541 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/541 | The Author, Vol. 24 Issue 09 (June 1914) | <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.+24+Issue+09+%28June+1914%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 24 Issue 09 (June 1914)</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> | 1914-06-02-The-Author-24-9 | | | | | 233–262 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=24">24</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1914-06-02">1914-06-02</a> | | | | | | | 9 | | | 19140602 | Che Huthbor.<br />
<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors.<br />
<br />
FOUNDED BY SIR<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Vor. XXIV.—No. 9.<br />
<br />
Monthly.)<br />
<br />
WALTER BESANT.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE 2, 1914.<br />
<br />
[PRIcE SIXPENCE.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TELEPHONE NUMBER:<br />
374 VICTORIA.<br />
<br />
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS:<br />
AUTORIDAD, LONDON.<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
——+—_<br />
<br />
TT the opinions expressed in papers that<br />
are signed or initialled the authors alone<br />
are responsible. None of the papers or<br />
<br />
paragraphs must be taken as expressing the<br />
<br />
opinion of the Committee unless such is<br />
especially stated to be the case.<br />
<br />
Tur Editor begs to inform members of the<br />
Authors’ Society and other readers of The<br />
Author that the cases which are quoted in The<br />
‘Author are cases that have come before the<br />
motice or to the knowledge of the Secretary of<br />
the Society, and that those members of the<br />
Society who desire to have the names of the<br />
publishers concerned can obtain them on<br />
‘application.<br />
<br />
ARTICLES AND CONTRIBUTIONS.<br />
<br />
Tur Editor of The Author begs to remind<br />
members of the Society that, although the<br />
paper is sent to them free of cost, its production<br />
would be a very heavy charge on the resources<br />
of the Society if a great many members did not<br />
forward to the Secretary the modest 5s. 6d.<br />
<br />
subscription for the year.<br />
Communications for The Author should be<br />
<br />
addressed to the offices of the Society, 1, Cen-<br />
tral Buildings, Tothill Street, Westminster,<br />
S.W., and should reach the Editor not later<br />
<br />
than the 21st of each month. o<br />
Communications and letters are invited by<br />
<br />
the Editor on all literary matters treated from<br />
Vou. XXIV.<br />
<br />
the standpoint of art or business, but on no<br />
other subjects whatever. Every effort will be<br />
made to return articles which cannot be<br />
accepted.<br />
<br />
ADVERTISEMENTS.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Matthews’ Advertising Service,<br />
Staple Inn Buildings, High Holborn, W.C.,<br />
will act as agents for advertisements for<br />
“The Author.” All communications respect-<br />
ing advertisements should be addressed to<br />
them.<br />
<br />
As there seems to be an impression among<br />
readers of The Author that the Committee are<br />
personally responsible for the bona fides of the<br />
advertisers, the Committee desire it to be stated<br />
that this is not, and could not possibly be, the<br />
ease. Although care is exercised that no<br />
undesirable advertisements be inserted, they<br />
do not accept, and never have accepted, any<br />
liability.<br />
<br />
Members should apply to the Secretary for<br />
advice if special information is desired.<br />
<br />
pS ——-<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE SOCIETY’S FUNDS.<br />
<br />
So<br />
<br />
| ‘ROM time to time members of the Society<br />
4 desire to make donations to its funds in<br />
<br />
recognition of work that has been done<br />
for them. The Committee, acting on the<br />
suggestion of one of these members, have<br />
decided to place this permanent paragraph in<br />
The Author in order that members may be<br />
cognisant of those funds to which these con-<br />
tributions may be paid. :<br />
<br />
The funds suitable for this purpose are:<br />
(1) The Capital Fund. This fund is kept in<br />
reserve in case it is necessary for the Society to<br />
incur heavy expenditure, either in fighting a<br />
question of principle, or in assisting to obtain<br />
copyright reform, or in dealing with any other<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
234<br />
<br />
matter closely connected with the work of the<br />
Society. : :<br />
<br />
(2) The Pension Fund. This fund is slowly<br />
increasing, and it is hoped will, in time, cover<br />
the needs of all the members of the Society.<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
THE PENSION FUND.<br />
<br />
oS<br />
<br />
N January, 1914, the secretary of the<br />
I Society laid before the trustees of the<br />
Pension Fund the accounts for the year<br />
1918, as settled by the accountants. After<br />
giving the matter full consideration, the<br />
trustees instructed the secretary to invest a<br />
sum of £350 in the purchase of Great Eastern<br />
Railway Ordinary Stock. The amount pur-<br />
chased has been added to the investments set<br />
out below.<br />
<br />
The trustees desire to thank the members of<br />
the Society for the continued support which<br />
they have given to the Pension Fund. They<br />
have given notice to the Pension Fund Com-<br />
mittee that there is sufficient money at their<br />
disposal to enable them to give another<br />
pension.<br />
<br />
The nominal value of the investments held<br />
on behalf of the Pension Fund now amounts<br />
to £5,419 6s., details of which are fully set out<br />
in the following schedule :—<br />
<br />
Nominal Value.<br />
<br />
£8. d<br />
Enea) Boas 20.2.5 ie 500 0 0<br />
Victoria Government 8% Consoli-<br />
<br />
dated Inscribed Stock ............ 291 19 11<br />
London and North Western 3%<br />
<br />
Debenture Stock ................. 250 0 0<br />
Egyptian Government Irrigation<br />
<br />
Trust 4% Certificates............ - 200 0 0<br />
Cape of Good Hope 84% Inscribed<br />
e NLOCK a as 200 0 0O<br />
Glasgow and South-Western Rail-<br />
<br />
way 4% Preference Stock ...... 228 0 0<br />
New Zealand 34% Stock .......... 247 9 6<br />
Irish Land 22% Guaranteed Stock 258 0 0<br />
Corporation of London 24%<br />
<br />
Stock, 102% 6% ie vccoccas 438 2 4<br />
Jamaica 84% Stock, 1919—49 ... 18218 6<br />
Mauritius 4% 1987 Stock ......... ~ 120 12 4<br />
Dominion of Canada, C.P.R. 34%<br />
<br />
Land Grant Stock, 1988 ......... 198 8 8<br />
Antofagasta and Bolivian Railway<br />
<br />
5% Preferred Stock ........:05.04. 237 0 0<br />
Central Argentine Railway Or-<br />
<br />
GBORY BOCK cosh piceisss ci ccensy est 282 0 0<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
Nominal V alue.<br />
<br />
£ 8. a<br />
$2,000 Consolidated Gas and<br />
Electric Company of Baltimore<br />
44% Gold Bonds ................ 400 0 0<br />
250 Edward Lloyd, Ltd., £1 5%<br />
Preference Shares <...........-... 250 0 0<br />
55 Buenos Ayres Great Southern<br />
Railway 4% Extension Shares,<br />
1914 (fully paid) .................. 550 0 0<br />
<br />
8 Central Argentine Railway £10<br />
<br />
Preference Shares, New Issue... 30 0 0<br />
<br />
Great Eastern Railway Ordinary<br />
Stock wieceiccccece 655 0 0<br />
Total 4.3..5:.4...; £5,419 6 0<br />
<br />
PENSION FUND.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
Tue list printed below includes all fresh dona-<br />
tions and subscriptions (i.e., donations and<br />
subscriptions not hitherto acknowledged)<br />
received by, or promised to, the fund from<br />
October, 1913.<br />
<br />
It does not include either donations given<br />
prior to October, nor does it include sub-<br />
scriptions paid in compliance with promises<br />
made before it.<br />
<br />
Subscriptions.<br />
1913.<br />
Oct. 8, Rees, Miss Rosemary<br />
Oct. 8, Pearce, J. : : :<br />
Oct. 9, Drummond, Miss Florence<br />
<br />
Oct. 9, Rumbold, Hugo 1<br />
Oct. 18, Knowles, Miss<br />
<br />
Oct. 20, Collison, Harry<br />
<br />
Oct. 21, Buchanan, Miss Meriel<br />
<br />
Oct. 25, Baker, E. A. . :<br />
<br />
Nov. 6, Bentley, E. C. y<br />
Nov. 6, Petersen, Miss Margaret<br />
Noy. 7, Lang, Mrs. John<br />
<br />
Nov. 19, Langferte, Raymond<br />
Nov. 24, Webb, W. Trego<br />
<br />
Nov. 24, Mackenzie, Compton<br />
Dec. 4, Vansittart, Robert<br />
<br />
Dee. 4, Lunn, Arnold . ‘<br />
<br />
Dec. 4, Stewart, Miss Marie .<br />
<br />
Dec. 4, Berry, Miss Ana<br />
<br />
Dec. 4, Vallois, Miss Grace<br />
<br />
Dec. 17, Beresford, J. D.<br />
<br />
Dec. 29, Inge, Charles . ;<br />
Dec. 29, Cross, Miss May . .<br />
Dec. 29, Hardy, Thomas, O.M.<br />
<br />
_<br />
<br />
i<br />
NOooaannods aan Oo Oe OO Ot Or Or<br />
<br />
woeoscooooHrocoSoooSoCOHSSCOOOm<br />
SOmeoccooaoccoOoSC SoS OSOSCOSCOSCCOF<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
1914.<br />
<br />
Jan. 7, Ford, Miss May<br />
<br />
Jan. 7, Sephton, J.<br />
<br />
Jan. 16, Singer, I.<br />
<br />
Jan. 16, Cooke, Arthur 0.<br />
<br />
Jan. 23, Exley, Miss M.<br />
<br />
Jan. 26, Sarawak, The Rance of<br />
Mar. 11, Dowson, Oscar F.<br />
<br />
April 8, " Stoeving. Paul : .<br />
April 14, Buckle, Gerard, F. »<br />
April 14, Grattan, Harry . :<br />
April 17, Rubenstein, H. F. . .<br />
April 20, Anon. . :<br />
April 25, Stacpoole, Mrs. de Vere .<br />
May 1, Miigge, Maximilian A,<br />
<br />
May e Davies, Miss Mary<br />
<br />
May 8, Simon, Andre L.<br />
<br />
May 8, Deutsch, H. .<br />
<br />
May 9, Campbell, Miss E. Hope<br />
May 12, Lardner, E. G. D.<br />
<br />
1918. Donations.<br />
<br />
Oct. 7, Darwin, Sir Francis .<br />
<br />
Oct. 9, Carroll, Sydney Wentworth<br />
Oct. 21, Troubetzkoy, The Princess<br />
Oct. 27, Frankish, Harold<br />
<br />
Oct. 30, Rosman, Miss Alice Grant<br />
Nov. 8, Holland, Theodore<br />
<br />
Nov. 3, Steane, Bruce<br />
<br />
Nov. 3, Batty, Mrs. Braithwaite<br />
Nov. 10, Elrington, Miss Helen<br />
Novy. 10, Waterbury, Mis... :<br />
Dec. 5, Dymock, R. G. Vaughton .<br />
Dec. 6, Macdonald, Miss Julia<br />
Dec. 11, Little, Mrs. Archibald<br />
Dec. 11, Topham, Miss Ann .<br />
<br />
Dec. 20, Edwards, Percy J.<br />
<br />
Dec. 21, Keating, J. Lloyd<br />
<br />
1914.<br />
<br />
Jan. 8, Church, Sir Arthur<br />
<br />
Jan. 5, Anon .<br />
<br />
Jan. 5, Joseph, L. ;<br />
<br />
Jan. 5, Swan, Miss Myra<br />
<br />
Jan. 5, Vernede, R. E.<br />
<br />
Jan. 6, De Crespigny, Mrs. + Champion<br />
Jan. 6, Rankin, Miss I. ;<br />
<br />
Jan. 7, Sneyd- es E. M.<br />
Jan. 7, Lathbury, Miss Eva .<br />
<br />
Jan. 7, Toplis, Miss Grace<br />
<br />
Jan. 8, Palmer, G. Molyneaux<br />
Jan. 9, Mackenzie, Miss J.<br />
<br />
Jan. 10, Daniell, Mrs. E. H. .<br />
<br />
Jan. 12, Avery, "Harold ;<br />
<br />
Jan. 12, Douglas, Mrs. F. A.<br />
<br />
Jan. 15, Pullein, Miss Catherine<br />
Jan. 15, Thomas, Mrs. Fanny<br />
Jan. 16, James, Mrs. Romane<br />
Jan. 19, P. H. and M. K. ; ;<br />
<br />
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Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Feb.<br />
Feb.<br />
Feb.<br />
Feb.<br />
Feb.<br />
<br />
Feb.<br />
Feb.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
Mar.<br />
<br />
THB AUTHOR,<br />
<br />
19, Greenstreet, W. J. .<br />
19, Gibbs, F. Leonard A.<br />
23, Campbell, Mrs. L. A. R. .<br />
23, Cameron, Mrs. Charlotte,<br />
ERGS. . :<br />
28, Blunt, Reginald :<br />
24, Raphael, Mrs. Mary.<br />
25, Plouman, Miss Mary<br />
80, Gibson, Miss L. S. .<br />
5, Brooker, Lt.-Col. E. P.<br />
6, Buchrose, J. E. 4<br />
7, Smith, Herbert W.<br />
20, Eden Guy<br />
21, Mayne, Miss Ethel<br />
Four<br />
<br />
| Col<br />
<br />
21 KK<br />
<br />
25, Aspinall, Algernon I E.<br />
2 Dalziel, J: :<br />
<br />
2.8. 8.G. .<br />
<br />
5, Saies, Mrs. F. H<br />
<br />
5, Thorne, Mrs. Isabel .<br />
<br />
5, Haviland, Miss M. D.<br />
<br />
5, Todd, Miss Margaret, M.D.<br />
13, Cabourn, John .<br />
20, Fenwick Miss S. F. .<br />
<br />
26, Prendergast, Mrs. J. W.<br />
<br />
May 6, Ward, W. J. .<br />
<br />
May 7, Crosse, Gordon.<br />
<br />
May 8, Williamson, CoN: pad Mrs.<br />
CN. i<br />
<br />
May 21, Colebroke, Miss H. E.<br />
<br />
May 21, Munro, Neil.<br />
<br />
May 21, O'Higgins, Harvey<br />
<br />
May 25, Broadbent, D. R.<br />
<br />
HE May me<br />
<br />
being<br />
of mem<br />
was ele<br />
Jacobs, seconded by Mr.<br />
Hesketh Prichard was una<br />
This is his second year of<br />
of the former meeting were<br />
after which the elections were<br />
course, thirty-five mem<br />
being added to t<br />
total for the year 170.<br />
were accepted, bringing the<br />
to sixty-nine. .;<br />
<br />
The next ma<br />
was the solicitor’s repor<br />
<br />
—__—__+——>—_>+>—____——_<br />
<br />
COMMITTEE NOTES.<br />
<br />
SOSCp<br />
<br />
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<br />
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<br />
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<br />
eting of the Committee of<br />
<br />
Management was held at the offices of<br />
the Society on Monday, May 4.<br />
the first meeting after the general meeting<br />
<br />
office.<br />
<br />
Hs<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
ted, and, on the pro yosal of Mr.<br />
peers Ped Shaw, Mr.<br />
<br />
nimously re- -elected.<br />
The minutes<br />
then read and signed<br />
taken in due<br />
bers and associates<br />
he Society’s lists, making the<br />
Two resignations<br />
resignations up<br />
<br />
This<br />
<br />
bers the chairman for the current year<br />
<br />
W. W.<br />
<br />
tter dealt with by the committee<br />
t on the cases.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
go<br />
25<br />
<br />
In a question arising from the non-publica-<br />
tion of a work the solicitor reported that an<br />
order of the Court had been made by which<br />
the book had to be published by a certain<br />
date, subject to a penalty of £50 if publication<br />
did not ensue, the defendant undertaking to<br />
pay the costs of the action. In the case<br />
dealing with the title of Mr. Raleigh’s drama,<br />
“Sealed Orders,’’ the solicitor reported that<br />
further action had been taken, owing to the<br />
fact that managers of theatres in the country<br />
had used the title contrary to the order of the<br />
Court. The solicitor was pleased to report<br />
that in all cases where the title had been thus<br />
wrongfully used satisfaction had been obtained<br />
and the offending advertisements had been<br />
withdrawn. He also reported that, by the<br />
desire of the author, he had made full copies<br />
of the papers which had been sent over to the<br />
author’s American lawyer explaining that,<br />
without the express sanction of the com-<br />
mittee, the Society could not be responsible<br />
for the costs in the United States. There<br />
were two cases of non-payment, one on<br />
accounts delivered, and one for a sum due<br />
under a contract. In the first case the<br />
debt and costs had been paid, and, in the<br />
second, part of the sum had been paid and a<br />
proposal for settlement had been made. In<br />
four cases against magazine editors the follow-<br />
ing results had been obtained: In the first,<br />
judgment was obtained, but on execution<br />
<br />
being levied, the debenture holders had<br />
appointed a receiver. It was obvious that<br />
nothing further could be done. In the<br />
<br />
second case, the debt and costs had been paid,<br />
and in the remaining two cases proceedings<br />
were pending. It was probable that both<br />
would be settled, as other claims against the<br />
same magazine had recently been satisfied.<br />
In a case by a member against a film company<br />
for unauthorised use of a title, the solicitor was<br />
glad to report that, when the company’s<br />
attention had been drawn to the matter, the<br />
title was changed. ’<br />
<br />
In a case of alleged infringement of dramatic<br />
copyright, the solicitor reported that the<br />
evidence of an expert had been obtained, and<br />
after consideration of his report, the solicitor<br />
had come to the conclusion that it would not<br />
be possible to take action. The member had<br />
been informed of the result. The position of<br />
a publishing company against whom the<br />
Society has claims on behalf of some dozen<br />
members was fully reported by the solicitor<br />
who had investigated the matter, and it<br />
was hoped that the reconstitution of the com-<br />
pany would be carried through successfully.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
Where judgment had been signed on behalf<br />
of one of the members, it was decided, after<br />
consideration of all the details by the com-<br />
mittee, to throw the defendant into bank-<br />
ruptey if the claims were not properly met.<br />
There was a claim of one of the members<br />
against a cinematograph company for piracy<br />
and infringement of copyright. The company<br />
was a French company with offices in England.<br />
The solicitor reported that, as far as England<br />
was concerned, the matter had been finally<br />
settled, but it was decided that he should<br />
send in his full report, in order that the papers<br />
might be forwarded to Paris to be dealt with<br />
by the Society’s French lawyer. There were<br />
two small cases for the collection of dramatic<br />
fees, and in both the solicitor reported that<br />
writs had been issued. A difficult case of<br />
alleged misrepresentation by a music publisher<br />
came before the committee, and here also, so<br />
far as England was concerned, the matter<br />
had been settled. As the main difficulty<br />
arose in Germany, it was decided that the<br />
solicitor should make a full report to the<br />
secretary in order that the matter might be<br />
placed in the hands of the German lawyer of<br />
the Society. Finally, in a case of dispute<br />
between author and agent, after mature con-<br />
sideration, it was decided that the author’s<br />
contention could not be upheld, and that the<br />
matter must be left in the hands of the solicitors<br />
to make the best settlement they could on<br />
behalf of the author.<br />
<br />
The secretary then placed before the<br />
committee questions which had arisen during<br />
the past month. There were four cases in which<br />
the chairman having given authority for<br />
immediate action asked for confirmation<br />
from the committee of that authority. The<br />
first dealt with the collection of dramatic<br />
fees in England, the second with a dispute<br />
in the United States in respect of cinema<br />
fees, the third was a claim against a<br />
United States magazine for money due on a<br />
published article, and the fourth a question of<br />
documents alleged, by one of the members of<br />
the Society, to have been stolen. The chair-<br />
man’s sanction was confirmed. In a case of<br />
dispute between one of the members of the<br />
Society and the society with whom his con-<br />
tract had been made, the committee, after<br />
reading the letters from both sides, taking into<br />
consideration the fact that the conflict of verbal<br />
evidence would make it almost impossible<br />
