https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/525/1913-02-01-The-Author-23-5.pdf 2afb77bb52c869ef62fe21b437bb80eb PDF Text Text ���������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em> Description An account of the resource A digitised run of the Society of Authors' monthly periodical, <em>The Author</em>, 1890<span>–</span>1914, made available together for the first time.<br /><br />Currently users can browse issues and <a href="https://historysoa.com/items/browse?search=&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bjoiner%5D=and&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Index&amp;collection=&amp;type=&amp;tags=&amp;exhibit=&amp;date_search_term=&amp;submit_search=Search+For+Items&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CTitle">indices</a> (not available for all volumes). Full text search for all issues, and other additional search functionality, will be added in 2022. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1890–1914 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The-Author-Issues Publication Date The date of an event (in YYYY, YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD format) 1913-02-01 Volume 23 Issue 5 Pages Page range in volume 129–156 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19130201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The Huthor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) FOUNDED BY SIR WALTER BESANT. VoL. XXTII.—No. 5. Feprvuary 1, 1913. [PRICE SIXPENCE. TELEPHONE NUMBER: 374 VICTORIA. TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS: AUTORIDAD, LONDON. ees NOTICES. ee ee the opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the authors alone are responsible. None of the papers or paragraphs must be taken as expressing the opinion of the Committee unless such is especially stated to be the case. Tue Editor begs to inform members of the Authors’ Society and other readers of The Author that the cases which are quoted in The Author are cases that have come before the notice or to the knowledge of the Secretary of the Society, and that those members of the Society who desire to have the names of the publishers concerned can obtain them on application. ARTICLES AND CONTRIBUTIONS. Tue Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the Society that, although the paper is sent to them free of cost, its production would be a very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest 5s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the offices of the Society, 39, Old Queen Street, Storey’s Gate, S.W., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on all literary matters treated from Vou. XXIII, the standpoint of art or business, but on no other subjects whatever. Every effort will be made to return articles which cannot be accepted. ADVERTISEMENTS. As there seems to be an impression among readers of The Author that the Committee are personally responsible for the bona fides of the advertisers, the Committee desire it to be stated that this is not, and could not possibly be, the case. Although care is exercised that no undesirable advertisements be inserted, they do not accept, and never have accepted, any liability. Members should apply to the Secretary for advice if special information is desired. ee THE SOCIETY’S FUNDS. —-——<— + — ROM time to time members of the Society K desire to make donations to its funds in recognition of work that has been done for them. The Committee, acting on the suggestion of one of these members, have decided to place this permanent paragraph in The Author in order that members may be cognisant of those funds to which these con- tributions may be paid. The funds suitable for this purpose are: (1) The Capital Fund. This fund is kept in reserve in case it is necessary for the Society to incur heavy expenditure, either in fighting a question of principle, or in assisting to obtain copyright reform, or in dealing with any other matter closely connected with the work of the Society. (2) The Pension Fund. This fund is slowly increasing, and it is hoped will, in time, cover the needs of all the members of the Society. 180 THE PENSION FUND. —-—+— N January, 1912, the secretary of the Society I laid before the trustees of the Pension Fund the accounts for the year 1911, as settled by the accountants, with a full statement of the result of the appeal made on behalf of the fund. After giving the matter full con- sideration, the trustees instructed the secretary to invest the sum of £500 in the purchase of Antofagasta and Bolivian Railway 5% Pre- ferred Ordinary Stock and Central Argentine Railway Ordinary Stock. The amounts pur- chased at the current prices were £287 in the former and £282 in the latter stock. The trustees desire to thank the members of the Society for the generous support which they have given to the Pension Fund. The money now invested amounts to £4,454 6s. Later in the year, at a meeting of the Com- mittee of Management, a question concerning the funds of the Society was brought up for dis- cussion, and it was suggested that it would be a good thing for the Pension Fund trustees, if they had power, to sell out the Fund's holding of Consols and to invest in some more satisfactory security. The suggestion was placed before the trustees of the Pension Fund, and a meeting was called, when the chairman of the Committee of Management, the trustees, and Mr. Aylmer Maude, the member of the Committee of Management who had made the suggestion, were present. The figures were very closely considered, and it appeared clear that altera- tions in the investment of the funds could be carried out with advantage to the Fund’s income. It was decided by the trustees, with the approval of the Committee of Management, to sell out the holding of Consols. With the amount realised, were purchased— $2,000 (£400) Consolidated Gas and Elec- tric Company of Baltimore 44% Gold Bonds ; 30 Buenos Ayres Great Southern Railway 4°/, Extension Shares, 1914 (£8 paid) ; £250 Edward Lloyd, Ltd., £1 5% Prefer- ence Shares. These amounts are fully set out and added in the nominal value to the Pension Fund investments, below. The trustees have also, in view of the option extended to them as holders of £282 Central Argentine Railway Ordinary Stock, subscribed for 8 Central Argentine Railway £10 Preference Shares, New Issue. The nominal value of the investments held on behalf of the Pension Fund now amounts THE AUTHOR. to £4,454 6s., details of which are fully set out in the following schedule :— Nominal Value. £ 8. @ Local Loans ......-+++-++++0s 500 0 0 Victoria Government 3% Consoli- dated Inscribed Stock ......-. 291 19 11 London and North-Western 3% Debenture Stock ............ 250 0 0 Egyptian Government Irrigation Trust 4% Certificates ........ 200 0 0 Cape of Good Hope 84% Inscribed Stock 2.2... .02- snes cue: -.. 200 0 0 Glasgow and South-Western Rail- way 4% Preference Stock .... 228 0 0 New Zealand 84% Stock........ 247 9 6 Irish Land 23% Guaranteed Stock 258 0 0 Corporation of London 23% Stock, 1927—57.......-+e0+. 438 2 4 Jamaica 84% Stock, 1919-49 182 18 6 Mauritius 4% 1987 Stock ...... 120 12 1 Dominion of Canada, C.P.R. 84% Land Grant Stock, 1938 ...... 198 3 8 Antofagasta and Bolivian Railway 5% Preferred Stock .......... 237 0 0 Central Argentine Railway Or- dinary Stock ...........++6-. 232 0 $2,000 Consolidated Gas and Electric Company of Baltimore 44% Gold Bonds ............ 400 0 0 250 Edward Lloyd, Ltd., £1 5% Preference Shares .........- 250 0 0 30 Buenos Ayres Great Southern Railway 4% Extension Shares, 1914 (08 paid) ...--.. 45.5. 240 0 0 8 Central Argentine Railway £10 Preference Shares, New Issue.. 30 0 0 Total ee yee ves £4,454 6 0 ———__+—>—_e___—_- PENSION FUND. Tue list printed below includes all fresh dona- tions and subscriptions (i.e, donations and subscriptions not hitherto acknowledged) received by, or promised to, the fund from October 1, 1912. It does not include either donations given prior to October 1, nor does it include sub- scriptions paid in compliance with promises made before it. Subscriptions. 1912. fs Oct. 2, Todhunter, Dr. John. _ Ao Oct. 10, Escott, T.H.S. . ~» @.5 x ae ‘tinea  Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. Nov. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. THE AUTHOR. 10, Knowles, Miss M. W. : 11, Buckley, Reginald . ‘ 12, Walshe, Douglas : 12, ‘‘ Penmark”’ . ; 15, Sinclair Miss Edith . 16, Markino, Yoshio. : 20, Fiamingo, Carlo’. 29, Henley, Mrs. W. E. 8, Jane, L. Cecil . 14, Gibb, W. 4, De Brath, S. . : 4, Sephton, The Rev. J. 4, Cooper, Miss Marjorie 7, MacRitchie, David 11, Fagan, James B. 27, Dawson Forbes 1913. Jan. Jan. 1912. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. Nov. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. 3, Toynbee, William (In addi- tion to his present sub- scription). . 9, Gibson, Frank . Donations. 2, Stuart, James . : 14, Dibblee, G. Binney . : 14, Michell, The Right Hon. Sir Lewis, C.V.O. 17, Ord, H.W. . : 20, Yorke-Smith, Mrs. . 10, Hood, Francis . i 20, Kennard, Mrs. N. H. 4, McEwan, Miss M. S. 4, Kennedy, E. B. 11, Begarnie, George 11, Tanner, James T. 11, Toplis, Miss Grace . : 14, Watson, Mrs. Herbert A.. 14, French, Mrs. Warner . 17, Smith, Miss Sheila Kaye . 17, Marras, Mowbray 27, Edwards, Percy J. . 1913. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. 1, Risque, W. H. : 1, Rankin, Mrs. F. M. . 2, Short, Miss L. M. 2, Mackenzie, Miss J. 2, Webling, Miss Peggy 8, Harris, Mrs. EK. H. . 8, Church, Sir Arthur, K.C.V.O., ete. 4, Douglas, James A. 4, Grant, Lady Sybil 6, Haultain, Arnold 6, Beveridge, Mrs. 6, Clark, The Rev. Henry Ww. Crocco oorHoHoCoSoOooo a) So = coooce Smroocooowooourooon SCOoOrmNWwWH _ Oman” et Ooo _ SS OS Or Or Or Or Or — OUR OO OF OT CLO O SO OUR font Sr Or Ot St OL © aay oe anocoococoocococoancoooo® oo ao coococo ocoooceoco escococooocoeoooooansg 131 6, Ralli, C. Searamanga. 6, Lathbury, Miss Eva . 6, Pryce, Richard 7, Gibson Miss L. S. 10, K. : : 10, Ford Miss May : 12, Greenstreet, W. J. . 14, Anon. ; : 15, Maude Aylmer : 16, Price, Miss Eleanor 17, Blouet, Madame 20, P. H. and M. K. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. oo 2 _ _ Pe Oe OCororS Oe he OmMOCOCCOoORS wth Scocococoooeo= ee ee ee COMMITTEE NOTES. oo HE first meeting of the year was held at the committee room, 18, Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W., on January 6. There was a very full list of agenda before the committee. After the minutes of the last meeting had been read and signed thirty-four applications for membership and associateship of the Society were received. The applicants were elected, and the list appears on another page. The question of the resignations, owing to pressure of business, was adjourned to the February meeting. The solicitor then reported the cases he had dealt with during the preceding month. He mentioned two cases against a travelling performer. In the first case the amount of the debt and costs had been paid, as soon as the defendant had been served with a summons for examination as to his means. In the second the summons had not yet been issued. The next case was a claim against an American Syndicate with offices in London. The solicitor reported that he had been unable to get any satisfactory answer, although, at the request of the defendants, they were given time to enable them to get a reply from the United States. The solicitor advised that action should be taken in the United States, and the committee adopted this advice, subject to the author’s willingness to proceed. An action against a daily paper had been settled, the author taking a certain sum by way of com- promise. The solicitors and the secretary were pleased to report the receipt of an apology from a company in respect of a threat made to a member of the Society to take no more of his literary work if he persisted in claiming what was due to him under a contract with a newspaper. Three cases were then reported 132 against a publisher. The first case the solicitor stated, with regret, had been won In the county court by the publisher; he did not consider, as the amount in question was very small, and no question of principle was con- cerned, that it would be worth the Society’s while to appeal. The other two cases were demands for money and account. In one of these the accounts had been delivered but, owing to a mistake, required adjustment, and after a report on the other, the committee authorised the solicitor to proceed, failing a satisfactory answer from the publisher. In a claim for dramatic royalties the solicitor reported he had failed to obtain any answer to his requests, and the committee authorised action in the courts. In another case against a paper, the proprietor had been examined as to the assets of his company. These proved to be worthless, and, in consequence, the judgment obtained would be abortive. In another case the solicitor explained the action he had taken to give effect to a judgment, but no satisfaction had, so far, been obtained, as the defendant had no address, no office, no regular occupation and no assets on which execution could be levied. A case of libel arising out of a book review was next considered, and the solicitor gave a detailed explanation of the legal aspect of the ease as laid before him. The committee regretted they could not take action, as such action appeared to be outside the powers of the Society, and the secretary was instructed to write to the member accordingly, with a full report of the case with which the solicitor was instructed to furnish him. In two bank- ruptcy cases the action that had been taken during the past month was laid before the committee. The secretary then brought before the com- mittee a case of dispute on a printing account. The committee did not see their way, from the evidence before them, to take up the matter, but suggested a course of action, and stated that they would be ready to reconsider the matter later if desired. In a case against a German manager who had threatened piracy of a work by an English dramatist, a member of the Society, the committee decided to take action and instructed the secretary to proceed. In another case, which originally had been before the Society some time during the beginning of last year, it was decided to take action, as the negotiations had failed to produce any satisfactory result. The case was an infringement of dramatic rights in India, and involved the payment of a large sum as THE AUTHOR. security for costs. This amount the committee decided to pay. A claim for breach of con- tract by a publisher, which had been resisted by the publisher in an offensive letter to the author, was considered, and it was decided to take immediate action. Finally, it was decided that counsel’s opinion should be taken on a dispute in regard to a question of cinema- tograph production. Certain questions associated with the Collec- tion Bureau were next considered. It was decided to make a charge of 2s. 6d. for each half-yearly collection of accounts in those cases where the commission charged did not come to the minimum thus fixed. The secretary was instructed to report to the next meeting how many members had already placed their matters in the hands of the Bureau. A question then arose concerning Canadian copyright, and the secretary read two letters that he had received—one from an American correspondent and one from the Premier’s — office in Ottawa. It was decided by the — committee to write an official letter to the Minister of Justice and to the Minister of — Agriculture, putting one or two further points before them, and the secretary was instructed to draft such a letter for the consideration of the chairman. Recommendations from the Dramatic Sub- Committee were then laid before the committee. In one case it was decided to take immediate action for piracy in Winnipeg, as the committee had been informed that piracy was frequent and flagrant throughout the Dominion, and it was felt that it should be stopped. The second recommendation of the Dramatic Sub- Committee referred to another case which had been settled since the recommendation had been made. The third recommendation was to accept the courteous offer of the Society of American Dramatists and Composers to grant reciprocal aid in matters relating to the interests of dramatists. This recommendation the committee gladly confirmed, and instructed the secretary to communicate with the American society accordingly. It was decided to send out the Annual Report to all the committee at the earliest possible moment, and the date of the General Meeting was fixed, provisionally for Thursday, April 8. Formal notice of the meeting, with the Report, will be sent round in due course. A letter from the Society’s agent in Holland was read, and the secretary was instructed to reply to it and to communicate the committee's decision in regard to certain privileges asked by the agent.  