be a composite portrait of the<br />
South African native, without distinction of tribes.<br />
The word “ Kafir” is used in a very wide sense,<br />
embracing many tribes, the “ essential ” likeness<br />
underlying whose variations Mr. Kidd has en-<br />
deavoured to depict. The book is “intended to<br />
serve as a warm-blooded character-sketch of the<br />
South African natives, in which everything that<br />
is of broad human interest takes precedence of<br />
departmental aspects of the subject.” A hundred<br />
exceptionally fine full-page photogravures grace<br />
the volume.<br />
<br />
‘A more modest work on an allied subject is “The<br />
<br />
247<br />
<br />
Native Problem in South Africa,” by Alex. Davis,<br />
appended to which is “A Review of the Problem in<br />
West and West Central Africa,” by W. R. Stewart<br />
(London: Chapman & Hall, Ltd.). This contains<br />
chapters on “ Native Character and Customs” and<br />
on the “Influence of Exeter Hall,” several others<br />
being grouped under the general heading of “ Mines<br />
and Labour.” “It is an endeavowr to enlighten<br />
the British public on the question, and place before<br />
the authorities in power sufficient connected data<br />
to enable them to understand the real position in<br />
Africa.”<br />
<br />
Under the somewhat vague title of “ The African<br />
Colony : Studies in the Reconstruction” (London :<br />
Wm. Blackwood & Sons), Mr. John Buchan, for-<br />
merly private secretary to Lord Milner, has pro-<br />
duced a volume designed to supply the inquiring<br />
Uitlander with some fuller information concerning<br />
South Africa than that derivable from statistics.<br />
He has divided his subject into three parts,<br />
historical, geographical, and political ; and an index<br />
and a map are provided.<br />
<br />
“ Happy Days and Happy Work in Basutoland,”<br />
by the Deaconess 8. B. Burton (London: 8.P.C.K.),<br />
is a chatty little volume devoted to missionary life<br />
among the Basutos. here are a preface by the<br />
Right Rev. Bishop Webb, Dean of Salisbury, and<br />
several illustrations. Another minor publication,<br />
also illustrated, is an anonymous ‘‘ Memoir of the<br />
Life and Work of Rev. John Brebner, M.A., LL.D.,<br />
late Superintendent of Education in the Orange<br />
River Colony” (Edinburgh: Lorimer & Chalmers).<br />
<br />
“Old Cape Colony,” by Mrs. A. F. Trotter<br />
(London: A. Constable & Go.), is “a chronicle of<br />
the Colony’s men and houses from 1652 to 1806.”<br />
Some of the material for this book appeared in a<br />
Christmas number of the Cape Times, entitled “ Old<br />
Cape Homesteads,” some five years ago. Mrs.<br />
Trotter brings to her task a keen enthusiasm.<br />
The volume contains reproductions of a number of<br />
her own drawings, and is affectionately dedicated<br />
to her “ unpunctured bicycle.”<br />
<br />
“Natal: An Illustrated Official Railway Guide<br />
and Handbook of General Information,” compiled<br />
and edited by ©. W. Francis Harrison (London :<br />
Payne Jennings), is a substantial volume, con-<br />
taining a large fund of detailed information, and<br />
provided with a profusion of good photogravures,<br />
and with plans and maps.<br />
<br />
From a Hamburg house (Cape Town: J. C.<br />
Juta & Co.) comes “The Native or Transkeian<br />
Territories, or Kaffraria Proper,” a handbook of<br />
the history, resources, and productions of that<br />
portion of Cape Colony, compiled by Caesar C.<br />
Henkel, who is also responsible for the excellent<br />
photographs with which it is illustrated. A large<br />
map accompanies the book.<br />
<br />
‘A series of artistic souvenirs, under the general<br />
248<br />
<br />
title of “ Brydone’s Tourist Handbooks,” has been<br />
published in Cape Town, the booklets issued de-<br />
scribing ‘ Groote Schuur,” “Cape Town,” “ A Trip<br />
round the Kloof,” and ‘Table Mountain.” Among<br />
other small local publications are “Glimpses in<br />
Rhyme,” by A. Cunningham-Fairlie, a collection<br />
of miscellaneous verse; ‘ Looking Forward,’<br />
repnted to be.the work of a spirit signing itself<br />
“ Aziel ”—a sort of South African “ Julia ”—-who,<br />
in a series of letters to Earth, communicates a<br />
Dantesque description of the world beyond ; “ The<br />
Mountain Club Annual,” an illustrated record of<br />
Cape mountaineering.<br />
<br />
Two works by residents in this Colony, but<br />
otherwise unconnected with the country, are<br />
‘‘ Shakespeare’s Books,” by H. R. D. Anders, B.A.<br />
and “ The Bible from the Standpoint of the Higher<br />
Criticism of the Old Testament,” by Rev. R.<br />
Balmforth (London : Swan Sonnenschein & Co.).<br />
<br />
Not the least important fruits of colonial author-<br />
- ship are the volumes of “ Transactions of the South<br />
African Philosophical Society,” a number of which<br />