for the member to substantiate his contention<br />
in Court, decided with regret to take no action<br />
on his behalf. There was a case of dispute<br />
between one of the members and a publisher<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
as to the terms of a contract. The matter<br />
was referred to the committee for arbitration.<br />
The committee decided, with the sanction of<br />
the author, to leave the legal question involved<br />
to the decision of the Society’s lawyers. In a<br />
case of disputed accounts which had already<br />
been investigated by the Society’s accountants<br />
it was decided that no further action should<br />
be taken, as the committee felt that they could<br />
not go behind the accountants’ report. In a<br />
case of infringement of dramatic copyright in<br />
Canada they regretted they could not take the<br />
matter further, while it was decided to place<br />
an infringement by an Australian paper in<br />
the hands of the Society’s Australian lawyers<br />
as soon as the member had established a title<br />
to take action.<br />
<br />
The secretary read letters that one of the<br />
members desired referred to the committee,<br />
dealing with some negotiations between him-<br />
self and one of the religious publishing houses.<br />
It was decided to thank the member for the<br />
action he had taken, and, if possible, to get<br />
into communication with the publishing house<br />
mentioned. One of the members of the<br />
Society had referred to the committee an offer<br />
he had received from a magazine for the pur-<br />
chase of work submitted, and it appeared to<br />
the committee that the matter should be<br />
mentioned in The Author with the name of<br />
the magazine. A somewhat similar case,<br />
where the issues were not quite so clear, the<br />
committee left to the discretion of the secretary<br />
to act as he thought best. — 2<br />
<br />
A question arose as to a contribution pro-<br />
mised by the Society to the Authors’ League<br />
of America, and the secretary was authorised<br />
to forward the sum due.<br />
<br />
The sub-committees of the Society were<br />
formally re-elected, the only change being the<br />
election of Mr. Charles Klein on the Dramatic<br />
Sub-Committee in the place of Mr. James T.<br />
Tanner, resigned.<br />
<br />
The motion passed at the General Mecting<br />
of the Society, on the subject of the Libraries<br />
Censorship was referred to the committee, and<br />
the committee felt that they were bound to<br />
carry through, to the best of their ability,<br />
the request made at the gene ral meeting.<br />
Accordingly, the secretary and chairman a<br />
instructed to get into touch once again with<br />
the publishers, the libraries and the _book-<br />
sellers, and Mrs. Belloc Lowdnes, Mr. Charles<br />
Garvice, Mr. Bernard Shaw and the chairman<br />
of the committee were elected delegates to<br />
represent the Society at a round-table con-<br />
ference.<br />
<br />
Dealing with the question of International<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. ify<br />
<br />
Copyright, the secretary drew the attention<br />
of the committee once again to the fact that<br />
when France made a treaty with Russia the<br />
attention of the Foreign Office was called to<br />
the fact by the committee, and it was suggested<br />
that England should take the opportunity<br />
of obtaining a similar treaty. A polite letter<br />
had been received in reply ; when subsequently<br />
Germany made a similar treaty with Russia<br />
the attention of the Foreign Office was again<br />
called to the position, and, again, a polite<br />
reply was received. The secretary now<br />
suggested that as the matter was of vital<br />
importance to all members whose literary<br />
and dramatic works were being translated<br />
and pirated in Russia, another attempt<br />
should be made to obtain a treaty with<br />
Russia. The committee decided to leave<br />
it with the chairman and the secretary to<br />
arrange that a deputation should wait on the<br />
responsible parties in the Government, with a<br />
view to pressing forward the settlement of a<br />
treaty with Russia at-the earliest opportunity.<br />
The ‘secretary put before the committee a<br />
letter he had received from the India Office in<br />
regard to the passing of the Indian Copyright<br />
Act, and stated that he hoped to have the<br />
Act for insertion in The Author shortly. He<br />
then referred to the difficulties surrounding<br />
Canadian copyright, owing to the law of 1842<br />
still running in Canada, as the Canadian<br />
Government had not passed any new legisla-<br />
tion adopting the Act of 1911. It was decided<br />
in this matter, also, to see if it would not be<br />
possible, by representation to the Colonial<br />
Office, to remove some of the difficulties from<br />
the present position, and the committee<br />
determined, should it prove politic, that a<br />
deputation should attend the Colonial Office<br />
also.<br />
. Questions regarding the salaries of the clerks<br />
of the office and an articled clerk to serve under<br />
the secretary of the Society were considered<br />
and settled, and two or three minor matters<br />
of no general interest.<br />
et<br />
Dramatic SUB-COMMITTEE.<br />
I.<br />
<br />
ig of the Dramatie Sub-<br />
Committee was held on Friday, May 1, at the<br />
offices of the Society, to meet the Society’s<br />
American agent, Mr. W alter Jordan, who had<br />
come over to England. The main subject for<br />
discussion was the question of cinematograph<br />
<br />
ights and prices. :<br />
oie Jordan pointed out that ten or twelve<br />
<br />
A speEcIAL mecetil<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
‘238<br />
<br />
of the theatres in New York had gone over<br />
entirely to the production of picture plays,<br />
that the demand for good plays and good<br />
films was greatly on the increase, and that<br />
much higher fees could be obtained now than<br />
formerly. Mr. Jordan stated that he would<br />
forward to the Society of Authors, for the use<br />
of the secretary, a copy of the contract he had<br />
been making for the use of authors and<br />
dramatists.<br />
<br />
The legal questions respecting authors’<br />
rights, which had been assigned before moving<br />
pictures were known, were also discussed, also<br />
questions of piracy and the legal decisions<br />
which had been given bearing on these points.<br />
<br />
The sub-committee thanked Mr. Jordan for<br />
his attendance, and for the information<br />
which had been given, which would be of<br />
undoubted assistance to them and to the<br />
secretary when dealing with these increasingly<br />
important questions.<br />
<br />
Il.<br />
<br />
Tue May meeting of the Dramatic Sub-<br />
Committee was held at the offices of the Society<br />
on Friday, May 15. After the minutes of the<br />
previous meeting had been read and signed,<br />
the first business dealt with by the committee<br />
referred to a dramatic agency agreement that<br />
had been sent for the consideration of the<br />
committee by one of the members of the<br />
Society. The agent was present at the meet-<br />
ing. It was clearly pointed out to him that<br />
the Society could not possibly advise any<br />
member to sign any agreement on the lines of<br />
the one put forward. After a considerable<br />
amount of questioning and discussion, the<br />
agent expressed himself willing to accept any<br />
reasonable agreement submitted by the Drama-<br />
tic Sub-Committee for the use of members of<br />
the Society of Authors. After the agent had<br />
retired, the sub-committee discussed at some<br />
length the position of agents in regard to the<br />
Society, and the secretary was instructed to<br />
draft an agency agreement for use in these<br />
particular cases, to be placed before the sub-<br />
committee at their next meeting.<br />
<br />
The next question dealt with cinematograph<br />
business.<br />
<br />
Mr. Carton reported that the meeting of the<br />
Joint Board, which had been held on the 14th<br />
had been unsatisfactory, owing to the small<br />
attendance, but that some important points<br />
had been discussed, and it had been decided<br />
to call a meeting for June 12. The question of<br />
cinema business, however, appeared to the<br />
chairman to be of such importance that he<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
proposed to the sub-committee that the Com-<br />
mittee of Management should be asked to<br />
consider the appointment of a sub-committee<br />
to deal only with cinematograph matters.<br />
The industry was, at present, in its infancy,<br />
and it was impossible, therefore, to come to any<br />
definite conclusion at the present time on the<br />
many important points involved; that cine-<br />
matograph representations were not simply<br />
matters concerning the dramatist, but also the<br />
novelist, and writers on educational subjects<br />
and on natural history—in fact, were so wide<br />
that it appeared essential to have a separate<br />
sub-committee to deal with the issues. Mr.<br />
Shaw was appointed delegate of the sub-com-<br />
mittee to attend and discuss the matter with<br />
the Committee of Management. ‘The secretary<br />
also brought to the notice of the sub-committee<br />
the question of cinema contracts and bad debts<br />
so far as they affected the author. The<br />
secretary pointed out that publishers paid<br />
royalties on all books sold and were responsible<br />
for all bad debts. It was most important that<br />
the same position should be adopted in regard<br />
to authors’ contracts with cinema manufac-<br />
turers.<br />
<br />
The sub-committee then considered certain<br />
cases. The first was a case of non-payment of<br />
fees by an American producer, and the sub-<br />
committee recommended the Committee of<br />
Management to do what was possible in the<br />
matter. The next case, the secretary reported,<br />
was also a case of non-payment of fees by an<br />
American manager. Immediate action had<br />
been taken and the papers sent to the Society’s<br />
lawyers in America.<br />
<br />
The Dramatic Sub-Committee<br />
this action.<br />
<br />
The third case, which was one of alleged<br />
copyright infringement, the secretary was glad<br />
to report had been settled.<br />
<br />
The fourth case also referred to the non-<br />
payment of fees by an American manager.<br />
The sub-committee recommended action to be<br />
taken in this case should an answer, which the<br />
author was awaiting from America, prove<br />
unsatisfactory.<br />
<br />
confirmed<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
Firm Ricuts Jomst Boarp.<br />
<br />
Tue first meeting of the Joint Board to<br />
deal with Film Rights was held at the<br />
offices of the Society on Thursday, May 14,<br />
at three o’clock in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
Regret was expressed by those present that<br />
the attendance was so small, owing to the fact<br />
that many of the delegates had important<br />
engagements elsewhere.<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914]<br />
<br />
In these circumstances, it was decided that<br />
it would be inadvisable to pass any important<br />
measures, but it was determined to call another<br />
meeting for Friday, June 12, at three o’clock<br />
at the same place.<br />
<br />
The agenda before the meeting will include<br />
the rules for guidance of the committee, such<br />
as financial questions, the number to form a<br />
quorum, and other details. Beyond these<br />
there will be joint action in regard to piracy,<br />
and a proposal put forward by Mr. Browne, of<br />
the Kinematograph Manufacturers’ Associa-<br />
tion, that a sub-committee for purposes of<br />
arbitration should be appointed.<br />
<br />
3<br />
<br />
Dunrine the past nivnth the secretary has<br />
dealt with nineteen cases, of which seven have<br />
been satisfactorily settled. The record runs<br />
as follows :—<br />
<br />
There were six claims for the return of MSS.,<br />
one has been settled, two have only recently<br />
come to the office, one has had to be abandoned,<br />
and in settling the remaining two it is possible<br />
that the Society will be unsuccessful, as they<br />
date back a considerable time. It is therefore<br />
difficult to obtain the necessary evidence.<br />
<br />
There were five claims for money. Three<br />
have been settled and the money has been<br />
paid; one in South Africa will necessarily<br />
take some time, and the remaining case has<br />
only recently come to the office.<br />
<br />
Two applications for accounts have been<br />
acknowledged, and the accounts have been<br />
forwarded to the authors.<br />
<br />
There were three disputes on contracts ;<br />
one has been settled, one has only recently<br />
come to the office, and one has had to be trans-<br />
ferred to the Society’s solicitors in the U.S.A.<br />
<br />
One infringement of copyright will take<br />
some time, as that is also in the U.S.A.<br />
<br />
There have been two claims for accounts<br />
and money; one has been settled and the<br />
other is still in the course of negotiation.<br />
<br />
The cases still open from the former month<br />
are all outside England, and consequently<br />
cannot be settled quickly; one is a case of<br />
infringement of copyright in the U.S.A., one a<br />
case of dispute on contract in the U.S.A., one a<br />
case of accounts in South Africa, and the last a<br />
question of royalties due in France.<br />
<br />
The record varies little from month to month,<br />
but during the last two or three months a much<br />
larger number of cases have come forward in<br />
foreign countries. These are naturally some-<br />
times very difficult to deal with.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
239<br />
<br />
May Elections.<br />
<br />
Douglas Anstruther<br />
<br />
Major J. B. Arbuthnot,<br />
M.V.O.<br />
<br />
Percy J. Barrow .<br />
<br />
M. V. Barty<br />
S. Bristowe.<br />
Evelyn Hope<br />
<br />
bell<br />
Sir Valentine Chirol<br />
<br />
Camp-<br />
<br />
Miss H. Emma Cole-<br />
brooke<br />
Richard St.<br />
Colthurst<br />
Denis Cox . ‘<br />
(* D. H. Dennis.” )<br />
<br />
Gordon Crosse<br />
<br />
John J.<br />
<br />
Madame Blaze de Bury<br />
(FE. Dickberry ).<br />
Henry Deutsch, Ph.D. .<br />
Alan Drew .<br />
<br />
Aleck T. Ellis<br />
<br />
Wilfrid H. G. Ewart<br />
<br />
Miss M. Z. Hadwen<br />
(‘‘ Margaret Hope’’).<br />
<br />
-H. W. Hicks<br />
<br />
The Rev. Russell H.<br />
<br />
Jeffrey<br />
Capt. E. G. D. Lardner<br />
¥F. Gerald Miller ;<br />
<br />
Mrs. Muriel Minnitt :<br />
<br />
Mrs. Richardson .<br />
Reginald Rogers<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Cavendish Club;<br />
Piccadily, W.<br />
<br />
Derry House, Ross-<br />
earbery, Co. Cork,<br />
Ireland.<br />
<br />
5, Kingdon Road,<br />
West Hampstead,<br />
N.W.<br />
<br />
Glenacros, Dun-<br />
blane, Scotland.<br />
122, Sutherland<br />
Avenue, Maida<br />
<br />
Vale, W.<br />
<br />
Templeton, Hunger-<br />
ford, Berks. ;<br />
<br />
34, Carlyle Square,<br />
Chelsea, S.W.<br />
<br />
85, Bruton Street,<br />
London, W.<br />
<br />
Blainey Castle, Co.<br />
Cork, Ireland.<br />
<br />
Weir Cottage, Har-<br />
low, Bucks.<br />
<br />
64, Lauderdale<br />
Mansions, Maida<br />
Vale, W.<br />
<br />
37, Rue<br />
Paris.<br />
<br />
60, Venner Road,<br />
Sydenham, S.E.<br />
<br />
Lower House, Burn-<br />
ley.<br />
<br />
512, Fulham Palace<br />
Road, S.W.<br />
<br />
8 West Eaton Place,<br />
London, S.W.<br />
<br />
20, St. Leonard’s<br />
Terrace, Chelsea,<br />
S.W.<br />
<br />
c/o Thomas Cook<br />
- & Son, London.<br />
<br />
Muckley Cross,<br />
Bridgnorth.<br />
<br />
The Army and Navy<br />
Club, Pall Mall,<br />
S.W.<br />
<br />
Studio Street, New-<br />
lyn, Penzance.<br />
<br />
Redmarley, Long-<br />
field Road, Ealing,<br />
W.<br />
<br />
22, Egerton Gardens,<br />
S.W.<br />
<br />
9, Upper Woburn<br />
Place, Tavistock<br />
<br />
Vaneau,<br />
<br />
Square, W.C.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
240<br />
<br />
The Rey. Ewart Rust . Hamsteels Vicarage,<br />
<br />
Durham.<br />
<br />
-é L. Simon . 24, Mark Lane,<br />
a London, E.C.<br />
The Rev. W. H. K. 6, Albany Road,<br />
Soames, M.A. Bexhill.<br />
Walter Stephens . 6, York Street,<br />
London, S.W.<br />
Gladys Unger . , 18, Pack. Village<br />
West, | Regent’s<br />
Park, N.W.<br />
William James Ward . 86, Westbourne<br />
Road, Penarth,<br />
Glam.<br />
Adéle Warren. . 47, Cornwall Gar-<br />
<br />
dens, S.W.<br />
1, Pemberley Cres-<br />
cent, Bedford.<br />
<br />
F. W. Westaway . :<br />
<br />
F, Weston : . H. M. Dockyard,<br />
Hong Kong.<br />
<br />
Thomas Whittaker . 13, Sharples Hall<br />
Street, Regent’s<br />
<br />
Park Road, N.W.<br />
<br />
————__+—>—_+___—__<br />
<br />
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MEMBERS.<br />
<br />
——— 1 —<br />
<br />
While every effort is made by the compilers to keep<br />
this list as accurate and exhaustive as possible, they have<br />
some difficulty in attaining this object owing to the fact<br />
that many of the books mentioned are not sent to the office<br />
by the members. In consequence, it is necessary to rely<br />
largely upon lists of books which appear in literary and<br />
other papers. It is hoped, however; that members will<br />
co-operate in the compiling of this list, and, by sending<br />
particulars of their works, help to make it substantially<br />
accurate,<br />
<br />
ANTHROPOLOGY.<br />
<br />
THE CHILDHOOD OF THE WoRLD. A Simple Account of<br />
Man’s Origin and Early History. By Epwarp Oropp.<br />
(New Edition, rewritten and enlarged.) 74 x 5. 240<br />
pp. New York. The Macmillan Co. 4s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
ARCHITECTURE.<br />
<br />
MonvMentAL CLAsstc ARCHITECTURE IN GREAT BRITAIN<br />
AND IRELAND During THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINE-<br />
eTEENTH CENTURIES. By A. E. Ricnarpson. 15} x<br />
ll}. 124 pp. Batsford. £4 4s. n, :<br />
<br />
BIOGRAPHY.<br />
Tue Story or Dorotuy JorDAN.<br />
<br />
9 x 53. 429 pp. Nash. 15s. n.<br />
RoMANcEs OF THE Pemrace. -By THorNTON Hatt, F.S.A.<br />
<br />
By Cuare JERROLD.<br />
<br />
9x 53. 352 pp. HoldenandHardingham. 12s. 6d. n.<br />
My Variep Lire. By F.C. Puiirs. 9 x 53. 319 pp-<br />
Eveleigh Nash. 10s. 6d. n. 5<br />
<br />
Lirze or WattrerR Bacenor.<br />
<br />
By Mrs. Russert B :<br />
TON. 9} x 58. y 8 ARRING<br />
<br />
486 pp. Longmans. 12s. 6d. n.<br />
DRAMA. ,<br />
<br />
Damacep Goops. A Play by Briuux. Translated b<br />
J. Pottock. With a Preface by Bernarp Saw ants<br />
<br />
Foreword by Mrs. Brr» : a<br />
Wiflelds. Je. a, RNARD SHAW. it Xx 5}. 244 pp-<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
Dusk. By R. Vansirrart. 7 x 4}. 43 pp. Hum-<br />
phreys. Is. n.<br />
Pures Wire. A Play by F. G. Layton. 7 x 5.<br />
<br />
64 pp. Fifield. Is. n.<br />
PLAYWRIGHTING FOR THE CINEMA.<br />
<br />
Dealing with the<br />
Writing and Marketing of Scenarios.<br />
<br />
By E. A. Dencu.<br />
<br />
Tt x 43. 96 pp. Black. 1s. n.<br />
ECONOMICS.<br />
<br />