THE AUTHOR. "The ‘costs of the Americaii lawyers for the - year were also considered, and the secretary » was instrudted to reply to the courteous letter «| from the lawyers in which they had offered to “reconsider their charges. An important point had been raised in = eammittee at the last meeting touching the ‘> question of payment by editors on acceptance. * A draft letter to editors asking for their opinion ‘= and suggesting some arrangement was settled, is and the secretary was instructed to send out 02 some twenty or thirty copies to the editors of 9 certain magazines and periodicals. He was at instructed to report the result to the next “1 meeting. The chairman reported the action he had ‘si taken about new offices for the society, and the joe settlement of this matter was left entirely in it, Jhis hands. ; A letter from Mr. Frederic Harrison, with- a> drawing his resignation, was read to the ‘02 committee, who instructed the secretary to «02 convey their thanks to Mr. Harrison. : The following donations to the Capital Fund to of the Society were chronicled, and a vote of 11 thanks to the donors passed. & &: Miss Cicely Hamilton 5 ‘Thomas Common . el Philip E. Hubbard . 1 Mrs. T. P. O’Connor. 1 —_— a bh coooe Dramatic SuB-CoMMITTEE. * THE January meeting of the Dramatic Sub- ¥03 Committee was held at the committee rooms of «1 the Society of Authors, 18, Queen Anne’s Gate, «= S.W., on Friday, January 17. Various impor- “s tant matters were considered, the first subject "> for discussion being the question of cinemato- ** graph fees. Mr. Raleigh apologised for not (5 being able to place his report before the sub- 6. committee, but explained that the subject was © one of larger extent than he at first thought, ‘and involved many difficult issues; that he © had gathered a great deal of information and yumi time for the next meeting. He trusted, how- 7 ever, that the committee would not hurry him, as it would be better to get an exhaustive report on the fullest information than to produce an unsatisfactory document. He explained, however, a great many of the points to the sub-committee which needed to be considered. -The legal questions then came up for discussion. $ 133 Mr. Raleigh explained that he had settled the dispute about the title of one of his pieces, and that the Society had taken up another case on his behalf, a dispute with a German manager who had threatened to infringe his rights. The secretary also reported that the case referred to the Committee of Management dealing with copyright infringement in Canada had been taken up. The committee had determined to carry it through as quickly as possible. The question of foreign dramatic agents was next brought forward, and the secretary read letters he had received from three of these agents. The terms for the collection of fees in foreign countries were very carefully con- sidered, and the secretary was instructed to write to the proposed agents, laying before them details as to figures and other matters. When the figures are finally settled full particulars will be printed in The Author. The action of the Society of West End Managers in the matter of the Managerial Treaty was again discussed, and it was decided that, at the next meeting of the committee, a date should be fixed for the con- ference of dramatists and the agenda to be brought before that Conference. It was decided, also, to refer to the next meeting the discussion of a circular to be issued on behalf of the Collection Bureau, and the consideration of the dramatic pamphlet was adjourned. ComroseErs’ SuB-COMMITTEE. Tue Composers’ Sub-Committee of the Society of Authors, held its first meeting for 1913 at the committee rooms, 18, Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W. After the minutes had been read and signed the sub-committee went carefully through Messrs. Curwen’s agreement, clause by clause, and the secretary was instructed to write a letter to Messrs. Curwen pointing out the emendations and corrections necessary before the agreement could meet with the approval of the sub-committee. It is hoped to carry this matter through in the course of the next few meetings. The secretary reported that no answer had been received to his letter to the Board of Trade, and he was instructed to write to the President again on the matter. Failing a satisfactory reply it was suggested that the points raised should be laid before counsel, and “L 134 the question was referred to the Committee of Management for that purpose. The sub-committee next dealt with the question of performing rights and the rights of reproduction on mechanical instruments, the committee were determined to carry the issues further, although it had been found impossible to get any satisfactory reply from the Music Publishers’ Association in regard to performing rights. The secretary was instructed to draft a letter dealing with both points as arising under the new Copyright Act, and to refer the letter, when approved by the chairman, to the Committee of Management, as the sub- committee desired that the circular should be sent out as from the Committee of Manage- ment to all composers, whether members of the Society or not, in the hope that by a closer combination it would be possible to obtain a satisfactory return for rights which, at the present time, were being so grossly squandered. The constitution of the sub-committee was also discussed, and one or two fresh names put forward. These names will be submitted to the Committee of Management, on the re-election of the sub-committee, if the consent of the owners can be obtained. ——— + Cases. Durine the month of January the secretary has dealt with fifteen new cases. Three of the matters in dispute were questions dealing with the legal interpretation of agreements. One of them has been settled, the other two are still open. These disputes, as there is usually much correspondence, take rather a long time to settle. One dispute, however, as a typical example, is of interest. It refers to delay in publication. In many publishing agree- ments there is no special date fixed for pub- lication, and in mayy others where the date is fixed, time is not made “ of the essence of the contract; ’’ in consequence publishers don’t hesitate to delay publication for their own convenience, when such delay is often a matter of serious importance to the author. For instance, if a sum of money is to be paid on the day of publication, it is to the advantage of the publisher to postpone the date, and this he sometimes successfully accom- plishes. In some instances the publisher is unable to get the printer to go on with the work, perhaps owing to some unpaid account, in that case the delay is very serious to the author; but the real difficulty to the author arises when it becomes necessary to take action, THE AUTHOR. because, although delay is serious, it is very difficult for the author to prove actual damage, as the damage is much oftener “ moral and intellectual” than financial. If, there- fore, it is of vital importance that the book should be brought out at a fixed date, the author should not merely in his agreement name the date, but should insist upon the words “time to be of the essence of the con- tract ’? being inserted. There have been five cases for the return of MSS., and in two cases the MSS. have been returned and forwarded to the author. The three other cases have only recently come to hand. A point has arisen in one of these which is of general interest to authors, There is a habit among editors of delaying the return of the MSS., and that although their attention is especially called to the fact that the MSS. are of ephemeral interest. These cases are very hard on authors, and even though the author has made special reference to the fact it not infrequently occurs that the editor takes no notice, and the author in consequence, sup- posing his MSS. are rejected by one magazine, loses the chance of placing them elsewhere. In most of these cases he is without a remedy. One ease has arisen of a dispute with an agent in the United States of America. This naturally has not been settled in the month, but it is in the hands of the United States lawyers. Four cases have come to hand where money due has been withheld from the authors, one of these has been settled, and of the three that are left, two are in the course of satisfactory negotiation, and the third has only recently come to hand. It is possible that, failing settlement, they may have to be placed in the hands of the Society’s solicitors. The secretary is dealing with one case of literary libel. He has written on behalf of the author to the other party, but as he has received no reply, it is to be hoped that no further steps will be necessary. One question of accounts has only recently come to hand. Most of the cases dealt with in the last month have been satisfactorily closed; those that still remain open are either disputes on agree- ments, which, as already stated, need a certain amount of diplomatic correspondence, or foreign cases. Two matters, however, have been placed in the hands of our solicitors, to carry through the courts if necessary. —  THE AUTHOR. Elections. Alston, Evelyn Armstrong, Martin D. . Arup, Paul S. Blaikley, Miss Editha L. Carter, Winifred (Mrs. John L. Carter) Clouston, J. Storer as Drew, Sara, Miss. Dudley, Maudsleigh Faydon, Miss Nita Firth, Miss M. Violet Ford, May . Gibson, Frank Gretton, R. H. . Hayden, Arthur . Huntley, G. P. India Society, The Macdonell, Miss Amice. Miles, Alfred Henry Pugh, H. Cooper . Purnell, Leslie T. Raffalovich, (Bedwin Sands) Scheffauer, Herman Smith, Lady Sybil ~Strangways, A. H. Fox. “Taylor, Colin. George 10, Cornwall Man- sions, Chelsea, S.W. Brisco Hill, Carlisle. 24, Osterley Park Road, Southall, Middlesex. Ardwell, Nether Street, Finchley, 9, Crimicar Lane, Fulwood, Sheffield. 24, Clifton Hill, St. John’s Wood, N.W. 22, Wynstay dens, W. 78, Regent’s Park Road, N.W. 7, Ridgmount Gar- dens, W.C. Orchard Cottage, Dormans Park, Surrey. 314, Romford Road, Forest Gate. 8, Chester Terrace, Regent’s Park, N.W. Burford, Oxfordshire 11, St. Alban’s Villas Highgate Road, N.W. “ Highcroft,” Why- down, Bexhill-on- Sea. 3, Hertford Street, Mayfair. 31, Kensington Park Gardens, W. 49, St. Fillan’s Road, Catford, S.E. clo Messrs. Gold, Edwards & Sons, Solicitors, Denbigh. 43, Colville Terrace, Bayswater, W. 22, Church Road, Barnes. Bank Point, Jack- son’s Lane, High- gate, N. Rolls Park, Chigwell. Gar- Eton College, Wind- sor. 135 Watt, Stuart, the Rev.. Machakos, British East Africa. “Strathnairn,” Ootacamund, India. Woodman, R.T. . . St. Cross Grange, Winchester. Zimmermann, F. G., 17, Stile Hall Gar- M.A. dens, Chiswick, W. The Editor regrets that in the last number of The Author Miss Fitzgerald’s name was wrongly announced. The name should have been Miss Ena Fitzgerald, and not Miss Eva. Wingate, Col. Alfred Woodrow, 4+ —_—— BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MEMBERS. BU While every effort is made by the compilers to keep this list as accurate and exhaustive as possible, they have some difficulty in attaining this object owing to the fact that many of the books mentioned are not sent to the office by the members. In consequence, it is necessary to rely largely upon lists of books which appear in literary and other papers. It is hoped, however, that members will co-operate in the compiling of this list, and, by sending particulars of their works, help to make it substantially accurate. BIOGRAPHY. Tre Lire AND LETTERS OF WILLIAM CoBBETT IN ENGLAND AND AmeERICA. Based upon hitherto unpublished Family Papers. By Lewis MELVILLE. Two Volumes. 8} x 54. 330 and 335 pp. Lane. 32s. n. EDUCATIONAL, CerMAN ror Datty Use. By Mrs. E, Toornton Cook (E. E. Prentys). London: Marlborough & Co.; New York: Wm. R. Jenkins. FICTION. Rounp THE CorNER. Being the life and death of Francis Christopher Folyat, Bachelor of Divinity, and father of a large family. By GiBERT CANNAN. 7k x 5. 344 pp. Martin Secker. 6s. Tan Kwave or Dramonps. By Eruen M. 72 x 5. 384 pp. Fisher Unwin. 6s. A Marriage or Inconventence. By THomas Coss. 7% x 5. 316 pp. Mills & Boon. 6s. Tym STORY OF STEPHEN Compron. By J. E. PatTERSON. 74 x 5. 367 pp. Heinemann. 6s. Tur New Guiiiver anp Orner Srories. By Barry Paty. 734 x 5. 261 pp. Werner Laurie. 6s. Tue Court or THE Gentes. By Mrs. STANLEY Wrencu. 7} X 5. 427 pp. Mills & Boon. 6s. Hapow o’ THE SHAaws. By THEO. Dovetas (Mrs. H. D. Everett). 73 x 5. 301 pp. Methuen. Carcuinc A CoRoNET. By Epmunp BosaNnQuet. 73 x 5. 320 pp. John Long. 6s. Toe Man with THE Money. Row.anvs. 8X 5. 322 pp. Hurst & Blackett. 6s. «“ Wuere are You Gorne To...?” By ELIZABETH Rosins. 7} x 5. 312 pp. Heinemann. 6s. Mr. SHERINGHAM AND OTHERS. By Mrs. ALPRED Srpe- WICK. 7} x 5. 314 pp. Mills & Boon. 6s. DELL. By Errre ADELAIDE 136 A Kyicut or Sparx. By Marsoriz BowEn. 7} x 5, 312 pp. Metheun. 6s. INCOMPARABLE JOAN. By Auice M. Drenu. 7} x 5. 320 pp. John Long. 6s. Mr. Mezson’s Witt. By H. Riper Haccarp. 8% x 53. 120 pp. (Cheap Reprint.) Newnes. 6d. Tur GULLY OF BLUEMANSDYKE, &c. By A. Conan DoyLe 8} x 53. 126 pp. (Cheap Reprint.) Newnes. 6d. JUVENILE. Tue Farry TRANSFORMED AND OTHER PLAYS FOR CuinpREN. ByS. Sproston. London: Saml. French. “Tam ADVENTURES OF SILVERSINT.”’ (1s. 6d.); “* THREE Jotty HuntsMEn,” (2s. 6d.); ‘‘ BABES AND Buasts,” (2s.); ‘‘ Tum Cat Scouts,” (1s. 6d.). By JEsste Pore. Blackie & Sons. ‘“‘ LAUNCELOT AND GUENEVERE.” By Guapys Davipson. (A New Number in the “ Romances of the World” Series). By Thomas Nelson & Sons. 2s. 6d. “Api Aspout LirrtLe SPIFFKINS,” “ALL ABOUT THE Fiyrne Pic.” A Couple of Illustrated Toy-books— humorous tales. By GLapys Davipson. Published by Dean & Son, Ltd. MEDICAL. Hanppook or Mepican TreatTmENT. A Guide to Therapeutics for Students and Practitioners, with an Appendix on Diet. By Jamus Burnet, M.A. Tae Pocket Crricat Guipr. By James Burnet, M.A. A. & C. Black. THE Pockrr PRESCRIBER. Third Edition. By James Burnet, M.A. A. & C. Black. MILITARY. ADVENTURES OF WAR WITH CROSS AND CRESCENT. By Pure Gipss anp B. Grant. 7% x 5. 241 pp. Methuen. 2s. n. MISCELLANEOUS. MonvuMENTAL Java. By J. F. Scuerrema. _ Illustrated with Photographs and Vignettes, after drawings of JAVANESE chandi. By THe AvutTHor. 8} x 53. Macmillan & Co. 12s. 6d. History oF Eneuish Nonconrormiry. By Tue Rev. Chapman & Hall. ORIENTAL. Tue Basis FoR ARTISTIC AND INDUSTRIAL REVIVAL IN Henry W. Cuark. Inpia. By -E. B. Haven. 