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There is a dearth of matter for Literary Notes and News in the month of August. The Author for this month has therefore been made to consist wholly of the proceedings at the dinner. We have received communications, which in the natural course of events would have been inserted in The Author this month, but have decided to delay their appearance.

Several of these are so interesting, and so distinctly have reference to our aims and objects that it would be the greatest pity to attempt to discuss them now.

It is not fair upon any question of interest to submit it to the public-especially to a public largely made up of working littérateurs--at this season of the year.

PAYING FOR PRODUCTION.-The following cutting from some unknown journal was sent to me :

"According to Mr. Besant's thinking, authors should not pay for the printing and publishing of their own books.

"I am loth to mention names, but I can assure Mr. Besant that a great many of our now most popular

VOL. I.

authors did pay for the printing and publishing of their first books, including Mr. Besant and his clever partner, the late Mr. James Rice."

This is one of the little paragraphs which contrive to tell the truth and to suggest a falsehood.

It is perfectly false to say that my late partner and myself ever were such fools as to "pay for production."

It is perfectly true that with many of our novels -certainly the first three-we chose to print and bind the work ourselves, and placed it ready for publication in the publisher's hands. He sold it on commission, which, in honest hands, is a very good way of publishing a book though it involves some knowledge of practical publishing and a good deal of trouble. The way to work it is—

(1) To arrange with a printer and bookbinder. (2) Tofind a commission publisher and arrange

about terms.

(3) To make the time of payment to the printer fall at the time of receiving the first publisher's return.

The advance or prepayment of money is thus avoided. What the author risks is the difference between the sales and the printers' bills.

As in the case of those persons who insist on publishing what all the respectable houses refuse, it is perfectly easy to work in this way, I have always been amazed to find that they still fall into the trap of so much down towards "cost of production."

The Committee wish to impress upon members of the Society, who are kind enough to interest themselves in obtaining new members, that only

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E. Bechmann.

A. W. à Beckett.
Mrs. Belloc.

Sir Henry Bergne, K.C.M.G
Oscar Berry.

Walter Besant.

Mrs. Walter Besant.

J. A. Blaikie.
Herr Brand.
C. Brookfield.
Mrs. Brookfield.
Oscar Browning.
General Burton.
Mrs. Mona Caird.

A. C. Calmour.

Mrs. Lovett Cameron.
William Carey.

Miss Childar.

Professor Church, F.R.S.

P. W. Clayden.
Mrs. Clifford.

Miss Clodd.

Edward Clodd.

W. Morris Colles.
F. Howard Collins.
W. M. Conway.
Miss Roalfe Cox.
Mrs. Roalfe Cox.

Oswald Crawfurd, C.M.G.
Miss S. Creed.

Miss May Crommelin.
A. P. Crouch.
Miss Curtis.
Mrs. Cuthell

Austin Dobson.

Mrs. Edmonds.

Charles Edwardes.

John Eric Erichsen, F.R.S.

Professor Michael Foster, F.R.S. G. W. Forrest.

H. Gilzean-Reid, P.I.J.

Mrs. Gilzean-Reid.

Dr. Ginsburg.
Dr. Goodchild.
Edmund Gosse.
Mrs. Edmund Gosse.
Mrs. Egmont Hake.
Egmont Hake.

Professor Hales.

Captain Harding, R.N.
Henry Harland.
Isaac Henderson.
W. L. Hetherington.
Mrs. Cashel Hoey.

J. Hollingshead.

H. M. Holman.
Miss Eleanor Holmes.

Mrs. Holmes.

Rev. J. Inches Hillocks. Fergus Hume.

Rev. W. Hunt.

A. James.

Mrs. James. ("Florence Warden.")

C. T. C. James.

Jerome K. Jerome.

Rev. Prebendary Harry Jones.

Major Jones, R.E.

Mrs. Charles Jones.
Mr. Jones.

Miss Jones.

C. F. Keary.

H. G. Keene, C.I.E.
Rudyard Kipling.
R. B. S. Knowles.
James Stanley Little.
Léon Little.
Mrs. Long.
E. J. Martyn.
Campbell McKellar.

Dr. McKinney.

Mrs. Middleton-Wake.

Rev. C. H. Middleton-Wake, F.L.S.

Mme. Mijiatovich.

C. Mitchell.

B. Mitford.

J. Fitzgerald Molloy.

A. Montefiore.

H. J. Montgomery.

George Moore.

Mrs. Chandler Moulton.