Tur Nation’s WEALTH. Witt it Expure? By L. G.<br />
CutozzA Money. 632 x 44. 264 pp. (The Nation’s<br />
Library.) Collins. 1s. n.<br />
<br />
FICTION.<br />
<br />
THe Woman’s Way. By C. Garvice. 7} x 5. 315 pp.<br />
Hodder and Stoughton. _ 6s.<br />
<br />
Tue Pricetess THrnc. By Mavup Srepney Rawson.<br />
723 x 5. 352 pp. Stanley Paul. 6s.<br />
<br />
Tures AGAINST THE WorLp. By Suema Kaye-Smiru.<br />
<br />
73 x 5. 304 pp. Chapman and Hall. 6s.<br />
Tue Lost Tripes. By G. A. BirmMINcHAM. 7} x 5.<br />
331 pp. Smith, Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
A GARDEN OF THEGODs. By Epira M.Keate. 7} x 43.<br />
339 pp. Alston Rivers. 6s.<br />
<br />
THe Sent Cartan. By<br />
304 pp. Stanley Paul. 6s.<br />
<br />
Pink Puriry. By Gertie De 8. Wentwortu-J AMES.<br />
<br />
at<br />
<br />
May Wynne. 74 xX 43.<br />
<br />
(Popular Edition.) 7} x 5. 375 pp. Werner Laurie.<br />
ls. n.<br />
<br />
Quinney’s. By H. A. VacHELL. 7$ X 5. 336 pp.<br />
Murray. 6s.<br />
<br />
BrepEsMAN 4. By Mary J. H. Sxringe. 63 x 43. 198<br />
pp. Duckworth. 2s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
DeEsMonpD O'Connor. By Grorce H. Jessop. 73 x 4.<br />
320 pp. John Long.<br />
<br />
Tur Crowninc Gitory. By E. R. Punsnon. 7} x 5.<br />
301 pp. Hodder and Stoughton. 6s.<br />
<br />
Eve AND THE Minister. By M. H. Saw. 7} x 43.<br />
<br />
248 pp. Murray and Evenden. 6s.<br />
<br />
Tue Betovep Premipr. By H. MaAxweELt.<br />
319 pp. John Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
THe Works OF MsarTEN MAARTENS:<br />
Gtory. 470 pp. An Oxp Matn’s Lovs. 449 pp.<br />
Her Memory. 281 pp. My Lapy Nopopy. 535 pp.<br />
Gov’s Foon. 442 pp. Tse Sry or Joost AVELINGH.<br />
<br />
72 x 5.<br />
<br />
Tor GREATER<br />
<br />
316 pp. 7% x 5. Constable. 3s. 6d. each.<br />
<br />
Resecca oF SunNyBRooK Farm. By Kate Doucias<br />
Wiaain. (Twentieth Edition.) 7} x 5. 347pp. Gay<br />
and Hancock. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
Aut Sorts. By Dorr Wytiarpe. 140 pp. THESECRET<br />
or CHAUVILLE. 140 pp. (Cheap Reprints.) 8} x 5}.<br />
Stanley Paul. 6d. each.<br />
<br />
Tue Wortp Set FRrEx.<br />
<br />
A Story of Mankind. By H. G.<br />
Weis. 7} x 5.<br />
<br />
zx 286 pp. Macmillan. 6s.<br />
<br />
Private Arrairs. By Caartes McEvoy.<br />
320 pp. Everett. 6s.<br />
<br />
BREADANDBUTTERFLIES. By Dion Chayton CALTHROP.<br />
7% x 5. 343 pp. Millsand Boon. 6s.<br />
<br />
THe Istanp. By Exeanor Morpaunt.<br />
pp. Heinemann. 6s.<br />
<br />
Tun Monny Hunt. A Comedy of Country Houses. By<br />
Kryeton Parkes. 74 x 4%. 318 pp. Holden and<br />
Hardingham. 6s.<br />
<br />
Tir Haven or DESIRE.<br />
<br />
1d xX 4.<br />
<br />
72 x 5. 296<br />
<br />
By Caprain Frank H. SHAw.<br />
<br />
74 x 4%. 322 pp. Cassell. 6s.<br />
Tue Curse or Croup. By J. B. Harrtis-BurLanD. 7}<br />
<x 43. 342 pp. Chapman and Hall. 6s.<br />
<br />
A Strance Sotution. By Wrnirrep GRAHAM. 252 pp.<br />
Tue Furnace or Youtn. By J. 8. Fuercuer. 252 pp.<br />
Mysrrry Srorres. Told in Brief. (Cheap Reprints.)<br />
63 x 43. Pearson. Is. n. each.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
% Jo royne oy} SI uoysuueg [possnyy “SATA<br />
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242<br />
<br />
“Life of Walter Bagehot,” written as @<br />
precursor to a complete edition of Bagehot’s<br />
work which is to be published in the autumn<br />
of this year. Mrs. Barrington, who Is the<br />
sister-in-law of her subject, tries to present a<br />
picture of Bagehot the man, as traceable in his<br />
own and his friends’ letters and in the memortes<br />
of those still alive who were his closest inti-<br />
mates. The material used ranges from family<br />
correspondence in Bagehot’s carly boyhood to<br />
the tributes of his contemporaries on his death<br />
at the age of fifty-one (Longmans, Green & Co.).<br />
<br />
Mr. W. L. George’s ‘“‘ Woman and To-<br />
morrow,” will be published in America by the<br />
firm of Appleton.<br />
<br />
Archdeacon Hutton writes the latest addi-<br />
tion to Macmillan’s Highways and Byways<br />
Series, ‘‘ Shakespeare’s Country,” to which Mr.<br />
E. H. New furnishes the illustrations.<br />
<br />
Mr. Philip W. Sergeant’s next book will be<br />
published by Messrs. Stanley Paul & Co., the<br />
subject being the Princess Mathilde Bonaparte,<br />
the niece of the great Napoleon, and the link<br />
(it might almost be said) between him and the<br />
present day, since it is only ten ycars ago that<br />
she died.<br />
<br />
In “ The Utilisation of Solar Energy,” Mr.<br />
A.S.E. Ackermann, B.Sc., describes the expe1i-<br />
ments in this direction, costing about £30,000,<br />
with which he has been associated during the<br />
past four years, including those in the Shuman-<br />
Boys Sun Power Plant at Cairo. A method<br />
for estimating the value for power purposes of<br />
steam is a feature of the work; and there is<br />
also a full description of the Shuman high and<br />
low pressure engines. The publishers are the<br />
Society of Engineers, 17, Victoria Street, S.W.,<br />
and the price of the book is 2s. 3d., post free.<br />
<br />
Mr. Max Rittenberg has a book called ‘‘ Gold<br />
and Thorns,” for the spring of 1915. It deals<br />
with the sensational adventures of a cosmo-<br />
politan “‘ gentleman of fortune.’ Ward Lock<br />
& Co. will publish in England.<br />
<br />
Mr. Selwyn Brinton has just visited Venice<br />
to report for the Studio and the Graphic at the<br />
Eleventh International Art Exhibition of<br />
Venice, which was opened on April 24th. The<br />
exhibition this year is of special interest to<br />
English art, as, besides the excellent show in<br />
the British Pavilion, a whole room in the<br />
Central Palace is dedicated to the work of Mr.<br />
Frank Brangwyn.<br />
<br />
A German translation of Mr. C. E. Goulds-<br />
bury’s latest book, ‘‘ Tiger Land,” is to be<br />
published and issued shortly by Mr. Robert<br />
a of Stuttgart, in his Memoirenbibliothek<br />
series.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Frederika Macdonald, D.Litt., is the<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
(JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
writer of the article upon Jean Jacques Rous-<br />
seau in the fifth volume of the “* Cyclopedia of<br />
Education,” published by Columbia University,<br />
New York.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Alec Tweedie’s ‘‘ Mexico as I Saw It ”<br />
is being translated for publication in Germany.<br />
<br />
‘“‘ Pagan,” is the name of a book of verse by<br />
Mrs. Amy Skovgaard-Pedersen (A. C. Fifield,<br />
1s. 6d. net).<br />
<br />
We have received from Messrs. William<br />
Collins & Sons copies of five books in their new<br />
Nation’s Library, published at 1s. net :—“t The<br />
Nation’s Wealth,” by Mr. L. Chiozza Money ;<br />
“The Relations of Capital and Labour,” by<br />
Mr. W. T. Layton ; ‘‘ The State and the Poor,”<br />
by Mr. Geoffrey Drage; ‘‘ The Future of<br />
Egypt,” by Mr. W. B. Worsfold; and “ The<br />
Star World,” by Mr. A. C. de la Crommelin.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Dawson Scott’s' novel, “‘ The Caddis<br />
Worm,” is being published immediately by<br />
Messrs. Hurst and Blackett.<br />
<br />
Miss Sheila Kaye-Smith’s novel, “ Three<br />
Against the World,” which Messrs. Chapman<br />
and Hall published in April, is to be produced<br />
in the United States by Messrs. Lippincott.<br />
<br />
A two-shilling edition is announced of Rita’s<br />
story of Bath, “A Grey Life,” of which the<br />
publishers are Messrs. Stanley Paul. The<br />
same firm is adding to its sixpenny Clear Type<br />
series Mr. Keble Howard’s ‘‘ The Cheerful<br />
Knave,” and Mr. Charles E. Pearce’s “ The<br />
Snake Girl.”<br />
<br />
‘“ Megan of the Dark Isle,”’ is the title of Mrs.<br />
J. O. Arnold’s new novel (Alston Rivers).<br />
<br />
Mr. Georg? H. Jesscp’s historical novel<br />
‘‘Desmond O’Connor ”’ has been issued by<br />
John Long, Ltd.<br />
<br />
Miss May Crommelin, who has lately returned<br />
from India, is engaged on a novel to be pub-<br />
lished in September by Messrs. Hurst and<br />
Blackett. The scene of this is mostly laid in<br />
Kashmir, and the book will describe the life in<br />
houseboats of English visitors to the country,<br />
with its comic incidents and opportunities for<br />
flirtation and courtship. Miss Crommelin’s<br />
previous book, “The Golden Bow,” is now<br />
being issued in a cheap edition by Messrs.<br />
Holden and Hardingham.<br />
<br />
Mr. James Baker’s ‘‘ By the Western Sea,”<br />
has been added to the popular edition of his<br />
novels (Chaprnan and Hall, 2s.).<br />
<br />
‘“¢ World’s-End,” by Amelie Rives (Princess<br />
Troubetskoy), has been produced in the United<br />
States by the Frederick A. Stokes Co.<br />
<br />
Mr. F. R. M. Fursdon’s novel, ‘‘ The Story of<br />
Amanda,” deals with the rise of a girl from the<br />
slums to be wife to a leading English politician<br />
(Simpkin, Marshall & Co.).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.)<br />
<br />
H.M. the Queen has accepted a copy of<br />
** Where Pharaoh Dreams,’ by Mrs. Irene<br />
Osgood, with a foreword by Mr. Stephen<br />
Phillips and illustrations by Mr. W. Gordon<br />
Mein.<br />
<br />
*“* How to Breathe, Speak, and Sing ”’ is the<br />
name of a book by Mr. Robert Stephenson,<br />
upholding the old Italian method of respiration<br />
and dealing with all aspects, including the<br />
therapeutic and hygienic, of voice-production<br />
(Jarrold, 2s. cloth; 1s. 6d. paper covers).<br />
<br />
DRAMATIC.<br />
<br />
At the Little Theatre on April 24th, Mr. R.<br />
Vansittart’s one-act fantasy, ‘ Dusk,’ was pro-<br />
duced for the first time.<br />
<br />
On May 3rd, ‘“‘ The Patience of the Sea,” a<br />
new play by Mr. Norreys Connell, was produced<br />
by the Pioneer Pleyers at the Ambassador’s<br />
Theatre.<br />
<br />
On May ‘th, Mr. H. V. Esmond returned to<br />
the London stage at the Vaudeville Theatre,<br />
appearing in his own play ‘“‘ The Dangerous<br />
Age” (originally ‘“‘ The Dear Fool”), with<br />
which he has been touring Canada and the<br />
United States.<br />
<br />
On May 5th Mr. Israel Zangwill’s play “ The<br />
Melting Pot ’ was played for the hundredth<br />
time at the Comedy Theatre. On May 28rd,<br />
after its 120th performance, it was replaced by<br />
Mr. Zangwill’s new play “ Plaster Saints.”<br />
<br />
In “ The Holy City,” played at some special<br />
matinees at the Comedy Theatre in the first half<br />
of May and subsequently at the Haymarket,<br />
Mr. Sydney Valentine filled the part of Judas.<br />
<br />
Mr. Roy Horniman is the adapter from the<br />
German of “ The Blue Mouse,” presented at<br />
the Criterion Theatre on May 12th.<br />
<br />
Mr. John Galsworthy’s ‘‘ Justice ’’ was seen<br />
at the Coronet Theatre during the week com-<br />
mencing May 18th.<br />
<br />
Mr. Jerome K. Jerome’s comedy “ The<br />
Great Gamble” was produced at the Hay-<br />
market Theatre on May 21st.<br />
<br />
The French rights of Mr. W. Somerset<br />
Maugham’s play “The Land of Promise ~<br />
have been secured by Mme. Bady for produc-<br />
tion in Paris next autumn. ee<br />
<br />
At a special matinee of West End Produc-<br />
tions, Ltd., at the London Pavilion on May 6,<br />
one of the plays was Mrs. E. P. Medley’s ‘Sold!<br />
At Store Prices.”<br />
<br />
MUSICAL.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Agnes Mary Astle’s song “ Morning<br />
tide ” was sung by Miss Gertrude Macaulay at<br />
Basingstoke on Sunday, April 26. The same<br />
composer has recently published — Nell’s<br />
Doll”. “The Doctor”; and “Light of<br />
<br />
?<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
243<br />
<br />
pies One ad Morning ”’—the words of all<br />
ree songs being by Mrs. A. M. All Stai<br />
and Bell, 1s. 6d. net). Pee<br />
<br />
Sg a gg<br />
<br />
PARIS NOTES.<br />
— +<br />
: E MONARQUE ” is the title of Pierre<br />
§ 4 Miulle’s new book, and all friends of<br />
Barnavaux will be delighted to make<br />
the acquaintance of Juste Claude Bonnafoux<br />
a native of a little provincial town of Southern<br />
France. Born with the imagination and the<br />
optimism of a true Meridional, Bonnafoux<br />
ought certainly to have known Tartarin. His<br />
fellow-townsmen surnamed him ‘ The Mon-<br />
arch” for the simple reason that, possessing<br />
nothing of his own, he had no eares and no<br />
responsibilities such as men have who must<br />
earn their living. He was kept, more or less,<br />
by the community, as he was considered an<br />
ornament to society. He visited one family<br />
during the shooting season, another during the<br />
vintage ; he was invited to all the marriages and<br />
baptisms. He had always plenty of time, and<br />
was always in a cheerful frame of mind. There-<br />
fore, as he said himself, he lived like a king,<br />
accepting everything from the world at large<br />
and giving himself in return. The stories of<br />
his various exploits are entertaining and, like<br />
Barnavaux, the ‘‘ Monarch ” is a philosopher,<br />
so that we learn many homely truths from his<br />
sayings and doings.<br />
<br />
‘“*Mes Origines, Memoires et Recits ” (Tra-<br />
duction du Proveneal), by Frédéric Mistral.<br />
This is a translation of the poet’s Moun<br />
Espelido. An edition is also published with<br />
the original text and the translation together.<br />
<br />
Among the new books are the following :—<br />
“ La Dormeuse éveillée ” is the title of Helene<br />
Vacaresco’s latest volume of poems.<br />
<br />
“A travers Shakespeare,” by Jean Riche-<br />
pin. This volume contains the lectures recently<br />
given at the University of Les Annales. _<br />
<br />
‘La Vie et la Mort de Paul Derouléde,” by<br />
Jérome et Jean Tharaud.<br />
<br />
“Le Commerce et l’Industrie de la Plume<br />
re,” by Edmond Lefevre, should be<br />
read by all interested in the subject of birds<br />
and feathers for millinery purposes. It con-<br />
tains 300 illustrations, and M. Lefevre is the<br />
President of the Committee of Ornithologie<br />
économique. He gives us a chapter on the<br />
different causes of destruction of the birds and<br />
another one on the situation of the feather<br />
trade in the various countries. _<br />
<br />
‘‘Napoléon et sa Famille,” by Frédéric<br />
Masson, is the eleventh volume of this work.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
pour paru<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
244<br />
<br />
The twelfth and last volume of the series is<br />
announced for publication next season.<br />
<br />
“Les Cathédrales de France,’ by Auguste<br />
Rodin, is the title of a volume by the famous<br />
sculptor. Some time ago _ Maurice Barrés<br />
published his book entitled ‘* La Grande Pitié<br />
des Eolises de France,’’ and now Rodin writes,<br />
as an artist and a thinker, on the cathedrals.<br />
The volume contains about a hundred illus-<br />
trations. oe<br />
<br />
“Les Pays d’Albanie et leur Histoire,’ by<br />
Frédéric Gibert. The author is a specialist in<br />
Oriental subjects. He gives a detailed account of<br />
the actual condition of the Albanian countries.<br />
<br />
“* Histoire de la Musique européenne ” (1850<br />
—1914), by Camille Mauclair, will be greatly<br />
appreciated by music lovers. About a quarter<br />
of the book is given up to the works of Wagner.<br />
The author then studies the music of the<br />
various European nations.<br />
<br />
“Les Universités Allemandes au XX°<br />
Siécle,”’ par Dr. René Cruchet, is an account<br />
of a visit to twenty German universities by a<br />
Professor of the Bordeaux University. Dr.<br />
Cruchet gives us various anecdotes and a<br />
résumé of his conversations with the German<br />
Professors. He also shows up the various<br />
differences between the French and German<br />
university.<br />
<br />
In the Revue hebdomadaire, M. Laudet is<br />
now publishing a series of articles by prominent<br />
persons on the subject of France as it was in<br />
their youth and at present. The first of these<br />
articles is by General Lebon, who was formerly<br />
Commander of the first corps darmée. The<br />
General goes back to his recollections of 1866.<br />
He is now in his seventieth year, and after<br />
twenty-six admirable pages devoted to his<br />
experiences and observations, his advice to the<br />
present generation is: ‘‘Soyez gais, mes<br />
Jeunes camarades, d’une saine et vigoureuse<br />
gaieté qui vous donne le ressort d’un Gallifet.””<br />
Another of these fine articles is by Charles<br />
Richet of the Institute. He tells us of the<br />
“* Physiology of former days and of to-day.”<br />
He points out that physiological chemistry has<br />
made great progress during the last thirty-five<br />
years. He tells us of the experiments of<br />
Pasteur (1857—1880). M. Richet says, in<br />
conclusion, that the “ future of humanity is<br />
in science only, and that the miseries of<br />
humanity can only be attenuated by means of<br />
the discovery of scientific truths.”” He declares<br />
that disease is our enemy, and that, in order to<br />
fight it, it must be known and then treated by<br />
science, In an eloquent appeal, he asks that<br />
the scientists who are devoting their lives to<br />
this end shall not be allowed to die of starva-<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
tion themselves. He declares that the dearth<br />
of physiologists is largely due to the fact that<br />
the State does so little for scientists. ‘“‘ Ignor-<br />
ance with regard to science was the great error<br />
of former times; it is the great error too, of<br />
modern times,’”’ concludes M. Charles Richet.<br />
<br />
One of the most interesting articles of the<br />
series is certainly the one written by Madame<br />
Mary Duclaux. She tells us of the literary Paris<br />
of 1885. She left the ‘‘ poetic and pre-Raphaelite<br />
England of her early life,’ and went to Paris.<br />
Among the people she first met were Mlle.<br />
Louise Read, at whose house she met Barbey<br />
d’Aurévilly and Mme. Ackermann. Two or<br />
three years later she married James Darmes-<br />
teter, and at the house of his brother, Arséne<br />
Darmesteter, she met Sully Prudhomme,<br />
Gaston Paris, and Mme. Dieulafoy and the<br />
Renans. (Arséne Darmesteter, the celebrated.<br />
philologist, had also married an Englishwoman.<br />
Her Salon pictures have won for her a place<br />
in the recent book on ‘Celebrated Woman<br />
Painters.”) After James Darmesteter’s death<br />
his widow married M. Duclaux, who was then.<br />
at the head of the Pasteur Institute. Paris is.<br />
now the second home of Madame Duclaux, and,<br />
in her clever article, she tells us her impressions.<br />
of the Paris of former days and of to-day. Her<br />
advice to the present generation, in conclusion,<br />
is that they should not only follow General<br />
Lebon’s advice and be “ gay,” but that they<br />
should be “sincere and true.” Madame<br />
Duclaux finds that the great danger of modern<br />
times is the hurry to see the immediate result<br />
of everything. She wonders whether a group<br />
of young workers could be found now such as<br />
the group which devoted itself to the founding<br />