have appeared during recent months ; whilst the<br />
South African Association for the Advancement of<br />
Science has initiated a similar series with its first<br />
annual report, just published. ‘he latter body<br />
has, within the last few weeks, concluded its second<br />
annual session, the proceedings at which will pro-<br />
vide matter for its next volume.<br />
<br />
New magazines have been less frequent of late.<br />
Of those issued, three deal with commercial and<br />
trade matters, viz., Zhe African Insurance, Bank-<br />
ing, andCommercial Gazette, edited by R. R. Brydone;<br />
The Colonist, edited by E. Verne Richardson; and<br />
Lhe South African Clay Worker and Builder. The<br />
Examiner, whose brief existence was recorded in a<br />
previous letter, has been succeeded by The New<br />
Era, a weekly review published in Cape Town,<br />
and edited, like its predecessor, by Chas. H.<br />
Crane.<br />
<br />
In the course of his last annual report to Parlia-<br />
ment, Dr. G. M. Theal, the colonial historiographer,<br />
bitterly complains of the treatment received by his<br />
“ History cf South Africa.” Unable, in any case,<br />
to repay the great cost of production, the volumes<br />
are undersold by others whose contents have been<br />
extracted from them. Dr. Theal has now accepted<br />
a proposition, made by his publishers, to issue a<br />
new edition of the work at so low a price that the<br />
buccaneers will find reproduction unremunerative.<br />
This edition will contain additional matter, and<br />
will occupy seven volumes, as against the six of<br />
the previous edition.<br />
<br />
The Keeper of the Archives, Rev. H. C. V.<br />
Leibbrandt, though he has been busy at various<br />
sections of his work, has, owing to the late disso-<br />
lution of Parliament, not yet been able to publish<br />
any of the matter which is ready for press.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There died at Johannesburg a short time ago<br />
Dr. M. J. Farrelly, author, among other works, of<br />
“The Settlement after the War,” an authority on<br />
international and constitutional law, and adviser<br />
on these subjects to the Government of the late<br />
South African Republic.<br />
<br />
Another writer has passed away in the person of<br />
Mr. J. D, Ensor, Serjeant-at-Arms to the House of<br />
Assembly. Before coming to this country about<br />
twenty-three years ago, Mr. Ensor had been for<br />
some fifteen years on the staff of the Daily Tele-<br />
graph, for which he acted as war colrespondent in<br />
Mexico. He was also intimately connected with the<br />
Boy’s Own Paper, and for a time acted as amanu-<br />
ensis to W. H, G. Kingston. He came out here<br />
for the benefit of his wife’s health, relinquishing<br />
journalism for a Civil Service appointment.<br />
Literary work, however, continued to claim some<br />
of his time, and a couple of volumes of “Kafir<br />
Stories” are recorded to his credit.<br />
<br />
Sypnky YorKeE Forp.<br />
Cape Town, April 27th, 1904.<br />
<br />
———_—_——_+—@— —___<br />
<br />
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.<br />
<br />
—1~>— +<br />
<br />
“ ECUEIL des Conventions et Traités con-<br />
cernant la Propriété Littéraire et Artisti-<br />
que publiés en Francais et dans les<br />
<br />
langues des pays contractants avec une introduc-<br />
<br />
tion et des notices par le Bureau de l'Union<br />
<br />
Internationale pour la Protection des C&uvres<br />
<br />
Littéraires et Artistiques.” Berne, 1904. 8vo.<br />
<br />
Pp. xxxli. 876,<br />
<br />
The benefits conferred upon authors by the<br />
labours of the Berne Bureau of the International<br />
Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic<br />
Property are so justly and universally appreciated<br />
by the whole literary profession, and the value of<br />
the works that have from time to time been<br />
published under the auspices of the Bureau is so<br />
generally realised by all students of international<br />
copyright (and not less by those who approach its<br />
problems from the ethical and philosophical stand-<br />
point than by those who concern themselves with<br />
the legal aspect alone) that the last publication put<br />
forth by the Bureau in a handsome volume of more<br />
than nine hundred pages might well stand suffi-<br />
ciently recommended by the prestige of its prede-<br />
cessors. But it may be asserted without hesitation,<br />
and without the least fear of preparing a disappoint-<br />
ment for any one, that the collection of legal<br />
documents and of notes and observations accom-<br />
panying them which has been recently produced<br />
under the title above quoted exceeds in value and<br />
interest all previous publications that have emanated<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