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At the conclusion of dinner :-The Chairman (in proposing the toast of "The Queen") said: Ladies and gentlemen, the toast which I have the honour now to propose to you is ever the first where British subjects are assembled, and is ever received with sincere loyalty and reverential attachment, sentiments justly inspired by a reign which has given to this Empire, in the fullest measure, the blessings of constitutional freedom, and which, in every sphere of thought and action, has been auspi cious for the fruitful rivalries of peace. (Cheers.) I ask you to drink to the health of our most gracious Sovereign, the Queen.

The toast having been duly honoured—

The Chairman said: Ladies and gentlemen, the next toast which I have the honour to propose to you is that of the "Incorporated Society of Authors," and I rejoice that I can commence by offering congratulations. During the past year, as the

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Report shows, the prosperity of this Society has not only been fully maintained, but has been increased in a marked degree. There has been a very large accession to the number of members; in every sphere of work which the Society has entered, it has received fresh encouragement to persevere; and amongst the new forms of activity which it has developed, there is one which is especially deserving of mention. The Society now possesses a monthly periodical of its own in a journal entitled The Author, which was published for the first time in the month of May, and the second number of which we have had in June. It is an organ for the record and discussion of everything that concerns the profession of letters; it is also designed to be the medium by which the Committee of the Society of Authors may keep the other members informed of their proceedings. The inception and editing of this Journal is a new benefit which the Society owes to a member of its Council, to whom it has been indebted for so much else-Mr. Walter Besant. (Cheers.) I think one may say that the establishment of this Journal is a formal expression of the fact that this Society is now the recognised guardian of great and constantly growing interests. (Hear, hear.) It is well known to all of you that on the list of this Society's members are found some of the foremost names in every branch of literature, science, and art; and therefore in its corporate capacity the Society may claim that representative character which the appearance of this Journal indicates. (Hear, hear.)

Literary property is no inconsiderable element in the wealth of the nation; and yet hitherto the producers of this wealth have, for various reasons, been too often careless of their rights, and sometimes unable to defend them. This Society was formed for the purpose of diffusing clearer knowledge regarding the nature and the value of literary property, and also for the purpose of adopting all possible means which may render such property

more secure.

In pursuing these aims there are, broadly speaking, two principal provinces of endeavour which such a Society as this is called upon to enter: One is that of the relations which exist between authors and publishers; the other is the Law of Copyright. As regards the relations which exist between authors and publishers, the desire of this Society is simply to see those relations placed on a thoroughly intelligible and equitable footing (hear, hear), a footing equitable for both the partners in the joint enterprise. The Society wis to see literary business conducted on prin

. similar to those which regulate business in Ither form. Simply to state this is to say

that this Society has no quarrel whatsoever with any honourable publishing firm. (Hear, hear.) On the contrary, the work which this Society is attempting must be not less welcome to such firms than it is to the authors themselves, for that work tends to eliminate from the publishing vocation any persons who may be likely to discredit it. It also, by securing the fruits of his labour to the labourer, encourages the deserving, and so seeks to elevate the standard of literary produce.

It is fully and cordially recognised by the members of this Society-recognised with a pride natural to Englishmen that the general history of publishing in this country has been marked by integrity, in many cases by enterprise, and in very many cases by generosity. (Hear, hear.) On the other hand it is undeniable that many authors are incapable of appreciating the merits of a bargain proposed to them by a trained man of business who regards the matter from a commercial point of view; and it is also undeniable that the details of the publishing trade have too often been surrounded with a needless amount of technical obscurity. (Hear,

hear, and laughter.) We fully recognize that publishing is a useful, it may be a fine art, but we deny that it ought to be a mystery. (Hear, hear.) Now what have been the principal causes of such mystery as has existed? The first cause concerns what is termed the cost of production, that is to say, of printing a book and introducing it to the public. The Society has contributed to the elucidation of this subject, which is well within the range of the capacity conventionally described as "mean," by publishing a little work for the use of its members, called "The Cost of Production.”