of the Pasteur Institute. She wonders, too,<br />
whether the words renoncement, désintéresse-<br />
ment and recueillement are as well understood:<br />
now as in the nineteenth century ?<br />
<br />
M. Gavault has been appointed Director of<br />
the Odeon Theatre. He is himself a well--<br />
known dramatic author, whose plays have had.<br />
great success. At the Bouffes-Parisiens M.<br />
Arthur Meyer’s play, ‘“‘ Ce qu’il faut taire,”’ is-<br />
now on the bill. M. Meyer, as Director of the-<br />
Gaulois, is a well-known Parisian, and the first<br />
night of his play was a society event.<br />
<br />
Autys HA.uarp.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Le Monarque’’ (Calmann Levy).<br />
<br />
“Mes Origines, Memoires et Récits ” (Plon).<br />
<br />
“La Dormeuse éveillée ” (Plon).<br />
<br />
“ A travers Shakespeare ” (Fayard),<br />
<br />
‘““ Napoléon et sa Famille ’? (Ollendorff).<br />
<br />
“Les Cathédrales de France” (Colin).<br />
<br />
“Les Pays d’Albanie et leur Histoire” (Rosier). ”<br />
<br />
‘‘ Histoire de la Musique européenne ” (Fischbacher).<br />
“Les Universités Allemandes au X Xe Sitcle” (Colin)...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
=e a ®<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
AUSTRALIAN BOOK RIGHTS.<br />
<br />
—— +<br />
<br />
{Reprinted fromthe * Bulletin of the U.S.A.<br />
Authors’ League.’’)<br />
<br />
Wuo SHouLD Have THEM—THE AMERICAN OR<br />
THE BrITISH PUBLISHER ?<br />
<br />
MEMBER of the Authors’ League who<br />
has had several of his books published<br />
in London, some sold through his<br />
American publisher, who supplied “ sheets ”<br />
(unbound copies), and some through a separate<br />
contract with English publishers, in attempting<br />
to sell an English edition of a recent work,<br />
encountered considerable difficulty in disposing<br />
of his British rights unless the London firm was<br />
permitted to handle the Australian rights also.<br />
The author was informed by his agent, more-<br />
over, that there appeared to be a greater and<br />
greater disposition on the part of English pub-<br />
lishers to insist upon Australian rights, and it<br />
might be difficult, in the future, to dispose of<br />
the English rights alone.<br />
In view of this fact, the League has investi-<br />
: c 3 sie<br />
<br />
gated the Australian situation in the endeavour<br />
to obtain for authors information which might<br />
enable them to decide advantageously as to the<br />
disposition of any Australian editions. To this<br />
end, inquiries have been made of a number of<br />
New York publishers and literary agents, the<br />
results of which we quote in abridged form.<br />
<br />
The following description, supplied by a well-<br />
known New York publisher, of actual sales con-<br />
ditions in Australia, will enable one to under-<br />
stand the reason for many of the opinions after-<br />
wards cited. This firm says, in part :-—<br />
<br />
“Many American publishers have placed the sale of<br />
their books in the hands of an importing firm in Sydney,<br />
which has agencies in Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston,<br />
Adelaide, Brisbane, and in several places in New Zealand.<br />
To this firm we send, as early as possible, advance copies<br />
of the books likely to find a market in Australia, and. also<br />
review copies for a number of papers. We then receive<br />
by cable orders for such books as our agents find the<br />
Australian trade will take. These agents concern them-<br />
selves with nothing but the wholesale importation of books<br />
and the sale of them to booksellers. As they have no<br />
retail trade whatever, their interests and those of the book-<br />
sellers are identical, and there exist, we believe, very<br />
friendly relations between them and the booksellers.<br />
<br />
“« Opposed to such agents as ours and to the bulk of the<br />
book trade in Australia is a large importing house in<br />
Melbourne which also conducts a retail business. This<br />
house, we are informed, endeavours to secure the exclusive<br />
rights in Australia to books from English and American<br />
publishers. Maintaining, as the house in question does,<br />
a large retail establishment of its own (perhaps more than<br />
one), it has aroused the antagonism of the Australian book-<br />
sellers, the more so because the prices it charges booksellers<br />
are much in excess of those charged for similar books by<br />
firms engaged in importing in wholesale business only.<br />
Booksellers in Australia have a further grievance in that<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 245<br />
<br />
the house in question will not supply popular books i<br />
quantities desired by the teil, Wihsaiver hey an<br />
that they can sell their stock at retail themselves they<br />
either cut down the orders from the booksellers or do not<br />
fill them at all.<br />
<br />
“The attitude of booksellers toward this house was<br />
demonstrated to us in the case of a book for which we<br />
received an offer from the Melbourne house after we had<br />
shipped a large quantity to our agents. Two of the<br />
principal booksellers in Sydney, hearing that the Melbourne<br />
house might get a consignment of the book, notified our<br />
agents that if this were true their orders were to be cut<br />
from 250 copies each to 50 copies each. We have in the<br />
past urged our agents to try to arrange some basis by which<br />
the Melbourne house could sell at retail, but this has been<br />
foundimpossible. And whether the antagonism is justified<br />
or not, the attitude of booksellers in reducing orders from<br />
500 to 100 copies shows that the condition is not one about<br />
which to theorize.<br />
<br />
“‘ Since we have had to choose between the jobber who<br />
also conducts retail business and the wholesale agent, we<br />
have decided in favour of the wholesale agent, partly<br />
influenced by the facts we had gathered, and partly by<br />
actual figures. In the case of a novel which sold in<br />
America less than 15,000 copies, our total orders for<br />
Australia were 2,000 copies, whereas the offer made by the<br />
jobbing and retailing firm was only 1,500.”<br />
<br />
So much for the details of market conditions.<br />
The American publishers who have answered<br />
the request of the League for their opinions on<br />
the matter are, as might have been expected,<br />
unanimous in declaring that the American<br />
authors are best served by disposing of their<br />
Australian rights to or through their American<br />
publisher, rather than to the English house<br />
publishing in London.<br />
<br />
One of the largest publishing firms answers<br />
<br />
as follows :—<br />
<br />
“In one case where we had sold an edition of only 500<br />
copies to England, our Australian sales exceeded 3,000 ;<br />
and in another case where the English publisher took only<br />
250 copies, our Australian sales were 2,000. Two facts<br />
should be borne in mind when deciding the disposition of<br />
Australian rights: First, the Australians prefer the books<br />
of American manufacture. We always send cloth bound<br />
books exactly like those that are sold in America, Of<br />
course, we have to make very low prices, and, therefore,<br />
cannot pay more than half royalty. But the returns to<br />
authors on this basis, are, we are certain, much greater<br />
than they would be if the Australian sales were controlled<br />
by the English publishers. Second: we are informed that<br />
in many cases the English publisher sends what he calls<br />
his ‘Colonial edition,’ which is a cheap edition much<br />
inferior to the edition prepared for England. If, as must<br />
be the case, the royalty is computed on the low selling<br />
price of the Colonial edition, it 1s doubtful if the returns<br />
per book are as great as they are on the American edition.<br />
There is no doubt in our minds that the authors’ interests<br />
are best served by having the Australian rights remain with<br />
the American publisher.”<br />
<br />
A New York publishing house which has also<br />
an English office writes :-—<br />
<br />
“For a number of years we sold Australian rights<br />
through our English house, or through English agents. In<br />
recent years we have reversed this policy and have sold<br />
the Australian market directly from this country. We<br />
find that in doing so we are able to place more editions of<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
246<br />
<br />
to secure the continuing interest in each of the<br />
nee Se By the English method one edition is<br />
taken and there the matter usually ends. In the case of<br />
certain very popular authors this original edition would be<br />
larger than the edition taken from America; but this in<br />
only a very few cases indeed, and even in these instances<br />
when handled from America succeeding editions would<br />
more than make up the difference.” ;<br />
“The Australian public,” he adds, “seems to like the<br />
type of books which appeal to Americans rather than the<br />
type which appeal to the English.”<br />
<br />
Another prominent publisher, while desiring<br />
Australian rights for his own publications,<br />
thinks that individual cases may differ and<br />
leaves the general question in some doubt. He<br />
says :—<br />
<br />
“The American publisher, who has occasion to arrange<br />
with an English publisher for the British edition of a book,<br />
may often find it desirable to retain in his own hands the<br />
arrangements for Australasia. Firms like my own, whose<br />
imprint reads ‘ New York and London,’ and which carry<br />
on their publishing business on both sides of the Atlantic,<br />
make a practice of retaining in their own hands the control<br />
of the selling arrangements for Australasia. I should take<br />
the ground, therefore, that there was no such thing as ‘a<br />
proper ownership of Australian rights,’ but that the matter<br />
was one to be determined wholly by the origin of the book<br />
(that is to say whether England or America), and very<br />
largely by the status of the connections and the publishing<br />
machinery of the house controlling the book.”<br />
<br />
The following communication, however, from<br />
an equally important firm, is bolder and more<br />
definite in its reasons, corroborating a previous<br />
opinion :—<br />
<br />
‘“We oftentimes secure from Australia alone an order<br />
just as large, if not larger, than we get from England, even<br />
when they have all foreign rights. As a general rule, we<br />
think the English publisher wishes the Australian market<br />
simply to use as a dumping ground. In case he is not able<br />
to dispose in England of books at the regular price, he<br />
sends them over there (Australia), and brings them out as<br />
a cheap edition. My feeling is that he does very little, if<br />
anything, to promote the sale in Australia.”<br />
<br />
Two New York literary agents, both of whom<br />
have had wide experience in placing foreign<br />
rights of American authors, take opposing<br />
positions in regard to the disposal of Australian<br />
rights. One of them says :—<br />
<br />
“Tt is my belief that a popular author gets more out of<br />
his Australian rights when they are sold by the American<br />
publisher than when they are sold by the English publisher.<br />
In the cases of several popular authors the American pub-<br />
lisher has got more out of the Australian rights than the<br />
English publisher was willing to offer for the English rights<br />
plus the Australian rights. Australia in its outlook on life<br />
and in the kind of books which attract it is much nearer to<br />
America than it is to England.”<br />
<br />
_The other literary agent makes the following<br />
distinction :— #<br />
<br />
“(a) Given an American novel of the type that is li<br />
to obtain manufacture and publication in Se oo.<br />
separate contract with an English publisher, I believe it is<br />
to the advantage of the author to put the Australian<br />
<br />
volume rights into the hands of the English publisher.<br />
(6) If the novel is of the type not likely to be sufficiently<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
(JUNE, 1914<br />
<br />
acceptable in England to attain the publication under a<br />
separate contract, I advise giving all rights of volume pub-<br />
lication in the English language, including Australia, to the<br />
American publisher. Taking two average standard con.<br />
tracts, one with an English publisher, the other with an<br />
American publisher, it is my experience that the author<br />
receives from the English publisher a larger sum per copy<br />
than from the American publisher. I need scarcely say<br />
that where American publishers have a fully equipped<br />
English house (and not a mere agency), and conform to the<br />
Australian royalty scales customary with the best English<br />
publishers, my advice to American novelists is—as a rule—<br />
to let such American publishers have all volume rights in<br />
the English language, including Australia. But (as you<br />
know), American publishers thus equipped are few.”<br />
<br />
One of the agents quoted above states :—<br />
<br />
“Many English houses will not take a book on which<br />
they don’t have the Australian rights, so that if you have<br />
sold the Australian rights to an American publisher you<br />
may find it difficult to place the book in England at all.”<br />
<br />
This opinion confirms that of the English<br />
agent first cited.<br />
<br />
But there is still another reason for favouring<br />
the American publisher. Every American<br />
author who has had books published and<br />
printed in England has bewailed their inferior<br />
appearance, as compared with his American<br />
edition. In typography, paper and binding<br />
most English editions are far behind the usual<br />
American made books. Not only does this<br />
displease the author’s esthetic sensibilities, but<br />
it probably seriously affects the sale of his book.<br />
A case could be mentioned in illustration of one<br />
book whose English sale fell far behind the<br />
American, indubitably for that reason alone.<br />
<br />
Says one of the above quoted New York pub-<br />
lishers :—<br />
<br />
“‘ We are certain that the appearance and manufacture<br />
of the American book is of more advantage, especially in<br />
the Australian market, where it is much preferred to the<br />
English book.”<br />
<br />
The concensus of opinion of those interested<br />
(on this side of the water at least) is, therefore,<br />
that the American publisher can do better for<br />
the author, in Australia, than the English.<br />
But, meanwhile, the League is iz communics-<br />
tion with London firms and agents, and hopes,<br />
later, to present the British side of the question,<br />
as well as supply direct information from<br />
Australia itself.<br />
<br />
Se<br />
<br />
FRANCIS, DAY, AND HUNTER v. FELD-<br />
MAN & CO.<br />
<br />
8<br />
<br />
fe eee action was tried on May 21 and 22,<br />
and involved two issues: (1), whethet<br />
<br />
the plaintiffs’ song called ‘‘ You made<br />
me love you (I didn’t want to do it),” written<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
i<br />
'<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
asain ities<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
by Joe McCarthy and James V. Monaco, both<br />
American citizens, was “ first published ” in<br />
the British dominions within the meaning of<br />
the Copyright Act, 1911, so as to entitle it to<br />
copyright thereunder; and (2) whether the<br />
words of the defendants’ song, called ** You<br />
didn’t want to do it—But you did,” infringed<br />
the copyright in the words of the plaintiffs’<br />
song. No complaint was made with regard to<br />
the music of the defendants’ song. :<br />
Section 1 (1) of the Copyright Act, 1911,<br />
provides that copyright shall subsist in every<br />
original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic<br />
work if, in the ease of a published work, the<br />
work was first published within His Majesty’s<br />
dominions to which the Act extends. Section<br />
1 (3) provides that publication in relation to<br />
any work means the issue of copies of the work<br />
to the public ; and section 35 (3) provides that<br />
a work shall be deemed to be first published<br />
within the parts of His Majesty’s dominions to<br />
which the Act extends, notwithstanding that<br />
it has been published simultaneously in some<br />
other place, unless the publication in such<br />
parts of His Majesty’s dominions is colourable<br />
only and is not intended to satisfy the reason-<br />
able requirements of the public, and a work<br />
shall be deemed to be published simultaneously<br />
in two places if the time between the publica-<br />
tion in one such place and the publication in<br />
the other place does not exceed fourteen days.<br />
The plaintiffs’ song was published in New<br />
York and Toronto on May 5, 1918. On April 24,<br />
the Broadway Music Corporation, who pub-<br />
lished the song in New York, transmitted<br />
twelve copies to the plaintiffs and requested<br />
them to copyright the song in England on<br />
May 5. On that day the plaintiffs caused one<br />
copy of the song to be sent to the British<br />
Museum, four copies to be sent to the agent for<br />
the other libraries, and one copy to be filed as<br />
a record. The remaining six copies were<br />
placed in the plaintiffs’ retail premises in a box<br />
labelled ‘‘ New works issued this day.” They<br />
remained in the box from ten to fourteen days,<br />
other music being placed on the top each day<br />
as published. The six copies were then<br />
r moved to the stock room. It was proved<br />
that on the average from eighty to one hundred<br />
customers would come into the plaintiffs<br />
retail premises each day. It was also proved<br />
that American songs. were Oe ei oe<br />
until they had been performed 1n this co y-<br />
The sischite ae John Abbott, stated<br />
that it was their intention to have copies of the<br />
song in question available to meet any demand<br />
as and when it might arise. There was, how-<br />
ever, no demand for the song until August, and<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 947<br />
<br />
no sale could be traced before August 12. In<br />
July, the plaintiffs heard that the song was<br />
going to be performed in England, and on<br />
July 18, they ordered by cable ten further<br />
copies from America. On July 26, they ordered<br />
ten more. These twenty copies came to hand<br />
on August 12. On August 18, they cabled for<br />
100 copies, which came to hand on August 25.<br />
The song was first sung in England on July 25<br />
by Miss Florence Smithson at the Chiswick<br />
Empire. On August 4 it was sung by Miss<br />
Grace la Rue at the Palace. The demand<br />
began about August 12, and on August 20,<br />
they published an English reprint of 750<br />
copies. They had always been in a position<br />
to supply any demand which was made,<br />
<br />
Beyond placing the six copies of the song in<br />
the box in their retail premises, the plaintiffs<br />