from the same source. As a manual of inter-<br />
national copyright law it is both fuller and brought<br />
more nearly up to date than any other with which<br />
we are acquainted, and at the same time presents<br />
an important feature possessed by no other work<br />
of the same scope in the presentation of all the<br />
leval texts in their original languages” ; whilst<br />
the comments and notices interspersed among the<br />
legal texts represent an invaluable history of the<br />
appreciation, the present position, and the future<br />
prospects of copyright in the various countries,<br />
which is not only unique but must be also of the<br />
highest interest to all intellectual readers.<br />
<br />
Some work of this kind which should show<br />
the whole of the present situation of international<br />
copyright in a single view has long been a desidera-<br />
tum. So long ago as 1891 M. Jules Lermina, the<br />
Secretary of the International Literary Associa-<br />
tion, declared that it was desirable to have exact<br />
reports of the views held regarding international<br />
copyright by the various countries. The sub-<br />
stance of what these several reports would have<br />
contained is here collected and presented to the<br />
lawyer and student in a single volume ; and the<br />
compilers are undoubtedly justified in remarking<br />
in the “ advertisement ” which they have placed at<br />
the opening of their work that “collections of this<br />
kind are a direct assistance to the propagation of<br />
equitable ideas, to the formulation of lucid legisla-<br />
tion, and to the preparation of means for a con-<br />
stantly more and more complete unification of<br />
measures for mutual protection.” The lessons<br />
suggested by a perusal of the volume are indeed<br />
innumerable, and not the least striking of them is<br />
the occasion which the facts here recorded present<br />
for some painful reflections upon the want of pro-<br />
portion between the boasted intellectual advance-<br />
ment of certain countries and the evidence their<br />
legislatures give of the national appreciation of<br />
intellectual rights; whilst it is impossible not to<br />
be struck by the self-restraint and sanity of the<br />
remarks which deal with the lines upon which it is<br />
alone possible to hope for some advance towards a<br />
greater consistency of profession and practice.<br />
<br />
The compilers must be particularly congratulated<br />
both upon the skill with which they have in this<br />
work managed to group and present the ency-<br />
clopaedic mass of matter with which they were<br />
called upon to deal, and upon their success in<br />
having made a volume of an engaging character<br />
out of materials that might have been perusable<br />
only by specialists and statisticians.<br />
<br />
The book is primarily divided into two parts.<br />
Of these the former is wholly in French (the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* Japan forms a solitary exception; the difficulties of<br />
presenting the language in Roman characters having<br />
limited the production of the Japanese treaties to a French<br />
translation,<br />
<br />
249<br />
<br />
official language of the International Bureau), and<br />
consists of two sections ; 1. International Unions,<br />
that of Berne, (1886, 1896), that of Montevideo<br />
(1887), and that of the Hague (1896) ; 2. Par-<br />
ticular Conventions between several pairs of States.<br />
In this section short *t Notices ” relate the history of<br />
copyright in the several states, and also sketch the<br />
present literary situation. Here are to be found,<br />
in alphabetical order, not those countries alone<br />
which have entered into agreements of international<br />
copyright, but all whose literatures have any claim<br />
to consideration. The latter part of the book<br />
presents first five authorised translations of the<br />
text of the Berne Convention, German, English,<br />
Spanish, Italian, and Norse, in this order; and<br />
then similar translations of the Convention of<br />
Montevideo. Its second section consists of the<br />
Particular Conventions in the original languages<br />
from which the French translations in the first<br />
part of the book are made. An appendix, similarly<br />
divided into a French and a polyglot section, con-<br />
tains additions bringing the work up to date, and<br />
the Danish version of the Berne Convention, received<br />
whilst the work was in the press. The whole is<br />
preceded by an introduction which sketches the<br />
history of International copyright from its earliest<br />
origins, gives an account of the existing Inter-<br />
national Literary Unions, and describes the develop-<br />
ments that have, since its foundation, taken place<br />
in the Berne Union.<br />
<br />