74 x 43. 197 pp Madras: Theosophist. 2s. POETRY. Tue River Ruymer. By J. Asupy-STerry. 6} x 4. 243 pp. Ham, Smith. 3s. 6d. n. each. REPRINTS. A Laopiceax. 487 pp. WersSEX PomrMS AND OTHER Verses. 275 pp. By Tuomas Harpy. 9 x 6. Macmillan. 7s. 6d. n. TOPOGRAPHY. SrapLe INN AND ITS STORY. LL.D. (Third Edition.) 7 Is, n. TRAVEL. On THE Track or THE ABor. By PowELt MILLINGTON. Smith, Elder & Co. 3s. 6d. n. How to Vistr Evrore on Next to NoTuine. E. THornton Cook (E. P. Prentys), New York. Mead & Co. By T. Caro WorsFoLD, <x 5. 127 pp. Bagster. By Mrs. Dodd, THE AUTHOR. LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL NOTES. HE Oxford University Press have issued, in cheap but tasteful form, a volume entitled ‘“‘ The Poetical Works of Robert Bridges.” ‘The book consists of the poems and masks (as apart from the dramas contained in the collected editions of his works), together with two groups of Later Poems and Poems in Classical Prosody now published for the first time. We have received from the same firm a very satisfactory volume of the Poems (1830: to 1870) of Lord Tennyson, our first presi- dent. The get-up of the book, paper and print, is all that could be desired, and it is. published at the moderate price of 4s. 6d. It has two coloured pictures and ninety-six illustrations in black and white. The Presi- dent of Magdalen, Dr. T. Herbert Warren, has added an introduction. The same publishers have issued an in- teresting book on “The Church Bells of England,”’ by H. B. Walters. The author has made a special study of the question for over twenty years, and has endeavoured in the book to set forth within the defined compass the more important aspects of the subject, which from its many-sidedness and its still living interest appeals perhaps to a more extensive class of readers than any other branch of archeology. Mr. Barry Pain has published through Mr. Werner Laurie, a collection of tales under the title of ‘‘ The New Gulliver and Other Stories.”” The volume consists chiefly of two long and original stories. The first, as the title indi- cates, deals in an exceedingly whimsical and original manner with a new people in an imaginary country. The other is a series entitled ‘‘ In a London Garden,”’ and in this Mr. Barry Pain gives an account of the making of a garden, together with many quaint reflections and allegories. With the same publishers Mr. Edwin Pugh is bringing out a novel entitled ‘‘ Harry the Cockney.” It is a piece of biographical fiction, showing the life of a typical cockney— his parents, his relations, his environment, his outlook, his people’s outlook, his own progress, mental and physical. We see him at a board school, with its bullyings, its narrownesses, its pettinesses, its friendships, its early flirtations. We follow him into the office of a kindly solicitor, noting his progress from a pert boy into a regular young ’Arry, with his cigarettes, his quifs, his mashings, his utter ignoring of  THE AUTHOR. his home and his parents. His ambitions and his progress are realistically described, and we find him finally a barrister and M.P., but none the less feeling “ out of his class.” Mr. Werner Laurie is also publishing *‘ The Night of Temptation,” by Victoria Cross. It is a story of love, set partly in Devonshire and partly on the Nile, among the sandy wastes of the African desert. The plot is uncon- ventional. Throughout the story runs that note of selfless devotion which is the keynote of a woman’s love. This finds its ultimate expression in a magnificent deed of heroism. The book is priced at 6s. Miss Constance Maud, whose books on French life, “‘ An English Girl in Paris,” and ‘** My French Friends.’’ met with such success, has brought out with the firm of Messrs. Duckworth & Co., ‘‘ Angélique” (La P’tet Chou). It is the record of the early life of a little French child; as the author states: ‘‘She is a sprout of pure Parisian growth, a curious contrast to the round, rosy-cheeked sprouts reared in English nurseries.” It is an amusing record of a child’s precocity, full of her quaint sayings, set out in broken English. It has a frontis- piece and cover picture by Pierre Brissaud. Here is another book about a child, ** Little Thank You,” by Mrs. T. P. O’Connor, pub- lished by Putnam’s at the price of 2s. It is the custom nowadays to decry sentiment, but some are still old-fashioned enough to cling to it. To those the childish prattle and warm human nature in Mrs. O’Connor’s book will appeal. She has woven into the story a fascinating dog, who goes by the name of “ Jimps.”” The scene of the story is laid in New York and Virginia. But a chronicle of human feelings makes a universal appeal. The interest in the theory and practice of needlework has grown in recent years if it is possible to judge from the number of books written on the subject. Miss M. E. Wilkinson has published a work entitled ‘* Embroidery Stitches,” with 200 illustrations, at the price of 5s. net., with Herbert Jenkins, Ltd. The aim and purpose of the book is to epitomise the most useful stitches applicable to embroidery, and to add new and original stitches which will aid the development of this particular branch of needlecraft. Miss Wilkinson has had a series of articles on art needlecraft in the Lady, and a shorter series in the Nursing Times. Mrs. Shearman, dealing with another side of the same subject, has just issued with Messrs. Baldwin & Walker at the price of 6d. ‘‘ Her Ladyship’s Knitting-Book, (2.),” the second of the series. The whole art of plain knitting 137 was dealt with in No.1. A study of No. 2 will enable the reader to knit stockings and socks of any size in proper proportion without troublesome calculations. The calculations are all done for the reader in the pages of the book. Mrs. Charlotte Cameron suggests to those who wish to avoid the winter fog, that they should take their winter in South America. Her book entitled ‘“‘A Woman’s Winter in South America,” published by Stanley Paul at the price of 6s., gives an account of her 24,000 mile journey along the coast. She also published ‘* 4 Durbar Bride” with Stanley Paul last year. Mrs. Cameron is proposing to take a tour round the coast of South Africa, beginning on the West Coast and calling at all the impor- tant ports; and as the result of her journey will publish a book entitled “A Woman's Winter in Africa.” Mr. Harold Munro, who for the last twelve months has edited the Poetry Review, is about to sever his connection with this paper, and proposes to publish a quarterly periodical under the title of Poetry and Drama. This paper will include in its scope the appreciation and criticism of modern poetry and drama. The first issue will appear on March 15. The Review will be published from the Poetry Bookshop, 35, .Devonshire Street, Theobald’s Road, W.C. From this same address was published on December 17 a book under the title of ‘‘ Georgian Poetry, 1911—1912,” being a criticism of modern English poetry, containing work by most of the younger poets. The book is published at the price of 3s. 6d. The first edition was exhausted a few days after publication. The author of ‘The Terrible Choice,” Mr. Stephen Foreman, has undertaken the task of portraying a good man dominated by a shameful sin. He understands that life’s business is indeed ‘‘ The Terrible Choice.” The title is taken from Browning’s well-known lines : “ White shall not neutralise the black ; nor good Compensate bad in man, absolve him so : Life’s business being just the terrible Choice.” The publishers are John Long, Ltd. Messrs. Methuen & Co. are publishing, early in February, a new novel by Theo Douglas (Mrs. H. D. Everett) author of “* Cousin Hugh,” etc. The title of the new work is “ Hadow 0” the Shaws.” “Gallant Little Wales” is the title of Jeannette Marks’ new book, published in America by Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., and in Great Britain by Messrs. Constable & Co. 188 Mr. John Murray is publishing the new novel “Through the Cloudy Porch,” by K. M. Edge (Mrs. C. T. Caulfield). The story is one of passionate love and idealism. The central theme—the power of woman’s inspira- tion to back man’s force and render it effective —is vividly maintained. The scene is laid in South Africa a year after the Boer War. The political ferment, and the veldt with its elemental appeal, alike vitally affect the characters. The John Church Co., of London and New York, have just published a new edition of Theodore Holland’s ‘‘ Suite Miniature,” for pianoforte op. 16., at the price of 2s. Messrs. Harraps are including in their “ All-Time Tales” an edition of “Ivanhoe ” which Mrs. E. Thornton Cook (E. E. Prentys) is preparing. Miss Gladys Davidson has, in the Press, to be issued shortly by Mr. David Nutt, a nature- book for children, which will be called ‘‘ Told in Dicky Bird Land,” a collection of original tales about birds. Miss Davidson has also just completed a series of short biographical sketches of famous men and women in literature, for Messrs. T. C. and E, C. Jack. Miss Olivia Ramsey’s seventh novel, “A Girl of no Importance,” has just been published by John Long, Ltd. Derek Vane’s new novel, ‘“‘ The Soul of a Man,” was published by Messrs. Holden and Hardingham in January. The title is taken from the lines ‘“‘ The Lord gave the house of a brute to the soul of a man,” and the story shows what happens to a man with a dual nature. Another novel by the same author will be brought out by Messrs. Everett & Co., in the spring. “The River Rhymer ”’ is the title of a book of verses produced by W. J. Ham-Smith, the author of which is J. Ashby-Sterry. Mr. Sterry has long been known as a writer of light verse. ‘‘ The River Rhymer ”’ deals with the river Thames from its source to its mouth in all its aspects. ‘The book will be weleomed by those who love the river. Messrs. Mills and Boon have published a novel by E. M. Channon (Mrs. Francis Chan- non), the author of ‘‘ The Keeper of the Secret,” and other novels. The book is entitled ““Cato’s Daughter,” the title being taken from Shakespeare’s “* Julius Ceesar,” “ I grant 1 am a woman, but withal a woman well reputed, Cato’s daughter.” Messrs. James Duffy, Ltd., have just issued a story by Louise M. Stackpoole Kenny at the THE AUTHOR. price of 2s. 6d. Many of the characters that are in her previous novel are introduced again- The scene is laid in the South of Ireland, and the book deals with social life and development of character. It is free from political con- troversy. Many books of reference have come to the office, such as ‘‘ The Schoolmaster’s Year Book” ‘The English Woman’s Year Book,” and an interesting work entitled ‘‘ Books that Count.” The last is published by A. & C. Black, under the editorship of W. F. Gray, and is a dictionary of standard books. In the preface the editor says: ‘The book takes note only of books (1) that are in English (together with out- standing foreign books of which good transla- tions exist) ; (2) that present concisely, clearly and authoritatively the general aspects of the subject with which they deal; and (8) that are thoroughly modern in aim and outlook, easily accessible, and purchasable at a moder- ate price.” Another useful book of reference is ‘‘The United South African Register,” which has established itself as the most up-to- date directory of South Africa, and is necessary for the information of those who are desirous of cultivating their knowledge of this growing colony. It is published by Messrs. Sampson, Low & Co. Miss Arabella Kenealy’s last novel, “ The Irresistible Mrs. Ferrers ” (Stanley Paul & Co.), now going into a fourth edition, has been published in America by Messrs. Dillingham, of New York. The plot of the story hangs in the fact that the irresistible Mrs. Ferrers is the greatest beauty and wit of her day, and wishes to go down in history as having subju- gated all men and succumbed to none. Lord Lyzon comes upon the scene, and there is a struggle for him between his wife and the heroine. “The Truth about Carlyle: An Exposure of the Fundamental Fiction still Current,” by David Alec. Wilson, with a preface by Sir James Crichton-Browne, is to be published this spring by Alston Rivers, at 1s. 6d. He has been collecting materials for this work for twenty years. The same author will publish in the spring a work under the title of ‘ Sensible People,” by Methuen & Co., at 2s. 6d. It is to distil knowledge from current speculations, and is filled with quotations and notes to prove that all the greatest thinkers, from Confucius to Carlyle, agree with the best of the saints and prophets in the fundamental truths of religion and philosophy. Two interesting books are nearly ready for publication from the firm of Messrs. Stanley  THE AUTHOR. Paul. The first is entitled, ‘‘ The Romance of an Elderly Poet,”? and is written in col- laboration by Mr. A. M. Broadley and Mr. Walter Jerrold. It is concerned with the poet George Crabbe and Elizabeth Charter. The second is Sir James Yoxall’s ““ More About Collecting.” Sir James has already made him- self an expert on this subject. Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton are about to add an appreciation of the work of the Society’s late President, George Meredith, O.M., to their series of Literary Lives. Mr. Thomas Sec- combe will undertake the work. It is difficult to imagine anyone better equipped for the task. Messrs. Ouseley & Co. have just produced a novel entitled ‘‘ The Nom-de-Plume,”’ from the pen of Leonard A. Gibbs. It is a story with an object, and seeks to show the mischief wrought by free-love in well-to-do homes. Mrs. J. O. Arnold’s new novel, ‘‘ Requital.” will be published by Messrs. Methuen about the twentieth of this month. Mrs. R.S.De Crespigny’s book, “ The Spanish Prisoner,” has been published in a 7d. edition by Messrs. Everett & Co. Dramatic NOTE. During the end of December and the begin- ning of January, very little has been doing in the dramatic world outside pantomine per- formances, but toward the middle and end of January the dramatic world began to wake up. Mr. G. R. Sims has given his valuable assistance to the production of the Drury Lane pantomine and “Peter Pan,” by Mr. J. M. Barrie, has now gone into its ninth annual production. It is a fair deduction to make that “ Peter Pan,” like the Christmas pudding, will become an annual custom both for young and old. The Kingsway Theatre has produced Mr. Bernard Shaw’s play ‘John Bull’s Other Island.” The Irish Players have produced at the Abbey Theatre, with a cast chosen from their second company, Mr. E. Millington Mear’s play entitled ‘“‘ The Little Christmas Miracle.” In the second week Charles Hawtrey pro- duced Mr. George A. Birmingham’s (Canon Hanney’s) ‘‘ General John Regan,” at the Apollo. As everyone knows, the author is the writer of many amusing books on Irish life. He has now carried his Irish humour on to the stage. The story centres round an American tourist, who upsets an Irish village by the promise of £100 towards the statue of a certain General John Regan who, a native of the village, had greatly distinguished himself in Bolivia. The difficulty is to find the 139 relations of ‘* the Native,’’ and secure the £100. It is, as one critic remarks, a joke in three acts rather thana play... At the Vaudeville Theatre Miss Hilda Trevelyan produced a series of matinées of “* Shock-headed Peter,’ by Philip Carr and Nigel Playfair, the music being from the pen of Paul Rubens. Preceding each performance are some Old English singing-games, folk- songs, and country and sword dances, performed by children under the personal direction of Cecil J. Sharp. On Monday and Tuesday the 3rd and 4th of this month, a new one-act play will be pro- duced at matinees at the Little Theatre, John Street, Adelphi. The play is a comedy in one act adapted from Mr. W. W. Jacobs’ story, “ A Love Passage.” The play itself is by Mr. W. W. Jacobs and Mr. Philip Hubbard. The story of the play follows that of Mr. Jacobs’ well-known short story, which is included in his book, ‘Many Cargoes,”’ but the incidents have been so arranged as to bring the action, which in the story, is extended over some days, within the scope of a one-act play, and, to enable a more effective stage setting, the Captain and his Mate have been promoted to the command of an ocean-going Tramp Steamer instead of that of a small schooner. Sir Arthur Pinero’s ‘‘ The Mind-the-Paint- Girl’? has met with a warm welcome in its German form in Mayence. It has been pro- duced under the title of ‘“‘ Das Midel ohne Heiligenschein.” Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Irving (Miss Mabel Hackney) have just arranged to dramatise Mrs. T. P. O’Connor’s new novel “ Little Thank You,” a note of which appears in another column. It will be a labour of love, as Mr. and Mrs. Irving have the same love and understanding of children and dogs as the author. Mrs. O’Connorreally modelled “‘ Jimps”’ upon ‘‘Mop,” the Irvings’ fox terrier, who already plays one or two “star’”’ parts written for him by his master. Mr. Horniman’s new play, “Billy’s Fortune,” was produced at the Criterion Theatre in the middle of last month. The plot centres round ‘* Billy,’’ a boy who has been left an enormous fortune. He has the option of chosing his guardian, who is to receive £100,000 when the boy makes his choice. In the same week Mr. Arthur Bourchier and Miss Violet Vanbrugh at the Coliseum pro- duced a short play by Mr. Stanley Houghton. A hard-up society woman, a husband also on the verge, and a rope of pearls which does not belong to them, but is in their possession, are 140 the pivots of the plot. The plot is full of humanity—the better side. : On December 28, 1912, a novel combination of kinemacolor stage play with music was produced at the Scala Theatre. The music was specially written, with the addition of songs and dances, to accompany the action of each film. The book and lyrics were by Harold Simpson, and the music by Theodore Holland. The idea of the combination is to the credit of Alfred de Mauby. The film was produced by the Urban Co. ———_—_—__+—— PARIS NOTES. ees s URQUIE Agonisante ” is the title of a little volume just published by Pierre Loti. The subjects of some of the principal chapters are “ Lendemains d’Incendie,”” “* La Guerre Italo-Turque,”’ ‘‘ Les Tures massacrent,” ‘‘ Lettre sur la Guerre moderne,” “* Lettre sur la Guerre des Balkans.” In the chapter entitled *“* Les Turcs massa- crent,” the author endeavours to show up the absolute injustice of Europeans. He gives us instances of Europeans massacring under the pretext of civilising. He shows us the English in the Transvaal and France in Algeria. Pierre Loti tells us that in no country do we find such solicitude for the poor, the weak, the old and the very young, such respect for parents and such veneration for the mother as with the real Turks. He then goes on to tell us of their kindness to animals, to their dogs and cats, and he relates that in a certain town he knows, there is a hospital for storks which are either wounded or too old to fly away for the winter. In his chapter on modern warfare, Pierre Loti asks whether this is what progress, civili- sation and Christianity have brought us to. He gives us a picture of Turkey with 60,000 men maimed for life or dead, within a fortnight. ‘““Le Président de la Republique,” by M. Henry Leyret. The author of this book tells us just what are the rights and duties of the President of the French Republic. “Nos Amis les Canadiens,” par Louis Arnould. In this volume we have some in- teresting information with regard to the history, psychology and literature of Canada. M. Etienne Lamy has written the preface. “* Pour.la Femme ”’ is the title of the Com- tesse de Avila’s recent book. “Histoire du Peuple anglais au XVIII° Siécle ”’ is the first volume of a work by M. Elie THE AUTHOR. Halévy. He tells us of England in 1815, and speaks of its government, religion, and of the culture of the whole nation. ““La Cour des Stuarts 4 Saint-Germain-en Laye ” (1689—1718), by G. du Bose de Beau- mont and M. Bernos. This volume is of great interest to English readers, giving an idea as it does of the life led by one of our kings in exile. “Les Jeunes Gens d’Aujourd’hui,” by Agathon, is an instructive study. “Le Voyage au Pays de la Quatriéme dimension,” by M. G. de Pawlowski, is the most extraordinary excursion possible. “Images Venitiennes,” by M. Henri de Régnier, is an exquisite book. One of the literary events of the past month was the féte given at the Sorbonne to celebrate the jubilee of M. Ernest Lavisse, the well- known historian. M. Raymond Poincaré, who had only just been elected President of the Republic, wished to be present, both as a fellow Academician and a friend of Lavisse. At the Odéon Goethe’s ‘‘ Faust ’’ has been put on in an excellent translation by M. Emile Vedel. At the Théatre Sarah Bernhardt ‘“‘ Kismet ” has been the great event of the month. It is an Arabian story by M. Edward Knoblauch, with French adaptation by M. Jules Lemaitre. At the Gymnase we have had another play by M. Brieux, ‘‘ La Femme libre,”’ and at the Théatre Antoine an adaptation by M. Pierre Frondaie of M. Claude Farrére’s novel, **L’Homme qui assassina.”’ Atys HaALLarD. “ Turquie agonisante.”’ (Calmann-Lévy.) “La Cour des Stuarts a Saint-Germain-en-Laye.” (Emile Paul.) “Les Jeunes Gens d’Aujourd’hui.” (Plon.) “Le Voyage au Pays de la Quatriéme dimension.” (Fasqueile. ) 5 THE COLONIAL BOOK TRADE. — L Tue Book MARKET IN AUSTRALIA. UNDERSTAND that the writers of English books are gradually being roused to the fact that the Australian market is slipping away from them. The few importers of books in the large towns here will tell you that the percentage of publications ordered from England is very small and rapidly decreasing year by year. Their place is taken  THE AUTHOR. by American periodicals, books and novels. This change is partly natural, and I see no way to stop a great deal of it. The 100 million Americans produce books which are better suited than any English ones to the needs of the four million who here form a working com- munity. Everybody works here, and those who don’t like to do so soon perceive that Australia is no place for them. The Australian can get what books he wants to tell him about irrigating his bit of land, or about tales of adventure in the Wild West, cheaper and better from American publishers than from English ones. Make no mistake about that. That portion of the Australian market has gone out of England’s hands—it was never in them. _ Still, a majority of the people in Australia were born in the old country and are bound to read English romance, very much as do the stay-at-home Britishers, in preference to American fiction. How comes it that the ‘trade’? supplies them with American fiction out of all proportion to the real demand, and pays little attention to the call for the English novel ? Australian booksellers have been much abused of late and they do not deserve it. They, like every other shopkeeper, go for what pays them best. The English publisher plods along the weary way which his grandfather peacefully followed. The American, on the contrary, changes with the changing times— often a little before them. Once a year comes to our seaport towns {there are no great inland cities) a traveller from England to take orders for a good, solid, respectable British firm, armed with ** dummy” copies of new books, blandly ignorant of the kind of story each contains, strapped down to certain prices which he can take, or else “ turn it down.” Result—a meagre amount of orders. The Americans see a brainier way of doing business. They wait until a book is printed, and then send complete copies across the Pacific, with a letter saying that if you order 500 you will be charged a large percentage off the published price; if you choose to take a 1,000, a further reduction will be made, some- times two-thirds of the price being deducted, and this is on books exactly the same as the $1.50 (6s.) sold in America. We buy the $1.50 book always at 3s. 6d. here. The Australian bookseller runs his eye over the book. He can tell, with surprising exact- ness, how many will sell and what amount of advertisement will be needed. Result—a tre- mendous amount of business, speedily handled, 141 and incidentally a much larger royalty to the author. ee What should British authors do, if they desire to increase their returns from their - labour? I respectfully suggest that they should call upon their publishers and urge them to abandon at once the methods which were played out a century ago. Possibly this plan has already been tried and has proved a failure! Then they should try someone else. Preferably they should take from the English publisher the Australian rights and deal directly with the big importers (or their own representative) here. I don’t think I need mention names, but I can say I have seen any number of books lose a good market in Australia simply because there was no one to look after them. It is perfectly certain that Australia will be a tremendous place of busi- ness in a very few years—it is a pretty good one now—and the course I advocate must come sooner or later. In any case, the returns now made to the authors on the ‘ Colonial sales ” are so small that there is not much risk. Or the author can transfer the ‘“ Colonial edition *’ to his American publisher and leave Australia to be dealt with by him. I do not wish to speak harshly of the English publisher, but I must say that, in my opinion as author, publisher, bookseller and publishing agent (in all I have been actively engaged during the last score of years), I have found the American man of business much better to get on with than my own fellow countryman. It is a hard thing to say, yet it must be said, and since we have entered upon an age in which the civilised nations have practically agreed to abandon warfare in the immediate future in favour of peaceful delights of making as much money out of one another as possible, I trust I may be forgiven for my cosmopolitanism. There is one thing more. To the advertising of English books attention must be paid. As a rule nothing is done by the press, except at the bidding of our local booksellers. Last Christmas there appeared twice in the papers a large advertisement from a famous English firm, calling attention to the books thay had on sale—in England! It cost a few pounds which, were absolutely wasted, for, even if asked for, they could not be obtained for at least two months. If advertisements are left to the local importers, it is plain that they will adver- tise, not the books you want popularised, but merely the books they have in stock. Take a case. When an English firm has a suitable book to sell in the Colonies, it may find that the offer is blankly refused by the two or 142 THE AUTHOR. three buyers for Australia. There is a reason for this. The Australian firm may have an abundance of the same class of writing on their hands, and it would not pay them at the moment to import more. That is not a good excuse for boycotting a really good book—not from its author’s point of view at any rate. I believe this is constantly the case. Now the only cure is to send out to Australia, say 500 of a book to an independent agent, who would certainly make a demand for it by judicious advertisement. H. H. G. II. AVING recently returned from a visit to New Zealand, I may be able-to throw a little further light on the subject of the Colonial book trade, although my experience was only confined to the North Island. English publishers as a whole—there are exceptions—do not appear to recognise the vast possibilities of the market in Australia and New Zealand. I was immensely struck with the number and quality of the bookshops; some were to be seen in every town. More particularly was this the case at Napier, a town of 10,000 inhabitants and the centre of a large fruit and sheep farming district. It is customary to provide a large library for the use of the ‘*‘ hands” in up country stations, and some- times these are exchanged among neighbours. There are also several Carnegie and other public libraries in the Dominion. Novels are by no means the only books read, travels are liked, Foster Fraser beingapopularauthor. The prices at which books are sold are much below those charged in England; the 6s. novel is 3s. 6d., and the higher priced books are equally reduced. Few people would buy a book at a higher price than 5s. It is possible that publishers do not consider profits sufficient to recoup them for their trouble, for one bookseller told me fhat 9d. would be all the English publisher would clear on a 8s. 6d. book. On the other hand the sale of a popular book must be enormous. I was told that an edition of 1,000 would go nowhere in Australia. To get a book known, copies for review must be sent to the principal newspapers, a weekly article on literary subjects appearing every Saturday in these papers. At the same time bookshops should be supplied with copies, otherwise revie ws cannot help the sale. The question I should like to put to publishers is, ‘“‘ Is it better to sell four copies of a book at 5s. or one—or more probably none—at 10s, or to ot six copies of a book at 3s. 6d., or one at 68.2?” Author of ‘‘ 1,000 Mites In A MACHILLA.”’ ROYALTIES ON GRAMOPHONE RECORDS. Rupens v. PatHt FrRERES PATHEPHONE, LTD. MoNCKTON v. THE SAME. HESE actions, which were tried together, are the first cases relating to gramo- phone records under the new Copyright Act, which gives a musical composer the right to royalties on the reproduction of his com- positions by means of a gramophone or other mechanical contrivances of a similar nature. The well-known composers, Mr. Paul Rubens and Mr. Lionel Monckton, sued the defendants, who are manufacturers of gramo- phones, and claimed an injunction to restrain them from selling records of certain musical pieces composed by the plaintiffs. The claim of Mr. Rubens had reference to four songs from ‘*‘ The Sunshine Girl,”’ while Mr. Monckton claimed in respect of a piece called “ The Mousmé Waltz.” The new Act provides that the musical com- poser shall be paid certain royalties on gramo- phone records of his compositions, and that the Board of Trade may make regulations as to the mode of payment. Accordingly, regula- tions have been issued by the Board of Trade which require that adhesive stamps shall be purchased from the copyright owner, and shall be affixed to the records before they are sold. The plaintiff found that the defendants were selling gramophone records of their compos - tions without the adhesive stamps, which the Board of Trade requires to be affixed to the records as the method of collecting the royalties. It appeared from the evidence that the defendants had purchased a number of the stamps sufficient to cover the number of records sold by them, but that they had not affixed them to the records, and had sold the records without the adhesive stamps. It was con- tended on their behalf that the plaintiffs could not insist on the defendants purchasing the stamps or affixing them to the records, on the ground that the regulations of the Board of Trade in this respect were ultra vires. Mr. Justice Phillimore, in his judgment, pointed out that it would be extremely difficult to ensure the collection of small royalties on a large number of these cheap instruments in  THE AUTHOR. any other way than that prescribed by the Board of Trade. The first objection alleged by the defendants was that the Board of Trade could not order that the payment of royalties should be made by the purchase of stamps, and secondly that the purchaser of the stamps could not be compelled to affix the stamps to the records. There was some force, his lordship thought, in the last objection; but at the same time, if the royalties were to be paid by purchasing adhesive stamps, he considered it a proper provision that the stamps should not do double duty. The object of the stamps was that they should be used for the purpose for which they were intended, and that the purchaser should be prevented from using them more than once. He held, there- fore, that the regulations of the Board of Trade were within the scope of its authority. Another point in the case of Mr. Rubens had reference to the date of publication, and the effect of an agreement made by his agent with the defendants. Under the provisions of the Act the royalties on records of musical works, published before July 1, 1912, are calculated at 21 per cent., but on records of works pub- lished after that date the royalties are raised to 5 per cent. after the expiration of two years, that is to say, from July 1, 1914. Mr. Rubens was advised as to the value of his rights, and did not wish to publish the songs until after July 1, 1912. It was found to be convenient, however, to have gramophone records made before that date, and in order that this might be done the defendants gave an undertaking that if the music was published before July 1, 1912, they would not sell the records before that date, and that the com- poser should get the royalties. This agreement was made in March, 1912, before the regula- tions of the Board of Trade had been issued, Mr. Justice Phillimore considered that the contract between the parties was that the royalties should be paid, and that the defen- dants had so far fulfilled the agreement, but that in future they must comply with the regulations of the Board of Trade. In the case of Mr. Monckton the records made before July 1, 1910, were exempt from the payment of royalties under the Act until July 1, 1913; but if the defendants sold any records made since July 1st, 1912, they would have to pay the royalties by the purchase and affixing of stamps in accordance with the regulations of the Board of Trade. A point was also taken by the defendants, that the action was not well founded with regard to the songs composed by Mr. Rubens, 143 because the author of the words of the songs was not joined as a plaintiff. His lordship held that the owner of the copyright in the music was entitled to sue for an infringement of the copyright in the music, notwithstanding that the owner of the copyright in the words might also sue in respect of an infringement. His lordship gave judgment for the defen- dants, but without costs. Haroup Harpy. ee IMPERIAL COPYRIGHT. OPERATION OF THE NEW CopyricHTt ACT OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM. T is provided by the Copyright Act, 1911, that it shall extend throughout the whole of the British Dominions, with the exception of the self-governing dominions, i.e. Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and Newfoundland. These dominions have special power to adopt the Act, and its provisions do not extend to such dominions until the local Legislature has declared the Act to be in force. In addition to this area of the British Dominions, there are certain territories under British protection to which the Copyright Act has been extended by Order in Council under the provisions of the Act. The date at which the Act comes into opera- tion varies in different parts, and depends upon proclamation, Order in Council, or statute. The Act operates— In the United Kingdom, from July 1, 1912. In the Self-governing Dominions, from date fixed by local Legislature. In the Channel Islands, from date fixed by the States of the Islands. In other British Possessions, from date of Proclamation by the Governor. It will be seen from the following list, which has been compiled for the purpose of showing at a glance the area outside the United Kingdom in which the Copyright Act 1s in operation, that the Act has been adopted by the Legislature of Newfoundland, proclaimed in most of the British Possessions, and extended by Order in Council to Cyprus and British Protectorates. : In Article 12 of the Somaliland Order in Council, 1899, the word ‘* Copyright ”’ is deleted by Order in Council, June 24, 1912. 144 Britisu CoLonies, THE AUTHOR. IMPERIAL CopPyRIGuHrT, POSSESSIONS, AND PROTECTORATES IN WHICH THE CopyriGHur Act, 1911, IS IN OPERATION. (North American) (West Indian) * (Windward Islands) (Leeward Islands) (Mediterranean) . (African) (Eastern) (Australasian) Newfoundland Jamaica . Turk’s Island British Honduras British Guiana Bahamas Trinidad Tobago Barbados Grenada St. Vincent. St. Lucia Antigua Montserrat .. Nevis. 5 St. Christopher Virgin Islands Dominica Cyprus Malta. Gibraltar Gambia Sierra Leone Gold Coast . Bechuanaland Swaziland . : North Rhodesia . South Rhodesia . Basutoland Nyasaland . Ug anda é Bntish East Atrica North Nigeria South Nigeria Somaliland. Weihaiwei . Hong Kong Straits Settlements Ceylon Labuan Mauritius Seychelles . British India Burma Fiji Gilbert & Ellice Islands. Solomon Islands . Act No. 5 of 1912. \ Proclamation, 30th May, 1912. o 10th April, 1912. 2 Ist July, 1912. os 25th June, 1912. \ cs 12th June, 1912. > 3lst May, 1912. Ordinance, No. 9 of 1912. Proclamation, 18th April, 1912. s 14th June, 1912. | Proclamation, 28th June, 1912. J Order in Council, 24th June, 1912 Proclamation, 28th June, 1912. : 12th April, 1912. | ' Order in Council, 24th June, 1912. Proclamation, 10th June, 1912. ! Order in Council, 24th June, 1912. Proclamation, 16th July, 1912. | | | Order in Council, 24th June, 1912. Order in Council, 24th June, 1912. Proclamation, 28th June, 1912. Ist July, 1912. De \ lith June, 1912. J 3° 28th June, 1912. 21st June, 1912. l 13th Oct., 1912. 23 ‘ 27th May, 1912. | Order in Coune’l, 24th June, 1912. Haroitp Harpy.  THE AUTHOR. AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. oe A MATTER of some importance to writers LE of educational books is brought from time to time to the notice of the Society of Authors. A publisher enters into an agreement with an author to pay a certain royalty on the sales of his book. The book after a short time, perhaps, is taken up by the educational authorities, whose business not infrequently appears to be to cut down prices on the plea that the orders they are giving are very large. The publisher, seeing his probable profits diminishing, writes to the author, gives a statement of the case, and asks the author if he would be willing to reduce his royalty by one half in order to enable him (the publisher) to supply the demand. In one or two cases the publisher has gone so far as to state that if the author refuses to reduce his royalty he will not meet the order. The author could, of course, say to the publisher, ‘‘ You have made an agreement and you are bound to act up to it.” To this the publisher would answer, ‘“* Very well; it is impossible for me to sell the copies required.” It is very difficult for the author to decide what to do, as he does not wish to lose the royalty on so large an order. The real difficulty of the case, however, lies in the old question, the old dispute which was the original reason why the Saciety of Authors was founded—namely, that the author is working on insufficient information, and that the publisher refuses to give any figures. If the publisher desired to meet the author fairly he would say, ‘“‘ The cost of the production of these thousand copies is... . That works out to a fixed sum percopy. The usual price at which the books are sold is. . That works out to a fixed sum per copy, and your royalty on that copy is .... per cent. If I sell the book at the price demanded I am losing so much percentage of my profits. I ask you, therefore, to bear a proportionate share of the loss.” If this information was given the author might consider whether it was a fair deal and whether he cared to reduce his royalty in the circum- stances, but, as a general rule, when the author makes inquiry as to what the publisher’s loss of profit is at the reduced price, he is met either with an evasive answer or by a letter of regret that the author is trying to throw doubt on the statement he has made. The author, therefore, is left in the position of a person who is asked to buy a house and is forbidden 145 to look over the premises and see what it is worth, or in the position of a man who buys a horse and is refused by the owner a veterinary surgeon’s certificate. In other trades the position would be looked upon as absurd, but in the publishing trade such a position for the author is not at all uncommon ; but the author’s position is rather worse than the buyer in the ordinary market, as he is already interested in the sales of the work to the extent of his royalty, and he does not want to make a loss if it can be avoided. We do not want to discuss the question of how far the purchasing authority has the right to cut down the publisher. We only desire to deal with it as between the publisher and the author, and if a position of confidence is to be maintained between the author and publisher, it is essential that the fullest details should be forthcoming. In the instances that have been referred to the Society the publisher has not been willing to give the requisite details. Oa MAGAZINE CONTENTS. ——+ 4 BooKMAN. Lord Morley as a Man of Letters. By Alexander Mackintosh. Galsworthy’s Plays. By W. W. Gibson. Poetry. By Edward Thomas. BritisH Review. The Faery Poetry of W. B. Yeats. By W. T. Stace. Falstaff: The English Comic Giant. By W. L. George, ForRTNIGHTLY. The Windows. By Maurice Hewlett. St. John Hankin and His Comedy of Recognition. By P. P. Howe. The Grand Prix de Litterature of 1912. Theodora Davidson. By Lady SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, {ALLOWANCE TO MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY 20 PER CENT.} Front Page pS ae aes aaa ae Other Pages Half of a Page ... Quarter of a Page Eighth of a Page Pe — She ee Single Column Advertisements per inch Reduction of 20 per cent. made for a Series of Six and of 25 per cent, for Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to J. F Betmont & Co., 29, Paternoster Square, London, E.C.  HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. ON lL. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. The Secretary of the Society is a solicitor; but if there is any special reason the Secretary will refer the case to the Solicitors of the Society. Further, the Committee, if they deem it desirable, will obtain counsel’s opinion without any cost to the member. Moreover, where counsel’s opinion is favourable, and the sanction of the Committee is obtained, action will be taken on behalf of the aggrieved member, and all costs borne by the Society. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publishers’ agreements do not fall within the experi- ence of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the document to the Society for examination. 4, Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are reaping no direct benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of your calling in promoting the independence of the writer, the dramatist, the composer. 5. The Committee have arranged for the reception of members’ agreements and their preservation in a fire- proof safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as confidential documents to be read only by the Secretary, who will keep the key of the safe. The Society now offers : (1) To stamp agreements in readiness for a possible action upon them. (2) To keep agreements. (3) To enforce payments due according to agreements. Fuller particu- lars of the Society’s work can be obtained im the Prospectus. 6. No contract should be entered into with a literary agent without the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Members are strongly advised not to accept without careful consideration the contracts with publishers submitted to them by literary agents, and are recommended to submit them for interpretation and explanation to the Secretary of the Society. This The 7, Many agents neglect to stamp agreements. must be done within fourteen days of first execution. Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members. 8. Some agents endeavour to prevent authors from referring matters to the Secretary of the Society; so do some publishers. Members can make their own deductions and act accordingly. 9. The subscription to the Society is £1 is per annum, or £10 10s. for life membership. Oo WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS OF BOOKS. Oe ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four methods of dealing with literary property :— I. Selling it Outright. This is sometimes satisfactory, if a proper price: can be THE AUTHOR. obtained, But the transaction should be managed by a competent agent, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A Profit-Sharing Agreement (a bad form of agreement). In this case the following rules should be attended to: (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs, or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for ‘office expenses,” unless the same allowance is made to the author. (4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental rights. (5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights. (6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor ! III. The Royalty System. This is perhaps, with certain limitations, the best form of agreement. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It is now possible for an author to ascertain approximately the truth. From time to time very important figures connected with royalties are published in The Author. I¥. A Commission Agreement. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2.) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. General. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous te the author, Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main points which the Society has always demanded from the outset are :— (1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement means. _(2.) The inspection of those account books which belong to the author. We are advised that this is a right, in the nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or withheld. (3.) Always avoid a transfer of copyright. ————— WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. —— 9 EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some com- petent legal authority. 2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for the production of a play with any one except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for plays in three or more acts :— (a.) Sale outright of the performing right. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the contract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills.  THE AUTHOR. (b.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to perform on the basis of percentages on gross receipts, Percentages vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts in preference to the American system, Should obtain a sum inadvance of percentages. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. (c.