never advertised the song either in the Press<br />
or in their catalogue or otherwise until’ Sep-<br />
tember.<br />
<br />
On these facts the defendants contended that<br />
the song had not been issued to the pwhlie in<br />
England within fourteen days from May 5, and,<br />
alternatively, if it was so issued that the publica-<br />
tion was colourable and was not intended to<br />
satisfy the reasonable requirements of the public.<br />
Mr. Justice Neville, however, held that there was<br />
an issue of copies to the public and that, as<br />
there was a bona fide intention on the part of<br />
the plaintiffs to satisfy any demand for the<br />
song, as and when it might arise, the publica-<br />
tion was not merely colourable and the con-<br />
dition required by the Statute had been satis-<br />
fied.<br />
<br />
On the question of infringement, the defen-<br />
dants contended that their song was what was<br />
known as a reply song to the plaintiffs’ song,<br />
and as such was a legitimate publication.<br />
Evidence was given on behalf of the plaintiffs<br />
to the effect that there was great similarity<br />
between the words of the two songs in rhythm,<br />
idea and language, and that the sale of the<br />
defendants’ song was calculated to prejudice<br />
the sale of the plaintiffs’ song. Mr. Justice<br />
Neville said that the question was not free<br />
from difficulty. A song might well be what<br />
was called a reply song, and yet be an infringe-<br />
ment of the song to which it was a reply. The<br />
court must be guided by the general impression<br />
created on the mind by the one song and the<br />
other. In this case he thought the defendants’<br />
song was but a colourable imitation of the<br />
plaintiffs’ song, and he granted an injunction<br />
and inquiry as to damages.<br />
<br />
el<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
4 VERY member has a right toask 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 />
business or the administration of his property. The<br />
‘Secretary of the Society is a solicitor; but if there is any<br />
-special reason the Secretary will refer the case to the<br />
‘Solicitors of the Society. Further, the Committee, if they<br />
«deem it desirable, will obtain counsel’s opinion without<br />
any cost to the member. Moreover, where counsel 8<br />
opinion is favourable, and the sanction of the Committee<br />
is obtained, action will be taken on behalf of the aggrieved<br />
member, and all costs borne by the Society.<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. Before signing any agreement whatever, send<br />
‘the document to the Society for examination.<br />
<br />
4, Remember always that in belonging to the Society<br />
~you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you<br />
are reaping no direct 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 />
5. The Committee have arranged for the reception of<br />
‘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. The Society now offers:<br />
(1) To stamp agreements in readiness for a possible action<br />
upon them. (2) To keep agreements. (3) To enforce<br />
payments due according to agreements, Fuller particu-<br />
‘lars of the Society’s work can be obtained in the<br />
Prospectus.<br />
<br />
6. 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 />
7. Many agents neglect to stamp agreements. This<br />
must be done within fourteen days of first execution. The<br />
‘Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members,<br />
<br />
8. Some agents endeayour to prevent 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 />
9. The subscription to the Society is £1 4s. per<br />
annum, or £10 10s. for life membership.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
——>— +<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS<br />
OF BOOKS.<br />
<br />
oe<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 />
This is sometimes satisfactory, 7f a proper price can be<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
obtained, But the transaction should be managed by a<br />
competent agent, or with the advice of the Secretary of<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
II. 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 />
duction 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 />
“By 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 The Author.<br />
<br />
I¥. 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 />
All other 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 />
C1.) 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. We are 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 />
a<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
ee<br />
<br />
EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the<br />
Secretary of the Society of Authors or some com-<br />
petent legal authority.<br />
<br />
2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating ‘for<br />
the production of a play with any one except an established<br />
manager,<br />
<br />
3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for plays<br />
in three or more acts :—<br />
<br />
(2.) 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 />
<br />
<br />
:<br />
5<br />
i<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
(.) 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 (i.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 (0.) 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 anyevent. 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<br />
is 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, ‘Lhey should never be included in English<br />
agreements without the author obtaining a su. bstantial<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 />
<br />
<br />
—> -—<br />
<br />
REGISTRATION OF SCENARIOS AND<br />
ORIGINAL PLAYS.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
CENARIOS, typewritten in duplicate on foolscap paper<br />
forwarded to the offices of the Society, together with<br />
<br />
a registration fee of two shillings and sixpence, will<br />
<br />
be carefully compared by the Secretary or a qualified assis-<br />
tant. One copy will be stamped and returned to the author<br />
and the other filed in the register of the Society. Copies<br />
of the scenario thus filed may be obtained at any time by<br />
the author only at a small charge to cover cost of typing.<br />
<br />
Original Plays may also be filed subject to the same<br />
rules, with the exception that a play will be charged for<br />
at the price of 22, 6d. per act.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
249)<br />
DRAMATIC AUTHORS AND AGENTS.<br />
<br />
Ee<br />
De authors should seek the advice of the<br />
Society before putting plays into the hands of<br />
agents. As the law stands at present, an agent<br />
who has once had a play in his hands may acquire a<br />
perpetual claim to a percentage on the author's fees.<br />
from it, As far as the placing of plays is concerned,<br />
it may be taken as a general rule that there are only<br />
very few agents who can do anything for an author<br />
that he cannot, under the guidance of the Society, do<br />
equally well or better for himself. The collection of fees<br />
is also a matter in which in many cases no intermediary is:<br />
required. For certain purposes, such as the collection of<br />
fees on amateur performances, and in general the trans-<br />
action of frequent petty authorisations with different<br />
individuals, and also for the collection of fees in foreign<br />
countries, almost all dramatic authors employ agents; and<br />
in these ways the services of agents are real and valuable.<br />
But the Society warns authors against agents who profess:<br />
to have influence with managers in the placing of plays, or<br />
who propose to act as principals by offering to purchase<br />
the author's rights. In any case, in the present state of<br />
the law, an agent should not be employed under any<br />
circumstances without an agreement approved of by the<br />
Society.<br />
ee ae<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
Segoe<br />
: ITTLE can be added to the warnings given for the-<br />
ey assistance of producers of books and dramatic<br />
<br />
authors. It must, however, be pointed out that, as<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 />
rights to deal with—performing right and copyright. He<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 />
a<br />
<br />
STAMPING MUSIC.<br />
<br />
Sage ee<br />
The Society undertakes to stamp copies of music on<br />
<br />
behalf of its members for the fee of 6d. per 100 or part<br />
<br />
of 100. The members’ stamps are kept in the Society's<br />
<br />
safe. The musical publishers communicate direct with the<br />
<br />
Secretary, and the voucher is then forwarded to the<br />
<br />
members, who are thus saved much unnecessary trouble,<br />
<br />
_—_____+—<»—e —__—_<br />
<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
<br />
—+—<br />
EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
N branch of its work by informing young writers.<br />
of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and<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 />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
> +<br />
<br />
EMITTANCES.<br />
<br />
f the Society begs to give notice<br />
a ee Ses are Scuyowiodued by return of post.<br />
All remittances should be crossed Union of London and<br />
Smiths Bank, Chancery Lane, or be sent by registered.<br />
letter only,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
COLLECTION BUREAU.<br />
ee ecg<br />
HE Society undertakes to collect accounts and money<br />
<br />
due to authors, composers and dramatists. :<br />
1. Under contracts for the publication of their<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
works. : :<br />
<br />
2. Under contracts for the performance of thei<br />
and amateur fees. é .<br />
<br />
3. Under the Compulsory Licence Clauses of the Copy-<br />
right Act, i.e., Clause 3, governing compulsory licences for<br />
books, and Clause 19, referring to mechanical instrument<br />
records.<br />
<br />
The Bureau is divided into three departments :—<br />
<br />
1. Literary.<br />
2. Dramatic.<br />
3. Musical.<br />
<br />
The Society does not desire to make a profit from the<br />
collection of fees, but will charge a commission to cover<br />
expenses. If, owing to the amount passing through the<br />
office, the expenses are more than covered, the Committee<br />
of Management will discuss the possibility of reducing the<br />
commission. :<br />
<br />
For full particulars of the terms of collection, application<br />
must be made to the Collection Bureau of the Society.<br />
<br />
r works<br />
<br />
AGENTS.<br />
Holland . ‘ ‘ A. REYDING.<br />
United Statesand Canada. WALTER C. JORDAN.<br />
Germany Mrs. Poason.<br />
<br />
The Bureau is in no sense a literary or dramatic<br />
agency for the placing of books or plays.<br />
<br />
ee =<br />
<br />
GENERAL NOTES.<br />
ae es<br />
PUBLISHERS’ AGREEMENTS AND THE AGENCY<br />
CLAUSE.<br />
<br />
Our attention has been drawn once again<br />
to the agency clause inserted by agents in<br />
publishers’ agreements. The clause runs as<br />
follows :—<br />
<br />
** All accounts due and all moneys payable under this<br />
agreement shall be rendered and paid to of<br />
and it is hereby agreed that his receipt shall be a fulland<br />
sufficient discharge therefor and that shall have<br />
authority to treat for and on behalf of the said author in<br />
all matters under this agreement.”<br />
<br />
The publishers’ agreement, with a covering<br />
letter from the agent making several comments<br />
on the document as far as it concerned the<br />
publishers’ proposed terms, was submitted<br />
through the author to the Socicty for criticism,<br />
but the agent’s letter written to the author<br />
made no comment whatever upon the clause<br />
which referred to his own position and which<br />
he had inserted.<br />
<br />
We have on former occasions and at full<br />
length dealt with this matter. If an agent,<br />
when commenting on the publishers’ agree-<br />
ment, sets fairly before the author the diffi-<br />
culties that may arise under the clause which<br />
he inserts for his own benefit, states that it is<br />
irrevocable, that it may handicap the author<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
seriously, ete., ete., and if the author, having<br />
the full statement before him, says ‘* You are<br />
my agent, I am quite willing to trust you as<br />
regards this clause,” then no blame whatever<br />
can attach to the agent; though something<br />
might be said on the question of the author’s<br />
folly. But when an agent as in the present<br />
case says nothing the matter assumes quite<br />
another aspect. Supposing, for instance, a<br />
solicitor when drawing up a contract for a client<br />
inserted a clause which, of great benefit to him-<br />
self, might be seriously detrimental to his client,<br />
and omitted to point out the facts ; if the matter<br />
was then referred to the Incorporated Law<br />
Society, the result would most probably be that<br />
the solicitor would hive his name struck off the<br />
rolls. But agents who dealin a similar manner<br />
with their clients are full of anger when com-<br />
ments are made upon their methods of doing<br />
business. Solicitors are responsible to the<br />
council of their profession, but agents have no<br />
such responsibility. It has been said that all<br />
authors are not angels, and that unless the<br />
agent protect himself he runs a chance of being<br />
swindled; but the agent seems to forget that the<br />
author runs exactly thesame chance. It would<br />
be interesting to know the proportion of corrupt<br />
agents to the total number of agents, as com-<br />
pared with the proportion of corrupt authors<br />
to the total number of those who follow<br />
authorship as a profession. It is doubtful if<br />
this sum were worked out whether the agent’s<br />
care for himself could be wholly justified.<br />
<br />
AGENTS AND ACCOUNTS.<br />
<br />
WHILE we are discussing the question of<br />
agents, there is another matter to which the<br />
members’ attention should be called. Agents<br />
—literary, dramatic, and others—are very<br />
fond of receiving accounts and passing them<br />
on to authors without any comment. They<br />
take no trouble to compare them with the<br />
former accounts, to compare them carefully<br />
with the agreement and to see that the proper<br />
percentage is given throughout. They simply<br />
ask the author, who is helpless in the matter,<br />
whether he is satisfied with them. Many<br />
agents, however, have got a worse habit still.<br />
They make out an account of their own,<br />
presumably from the original accounts, deduct<br />
their agent’s fees, and send it on with a cheque<br />
<br />
to the author, who has no possibility of viewing -<br />
<br />
the original documents. We are glad to<br />
see, that this is not always the case,<br />
One or two of the best-known agents: make<br />
a point of always sending on the originals for<br />
consideration. Even then it is the agent’s<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
|<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
duty to state clearly that he has compared the<br />
accounts with the former accounts and with<br />
the agreement. The matter would not be of<br />
such importance if, in the clause which we have<br />
quoted, the agent’s receipt was not a valid<br />
discharge. The insertion of these words into<br />
the clause cannot be supported by the same<br />
arguments that warrants the agent to collect<br />
the monies. They are merely an added<br />
burden to the author.<br />
<br />
Prorit SHARING ON THE SALES OF SHEETS IN<br />
ture U.S.A.<br />
<br />
WE re-publish in another part of The Author<br />
an article which deals with a clause inserted<br />
in Publishers’ Agreements giving the author<br />
half profits on sales to America. The matter<br />
is of growing and serious importance, be-<br />
cause such a clause, although the author is<br />
receiving a royalty on other sales, is being<br />
inserted more frequently in author's agree-<br />
ments, and its interpretation, when the<br />
accounts come in, is nearly alweys—there are<br />
honourable exceptions—to the detriment of<br />
the author. Every form of profit sharing in<br />
literary as well as dramatic agreements is<br />
unsatisfactory. If the accounts are rendered<br />
with the most honourable intentions, distrust<br />
and suspicion is bound to spring up, often<br />
because the author cannot understand the<br />
intricate details. Profit sharing on American<br />
sales is a subject which might very usefully be<br />
discussed between the committee and the<br />
Publishers’ Association, if the latter would<br />
care to discuss it.<br />
<br />
There are two reasons why, from the pub-<br />
lishers’ point of view, the power to sell on half<br />
profits to America benefits them. It enables<br />
them to cut down prices to an absurdly low<br />
figure. This is detrimental to the author, who<br />
practically gets no profits, but is not a serious<br />
matter for the publisher, because in any case,<br />
he takes care to get his cost of production<br />
eovered. The cost of production including, as<br />
is shown by the article, the cost of composition.<br />
<br />
The second point is that, however equitable<br />
the arrangement may appear, it is impossible,<br />
as shown in the article, that it should be an<br />
equitable arrangement if the book continues<br />
to sell briskly in England. Bot h these points<br />
are detrimental to the author's financial<br />
<br />
interests.<br />
<br />
We hope, therefore, that all authors who<br />
receive a royalty on the English sales, failing<br />
to obtain U.S.A. copyright, will oppose the<br />
clause of profit sharing on the American sales,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
251<br />
<br />
and will insist upon receiving a royalty of so<br />
much per copy, which will force the publisher<br />
to keep up a reasonable price for the sale as he<br />
has to pay the author a reasonable price also,<br />
<br />
A Boox aspout AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
__WE are quoting the following from Mr. Hope<br />
Moncrieff’s ‘‘ Book about Authors ”’ :—<br />
<br />
*“The Authors’ Society has recently started a pension<br />
fund of its own which appears to be usually applied for the<br />
benefit of novelists, the only class of authors that does<br />
make any money to speak of. And in two cases it is paid<br />
to gentlemen also enjoying Civil List pensions. This looks<br />
as if the Authors’ Society contained few really necessitous<br />
members. But one has known only too many authors,<br />
and of note and of usefulness, who could not afford even<br />
the guinea subscription to this association.”<br />
<br />
We think Mr. Moncrieff is a little unfair to<br />
the Authors’ Society. The Authors’ Society<br />
is paying at the present time five pensions.<br />
Three of the pensioners are novelists ; two are<br />
not. The proportion of three to two is not an<br />