Whilst the legal documents, and especially the<br />
polyglot originals (calculated to arrest the atten-<br />
tion of the linguist even if he has neither legal nor<br />
copyright sympathies), must figure as the most<br />
substantially important portion of the work, much<br />
that is of superlative interest is included in the<br />
interspersed “ Notices” which trace the copyright<br />
and literary history of all states that can rightly<br />
make any claim to be considered. These little<br />
résumés Which, as well as the introduction, are from<br />
the pen of M. Ernest Roetlisberger, the Secretary<br />
of the Bureau, are particularly admirable. In a<br />
few lines they sketch lucidly the history of copy-<br />
right in the various countries, the views at present<br />
held in each instance respecting it, and give an<br />
appreciation of the present literary situation from<br />
which more may be rapidly learned than could be<br />
gathered with much iabour from any ordinary<br />
works of reference. To any one interested in<br />
foreign literature these felicitous little “ Notices”<br />
may be recommended as mines of information that<br />
alone furnish more than sufficient reason for a high<br />
recommendation of the book.<br />
<br />
M. Roetlisberger’s summaries and annotations<br />
everywhere abound with plums of engaging details.<br />
Thus we learn that a reproduction in an engraving<br />
of Rubens’ “ Descent from the Cross,” was an early<br />
object of a triple privilege in France, Belgium, and<br />
250<br />
<br />
Holland, “cum privilegiis regis christianissimi,<br />
principuum Belgarum, et ordinum Balaviae” A<br />
decree of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla of the<br />
22nd of December, 1840 (whilst Italy was still<br />
divided into a number of States), furnishes an<br />
example of protection of foreign works, harmonising<br />
with an unique feature of the present Italian copy-<br />
tight law. ‘ Foreign works are national property,<br />
saving dispositions to the contrary in political<br />
conventions.” In the “ Notice” on Denmark, a<br />
remark on piratical translation, made by Professor<br />
Torp at the congress of Dresden, in 1895, is quoted,<br />
which supports the view, more than once insisted<br />
on in the pages of The Author, and frequently<br />
enforced in the present volume, that piratical and<br />
unauthorised translations are deleterious to national<br />
literary progress.<br />
<br />
“Freedom of translation has an effect the<br />
opposite of the normal and beneficial tendencies<br />
that aim at giving the intellectual cultivation of<br />
a people a truly national character. The great<br />
bulk of books read by the masses who are without<br />
intellectual training is composed for the most part<br />
of translations of dubious value, which cannot<br />
possibly assist to the shaping of a real national<br />
spirit of a healthy and elevated type.”<br />
<br />
These are but specimens gathered at hazard of<br />
the sort of interesting observations with which the<br />
work abounds. Uninviting as its title may appear<br />
to some readers, it is scarcely possible to imagine<br />
the man of letters who will not find pleasure in<br />
perusing its pages. In the hands of the student<br />
of international law it will be found to be indis-<br />
pensable ; hardly less so to the student of the<br />
comparative development of foreign literatures,<br />
and in point of fact immensely interesting to<br />
anyone who sympathises with the intellectual<br />
progress of humanity.<br />
<br />
———_—_—_+—@— ______<br />
<br />
THE BEGINNING A LITERARY CAREER<br />
IN ENGLAND.<br />
<br />
—_1-~ +<br />
<br />
From THE PerRsonaL STANDPOINT OF A COLONIAL.<br />
<br />
MAY at once say that there are two main<br />
points that have to be borne in mind by a<br />
Colonial or American coming to England if<br />
<br />
he would avoid disappointment.<br />
<br />
The first is that the English people, owing to<br />
their historical antecedents and the feudal con-<br />
stitution of their society, have no admiration for<br />
intellect as such, nor are they disposed to yield<br />
any special deference or consideration to its<br />
possessors. The questions they inwardly ask of<br />
every man they meet are:—First, is he a<br />
“gentleman” in the technical sense of the term,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
by birth, profession, or breeding ? Secondly, is he<br />
a man of personal honour and integrity? If he<br />
be both, he may pass anywhere, and will be treated<br />
with respect in any society ; but if he have the<br />
latter qualifications without the former, if he be a<br />
working man for example, or retail shopkeeper, or<br />
engaged in any occupation forbidden to the class<br />
of “gentleman,” neither intellect nor character will<br />