The other great cause of the haziness to which I have alluded is of a subtler character: it is in fact the time-honoured doctrine of "risk," which might be described as the fundamental dogma of bibliopolic orthodoxy. The classical adage that "books have their fates" has been extended into the doctrine that the fate of most books is very nearly a toss up, and that, if a publisher has the intrepidity to take his chance of heads or tails, such heroism deserves a golden reward. (Laughter.) Well, we are very far from denying that, down at least to the early part of the eighteenth century, the business of the publisher was in fact very often an extremely hazardous one. But why was it so? Because the reading public for most books was then comparatively small; because circulation was not assisted by such agencies as Book Clubs or Literary Institutes; and because, for both those reasons, the publisher found it difficult to feel the pulse of the book-market. But before the end of the eighteenth century a considerable change had already occurred in that respect; and at the present

day it is affirmed by competent persons, who have investigated the subject, that a publisher very seldom indeed brings out a book with the danger of losing much by it. A certain margin of uncertainty must of course always exist; but the authors of these original researches say that the amount of speculative element in the publishing trade has been greatly exaggerated. And yet how strange, how almost pathetic it is to reflect on the large part which this dreaded monster "risk" has played in literary destinies! There was a time when the average author, after receiving from the publisher that modest recompense which was appropriate to those who ventured nothing, beheld almost with awe the publisher pass within the veil, bound for those mysterious regions, "far in the unapparent," where, like Hercules or Sir Calidore, he was to meet singlehanded that appalling bogey "risk," and to conquer or to fall. It must be our best comfort to reflect that by far the larger proportion of these daring publishers have survived the ordeal. And surely in their turn they will permit us to say that writers desire a revelation of this monster "risk" which shall be less in the manner of Milton and more in the manner of Dante. It it not enough for us to know that he floats many a rood. We should like to have some more exact measure of his dimensions. (Laughter.) Before leaving this topic of the relations between author and publisher, I would only add that, when an author submits to the Committee of this Society a proposed but still unsigned agreement with a publisher, the Committee does him a service if it points out a flaw, but it does him a service also if it tells him that there is no flaw-that he has no just grievance, and that he is getting as much as he can fairly expect. (Hear, hear.)

Now I will touch very briefly on the question of copyright. As you are aware, the International Copyright Act of June, 1886, enables this country to enter any International Copyright Union which may be established. But before this country can do so on equal terms it is desirable-it is even necessary—that the various existing Acts affecting Domestic Copyright should be amended and consolidated. (Hear, hear.) The draft of a Bill for that purpose has been prepared by a Committee of this Society, of which the chairman is Sir Frederick Pollock. (Applause.) As regards International Copyright, the case of course in which it most directly affects British authors is that of protection for their works in the United States. (Hear, hear.) It was naturally with a certain feeling of disappointment that we lately learned that the House of Representatives in Congress had thrown out, by a majority of 28-by 126 votes against 98-the Bill which would have afforded such protection. But under our disappointment it is no small alleviation

VOL. I.

to know that everything that is soundest in American opinion deplores that result (hear, hear), and anxiously desires a correction of a state of things which is felt to be unworthy of a great country. (Hear, hear.) The present situation has been clearly described in the current number of the Fortnightly Review, by Mr. Edmund Gosse. (Applause.)

Among our guests this evening, the educated opinion of the United States on this subject is represented by some gentlemen who have been strenuous supporters of that much-needed measure of justice. One among them I may be permitted to mention-one who for a long series of years has been an indefatigable worker in that just cause— Mr. George Haven Putnam. (Applause.) We greet him and them, not as the champions of a defeated cause, but as the champions of a cause which in our hope and belief is destined to no uncertain and no distant victory. (Cheers.) The true interests of literature in the largest sense are always international; and it is a source of peculiar gratification to us that our meeting this evening should be graced by the presence of a representative of the German Society of Letters, to whom we offer a respectful and cordial welcome. (Cheers.)

And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I sit down, it is my privilege to give you a message, which I know you will receive with deep interest and gratification. It is from the venerable and illustrious President of this Society (general cheering), whose recent restoration to health has caused rejoicing, not only throughout the British Empire, but wherever the English language is spoken. Lord Tennyson desires to assure you with what sincere pleasure he learns of the continued and increasing prosperity of this Society, and how glad he is to know of the excellent work which it is doing, in trying to make literary property more secure. (Hear, hear.)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the toast of "The Incorporated Society of Authors." (Loud and prolonged cheering.)

Sir Frederick Pollock, in acknowledging the toast, called attention to the practical work of the Society in matters of foreign and colonial copyright, and pointed out that the best and most certain way to make the Society still more useful to its members and to the world of letters, was for the members to exert themselves to procure recruits and diffuse knowledge of the Society and its operations.

Mr. Alfred Austin (in proposing the toast of "Literature, Science, and Art") said: Professor Jebb, ladies and gentlemen, when somewhat to my surprise, and certainly very much above my deserts, I was invited by the brilliant and vigorous man of

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