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to perform on the basis of royalties (‘.c., fixed nightly fees). This method should be always avoided except in cases where the fees are likely to be small or difficult to collect. The other safeguards set out under heading (6.) apply also in this case, 4, Plays in one act are often sold outright, but it is better to obtain a small nightly fee if possible, and a sum paid in advance of such fees in any event. It is extremely important that the amateur rights of one-act plays should be reserved. 5. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited, by town, country, and time. This is most important. 6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance, 7, Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 8. Never forget that United States rights may be exceed- ingly valuable. ‘They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. 9. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. 10, An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited, and that for a novice the first object is to obtain adequate publication. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete, on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. AGN eee REGISTRATION OF SCENARIOS AND ORIGINAL PLAYS. —_— CENARIOS, typewritten in duplicate on foolscap paper forwarded to the offices of the Society, together with a registration fee of two shillings and. sixpence, will be carefully compared by the Secretary or a qualified assis- tant. One copy will be stamped and returned to theauthor and the other filed in the register of the Society. Copies of the scenario thus filed may be obtained at any time by the author only at a small charge to cover cost of typing. Original Plays may also be filed subject to the same rules, with the exception that a play will be charged for at the price of 2s. 6d. per act. 147 DRAMATIC AUTHORS AND AGENTS. — a RAMATIC authors should seek the advice of the Society before putting plays into the hands of agents. As the law stands at present, an agent who has once had a play in his hands may acquire a perpetual claim to a percentage on the author’s fees from it. As far as the placing of plays is concerned, it may be taken as a general rule that there are only very few agents who can do anything for an author that he cannot, under the guidance of the Society, do equally well or better for himself. The collection of fees is also a matter in which in many cases no intermediary is required. For certain purposes, such as the collection of fees on amateur performances, and in general the trans- action of frequent petty authorisations with different individuals, and also for the collection of fees in foreign countries, almost all dramatic authors employ agents; and in these ways the services of agents are real and valuable. But the Society warns authors against agents who profess to have influence with managers in the placing of plays, or who propose to act as principals by offering to purchase the author's rights. In any case, in the present state of the law, an agent should not be employed under any circumstances without an agreement approved of by the Society. —_—__——_+—>—_—__ WARNINGS TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS. ITTLE can be added to the warnings given for the assistance of producers of books and dramatic authors. It must, however, be pointed out that, as a rule, the musical publisher demands from the musical composer a transfer of fuller rights and less liberal finan- cial terms than those obtained for literary and dramatic property. The musical composer has very often the two. rights to deal with—performing right and copyright. He should be especially careful therefore when entering into an agreement, and should take into particular consideration the warnings stated above. ee STAMPING MUSIC. The Society undertakes to stamp copies of music on behalf of its members for the fee of 6d. per 100 or part of 100. The members’ stamps are kept in the Society’s safe. The musical publishers communicate direct with the Secretary, and the voucher is then forwarded to the members, who are thus saved much unnecessary trouble. —______+—@—+ —____ THE READING BRANCH. oe EMBERS will greatly assist the Suciety in this branch of its work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach, The term MSS. includes not only works of fiction, but poetry and dramatic works, and when it is possible, under special arrangement, technical and scientific works. The- Readers are writers of competence and experience. The: fee is one guinea. oa REMITTANCES. a : The Secretary of the Society begs to give notice that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post. All remittances should be crossed Union of London and Smiths Bank, Chancery Lane, or be seat by registered letter only. COLLECTION BUREAU. PYNHE Society undertakes to collect accounts and moneys due to authors, composers and dramatists. 1. Under contracts for the publication of their works. 2. Under contracts for the performance of their works and amateur fees. #%. Under the Compulsory Licence Clauses of the Copy- right Act, i.e., Clause 3, governing compulsory licences for books, and Clause I9, referring to mechanical instrument records. The Bureau is divided into three departments ;— 1. Literary. 2. Dramatic. 3. Musical. The Society does not desire to make a profit from the collection of fees, but will charge a commission to cover expenses. If, owing to the amount passing through the office, the expenses are more than covered, the Committee of Management will discuss the possibility of reducing the commission. For full particulars of the terms of collection, application must be made to the Collection Bureau of the Society. The Bureau is, in no sense, a literary or dramatic agency for the placing of books or plays. -—- + GENERAL NOTES. a “THE AutTHorS’ LEAGUE OF AMERICA.”’ WE are glad to hear that ‘“‘ The Authors’ League of America ’”’ was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York on Decem- ber 18, 1912. On the council we see the following names :—Samuel Hopkins Adams, Gertrude Atherton, Ellis Parker Butler, Winston Churchill, Rachel Crothers, Walter P. Eaton, Hamlin Garland, Ellen Glasgow, Robert Grant, Will Irwin, Owen Johnson, Charles Rann Kennedy, Cleveland Moffett, Meredith Nicholson, Harvey J. O'Higgins, Will Payne, Milton Royle, William M. Sloane, A. E. Thomas, Augustus Thomas, Louis Joseph Vance, Carolyn Wells, Jesse Lynch Williams, and the executive committee, in whose hands the work of the League will rest, is composed of the following members :— Rex Beach, Gilett Burgess, Rupert Hughes, George Barr McCutcheon, Kate Douglas Riggs, Ida M. Tarbell, Arthur Train. We wish the League every possible success, not only for itself, but for selfish reasons also. The in- formation it should be possible to obtain on many difficult points in the American market will be of the greatest value to the Society of Authors. The Society of Authors isat present acting with the League of Dramatic Authors in America. A notice to this effect is published on another page. Unlike the dramatic authors in England it has established itself as a separate THE AUTHOR. body. The same separate organisation exists in France. This is a pity, because where all authors are combined, the force of the organisa- tion, and its financial capacity, is enormously strengthened. We have received a copy of the “Constitution and By-Laws” of the Authors’ League of America, and perceive that these are to a great extent based on the work and methods of our own Society. Imitation is (to use the old proverb) the sincerest flattery, Ricuts oF TRANSLATION. WE desire to repeat a warning which we have previously given to writers in connection with the disposal of foreign rights in their works. Authors are inclined to treat these ‘‘minor”’ rights as so much money gained if \they are placed, but as not sufficiently ‘important to justify a firmer stand for decent prices and fair contracts. A correspondent in Sweden, who is also an agent in that country for the disposal of the Swedish rights, complains to us of English and American authors (though he lays the blame chiefly on the English) who sell their rights for next to nothing. He states: “I have been preaching all the time £10 for sole or book right ; £5 for serial right in one newspaper, is easily to be had by every author.”’ It is to be hoped that authors will take this advice to heart. When they contract with the British publisher they must see, by refusing to surrender the minor rights which English publishers are so fond of demanding, that they are in a position to act upon it. It is the business of every author to keep up the price of his literary work to the fair market value, both in Great Britain and elsewhere. NEVER SELL THE COPYRIGHT. WE have frequently warned members against the transfer of copyright to the publisher. Such a transfer, unwise as it was under the old Copy- right Act of 1842, is nothing short of disastrous under the Act £1911. Copyright, as defined by the latter Act, includes many rights not pre- viously enjoy.d by auth:rs, dramatists and composers. Much of the increased protection given by the Legislature to the creators of intellectual property was gained by the Society only after a very keen struggle with the various trade interests involved. It is important, there- fore, if the efforts of the Society are not to be rendered futile, that members should refuse to part with the copyright however pressing the assertion of the publishers.  Veto yey Bile, Penna {LAS Mae fa i. thc LTE a ei 4 THE AUTHOR. 149 To ComMPposERs. Tuts advice, while of general pplication to authors, ccmposers and dramatists, is of particular importance in the case of the ocm- poser. Under the Act of 1911 the composer, although he had assigned his copyright before the Act came into force, was still allowed, subject to certain conditions, to retain the right of mechanical reproduction in his work in spite of such assignment. It seems, however, from recent evidence, that composers consider this principle applies to any contract entered into after the Act comes into force, that is after July, 1912; that, in fact, although they assign their copyright, they do not assign the rights of mechanical reproduction. This deduction is entirely false. Any assignment of copyright after the Act has come into force assigns to the publisher the right of mechanical reproduction. Indeed, the copyright of the composer is so wide, and embraces so many points nowadays under the Act of 1911, that any transference leaves the composer in a hopeless condition, But it is with regard to the production by mechanical instruments that he is likely to suffer most if he assigns the copyright to the publisher. The publisher will have the right to license or refuse to license the work for reproduction by mechanical instrument, and the composer will have no voice and will be, as usual, at the publisher’s mercy. Then, from the financial point of view, it is possible that the com- poser, through ignorance, might not make any stipulation for payment and if he had assigned the copyright, and there was no special payment to be made on mechanical reproduc- tion, then he would receive no payment at all beyond the royalty which might be due to him on printed copies of the sheet music. But when the financial question is mentioned the publishers generally claim that 30 or even 50 per cent. should be paid to themselves. They have put forward as an argument that the publication of the work, brought out at their expense (they might perhaps have said by their generosity) and by their business capacity, alone makes the mechanical rights of zny value whatever; but the exact opposite is gradually getting to be the case; for the production of the work on the pianola and other mechanical instruments acts as an enormous advertisement for the sale of the sheet music. Instead, therefore, of the publisher be ng paid 30 per cent. of the fees as a reward for his generous publication, he ought really to pay the author a certain sum, if he will allow his work to be mechanically reproduced, , The Society’s Collection Bureau undertakes the collection of these fees on a 15 per cent. basis, merely asking the composer to defray the cost of manufacture of the necessary stamps. This point, then, must be repeated, that unless the composer retains the copyright of his composition, he cannot veto the mechanical reproduction of his work, as he may, in some cases, desire todo. In the case of compositions published after the Act came into force, the copyright owner has power to say whether or not he will permit the work to be mechanically reproduced. If he permits one such reproduc- tion, then other companies may reproduce subject to the terms of the Act. This power, it is clear, should rest with the composer, who has created the work, and not with the publisher. But it will rest with the publisher if the composer is so unwise as to assign his copyright. New Year Honours. New Year’s honours were conferred upon Mr. G. W. Forrest and Dr. Francis Darwin, both of whom have been members of the Society of Authors for some years. Sir G. W. Forrest is well known for his ‘‘ History of the Indian Mutiny,” in three volumes, and for his ‘* Life of Sir Neville Chamberlain,” and for the compilation of records from the India Record Office, while Sir F. Darwin has upheld his father’s reputation in his scientific studies and research. THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN DRAMATISTS AND COMPOSERS. eae HE Society of American Dramatists and Composers forwarded the following letter to the Dramatic Sub-Committee of the Society. “ Ata meeting of the directors of the Society of American Dramatists and Composers, on the motion of the secretary, seconded by the treasurer, it was unanimously voted to make an effort to establish some relation between the American Society and the Society of Authors in England. Mr. Charles Klein was appointed chairman of a committee whose duty it shall be to draft a set of propositions which will tend to establish reciprocal relations between the two societies. i “Your committee submits the following tentative suggestions :— “That any dramatist, ‘a member of the Society of Authors in England, having the proper credentials, or a card from the Society of the English organization, shall be entitled to use the American Society's rooms as his postal or business address for three months without payment of any dues. * He shall also be entitled to receive all benefits enjoyed 150 by members in good standing—attend the meetings, etc., etc., but shall not be permitted to vote. ** The officers of the Society will furnish him all advice and information concerning managers, authors, agents, etc., and other theatrical men; in fact, any information incidental to the pursuit of his calling. ** Should it be necessary for him to go to law concerning his play, its copyright, etc., the Society will advise him in regard to the proper lawyer to undertake such case or, at his request, would undertake to settle his case through the Society’s regular arbitration board, consisting of seven of the leading dramatists in this Society ; thus giving the applicant not only a valuable professional standing, but a fair guarantee of protection against unscrupulous lawyers and managers. “The committee submits that the above propositions will not only be a valuable aid to the aspiring playwright who decides to make America a temporary home or whilst placing his play ; but it will give him an opportunity to meet his fellow craftsmen under circumstances which will make it not only a duty but a pleasure for them to render him all the assistance within their power. “It shall be the duty of the secretaries of each Society to keep their members posted as to all changes in copy- right laws and, if possible, to co-operate in an effort to pass an international law which shall be mutually advantageous.” The Dramatic Sub-Committee referred the matter to the Committee of Management with a warm recommendation to accept, as far as possible, the proposal for reciprocity set out in that letter. At the last meeting of the Committee of Management, the secretary was instructed to write to the secretary of the Society of American Dramatists and Com- posers, saying that as far as their letter referred to business relations between the members of both societies, the Committee would be ex- ceedingly pleased to adopt the suggestion put forward to give the American dramatic author every help and assistance in the publication and production of his works in England, and in the matter of confidential advice as to the responsibility of those who were connected with the theatrical and dramatic business. The com- mittee regretted, however, that as the Society of Authors was purely a business Society, they could not offer the further hospitality of the use of rooms, as the Society had no rooms at their disposal for social gatherings. It is to be hoped that this closer union of the two Societies may afford great assistance to the members of the Society of Authors, as the secretary from time to time is in need of advice and help concerning the responsibility of managers in America, and that the Society’s lawyers in New York may find the aid which the Dramatic Society in America can give of the greatest value in any action that may be taken in America. It is to be hoped also that the American Society will utilise the informa- tion at the disposal of the English Society’s offices. THE AUTHOR. MESSRS. JOHN LONG, LTD., AND THE SOCIETY OF AUTHORS. pee W* have received the following letter from Mr. John Long, managing director of John Long, Ltd :— 12, 13 & 14, Norris Street, Haymarket, London. 