avail. He will not count, he will have no personal<br />
influence, and, except for political purposes, no one<br />
will be interested either in himself or his opinions,<br />
<br />
The aristocracy scarcely read at all, much less<br />
read solid works, and have, in consequence, little<br />
interest in the writers of books; and the other<br />
classes have accepted their estimate. Intellect is<br />
regarded by the people rather as a commodity than<br />
as a personal attribute, a thing to be bought in the<br />
market as it is required, like a pair of shoes,<br />
without more ado; and it has, in consequence,<br />
little more differential interest in itself than the<br />
corn or wine or cloth with which a merchant deals,<br />
and out of which he makes his income.<br />
<br />
In all the other great nations of the world a large<br />
amount of admiration, personal deference and<br />
consideration are accorded to men of intellect as<br />
such. It isnot so in England, and hence it is that<br />
of all men a cultivated Englishman is least under-<br />
stood by the cultivated men of other nations ; and<br />
until his sterling qualities of character have had<br />
time to disclose themselves, is perhaps the least<br />
liked, I shall never forget my amazement when I<br />
first came to England on being asked by a cultivated<br />
and charming lady, with whom I was dining, as to<br />
what interesting sights or persons I had seen. On<br />
my answering that I had been to hear Spurgeon<br />
and Morley Punshon and Dr. Parker, she coldly<br />
replied, “Oh ! we don’t think much of them,” the<br />
“we” meaning the class of ladies and gentlemen to<br />
which she belonged, and who alone count either<br />
personally or in matters of opinion. And what she<br />
said I found to be largely true. The reason was,<br />
that, in spite of the world-wide reputation of those<br />
men, and the vast congregations to whom they<br />
ministered, there were not, perhaps, in any of these<br />
congregations, especially that of Spurgeon, more<br />
than half-a-dozen families belonging to the recog-<br />
nised class of “ladies and gentlemen.” It was as<br />
if in America a man should imagine that he could<br />
get personal admiration or consideration by having<br />
the reputation of being the preacher who could<br />
draw the largest congregation of negroes !<br />
<br />
The second point to be borne in mind seems a<br />
paradox after what I have just said, but is never-<br />
theless true. It is that, in spite of this want of<br />
interest in intellectual things, nowhere else perhaps<br />
in the world will be fonnd a greater number of<br />
competent and accomplished critics of every side of<br />
life or thought ; and this is owing to the immense<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
a<br />
id<br />
7<br />
a<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
complexity and variety of the intellectual material<br />
of all kinds that proczeds from London as from a<br />
workshop, to supply the rest of the English-<br />
speaking world ; the quality of the demand every-<br />
where calling forth the appropriate talent to<br />
meet it.<br />
<br />
How, then, is this to affect the decision of the<br />
young Colonial ambitious of making a literary<br />
reputation in the Mother Country? In answer, I<br />
should say that if his aim is to bea novelist, a poet,<br />
a dramatist, or a humourist, he may come over at<br />
once, for he will be in no way handicapped by the<br />
jand of his birth, The recognised critics know<br />
their business thoroughly, and will be sure to do<br />
him full justice. And even if they did not, as all<br />
classes read novels, the number of cultured and<br />
competent readers and of experienced play-goers<br />
is so large that his merits will be at once recognized.<br />
Gilbert Parker had no difficulty in getting a<br />
hearing as a novelist, or Haddon Chambers, the<br />
Australian, as a dramatist. But if he is a writer<br />
on serious subjects, on the other hand, he must be<br />
prepared for a considerable amount of preliminary<br />
disappointment. The way it operates is somewhat<br />
in this wise ; When the leading monthly magazines<br />
took to signed articles, editors were no longer<br />
required, as formerly, to have sound general know-<br />
ledgeofthe subjects discussed, but, like stockholders,<br />
only of the market value of the names of the men<br />
who discussed them. And, as the readers, as I<br />
have said, have but a languid interest at best,<br />
either in writers on serious subjects as such, or<br />
in their writings, and when condemned to read<br />
them, require them to be of recognised brand, the<br />
Colonial coming over here is likely to be trebly<br />
handicapped, by the indifference of the public<br />
to intellectual men and things as such, by their<br />