excessive proportion considering the member-<br />
ship of the Society. Mr. Moncrieff states,<br />
however, about novelists ‘‘ the only class of<br />
authors that does make any money to speak<br />
of.” With all Mr. Moncrieff’s large knowledge<br />
of authorship, he has failed to understand that<br />
many educational writers have a much larger<br />
circulation and a much surer and continued<br />
income than novelists, and that the suecesstul<br />
dramatist again is often far ahead of the<br />
successful novelist. The remark also is not<br />
quite fair because after all it is not the class<br />
that benefits by the pension but the individual.<br />
<br />
There is a further point to which attention<br />
might be drawn. It would appear that Mr.<br />
Moncrieff has written the paragraph without a<br />
correct knowledge of the Pension Fund scheme.<br />
It is absolutely essential that the author<br />
secking a pension should have been a member<br />
for a certain number of years. We regret to<br />
say we know more than one case in which an<br />
author has resigned from the Society, not<br />
always on account of poverty, and coming on<br />
bad days, has desired to rejoin the Society<br />
with a view to getting a pension. There is<br />
<br />
also a limit of age in the Society’s Pension<br />
<br />
Fund scheme. There is also the fact that the<br />
Pension Fund scheme was started with a view<br />
not to cut in any way into the work of the<br />
Royal Literary Fund. Like Mr. Moncrieff, we<br />
have known too many authors who have fallen<br />
<br />
on evil days.<br />
has only been tempore<br />
by the Royal Literary F<br />
<br />
In many cases their position<br />
ary, and being relieved<br />
und, they have regained<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
252<br />
<br />
their work and stemmed the tide of misfortune.<br />
The Socicty, although it cannot assist directly<br />
in these cases from its Pension Fund, can assist<br />
indirectly and is constantly doing so, by giving<br />
advice and referring members to the Royal<br />
Literary Fund, and by calling the notice of the<br />
more fortunate members of the profession to<br />
an urgent case.<br />
<br />
Again, amongst those authors who are not<br />
only known to Mr. Moncrieff, but also to_us,<br />
many were not entitled by age to relief.<br />
Finally, the Pension Fund of the Society is an<br />
exceedingly small fund, and when the income<br />
is exhausted by the payment of present pen-<br />
sions, however pressing may be the needs of<br />
those who claim, it is impossible for the<br />
Society to assist until the income at the<br />
disposal of the trustees is sufficiently increased.<br />
<br />
We think the Society may well be proud of<br />
its Pension Fund, small as it is. The first<br />
pension granted was to Mrs. Riddell. The<br />
fund was started by the Society, ten prominent<br />
members heading the list with donations of<br />
£100 each—and for members of the Society<br />
only. It has never appealed to the public by<br />
way of advertisements, charity concerts and<br />
other methods, but has gone steadily from<br />
year to year, supported by members of the<br />
Society both rich and poor, until its funds are<br />
over £5,000 in value. The amount invested<br />
per annum usually runs to between £200 and<br />
£300. It has not been a one-man fund, born<br />
of the generosity of this or that millionaire,<br />
although no doubt the trustees would be willing<br />
to receive outside gifts. It is because the funds<br />
are really part of the life of the Society, and its<br />
membership that the Society has reason to be<br />
proud of it.<br />
<br />
Tue Art or LEAyING Orff.<br />
<br />
_ A very interesting little paragraph appeared<br />
in the May number of the Chicago Dial, which<br />
we take the liberty of copying :—<br />
<br />
“* The Art of Leaving Off, in writing, in story-telling, in<br />
specch-making, in preaching, in calling, and in much else,<br />
is an art that many never learn, perhaps chiefly because it<br />
is so simple—to stop when you get through. Scott more<br />
than atones for the long-winded preliminaries to his novels<br />
by the masterly abruptness with which he closes them, A<br />
compliment worth winning from one’s readers is the<br />
involuntary exclamation at the end of the book, Is that<br />
all! Those who have read much aloud will recall many a<br />
masterpiece of fiction that has elicited from breathless<br />
hearers that unmistakeable testimony to the attention-<br />
compelling quality of the narrative. In her useful treatise<br />
on “The Art of Story-Telling,’ Miss Julia Darrow Cowles<br />
pertinently remarks : ‘ Story-tellers sometimes remind one<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
(JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
of a man holding the handles of an electric battery. The<br />
<br />
current is so strong that he cannot let go. The story-teller<br />
must know when and how to “‘let go.”’ Letus suppose that,<br />
in telling Hans Christian Andersen’s story of ‘‘ The Nightin-<br />
gale,” the story-teller—after the delightful denouement of<br />
the supposedly dead Emperor’s greeting to his attendants,<br />
where he “‘ to their astonishment said ‘ Good morning !’ ””<br />
—were to add an explanation of the effect of the nightin-<br />
gale’s song in restoring the Emperor to health! It would<br />
be like offering a glass of ** plain soda’ from which all the<br />
effervescence had departed.’ .. .”<br />
<br />
But is it true that authors generally know<br />
when to stop ? In the old days of long serials,<br />
many authors being bound by the serial<br />
market to make the beginning of the story<br />
<br />
interesting dragged on interminably towards<br />
the end. Is not the second volume of<br />
<br />
Thackeray’s “ Virginians” a fair example<br />
of not knowing when to stop?<br />
<br />
Copyricut Casrs, 1918.<br />
<br />
WE have received from the Publishers”<br />
Association the ‘‘ Copyright Cases for 1913,”<br />
edited by Mr. E. J. MacGillivray. This.<br />
collection is produced for private circulation<br />
at the expense of the Publishers’ Association,<br />
and the Society cannot be too grateful to that<br />
Association for allowing the Society every<br />
year to have a copy. It is an invaluable<br />
production.<br />
<br />
In the summary, Mr. MacGillivray touches<br />
on the question of titles, which he rightly<br />
says has jumped into supreme importance<br />
by reason of the fact that the producers of<br />
films are claiming the right to appropriate the<br />
title of any novel or drama.<br />
is one that may effect seriously all authors,<br />
and it is hoped that the efforts of the Society<br />
will be successful in organising a satisfactory<br />
defence.<br />
<br />
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUTHORS<br />
AND JOURNALISTS.<br />
<br />
WE have received some papers with regard<br />
to the Congress of Authors and Journalists to-<br />
be held at the Panama-Pacific International!<br />
Exposition which will take place at San<br />
Francisco in 1915.<br />
<br />
The papers give some idea of the arrange-<br />
ments that are going to be made for all those<br />
who, specially invited, are able to accept the<br />
invitation.<br />
<br />
Fuller particulars may be obtained from:<br />
Miss Ina Coolbrith, 1067, Broadway, New York,<br />
or from Mr. Hermann Scheffauer, Bank Point,.<br />
Jackson’s Lane, Highgate, N.<br />
<br />
The matter<br />
<br />
vip<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
‘MODIFICATION OF THE BERNE-BERLIN<br />
COPYRIGHT CONVENTION OF 1908.<br />
—o— +<br />
(Reprinted from the U.S.A. “ Publishers’<br />
Weekly.’’)<br />
<br />
TWFNHE following additional protocol to the<br />
Convention of 1908 adopted by the<br />
countries of the International Copy-<br />
<br />
right Union, March 20, 1914, is of especial<br />
<br />
importance in the United States because it<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
_ doubtless originated in and reflects the dis-<br />
<br />
satisfaction with the manufacturing and other<br />
restrictions of our own copyright code felt by<br />
those countries which grant full copyright.<br />
Under it, Great Britain can impose counter-<br />
restriction on books of American authorship<br />
without violating its full relations of reciprocity<br />
with the other countries of the Union.<br />
<br />
ADDITIONAL ProrocoL TO THE REVISED<br />
BERNE CONVENTION OF NOVEMBER 13,<br />
1908.<br />
<br />
The countries, members of the International<br />
Union for the protection of literary and artistic<br />
works, desiring to authorise an optional limita-<br />
tion of the extent of the Convention of Novem-<br />
ber 13, 1908, have, by mutual agreement,<br />
-adopted the following Protocol :<br />
<br />
1. When a country not belonging to the<br />
Union does not protect in a sufficient manner<br />
the works of authors who belong to a country<br />
-of the Union, the provisions of the Convention<br />
-of November 13, 1908, cannot prejudice, in any<br />
way, the right which appertains to the con-<br />
tracting countries to restrict the protection of<br />
works of which the authors are, at the moment<br />
-of the first publication of these works, subjects<br />
-or citizens of the said country ‘not being a<br />
member of the Union, and are not actually<br />
domiciled in one of the countries of the Union.<br />
<br />
2. The right accorded to the contracting<br />
States by the present Protocol, equally apper-<br />
tains to each of their trans-marine possessions.<br />
<br />
3. No restrictions established in virtue of<br />
No. 1 above, may prejudice the rights which an<br />
<br />
author has acquired upon a work published in<br />
-one of the countries of the Union prior to the<br />
putting into force of these restrictions.<br />
<br />
4. The States which, in virtue of the present<br />
protocol, limit the protection of the rights of<br />
authors, will notify the Government of the<br />
Swiss Confederation by a written declaration<br />
‘indicating the countries against which the<br />
protection is restricted, and also the restrictions<br />
to which the rights of authors from these<br />
-eountries are submitted. The Government of<br />
the Swiss Confederation communicates at once<br />
the fact to all the other states of the Union.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2538<br />
5. The present Protocol to be ratified, and<br />
the ratifications to be deposited in Berne within<br />
a maximum delay of twelve months from its<br />
date. It enters into foree one month after the<br />
expiration of this delay, and has the same power<br />
and duration as the Convention to which it<br />
relates.<br />
<br />
In witness whereof the Plenipotentiaries of<br />
the countries, members of the Union, have<br />
signed the present Protocol, of which a certified<br />
copy is to be transmitted to each of the govern-<br />
ments of the Union.<br />
<br />
_ Made in Berne, the 20th day of March, 1914,<br />
in only one copy deposited in the archives of<br />
the Swiss Confederation.<br />
<br />
(The signatures of the representatives of the<br />
countries of the Union follow) :—<br />
<br />
Liberia,<br />
<br />
Luxembourg,<br />
<br />
Monaco,<br />
<br />
Norway,<br />
<br />
The Nether-<br />
lands,<br />
<br />
Portugal, Spain,<br />
Switzerland, France,<br />
Tun’‘s, Great Britain,<br />
Germany, Haiti,<br />
Belgium, Italy,<br />
Denmark, Japan.<br />
<br />
——__—— @ > +~<4 6<br />
<br />
ROYALTY AGREEMENTS AND HALF<br />
PROFITS ON SHEETS TO AMERICA.<br />
<br />
Pe Se EEE<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
HERE is a clause often embodied in agree-<br />
ments issued by the best houses in<br />
London in which the author—failing<br />
<br />
to obtain the American copyright—is entitled<br />
to half of the profits on the sale of sheets to<br />
America. If this clause is inserted in the<br />
usual half-profit agreement, there is little to be<br />
said against it. The only points at issue, then,<br />
are: (1) Is a profit-sharing agreement desir-<br />
able? (2) In what proportion should profits<br />
be divided between author and publisher ?<br />
But if the clause is inserted in an agreement<br />
where the author is to obtain a royalty on the<br />
publication of the English edition, there are<br />
two very strong points of objection.<br />
<br />
The first point rests on the fact that a clause<br />
drafted on these lines is a distinct pitfall to the<br />
author. Itis 4 pitfall for the following reasons:<br />
(1) because to the ordinary person the difficul-<br />
ties with which the clause 1s pregnant are<br />
altogether invisible ; (2) because the amount<br />
the author receives is always calculated—see<br />
the books of the Society on the point—on the<br />
basis that the full cost of composition is charged<br />
against the English edition. If this were not<br />
the ease, the author ought to receive a higher<br />
royalty on British sales.<br />
<br />
<br />
254<br />
<br />
Let us explain what we mean more fully.<br />
Take the ordinary 6s. book :—<br />
<br />
£8 ¢,<br />
Cost of composition of 3,000<br />
copies . : : 35 60, 0:0<br />
Cost of printing of 3,000<br />
copies . ; : - 16 0, 0<br />
Cost of paper of 3,000 copies 58 0 0<br />
Total - 104° 0 0<br />
<br />
Of the 3,000 copies the publisher sends 2,000<br />
to America and receives for the same (say) Ls.<br />
a copy—£100. The cost of composition was<br />
compulsory for the completion of the English<br />
edition, the author’s royalty, as stated, being<br />
based on this understanding; but the pub-<br />
lisher takes two-thirds of this cost towards the<br />
American edition as well as two-thirds of the<br />
cost for the print and the paper, leaving to be<br />
divided between himself and the author—<br />
<br />
£ sg<br />
By sale of 2,000 copies to<br />
America : ; . 100 QO 0<br />
Two-thirds cost of produc-<br />
tion : 69 6 8<br />
<br />
{30 138 4<br />
As the cost of composition has no right to be<br />
charged against the American edition, but only<br />
the cost of print and paper, the difference<br />
would work out as follows :—<br />
<br />
£3. d.<br />
By sale of 2,000 copies to<br />
America : : - 100. 0: 0<br />
Two-thirds cost of print and<br />
paper : 49 6 8<br />
<br />
£50 18 4<br />
<br />
Instead, therefore, of the author receiving<br />
£25 6s. 8d., by the publisher’s method of cal-<br />
culation of half profits, the author receives<br />
£15 6s. 8d. and the publisher £85 6s. 8d. It is<br />
almost as reasonable an arrangement as the<br />
ordinary half-profit agreement, whose clauses<br />
and workings have so often been exposed in<br />
The Author.<br />
<br />
To show how this method may be worked out<br />
in the interests of untrustworthy publishers<br />
unfairly to the author, say the publisher in the<br />
first instance only publishes 1,000 copies. The<br />
cost of composition would still be £80; print-<br />
ing, £10; paper, £20. He sells 500 copies to<br />
Amcerice,, end on the same principle the follow-<br />
ing sum is worked out :—<br />
<br />
fos ad.<br />
<br />
Half cost of production _ $0 0-0<br />
By sale of 500 copies to<br />
<br />
America at ls. per copy . 25 0 0<br />
<br />
£5 0 0<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
This would leave a deficit against the author’s.<br />
<br />
account of £2 10s., as the sale to America has<br />
failed to cover the cost of production. As<br />
soon as the edition is sold and the amount is<br />
worked out against the author he prints<br />
10,000 copies for the English edition, but never<br />
takes into account the proportion of the cost<br />
of production of the 500 sent to America to the<br />
10,000 printed in England. Again, supposing<br />
you take the first instance and 20,000. were<br />
subsequently sold, the cost of the 2,000 sold to<br />
America is still taken in proportion to the cost<br />
of the 3,000 of the first edition printed, and not<br />
in proportion to the whole cost.<br />
<br />
It will be seen, therefore, that, quite apart<br />
from the contract being unfair, and a pitfall to<br />
the unwary (as on the face of the agreement<br />
the difficulty is invisible), even if it is worked<br />
out by a publisher with an honest idea of doing<br />
nothing dishonourable, the result of its working,<br />
its natural evolution, becomes a fraud on the<br />
author, as it is impossible to calculate this sale<br />
to America on the basis of future sales. It<br />
must always be calculated upon the sales that<br />
have already been made. The position is<br />
ridiculous. It is to be hoped that the Pub-<br />
lishers’ Association will dissociate themselves<br />
from this form of agreement.<br />
<br />
The second objection arises from the fact<br />
that this sale to an American house is mere<br />
agency work. If conducted through the<br />
medium of an author’s agent, the latter would<br />
be highly pleased with the payment of 10 per<br />
cent. on the net result. Not so the publisher,<br />
although he is constantly erying out against the<br />
agent and his charges. It is a well-known fact<br />
—instances have often been quoted—that the<br />
publisher, although he expresses strong dis-<br />
approval of the intervention of the agent who<br />
charges a modest 10 per cent., makes—when<br />
he endeavours to undertake any of the agent’s<br />
duties—a general charge of 50 per cent.<br />
Further arguments against allowing a pub-<br />
<br />
lisher to undertake an agent’s work need not<br />
<br />
be repeated here.<br />
<br />
——_____o—>_+_____—_-<br />
<br />
THE FAMILY HERALD PRESS.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THVHE attention of the committee has been<br />
LT called to a letter issued from the<br />
‘Family Herald Press ” to one of the<br />
members of the Society of Authors. The<br />
letter runs as follows :—<br />
“Dear Srr,—On the understanding that you are the<br />
<br />
author and sole owner of the above-named story, the<br />
Editor is prepared to pay you for the entire rights of<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
i<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
‘JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
~publication and re-publication (Home, Colonial and<br />
International) the sum of ten shillings, the Editor to<br />
shave the right of making any alteration he nmy deem<br />
advisable in title, names of characters, and text.<br />
<br />
“Should the Editor’s offer be acceptable to you, we<br />
shall be obliged by an early intimation of the fact, so that<br />
a remittance may be sent at the end of the month.<br />
<br />
‘“* WintraMs, STEVENS, Lrp.”<br />
<br />
The article for which the magnificent sum<br />
of 10s. was offered was an article of 2,000<br />
-words in length; therefore, the price being<br />
‘paid was at the rate of 5s. per 1,000 words.<br />
Now from the point of view of the worst author,<br />
5s. per thousand words must be considered an<br />
‘impossible price even when the purchaser<br />
desires only the first serial use for a special<br />
paper ; but to offer to pay 5s. per 1,000 words<br />
for rights intended (as the form of receipt subse-<br />
quently sent showed) to cover the copyright<br />