9th January, 1913. Dear Sin,—Seeing that The Author, in its current number, gives publicity only to an extract—this of its own choosing—from our recent correspondence, we trust your Society, which always represents itself as zealous in secur- ing the observance of principles of justice and equity, will now have the goodness to publish the full text. In the event of the Society failing to do so the false impression created remains. We enclose you copies of our two letters in question and hope to see them printed in the next issue of The Author, thereby affording members an opportunity of drawing their own conclusions. Faithfully yours, Joun Lone, Limrrep. Joun Lone, Managing Director. G. Hersert Turing, Esq. We accordingly publish in full the letters to which he refers :— [copy.] 15th November, 1912. Dear Sir,—We have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 12th inst. and much regret the position you have taken up. Obviously it is not your intention, and thus the intention of your Society, to be interested in the equity of the matter nor indeed to promote harmony in settling questions between author and publisher. Primaril we should have thought a Society such as yours would have seen to it that its workings were directed to the achieve- ment of that pacific object, but unfortunately evidence to the contrary is constantly being brought to our notice. It would appear that immediately an author joins the Society he is taught to look on the publisher in the most odious light, as witness the repeated articles against publishers as a class in its monthly periodical. We know of no other publication run on similar lines. Faithfully yours, Joun Lone, Limirep. (signed) Joun Lone, Managing Director. G. Hersert Trine, Esq. [copy.] 21st November, 1912. Dear Sir,—We have yours of the 16th inst. and main- tain that our last communication is justified. We speak for ourselves and from our own experience. Authors have originally been on friendly terms with us, socially as well as in the course of business, and yet have subsequently adopted a different and frequently hostile attitude towards us, the change synchronizing with their becoming members of your Society. This we ascribe, in the main, to their having become imbued with the views expressed in the Society’s monthly publication and other literature issued by it. We have no desire to prolong correspondence with you on this subject. The policy the Society would appear to  THE AUTHOR. pursue is one of aggression to publishers generally—we wish we could think otherwise. Unless an agreement is such as the Society of Authors would approve, the pub- lisher who makes it is, as you will admit, liable to be pilloried in their monthly publication. We think it would be only just that you should acquaint yourself as to how the particular accounts figure in publishers’ ledgers before comment is made upon the workings of agreements between authors and publishers. You would then find that the hypothetic profits you allege are, not infrequently, losses to the publishers. The fact cannot be lost sight of that, in dealing with publishers’ agreements, your Society in effect takes upon itself the triple réle of counsel for the prosecution, judge and jury—you present the case from the point of view of the author's interest, give the verdict (always against the publisher), and inevitably condemn hi im. There is no bigger gamble in the commercial world than publishing as, after all, it is really a toss of the coin which way the cat will jump. I have been thirty years a pub- lisher and think you will admit I have some knowledge of my business. I most strongly deprecate the false impres- sions that are bruited abroad about publishers. Faithfully yours, Joun Lone, LIMITED. Joun Lone, (signed) Managing Director. G. Hersert THRING, Esq. We leave the letters to make what impression they may, but must state that in the cases between authors and Mr. John Long’s firm, to which we have given publicity, upon “ the toss of the coin” the cat has never jumped on the author’s side. ee ROYALTY AGREEMENTS. —— PUBLISHERS’ Royvatties ON EnciisH SAEs, PRoFit SHarine IN U.S.A. SALES. ‘2 an agreement which has come frequently before the society, issued by one of the most important publishing houses in London, there is a clause which needs very drastic comment. It is essential, owing to the importance of the house from which the agree- ments are issued, that authors should take the matter into their serious consideration and should be prepared to deal with the clause should it at any time be submitted to them for signature. It is an arrangement by which the author is paid a royalty on all English sales, but, if the United States copyright is not obtained, half profits on sales to the United States. If this clause is inserted in the usual half profit agree- ment, there is little to be said against it; in that case the only points at issue are: Isa profit- sharing agreement desirable ; in what propor- tion should profits be divided between author and publisher? But if the clause is inserted 151 in an agreement where the author is to obtain a royalty on the publication of the English edition, there is one very strong point of objection. The objection rests on the fact that a clause drafted on these lines is a distinct pitfall to the author. Itisa pitfall for the following reasons: Because to the ordinary person the difficul- ties with which the clause is pregnant are altogether invisible. Because the amount the author receives in royalty is always calculated see the books of the Society on this point—on the basis that the full cost of composition is | charged against the English edition. were not the case the author ought to receive a higher royalty on British sales. Let us explain what we mean more fully. Take the ordinary 6s. book :— £ sid: Cost of composition copies oe Cost of printing Cost of paper . of 3,000 ve 2. 735 20 30 ooo Oo ooo £85 oS Of the 3,000 copies the publisher sends 1,000 to America, and receives for the same (say) 1s. per copy £50. The cost of composi- tion was compulsory for the completion of the English edition, the author’s royalty, as stated, being based on this understanding ; but the publisher takes one-third of this cost towards the American edition, as well as one-third of the cost for the print and the paper, leaving to be divided between himself and the sao £. s. d. By sale of 1,000 copies to America os , ve : 50 0 0 One-third cost of production. . 28 6 8 £21 138 4 Thus each party would get £10 16s. 8d. But the cost of composition ought not to be charged against the American edition, only the cost of print and paper, so that the real half-profit arrangement would be - : e4. By sale of 1,000 copies in America. s One-third cost paper : . 50 0 O of print and < .. 1618 4 ———————— £38 6 8 Thus each party would get £16 13s. Ad. Tf this |  Instead, therefore, of the author receiving £10 16s. 8d. he ought to get £16 13s. 4d. To show how this method may be worked out in the interests of untrustworthy pub- lishers unfairly to the author, say the pub- lisher in the first instance only publishes a thousand copies. The cost of production would be :— £ & wd. Cost of composition .. >. 85 70-0 Cost of printing 2 -. 10 0 © Cost of paper .. Se -. 150 0 £60 0 0 He sells 500 copies to America, and on the same principle the following sum is worked out :— 2 gd. Half cost of production is 30 0 0 By sale of 500 copies to America at 1s. copy -. 26°90 0 Loss on sale £5 0 0 This’ would leave a deficit against the author's account of £2 10s. as the sale to America has apparently failed to cover the cost of production. Whereas, if the profits had been worked out fairly, the cost of composi- tion being chargeable to the English edition, the figures would have come out :— £6. od: Sale of 500 copies to America aS ae 25: 0-0 Half the cost of print and paper oe i -. 12: 10° 0 £12 10 O Thus the author would have a profit of £6 5s. instead of a deficit of £2 10s. As soon as the edition is sold and the amount is worked out against the author the pub- lisher prints 10,000 copies for the English edition, but never takes into account the proportion of the cost of production of the 500 sent to America to the 10,000 printed in England. Again, suppose you take the first instance, and 20,000 were sold subsequently, the cost of the 1,000 sold to America is still taken in proportion to the cost of the 3,000 of the first edition printed, and not in proportion to the whole cost. It will be seen, therefore, that quite apart from the contract being unfair, and a pitfall to the unwary (as on the face of the agreement the difficulty is invisible), even if it is worked out by a publisher with an honest idea of doing THE AUTHOR. nothing dishonourable, the result of its work- ing, its natural evolution, becomes a fraud on the author, as it is impossible to calculate his sale to America on the basis of future sales. It must always be calculated on the basis of the number produced in the first edition. The position is ridiculous. i ge UNREVIEWED BOOKS. —— a Wi becomes of them? What is their ‘Y ultimate fate? The Bookseller lately informed us that in the year 1910 about 5,000 new books were published, and in 1911, 8,500, or an increase of 70 per cent. Not by any possibility could a moiety of these be reviewed. The exigencies of an editor’s time and space would prevent any possible notice or review. What then is the destiny of these unfortunate volumes? It is a puzzling problem. There is no waste paper basket in any periodical office strong or big enough to hold even a month’s discarded books. Do they become the office boy’s perquisites, to fill the void of his uncompleted education at the school board? Perchance they serve as weapons of defiance, missiles to hurl at cruel and unforgiving parents in East End courts. Are these unreviewed waifs and strays of literature eventually sold as waste paper to a rag and bone merchant, to be wrought again into pulp and paper so that the fine conceptions and emanations of a fruitful brain may be converted into virgin sheets on which new aspirants to literary fame may score their original ideas ? Do the weary and despondent editors, irate at the fate that compels them to sit in judgment on other people’s work, deliberately burn these effete and sad volumes, so that transmitted thought, like the brains that originated it, may eventually become only dust and ashes ! Perhaps the collected volumes, after a time, have to be cleared out of the office in order to economise space, and these en bloc, are sold for waste paper to neighbouring grocers or milkmen. This may be their end after all; the book which demanded and obtained fame may afterwards be turned to base uses ! ‘‘Imperious Cesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.” It might happen that these printed visions may come home to their authors wrapped in their original leaves, containing margarine or a piece of indigestible steak. Who knows?  THE AUTHOR. 1: ao 53 The hapless author may well be filled with dread in imagining the ultimate fate of his unreviewed book, and give up the haunting puzzle in despair. I dare say the book-lover, in looking over the displays of very cheap volumes on the stands in the open street may feel a sad wistful- ness at beholding one of his cherished unreviewed volumes for sale, let me say, at an unreasonable price of twopence.* Even with the comfort that splendid thoughts cannot be valued in sordid cash, that the vulgar dross of pennies may be quite eliminated from ennobling aspiration expressed in print, still an arriére pensée must linger of misplaced effort and wasted hours—all computed to be worth two pennies ! 