aversion to seeing unknown names discuss them,<br />
and by the want on the part of the editors (with<br />
one or two notable exceptions) of a sufficient<br />
knowledge of the subjects discussed, to be able to<br />
appraise at their true valueindications of exceptional<br />
originality, penetration or power.<br />
<br />
And even if he get some eminent man to interest<br />
himself in his work, it will avail him nothing with<br />
an editor, unless the said eminent personage will<br />
refer to it publicly, and so prick the public<br />
curiosity. But this again men of eminence are<br />
usually as chary of doing for budding authors who<br />
have still their spurs to win, as the editors are of<br />
accepting their work.<br />
<br />
Then again, if tired of having your magazine<br />
articles returned to you, you venture to publish in<br />
book form, other but equal difficulties will con-<br />
front you. The publisher will pass your MS. on to<br />
his reader for his verdict ; and the fact that you<br />
hail from a colony will go seriously against you,<br />
whereas did you but come from Germany, for<br />
<br />
251<br />
<br />
example, it would be in your favour. The result<br />
is that you must publish at your own expense.<br />
<br />
But even after you have published at your own<br />
expense your troubles will only have changed their<br />
shape. Your difficulty now will be with the Press.<br />
When the publishers send a press copy of a book<br />
which they have published at the author’s expense,<br />
they mark on it “from the author,” not “ from<br />
the publisher.” And as the leading critical journals<br />
are practically obliged to review the books brought<br />
out by the publishers who advertise in their<br />
columns, the moment the editors see a book in-<br />
scribed “from the author,” they are relieved from<br />
this obligation ; and as their space is limited, and<br />
the pressure on it is great, it is very questionable<br />
whether you will get a review at all, good, bad, or<br />
indifferent. And the moral of it is that most, if<br />
not all, of the advantages of having the name of a<br />
good publisher on your books will be quite thrown<br />
away if the press copies are sent out as “from the<br />
author” and not “ from the publisher.”<br />
<br />
Once your book is in the hands of the reviewer<br />
it will get fair play, and your preliminary troubles<br />
will be over; for there are no men more fair or<br />
manly than Englishmen, or greater lovers of<br />
justice.<br />
<br />
J, BEATTIE CROZIER,<br />
<br />
—_—_—_—_—_——_e—<>—_+___—__<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
<br />
—<br />
Book DIsTRIBUTION.<br />
<br />
Er<br />
<br />
Srr,—In the April Author “A Protestant” puts<br />
the query “ Why do not booksellers write straight to<br />
publishers?” etc. The nearest com mercial traveller<br />
or the nearest grocer can tell him why—and the<br />
reason is that the country bookseller is a sober,<br />
respectable, retail tradesman, just like his neigh-<br />
pour the grocer or the draper. I, too, ordered a<br />
certain book, the second work of its author. The<br />
bookseller sent off for it, and a week later trium-<br />
phantly handed me the first work of that author,<br />
with the information from—one of the firms men-<br />
tioned by “A Protestant ’”’—that this was the only<br />
work of that author. I delivered myself of the<br />
remarks, expletives and observations natural to the<br />
occasion, and was answered that the firm in ques-<br />
tion was “ the largest house in London,” “ known<br />
all over the world,” &c., and so I stilted off and<br />
left it at that.<br />
<br />
Afterwards it occurred to me (triumphantly !)<br />
that there is a reason for everything. I considered<br />
that the bookseller is a shopkeeper, and a shop-<br />
keeper is remarkably like the ruck of human beings<br />
—at least to look at. Now a few conversations<br />
<br />
<br />
252<br />
<br />
with shopkeepers of the grocer variety showed me<br />
that a retail tradesman must of necessity deal with<br />
a distributing middleman. It is baldly impossible<br />
for him to deal direct with the manufacturer or<br />
importer of every article he sells. The nearest<br />
cominercial traveller will tell you that, as a rule,<br />
every shopkeeper is in debt to the wholesale house<br />
from which he gets his goods. That is to say, he<br />
is the slave of a running account, and is farther or<br />
less far behind with his payments according as<br />
times are good with him or not. This running<br />
account is very handy for him and keeps him<br />
going at an easy level, instead of leaving him to<br />
the violent ups and downs which would need such<br />
a large capital sum to weather if he paid cash on<br />
the nail while his own customers paid cash when<br />