‘which now includes dramatic rights, transla-<br />
tion rights, and cinematograph rights is, from<br />
the author’s point of view, wholly absurd.<br />
No doubt the argument on the other side<br />
would be that there are many papers that pay<br />
as low as 5s. per 1,000 words. There is no<br />
doubt that some papers do fall as low, but two<br />
‘wrongs will never make a right. and it is<br />
<br />
rather a shock to find an old and well-estab-<br />
lished paper like the Family Herald pays such<br />
prices. It is not often that so low a figure is<br />
paid, even for the first serial use, and it is quite<br />
<br />
the exception that the copyright is purchased<br />
for so low a figure. It would be further urged<br />
no doubt that the letter was a printed form,<br />
that as amatter of fact the work proposed to be<br />
purchased was not such as could be used either<br />
in book form, or for dramatisation, and. that,<br />
therefore, the author, although the contract<br />
embraced rights of so extensive a character,<br />
lost nothing. There is really nothing in this<br />
second argument, the point being that it is<br />
for the author to decide whether or not he<br />
ares to yield these rights, even though they<br />
are not likely to bring him in anything. There<br />
is one good point in the letter quoted. The<br />
author receives it before the article is published<br />
and puts quite clearly before him what the<br />
<br />
urchaser desires for the pittance that has<br />
<br />
een offered. This is a thousand times better<br />
than the case of those magazines which give<br />
an indefinite acceptance or no acceptance at<br />
<br />
all, then publish the story or article, and,<br />
when it has been published, claim, by an<br />
endorsement on the back of the cheque, all<br />
the copyright and prevent the author from<br />
obtaining his money until the cheque 1s signed<br />
without alteration.<br />
<br />
———_—_—__—_4+—-_+___—_—_<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
255<br />
<br />
TRANSLATIONS.<br />
<br />
See<br />
Tue RecENT ACTION OF THE ‘‘ SocrkTE Drs<br />
Gens DE LETTRES.”’<br />
<br />
VERY author whose works are capable<br />
of translation should take notice, and<br />
immediate notice, of the recent action<br />
<br />
of the ‘‘ Société des Gens de Lettres” respecting<br />
translations. If any one will remark that to<br />
say this is hardly necessary, seeing that all the<br />
proceedings of the great French society, the<br />
Queen of authors’ societies, are always of con-<br />
summate importance, it shall be immediately<br />
admitted that this is essentially true; but, at<br />
the seme time, it is to be feared that there are<br />
among authors, or at any rate among English<br />
authors, very many who have not realised that<br />
the “ Société des Gens de Lettres ” is not only<br />
the oldest, and by far the most powerful of all<br />
authors’ societies, but also on every occasion<br />
the first to seize the meaning of new situations<br />
and developments, and the quickest to per-<br />
ceive how they can be turned to the advantage<br />
of its members; in effect, in all cases the<br />
leading society of all societies of the same<br />
kind.<br />
<br />
Before proceeding farther, it may be well to<br />
mention, in case any reader should not be<br />
acquainted with the methods of the “‘ Société<br />
des Gens de Lettres,” that the society is not<br />
<br />
only a society for protecting the rights of its —<br />
<br />
members, but represents also a single and. most<br />
powerful agency. Its members confide their<br />
works to its care, publish through its inter-<br />
mediation, and find all their business interests<br />
most attentively watched by its officials ;<br />
whilst it at the same time enjoys a prestige so<br />
indisputable that any publisher or editor who<br />
gets his name into the black books of the<br />
society, if this expression may be used, finds<br />
his affairs in a very awkward predicament. —<br />
Some little time since the society turned its<br />
particular attention to the subject of trans-<br />
lations, and appointed a special commission<br />
to inquire into the whole question of trans-<br />
lations and royalties on and payments for<br />
translations. The ‘‘ Rapport sur la Tra-<br />
duction ” rendered to the general meeting of<br />
the society on Sunday, March 29 last, 1s<br />
published in the official organ of the society<br />
(Chronique de la Société des Gens de Lettres, Mai,<br />
1914, Paris, Cité Rougemont, No. 10), and is<br />
well deserving of attentive perusal. A sum-<br />
mary only of it follows here ;<br />
ever, of importance 1s omitted ;<br />
<br />
nothing, how-<br />
and it will be<br />
<br />
<br />
256<br />
<br />
seen at once that an entirely new light has been<br />
thrown upon the whole problem of translations<br />
and of authors’ benefits to be derived from<br />
translations.<br />
<br />
Authors’ rights in translations are fixed and<br />
protected by the Berne Convention, revised<br />
and regulated by the Congress of Berlin.<br />
<br />
The exercise of these rights, on the other<br />
hand, is often qualified by arrangements and<br />
engagements with some third party, publishers<br />
becoming frequently, under various stipula-<br />
tions, co-proprietors of the rights, and having<br />
interests indissoluble from those of the authors.<br />
(Here, in France, the position of the ** Société<br />
des Gens de Lettres,’ as agent for its members,<br />
naturally comes into consideration.)<br />
<br />
Translations can be regardedin three different<br />
aspects.<br />
<br />
1. The translation of a work in book form<br />
again in book form.<br />
<br />
2. The translation in serial form (feuilleton)<br />
in a periodical, either of a work that has<br />
originally appeared in book form; or of one<br />
that has appeared as a serial (feuwilleton) not<br />
published in book form; or of tales, novels,<br />
articles, or poems, which have appeared in<br />
a periodical, but have not appeared in a<br />
book.<br />
<br />
3. The reproduction of a translation, of class<br />
either 1 or 2, in a serial form. (In this case<br />
there are three different stages of publication ;<br />
the original work, its translation as first pub-<br />
lished, a reproduction of this translation in<br />
some other manner.)<br />
<br />
In reality there is another possibility, not<br />
mentioned in the society’s report. A work<br />
appears by some well-known author ; for it is<br />
only in the case of works by popular authors<br />
that the complication here considered takes<br />
place. The work is very soon published, in<br />
book form, in a translation ; first of all almost<br />
always either in French or German, and then,<br />
from this translation another translation is<br />
made. That, evidently, ought never to hap-<br />
pen. The best of translations is never any<br />
better than it should be—and often a great<br />
deal worse than it should be; but a trans-<br />
lation of a translation is an abomination for<br />
which no excuse can be pleaded. Still the<br />
things exist. At the present moment there is<br />
lying before us a Roumanian translation of<br />
Sienkiewicz’ well-known Polish novel ‘ Quo<br />
Vadis,” with the statement shamelessly printed<br />
on its title page “* Translated from the French.”<br />
Such frank admissions are indeed rare, but<br />
that in many cases what are offered as trans-<br />
lations are merely translations of translations<br />
is certain. The aberrations from the original<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
are, in many instances, such as to leave no-<br />
possibility of a doubt of a German inter}<br />
mediary. Neither can there be any possibility<br />
of a doubt that these lucubrations represent<br />
the happy hunting ground of the literary<br />
pirates of many tongues. There is probably<br />
no kind of literary production in which<br />
the producer of contraband wares is more.<br />
active.<br />
<br />
To return, however, to the French report.<br />
Up to the present authors and publishers have<br />
paid attention to translations of the first class<br />
only, either completely ignoring the second and<br />
the third, or, at the best, taking the second only<br />
into consideration quite by accident.<br />
<br />
‘In fact, generally, and excepting only in<br />
the case of some agreements with England or<br />
with the United States, we are accustomed<br />
hitherto to sell our works purely and simply<br />
for a single payment made once for all either<br />
by translator or publisher, who afterwards<br />
makes of these works what use he pleases.<br />
<br />
** Meanwhile the formidable development of<br />
the international Press tends to render more<br />
and more profitable to the foreign purchaser<br />
the exploitation of the complete right which<br />
he has obtained. Having become absolute<br />
proprietor (of the translating right) the foreigner<br />
is able to sell and to re-sell his translation, to<br />
publish it and to re-publish it in various forms,<br />
in volumes of various prices, in illustrated<br />
editions, in parts, to offer it for serial publica-<br />
tion, to publish it in twenty different periodi-<br />
cals, and everywhere to gather profits with<br />
both hands, whilst neither the author nor his<br />
co-proprietor has any suspicion of the con-<br />
tinuously increasing profits resulting from his<br />
having agreed to accept a single payment for<br />
his rights.”<br />
<br />
It appears, however, that some authors have<br />
been a bit more prudent, and whilst ceding<br />
rights of French translation, have reserved the<br />
rights of French serial production. Respecting<br />
which the report observes, ‘‘ We see no reasom<br />
why we should not treat our fellow-authors as:<br />
they treat us.”<br />
<br />
For the future the ‘“ Société des Gens de<br />
Lettres ” intends to support, with a firm<br />
expectation of making this mode of action<br />
triumphant, the following equitable general<br />
theory: the French author who treats with a<br />
foreign translator (publisher, editor of a<br />
journal, or individual translator) will sell for a<br />
fived sum the right to translate a work in one<br />
form strictly defined, and will explicitly reserve<br />
all the other rights, and in particular those which<br />
in any way represent reproductions of the<br />
translation.<br />
<br />
P|<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
——_—_—_ ><<br />
<br />
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[FI6l ‘ANOS<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
258<br />
<br />
“THE LAW OF COPYRIGHT.” *<br />
<br />
+4<br />
<br />
TYNHIS volume is a reprint of a series of<br />
articles which appeared in The Bio-<br />
scope. In the nature of things, it was<br />
<br />
not to be expected that the author, in the<br />
<br />
space at his disposal, could give more than the<br />
merest outline of the law. Nevertheless, Mr.<br />
<br />
Croasdell has succeeded in presenting a fairly<br />
<br />
concise summary of the main features of the<br />
<br />
Copyright Act of 1911, and has added a<br />
<br />
certain amount of information respecting<br />
<br />
international copyright.<br />
<br />
We gather that the articles which go to<br />
make up the work were written, in the main,<br />
for the guidance of those interested in the<br />
cinematograph industry, and, no doubt, some-<br />
thing may be said in favour of a short treatise,<br />
such as the one before us, which presents the<br />
main features of the Copyright Law as amended<br />
by Parliament.<br />
<br />
There is, however, as we have pointed out<br />
on previous occasions, great danger in con-<br />
sulting works which seek to explain so complex<br />
a subject as copyright in the limited space<br />
which Mr. Croasdell allows himself. We are<br />
glad, therefore, to observe that it is to be<br />
followed by a larger work on the same subject.<br />
<br />
Mr. Croasdell, referring to the question of<br />
titles remarks :—<br />
<br />
Copyright exists in the title of a book if such title is a<br />
new and original literary composition, for the title is part<br />
of the book, and is as much the subject of copyright as the<br />
book itself. Although a book may have been out of print<br />
several years, still the copyright may exist, and another<br />
person is not justified in adopting the title so long as the<br />
copyright continues.<br />
<br />
This statement of the law is very misleading.<br />
Practically speaking, there is no copyright in a<br />
title, though there may be a certain property<br />
acquired by user. A general statement such<br />
as the one we have quoted is sure to mislead<br />
rather than to enlighten the layman.<br />
<br />
No doubt in the larger work which has been<br />
promised Mr. Croasdell will amplify what he<br />
has said on this subject, but it is precisely<br />
because such amplification is necessary, that<br />
we feel the dangers incidental to any attempt<br />
to explain the law in the small compass chosen<br />
by the author. bite<br />
<br />
In the chapter on Copyright Abroad, Mr.<br />
Croasdell speaks of Holland and the United<br />
States of America, among other countries, as<br />
being outside the Berlin Convention, In<br />
regard to the former, the statement is in-<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
_* “The Law of Copyright,” by W. Carlyle Croasdell,<br />
Barrister-at-Law. London: Ganes, Ltd. 85, Shaftesbury<br />
Avenue, W. ,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
‘JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
accurate—Holland joined the Convention in<br />
November, 1912. In regard to the United<br />
States of America, the statement is inadequate,<br />
for while it is true that America is not a party<br />
to the Convention, copyright protection may<br />
be obtained in that country, and this should<br />
have been explained.<br />
<br />
——— ¢ —~<—<br />
<br />
THE TRADE OF AN AUTHOR.*<br />
<br />
oe<br />
<br />
\7 OT the least interesting of Mr. Hope<br />
ae Moncrieff’s ‘* Reflections and_ Recol-<br />
<br />
lections,”” is the Introduction, where<br />
we get the personal note, rather lacking in the<br />
rest of the volume. This is the more welcome,<br />
as this ‘‘ author of sorts,’? as Mr. Moncrieff<br />
modestly styles himself, has always been a<br />
determined opponent of publicity. Indeed,<br />
we would prefer more recollections and less<br />
reflections.<br />
<br />
The earlier chapters, which deal with a general<br />
history of authorship, the making of the author,<br />
his genesis and development, show traces of<br />
wide reading and a remarkable insight into the<br />
varied conditions of the literary ‘ife.<br />
<br />
The author’s genial personality is constantly<br />
reflected in the autobiographical portion of the<br />
book and in his tolerant and good-humoured<br />
reference to the eccentricities and shortcomings<br />
of certain well-known authors—a_ pleasing<br />
contrast to the mordant and cynical comments<br />
on contemporary writers in several popular<br />
books of reminiscences recently published.<br />
<br />
The book is not over-laden with anecdotes<br />
and good stories, but the few that are given are<br />
new and full of point. There is one of a cele-<br />
brated author who had had an unsatisfactory<br />
interview with two of the partners in a well-<br />
known New York firm of publishers. He had<br />
left them in high dudgeon, but before he had<br />
reached the corner of the block, he was accosted<br />
by a stranger who told him that he had seen<br />
the wrong man—that he had interviewed the<br />
literary partner and the financial member of<br />
the firm. ‘* You should have come to me first ;<br />
Tam the drinking partner!” Ultimately they<br />
both came to an harmonious understanding.<br />
<br />
Under the well-known pseudonym, Ascott R.<br />
Hope, the author has a high reputation as a<br />
writer of sound and wholesome stories of<br />
school life and adventure for boys, and with<br />
the late George Henty he stood at the top of<br />
the tree in this kind of fiction.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* “ A Book about Authors: Reflections and Recollec-<br />
tions of a Bookwright.” By A. R. Hope Monerieff. 10s. net.<br />
A. & C. Black. 1914.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.]<br />
<br />
His stories of school -life, which” show a<br />
remarkable insight into boy nature, though<br />
well known and popular, have not, however,<br />
attained such success as they deserve. But the<br />
writer is, no doubt, handicapped through con-<br />
fining himself almost exclusively to studies of<br />
life at grammar schools and what are known as<br />
private schools, and ignoring the more popular<br />
field offered by the public schools and those<br />
public schools in miniature—the preparatory<br />
schools. Then too, Ascott R. Hope’s<br />
school-boy rather lacks modernity, especially<br />
as regards school-boy slang—his boys, indeed,<br />
talk too correctly. Perhaps this accounts for<br />
the fact that, though many of his books have<br />
reached several editions, he cannot claim one<br />
great out-standing success like his rivals,<br />
Desmond Coke or Ian Hay.<br />
<br />
In an instructive chapter on publishers, the<br />
unbusinesslike methods of some firms is<br />
humorously indicated by the following epi-<br />
sode. A publisher, “ who long somehow<br />
escaped bankruptcy,” happened to be travel-<br />
ling by the same train as our author. ‘* Guess-<br />
ing that the likes of him would travel first, I<br />
took a third-class ticket, and walked slowly<br />
along the train. Sure enough, he sat in state,<br />
where he graciously invited me to join him.<br />
‘No,’ said I, * You can travel first-class ; I pay<br />
my debts.’ ”<br />
<br />
In the course of some good-humoured<br />
strictures on editors and their ways, in con-<br />
nection with one who wanted to commission<br />
him to write a school history of Europe, which<br />
should make no mention of the Reformation,<br />
he tells an anecdote of Leo XIII.. which is new<br />
to us. He had given a celebrated historian<br />
access to the archives in the Vatican Library,<br />
but impressed upon him that he need not feel<br />
restricted in the use he made of them, and<br />
added slily, ‘‘ There are some good people who<br />
would like to edit the Scriptures, cutting out<br />
the story of Peter and the cock, for instance,<br />
lest it should bring discredit on the Holy See)”<br />
<br />
The author holds rather pessimistic views<br />
of present-day literary criticism. The Early<br />
Victorian sledge-hammer methods of censure<br />
have had their day, and are apt to be replaced<br />
either by indiscriminate eulogy or tame and<br />
colourless criticism. With books, as with the<br />
stage, the public is more and more inclined to<br />
be its own critic, and our author asks with<br />
reason, Is the plebiscite of the readers a better<br />
guide than its professed counsellors ? Who<br />
shall say ? :<br />
<br />
On the question of press criticism, Mr. Mon-<br />
crieff is uncompromisingly severe. To prove<br />