2% * * * I am of opinion that every publisher and author should enclose the necessary stamps for the return of the book, should it be found that its review was an impossibility. After all, the book was to serve an end intended by the author for the public, and I don’t think that any editor has the moral right to retain what is sent him for one purpose only. It may be said that this would prove a needless waste of the editor’s or his deputy’s time, that the volume, like an MS., never asked for, lies at the writer’s risk; and yet, I imagine that a little human consideration for the author might not be amiss in the matter. At all events, a mass of unreviewed books is a positive fact—and their possible fate is only a conjecture. And, if not returned, I might suggest that instead of coming to any ultimate base uses, they might serve a more worthy purpose. We have homes for stray dogs and cats, why not then a home for unreviewed books, whence they might be sent to hospitals for the benefit of those pining for something fresh to read. Consider the number of pent-up, suffer- ing men and women, whose lives might be cheered, comforted and delighted with these new unreviewed books. This, then, seems their proper end and destination—and surely in this altruistic land there are very many who have the means and energy to cast this idea of mine into practical form. Then the fate of unreviewed books need no longer be a matter of uncertainty, and their writers, instead of desponding, would be gladdened. IstporE G. ASCHER. * I once bought one of my own novels in perfect condition at this figure, and an early vol. by Hichens at threepence. STAGE COPYRIGHT. Deo ee HE perusal of a number of books by experts on any giv n subject should not, in the mind of the ardent student, tend to confuse the issues, but should rather enable him to organise his cwn pinions and assist him in making his own de uctions. Every student of the Copyright Law will therefore welcome another scholarly book on the subject, ‘* Stage Copyright at Home and Abroad,” by Bernard Weller, published from the Stage office, 16, York Street, Covent Garden. The book shows a careful and earnest study. There is one remark in the introduc- tion to which special attention should b » drawn. The author, dealing with the performing rights, after pointing out the advantages obtained under the Act, realises the importance —as copyright runs from the day the play, etc., is set down in writing—that that date should be accurately fixed, and suggests that the author should get his typewriter to date the copy and procure creditable witnesses of the fact; the point is indeed well taken. With the object of fixing the date, the Society in- stituted some time ago a Register of Scenarios, which has been found increasingly useful. No doubt those who study Mr. Weller’s book will take the hint. He suggests in his preface that much has been done to protect the dramatist against infringement and piracy, though perhaps not so much as for other classes of authors, but sums up that the Act is comprehensive, and with the Berlin Convention, is caleulated to give our authors nearly all that they can reasonably desire. With the first part of the statement it is difficult t» agree. It is true that the summary proceedings may prove inadequate—they were ruthlessly and quite unwarrantably cut down in Committee—but they do give, first, a protect on never before afforded, and they do give a good ceal to the dramatist. On other points it would eppear that the dramatist has a wider security and a larger field than others. The real point, however, in a work of this kind is not the author's opinion of the Act, though on the whole it is sound and reasonable, but his critical treatment of th» different clauses, and his explanations of the new position. On these points he has shown trustworthy judg- ment, and his hints to authors on their newly acquired property are wise'y conceived. He draws attention to the fact that assignment of copyright in a literary, dramatic and musical  154 work includes the rights of mechanical repro- duction, and that this fact is one to be borne in mind, especially by musical composers. He should have < dded equally, if not more so, by dramatists, for it is almost impossible to conceive whit may be the result of cinemato- graph production in the near future. His chapter devoted to this method of repr-duction is cne of the most interesting and instructive. Finally, it becomes necessary to deal with the forms of agreement. The introduction to this portion of the work is not unsatisfactory, but a careful perusal of the forms brings conviction that any attempt to make an exhaustive standardisation must be wholly unsatisfactory. Forms are excellent aids for the lawyer or for the man who knows, but they are terrible pitfalls for the amateur. Mr. Weller’s forms are good as a basis, but they are not and cannot be, by the very nature of the subject, all embracing, for instance, no account seems to be taken of repertory pro- duction which has become so frequent recently, and he does not anywhere deal with the right of the author to be present in the theatre and have tickets for the performance. There are several other notes of omission, but it is hardly fair in the very limited space to be too captious and hypercritical. What the dramatist should guard against before anything is, that he should never license out his play for countries or towns where the manager does not intend to produce, or if he intends, has not produced within a definite time. Mr. Weller, although he does not emphasise the point, has shown amply how the dramatist should protect himself. op +—~e GUIDE TO THE COPYRIGHT ACT, 4941." pare HROUGH the courtesy of the Publishers’ Association, the Society of Authors has been able to add another work on Copyright to its copyright library. When the Act of 1911 was passed, Mr. E. J. Macgillivray published, with Stevens & Sons, a work setting out the Act, explaining clause by clause the then existing law, and the law under the Act. The present book, by the same author, is not so ambitious in its scope ; it is merely, what its title states, a guide. It does not follow the clauses of the Act in detail, but adopts a different arrangement. One * «Quide to the Copyright Act, 1911,” by E. J’ Macgillivray. Published by. The Publishers’ Association St ationery Hall Court, London. THE AUTHOR. that will make things easier for those who want a guide. The order of chapters is as follows :— I. Range of Imperial Copyright. II. Works Protected: oe III. Duration of Copyright. IV. Content of Copyright. V. Right to reproduce without licence or payment to owner of Copy- right. VI. Right to reproduce without licence on payment of a Royalty. VII. First owner of Copyright. VIII. Passing of Copyright by Operation of Law. IX. Assignment of Copyright. X. Licence. XI. Infringement and Remedies. XH. Mechanical Instruments. XIII. Notice to Commissioners of Customs. XIV. Delivery of Books to Libraries. XV. Copyright in Foreign Countries. XVI. Copyright in United States of America. XVII. Copyright in Foreign Works. The book is, without the Appendix, ninety pagesinlength. It would be impossible within that space to cover all the ground, but there is much useful information which should not escape the careful study of those who are anxious to learn. The Chapters on “ the Assignment of Copyright,” IX., and ‘‘ Licence”’ X., are especially illuminating. Some of the Chapters—I., II., III., for instance—are little more than statements of facts, but others show the full knowledge and keen insight of the author. It is certainly a useful book within its limitations. —————————— BOOK-PRICES CURRENT.* — ARTS IV. and V. for 1912, completing Pp the twenty-sixth volume of “* Book Prices Current,”’ are lying before us. We always have occasion to bestow the highest praises on this publication, and to repeat that it can be rightly appreciated only by those who peruse its contents. The preface of the present volume is more than usually interesting. The whole sum resulting from the book sales, aud the average prices of the lots have, during 1912, reach unprecedented sums. The total value is £181,780, and the average price exceeds £5. The Huth sale, not yet completed, * © Book-Prices Current.’ London. Elliot Stock, 1912.  THE AUTHOR. 155 has produced these unprecedented results, two portions of the Huth sale alone having brought in nearly £81,000. Only one sale held in this country has represented a larger sum of money : that of the library of William Beckford, of Fonthill (1823—-1883), which produced £89,200. Of the Huth library, letters A—D alone have as yet been sold, so that it may be regarded as certain that this collection will in the end prove the most valuable that has ever entered the sale room. In the preface of the volume will be found a comparison of all the most valuable libraries dispersed, a comparison which is necessarily based upon purely commercial considerations, and duly qualified by the editor’s remark that allowances must. be made for differences of date. What the Duke of Roxburghe’s library, which in 1812 sold for £12,000, would now fetch can hardly be imagined. The sales recorded extend from April 15, 1912, to July 31, 1912. Everything else is throwninto theshade by themarvels of the Huth library, and where there is so much to be noted, we regret that our want of space obliges us to select out of countless entries of interest only a few of those which would command the attention of various authors. In the library of “A Collector” (Puttick, May 13 and 14), was sold, George Meredith, holograph manuscript of “ Jump-to-Glory Jane,” for £105. This is the first draft of the poem, differing very considerably from what was ultimately pub- lished. On June 5 Messrs. Sotheby began the sale of the second portion of the Huth library, Lots 1229—2596, realising £30,169 15s. 6d. The record of the books covers 139 pages, and there is not one of them that does not mention items of interest. A first edition of ‘‘ Don Quixote,”’ Parts I. and II. (1605—1615) uniformly bound, sold for £1,460. A first edition of Chaucer’s ‘* Canterbury Tales,’ Caxton, about 1478 (with fifteen leaves in facsimile) sold for £905. Only two perfect copies of the book are known to exist. Very worthy of attention are the various early editions of the works of the poets Samuel Daniel and Michael Drayton, and of the plays of John Dryden. Of the works of De Foe there were 176 lots, many of them first editions. The first edition of ‘The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,” and of ‘The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,’ 2 volumes, both published in 1719, sold for £70. A sale of remarkabl: exceptionality was that by Christie, July 16, of the first four folio editions of Shakespeare. All were <old together to Quaritch for £3,500. CORRESPONDENCE. ——— + — EprroriaL Courtesy. Dear S1r,—It is, I know, ill work quarrelling with Editors. A conscientious pursuit of the policy of taking all things lying down is the only high road to success. Still one must have one’s fling sometimes, even at the cost of losing a market. Believing, as I do, that examples of the editorial method of conducting business (which must really read like a fairy tale to other business men) are of interest to your readers, I send an account of a recent experience of my own. I sent an article to a weekly review on January 2 last. It was one of those papers which definitely state on the front page of each issue that they do not return MSS., and will not enter into any correspondence concerning them. Also they say “any MS. not acknow- ledged within a month is rejected.” That would appear to be clear enough. Very well: weeks passed. I always like to be on the safe side, so I gave the editor two months. Even then I thought it might be dangerous to take him at his word, so I wrote and asked him what had become of the article. To that [had noreply. Very well, more weeks passed. Towards the end of April I offered the article elsewhere, and sold it. It appeared in May. Many weeks passed. In August I sent another article to the first editor, of which he promptly sent me a proof. Then I must suppose he found the original article lying about the office. It’s curious how things do turn up. Perhaps he was having a belated spring cleaning or something—I don’t know. Anyhow, at the beginning of September I received, somewhat to my surprise, a proof of this first article. I wrote by return of post to tell him that it had already appeared. But I was too late to stop it. Now that he had found it he didn’t mean to lose any time (perhaps he was afraid of it going astray again ?). It went in the next issue. I need hardly say that he never answered my letter. Very well, that left me in the unpleasant position of appearing to sell the same article twice. But I don’t think the editor himself came so badly out of it. At least, as the direct result of three successive blunders, he got an article without paying for it. But I now find that I have done him a grievous wrong. There has been another spring clean- ing or something, and he has discovered the proof of the second article—which he accepted 156 in August. So he writes to ask me “ in view of what happened last time,” if this one has ever appeared before, going on to point out gently but firmly that I did not treat him at all well on that occasion. There is no need to quote my reply. I suppose it only means another market lost. But there are some editors in connection with whom one is left wondering how they live—if they ever answer invitations to dinner, or remember to wind up their watches at night, or have a clear idea of the day of the week. I am, yours faithfully, Tue Worm THAT TURNED. — Co-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING. Sir,—In recent issues of The Author the question of °‘ Co-operative Publishing’’ has several times been brought forward, and— dropped! Why not keep a good ball rolling ? It is quite time for authors to have a greater mede of justice respecting the products of their own brains, and the only way to attain this is to lessen the power of the publishers. In this age of “unions” and _ “co-operative ” societies of all kinds, nothing but close co- operative working will bring us the desired result. Even the bookseller, in many cases, has a greater percentage on a book than the author. Why so? I think Mr. Justice Darling’s suggestion is admirable. Why not form the Society of Authors into a publishing union, on a profes- sional basis ? Publishers would then be only too glad, even anxious, to give better terms to authors. Why not approach one of the millionaires on behalf of such a union for a start? Those who have the cause of ‘‘ libraries ’’ so near at heart would surely further the cause of the authors who supply the art and literature for such. : Also, why not have an extra fortnightly Supplement to The Author, to facilitate inter- change of correspondence on matters of vital importance to Authors? During the month questions are apt to die down. Yours Faithfully, ** PROGRESS.” oo a Tue Lirerary YEAR Boox. Dear Sir,—As others, besides your reviewer, have questioned the desirability of separate THE AUTHOR. pagination for each part of the current issue of the “* Literary Year Book,” may I explain that this arrangement has been adopted in order to expedite the preparation of the volume for press. By treating each part as if it were a separate book, composition and corrections can be proceeded with simultaneously through- out the volume in each section. Owing to the large amount of matter in the book and the short time available to prepare each new volume, some such arrangement has become necessary. I have endeavoured to minimise any inconvenience arising from this arrange- ment by supplying a much fuller index than hitherto. The calendar is relegated to the end because there is no room for it in the first thirty-two pages (which are printed last). As I propose, in future, to discontinue— except in a much reduced form—a particular section which is at present of very little prac- tical use to authors, I hope to be able to devote more pages to the article on “ Law and Letters.”’ I agree with your reviewer in that this section deserves rather fuller treatment, as it is of importance to authors, expecially to those entering upon a literary career. Yours faithfully, B. STEwart. ge Tue DisGracE oF NOVEL-WRITING. ‘ Drar Srr,—Since writing my article on ‘The Disgrace of Novel-Writing,”’ I have had the truth of my statements brought home to me vividly. A week or two before Christmas I had sent me for review in a certain paper novels which had been issued from their pub- lishing houses early last October. I reviewed them as soon as I could, but the notices have not yet appeared (January 16), and I have had more novels sent me, one of which bears as its date of publication October 2, 1912. Heaven knows when my review of that will appear, but certainly not this month! Several of these poor despised books are already in the second- hand lists, and two or three of them are excel- lent novels, cleverly conceived, well-written, bearing signs of care and good craftsmanship. Yet every day we see other books—essays, biographies, or novels by popular writers— reviewed at unnecessary length on the very day of publication. Does not this show plainly the deep disgrace into which all those novelists who do not happen to strike the larger public taste have fallen ? ONE oF THE DISGRACED, Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 23 Issue 05 (February 1913) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 23 Issue 05 (February 1913) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1913-02-01-The-Author-23-5 publications The Author