they couldn’t help it. But it keeps him tied to<br />
the wholesale house, more or less, and so makes<br />
the wholesale house saucy, also more or less, as<br />
the tradesman finds when he sends for anything<br />
which that house does not, for any reason in the<br />
world, supply.<br />
<br />
Now the running account is just as handy in<br />
“these hard times ”—which began with trade and<br />
will end with it, being the atmosphere of trade—<br />
to the country bookseller as to the country draper.<br />
We flare up in Zhe Author with pages of print on<br />
the status and failings of the bookseller, but the<br />
bookseller, being just human and just a retail<br />
tradesman, continues in the same old groove that<br />
trade has rutted out for him. The fault is with<br />
us, in ranking our business as suppliers of a<br />
marketable commodity so high, that we fancy that<br />
all who have to do with it should “carry on” as<br />
totally oblivious of mere business details as the<br />
presbyters and deacons of any other high mystery<br />
and religion you like.<br />
<br />
The one direction in which relief—for this par-<br />
ticular complaint—is to be looked for is in the estab-<br />
lishment of the “two new enterprising libraries,”<br />
if that means “two new middlemen.” The<br />
establishment of half-a-dozen new ones might do<br />
the trick. The natural pressure of competition<br />
would abate the sauciness of the present middle-<br />
men monopolists. Tor if the “ Almightly Middle-<br />
man” disappeared from the book trade to-morrow<br />
the country bookseller would disappear with him,<br />
unless the publishers at once combined to establish<br />
a clearing house or distributing centre which could<br />
be to the bookseller just what the “ Almighty<br />
Middleman” had been—a keeper of running<br />
accounts; a giver of credit to ordinary everyday<br />
shopkeepers,<br />
<br />
Will the publishers ever establish such a clearing<br />
house and credit-giving centre? Not much. “It<br />
would be too much trouble.” “The game wouldn’t<br />
pay for the candle.” The game in fact is not too<br />
bad for the publisher as it stands now—is not the<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
very existence of the Incorporated Society of<br />
Authors emphatic testimony to that? The onl<br />
help to be looked for then, is in the establishment<br />
of still more middlemen—tons of ’em. Authors<br />
who have made such huge profits (vie published<br />
figures) out of their work might cast an eye this<br />
way and, upon dying, instead of endowing a college<br />
ora cat, direct the establishment of another middle-<br />
man business as wholesale bookseller. So shall we<br />
hear less upon this point, either from fellow authors.<br />
or from our own lips, which explode so fierily upon<br />
occasion against that respectable clerk of the<br />
mysteries, the country bookseller, dash him !<br />
I remain, yours, ete.,<br />
ANOTHER PROTESTER.<br />
<br />
—1+—<br />
<br />
II.<br />
<br />
Sirn,— Would your columns allow of m y suggest-<br />
ing to “A Protestant” that he should make the<br />
experiment of ordering the books he wants from<br />
the nearest tobacconist-newsagent. I have found<br />
this enterprising individual more obliging and a<br />
great deal more capable than the local bookseller,<br />
and pleased to increase his business by attending<br />
to orders which the bookseller appears to consider:<br />
beneath his dignity.<br />
<br />
Yours truly,<br />
<br />
A CaTHOLIC,<br />
a<br />
<br />
Exeter ENGLISH.<br />
<br />
Srr,—Evidence is rapidly accumulating of pre-<br />
cedents by high and learned authorities proving<br />
the inscription on the R. D. Blackmore monument<br />
to be correct. “ This tablet with the window above:<br />
are a tribute.” If the inscription offends against<br />
a supposed grammatical rule, yet it offends in the-<br />
company of some of our greatest writers. A<br />
professor of English literature sends me the<br />
following quotations, and earnestly hopes that the<br />
Committee will not have the inscription altered.<br />
<br />
Stubbs, III. 106. Line3:<br />
<br />
“On the 8th of March, the King, with Bedford,<br />
Beaufort and the Council were at Canterbury.’’<br />
<br />
* Julius Caesar.” Act. 4, Scene III. :<br />
<br />
“Impatient of my absence,<br />
And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony<br />
Have made themselves so strong.’’<br />
Fielding. ‘Tom Jones.” Chap. IIL. :<br />
“ Your poor gamekeeper with all his large family have:<br />
been perishing.”’<br />
Alison. “ History of Europe "’:<br />
* The Duchy of Pomerania with the island of Rugen<br />
were added by Sweden to the Danish Crown.’’<br />
Your obedient servant,<br />
JAMES BAKER.<br />
<br />
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