the contradictory character of reviews he<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR. 259<br />
<br />
devotes a page to a selection of favourable and<br />
unfavourable criticisms of the same book. But<br />
this method of the “‘ deadly parallel,” to show<br />
the futility of press criticism, is, however, mis-<br />
leading. It assumes that the exaggeratcd<br />
encomiums of the Mudford Mercury are of<br />
«qual value to the author and publisher as the<br />
few lines of guarded approval in the Times or<br />
Atheneum.<br />
<br />
Among Mr. Moncrieff’s excursions in. the<br />
various ficlds of literary enterprise, perhaps his<br />
most notable success has been in topography.<br />
A marked feature of his guide-books and topo-<br />
graphical works is their literary distinction—a<br />
feature which frees them from the reproach of<br />
not being literature—from which this class of<br />
book usually suffers.<br />
<br />
In ‘“ London” for instance, the following<br />
illumining speculation on London in posse is<br />
worth quoting as a vivid piece of word-<br />
painting :—<br />
<br />
“Are there children now elive whose<br />
bleared eyes may see London shrunk to its old<br />
bounds, perhaps huddled on some choice site<br />
like the heights of Highgate and Hampstead—<br />
which, according to Mother Shipton’s prophecy<br />
shoald become its centre—when for leagues, as<br />
about the walls of Delhi or Pekin, the open<br />
country will be dotted with ruined temples and<br />
towers, round the broken dome on Ludgate<br />
Hill, standing up in solitary state like the<br />
Kutub Minar? Can it ever come to lie<br />
squalidly deserted for a new city, rebuilt by<br />
some conqueror, as at Bokhara and Samarcand?<br />
Are there generations yet unborn to whom this<br />
capital will be a show, like ~ hundred-gated<br />
Thebes,’ a quarry of antiquities like Nineveh,<br />
or Knossos, a mystery like the Cambodian<br />
Angkhor, or the Bolivian Tiahuanaco, an over-<br />
grown wilderness like the buried ruins of<br />
Yucatan ? ”<br />
<br />
Probably the most enduring of Mr. Mon-<br />
crieff’s works is that by which he is least known<br />
to English readers. This is a monumental<br />
geographical work of reference in six volumes,<br />
called ‘‘ The World of To-day,’’ which gives a<br />
popular survey of the present-day geographical,<br />
historical, political, social and economic con-<br />
ditions of all the countries of the world. In-<br />
deed, the author of this colossal compendium<br />
of geography might almost be described as a<br />
twentieth century Reclus.<br />
<br />
The book ends with a note of encouragement<br />
to his fellow-craftsmen, and an impressive and<br />
dignified Vale to the reader. ‘‘ On coming to<br />
add up my account, I find a balance on the<br />
right side. I have lived my life; I a<br />
spoken my mind; I have done what I could,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
‘260<br />
<br />
in a world where at the best we are all but un-<br />
profitable servants.”<br />
<br />
“By diligently plying the pen rather than<br />
the sword or the plough, one may have more<br />
surely helped to turn the wilderness of life into<br />
a garden. If one have taken pains not to let<br />
one’s tool go rusty; if one have never prosti-<br />
tuted it to base uses; if one have cared to be<br />
an honest hireling in this day’s work; if one<br />
be aware of having given pleasure to some, of<br />
having sought to work harm to none, these are<br />
the things that should not make death terrible<br />
to an author who, like the silent many, must<br />
look to be forgotten ; yet what good or ill he<br />
could do for his generation will not die in the<br />
lives of men.”<br />
<br />
KH. A. R. B.<br />
<br />
BOOK-PRICES CURRENT.*<br />
<br />
to<br />
<br />
ry NUE first three numbers of the new volume<br />
<br />
of Book-Prices Current are lying before<br />
<br />
us, numbers as full as ever of interesting<br />
matter, presenting once more the insoluble<br />
problem of how any notice is to do justice to a<br />
publication of this kind. The modern reader<br />
of the notice of a book expects from the<br />
reviewer something more than an honest state-<br />
ment of how the work which the volume con-<br />
tains has been done; the reader wishes to<br />
know something about the book, something<br />
which will enable him to talk about it—without<br />
having read it; and how is any reviewer to<br />
enable a man to do that when the very essence<br />
and merit of the work lying before him is that<br />
it consists of hundreds of minutely accurate<br />
notes of various volumes, the excellence of the<br />
work and its interest being wholly in the<br />
minuteness of its details? Indeed, we will<br />
freely admit that our custom of selecting a few<br />
items for note, which we shall again do pre-<br />
sently, is really indefensible. In almost every<br />
vase not the books which anyone may happen<br />
to select, but very many others, are just those<br />
whose mention would be interesting to a reader<br />
of the periodical. All the books in the world<br />
cannot have a meaning for any one individual,<br />
any more than all the words in the world can<br />
have a meaning for him. Each real lover of<br />
books will be interested in his own specialities,<br />
and not at all interested in anything else ; for<br />
which reason the book-lover ought to read<br />
Book-Prices Current for himself; and will in<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* “Book-Prices Current.’<br />
<br />
Volume XXVIII, Nos. 1<br />
2,3. London: Elliot Stock,<br />
<br />
1914, :<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
[JUNE, 1914.<br />
<br />
all cases find his pains well rewarded by<br />
information that he will not be able to gather<br />
anywhere else. We have said this more than<br />
once; and still fear that the periodical does<br />
not find its place even in the libraries of all<br />
public institutions, nor even in the libraries of<br />
all literary institutions ; though it is certain<br />
that no public library ought to be without it.<br />
<br />
Since the beginning of the new volume a new<br />
arrangement of the contents has been adopted.<br />
The books are no longer catalogued under the<br />
headings of the different sales; but each<br />
number displays all the books mentioned in it<br />
in one alphabetical arrangement. A good deal<br />
is to be said for this. Any single book is more<br />
easily found, and different copies of the same<br />
book come into juxtaposition. The last par-<br />
ticular is a distinct advantage. The whole is<br />
also more easily used as a book of reference—<br />
or at least the whole of each single number.<br />
What form the index which ends the number<br />
concluding the year is to take we cannot tell<br />
until that number reaches our hands.<br />
<br />
Still, on the whole, we think that it must be<br />
granted that the new arrangement is more<br />
convenient for ordinary purposes ; though we<br />
must confess to a regret at the loss of the<br />
distinctly picturesque presentment of the<br />
several libraries grouped one by one. Some-<br />
thing there was of interest, not altogether<br />
purely sentimental, and in some ways very<br />
real, in the perspective, if the term may be used,<br />
of the different collections of books ; perhaps<br />
because the tastes of the collector peeped out<br />
from among them ; perhaps because the books<br />
themselves, that had sometimes been so long<br />
together, had the appearance of a grave<br />
symposium which the auctioneer’s hammer<br />
was, alas, to scatter, so that they could never<br />
come together again. The breaking up of a<br />
library is the undoing of a thing that had<br />
organic life for the brain that created it. So<br />
whilst we admit again, we admit it with the<br />
Oriental proverb, ‘“‘ There is no advantage<br />
without a disadvantage.”<br />
<br />
Our own task of selecting a few volumes for<br />
mention—which we have already admitted<br />
cannot be defended—has also become more<br />
difficult. It is no longer possible to say,<br />
‘“* Look at the sale of this library or that for<br />
books of such and such kinds.’”? The books<br />
have succumbed to the tyranny of the alpha-<br />
bet. And so there is all the more reason why<br />
the book-lover should read Book-Prices Current<br />
for himself. He, indeed, will find his favourite<br />
authors more easily than before; so be it<br />
<br />
hoped that he may be the more disposed to<br />
read,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
laa<br />
ib.<br />
if<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
JUNE, 1914.)<br />
<br />
: Among the greatest rarities are the follow-<br />
ing :—<br />
<br />
Byron, ‘ English<br />
Reviewers,” fifth edition, original boards,<br />
uneut. The only copy known. The edition<br />
was suppressed by Lord Byron, and every copy<br />
ordered to be burnt before publication. The<br />
title page, preface, and postscript found in this<br />
copy are not found in the two or three copies<br />
of the fifth edition with a fourth edition title<br />
page. It seems surprising that the work<br />
should not have fetched more than £12.<br />
<br />
A first folio of Shakespeare—last two pages<br />
of ‘‘ Cymbeline ” in facsimile—probably unique<br />
in having the “ Tragedy of Troilus and Cres-<br />
sida’ regularly and correctly paged through-<br />
out. This was sold in one lot with three other<br />
folio Shakespeares—1632, 1664, and 1685<br />
respectively—for £1,200.<br />
<br />
Richardson. A collection of the first edition<br />
of his works. ‘‘ Pamela,” 1741—42; “‘ Cla-<br />
rissa,” 1748; ‘‘ Grandison,”’ 1754, and ‘“‘ The<br />
Correspondence of S. Richardson,” by A. L.<br />
Barbould, 1804. The twenty-four volumes<br />
fetched £96.<br />
<br />
Records of sales of various works of<br />
Thackeray’s are numerous. Amongst them<br />
will attract particular interest—<br />
<br />
Thackeray, Autograph MS. of Lecture on<br />
Jonathan Swift, twenty-one pages written by<br />
Thackeray, and thirty-two by his daughter,<br />
Anne Thackeray Ritchie, with numerous cor-<br />
rections by Thackeray. $1,700.<br />
<br />
Still more interesting is the only known copy<br />
of “The Whitey-Brown Paper Magazine ” by<br />
Thackeray, lithographed. The mention of<br />
this strange periodical is accompanied by an<br />
explanatory note. $23,000.<br />
<br />
Books certainly have their fashions as well<br />
as their fates; and it is curious to place the<br />
following two sales side by side. :<br />
<br />
E. Fitzgerald, “‘ Omar Khayyam,” second<br />
edition in original wrapper. 1868. £12 10s.<br />
<br />
Sophocles, “* Edito Princeps,’’ Venice, Aldus,<br />
1502. £11.<br />
<br />
From which it would be easy to deduce—<br />
well, too many different things to be set down<br />
here. ‘<br />
<br />
Mark T'wain’s autograph MS. of “A Yankee<br />
at the Court of King Arthur,” 1889, sold for<br />
£100. :<br />
Meredith, ‘‘ Diana of the Crossways,” first<br />
edition, 3 vols., cloth, 1885, sold for £2 6s., and<br />
those who have in their libraries copies of the<br />
old three-volume novels, which Mudie no<br />
longer circulates, may easily possess works<br />
that are worth money. :<br />
her work of Meredith’s<br />
<br />
Bards and _ Scotch<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
26r<br />
<br />
may be quoted, as evidence that when authors<br />
present their works to friends they should<br />
write their names in them. It makes a good<br />
deal of difference in the money value of the<br />
present. Meredith, “The Shaving of Shag-<br />
pat,” first edition, 1886, with author's inserip=<br />
tion, £19; although the original cloth binding-<br />
was cracked and the half-title torn. a<br />
<br />
ee i —2-+ + © ia ———__<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
<br />
—+—<—+<br />
<br />
MacazZInE Payments.<br />
<br />
Dear Sir,—I was very much pleased to see<br />
in last month’s Author, under the above title,<br />
an exposition of the effrontery manifested by<br />
some unprincipled ‘‘ MSS. snatchers.” The<br />
writer leads us to suppose that these literary<br />
ghouls occupied chairs of distinction; this, of<br />
course, is an all-important consideration.<br />
Presuming this to be the case, I feel sure that a<br />
strongly-worded letter to the owners of the<br />
publication would have received attention<br />
and ultimately brought forth a statement<br />
to the effect, “* We regret that your contribu-<br />
tion entitled -—— published in our<br />
issue was erroneously underpaid, through a<br />
clerical error, and we have much pleasure in<br />
enclosing cheque value £—— to cover the<br />
deficiency. Regretting the error, ete.”<br />
Another case that I recall with great readiness<br />
was that of a very respectable 6d. monthly<br />
(not an English publication) that underpaid<br />
me by several shillings; the editor, upon<br />
having his attention drawn to the deficiency<br />
(not by the proprietors, however), promised to<br />
add the amount on to the next cheque. Six<br />
“next cheques’ have come and gone since:<br />
then, but no increase has been apparent.<br />
The editorial memory is exceedingly defective:<br />
upon such issues, and I have not the slightest<br />
doubt that the incident has long ago passed into<br />
the sub-conscious portion of it. If the cditor<br />
should see this letter, doubtless he will gladly<br />
add the amount to the neat cheque.<br />
<br />
Jpon still another oceasion a very experl-<br />
enced friend of mine (an old editor) told me<br />
that he found the best plan was to return the<br />
cheque with a covering note politely intimating<br />
that the amount 1s insufficient. This pe<br />
apparently causes the editor to be stung . i :<br />
he hastens to write<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
out a fresh cheque.<br />
f ‘ ass of editor I forbear to<br />
<br />
oubtful whether I could<br />
with the aid of any<br />
<br />
Of the other cl<br />
speak, indeed, it 1s d<br />
really do them justice,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
262<br />
<br />
printable words. These creatures trade upon<br />
the credulity of the inexperienced author,<br />
and are usually so bad that in many cases they<br />
reap their own reward, or at least the two very<br />
worst cases that came within my ken did.<br />
One rapscallion to whom I had sold some<br />
“ stuff’? arranged to pay for it on the instalment<br />
plan, which he did until he reached the third<br />
or fourth instalment (I forget which). He<br />
then heard rumours of absence in a far country,<br />
and promptly ceased to continue the pay-<br />
ments; no doubt he thought I had left the<br />
country for good, and, that, even if he did<br />
send it on, I should not be able to spend it.<br />
However, a little later the secretary of the<br />
Society relieved him of any doubts he may<br />
have entertained, by requesting him to send<br />
the rest of the monies to the secretarial depart-<br />
ment. This so scared him that he sent the<br />
remainder toute « coup.<br />
Haroup Ucrus.<br />
<br />
— <4<br />
<br />
REAL EDITIONS.<br />
<br />
‘<br />
<br />
Srr,—On the question of “editions” as<br />
against a statement of the number of copies<br />
of a book issued, your correspondent may be<br />
interested in the letter of Jared Sparks printed<br />
in ‘George Palmer Putnam, a Memoir,”<br />
published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1912, pp. 55<br />
and 56. The writer says ‘ Prescott and<br />
Bancroft publish what are called ‘ editions,’<br />
500 each. They think there is some advantage<br />
in it, although where there are stereotype<br />
plates, one can hardly see the propriety of<br />
calling each impression a new edition.”<br />
Earlier in the letter he had given figures with<br />
regard to Washington’s writings.<br />
<br />
Yours faithfully,<br />
E. A. ARMSTRONG.<br />
<br />
— ++<br />
<br />
A QUESTION AS TO PAPER.<br />
<br />
DrEar Sir,—A work of mine—published<br />
about a year ago—is printed on very thick,<br />
soft paper, which seems to me likely to be the<br />
sort that does not last. The paged proofs<br />
were printed on thin paper, which, apparently,<br />
is of much better quality. Bound up they<br />
<br />
make a book little more than half the bulk<br />
of those issued to the public; but I care<br />
nothing for bulk if the work is not to be lasting.<br />
Would some reader kindly tell me how I may<br />
know good, that is durable, paper from bad,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
{JUNE, 1914.<br />
and what would, approximately, be the differ-<br />
ence in cost between the one and the other.<br />
<br />
The book in question is demy 8vo and<br />
consists of 360 pages.<br />
<br />
Cuaries F. Moxon.<br />
<br />
Sea peelings<br />
<br />
U.S.A. Puay Piracy.<br />
<br />
Dear Sir,—My attention has just been<br />
drawn to a paragraph in the May number of<br />
The Author referring to the piracy in New York<br />
of ‘“‘ La Petite Fille,’ under the title of “A<br />
Pair of White Gloves.”<br />
<br />
I shall be obliged by your publishing an<br />
immediate contradiction of the statement con-<br />
tained in this paragraph, to the effect that I<br />
prevented the authors, or the Société des<br />
Auteurs Dramatiques from benefiting from<br />
the unauthorised production at the Princess’s<br />
Theatre. The production was stopped at the<br />
instance of the Société des Auteurs Drama-<br />
tiques, acting for the authors, and the option<br />
I hold was only concerned so far as to make my<br />
consent to their action necessary.<br />
<br />
I am not, and have never been, a ‘‘ dramatic<br />
agent,” and am surprised that the editor of<br />
The Author should pass a paragraph oppro-<br />
briously mentioning a member of the Society<br />
of Authors without first submitting the con-<br />
tents to him. I have repeatedly tried to learn<br />
the particulars of the production of the play<br />
and the result of the French society’s action<br />
from the secretary of the Society of Authors,<br />
but so far without the slightest result.<br />
<br />
Your obedient servant,<br />
Joun PoLiock.<br />
<br />
[We gladly publish this letter, though we<br />
cannot admit that any opprobrious mention<br />
was made of the writer in the paragraph<br />
referred to, which was quoted from the United<br />
States Publisher's Weekly.]|<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
NovELISTS AND THE HosprraLs.<br />
<br />
Dear Sir,—Has it ever been suggested<br />
before that it would be a good plan if novelists<br />
and publishers sent proofs of novels to the<br />
fever hospitals for the amusement of patients<br />
and nurses? There are stages in illness when<br />
fiction is a good tonic and the last stage for<br />
these infectious sheets would, of course, be<br />
the fire. I see no harm that could come from<br />
this suggestion, if novelists will take it, and<br />
the corrections on the proofs would only<br />
add to the amusement and interest.<br />
<br />
Yours faithfully,<br />
A NOVELIST. | https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/541/1914-06-02-The-Author-24-9.pdf | publications, The Author |