The Clerk read as follows: gaIrdwianntthtoe pprroepsoesnetdtotayripffuoanfbeowoks. considerations re The Houso of which I am a member holds the American agency for the Touchnitz collection of British authors and doesa.general importing businessin the class of books used by scholarsin special subjects and not generally found in the American market. While old averaged about 200 these branchesat usinessstopped. The iin ortation of all articlesof necessity andof thoseartic esofliix ury which appealedto' people’s vanities and physical appetites went on as vigorously as over. This proves that, partly from the proverbial poverty of scholars and partly from the subordinate interest bestowed upon booksbythosewho arenot scholars, bookscan not be imported at the same cost flat most other articlescan. Even with the presentpremiumon gold and the present tariff. we are constantly receivml lettersfromeminentmen thofountainsof the country's knowledge saying.“ We want to do so and so Iwfhen gold comes down or when the taritfisvremoved." the proposed tariif goesinto effect it Will produce tphreems aiummes results regarding books as the very high on gold did during the war. The people who now usethem cannot or Will not afferd to buy foreign books: that sourceof knowledgeWill be shut off and the Government will be deprived of what revenuc it npw hasfromit. To this objectorssay. the tariff is intended to protect our own book makers, and we can supply the demandat home. To this there are 3 answers: 1. Our book makersdo not needprotection. 2. They would have no right to this kind of protectionif they did. 3. If they were to get it theycould not supply the demand. 1. Our book makers do not need protection. My businessis about equally divided betweenpublishing and importing, thereforeI know what I s oakof when I saythat this book makers of the U.S. pinegvc Jarnhuaadraynother year so prosperous as the oneclps 1.1866. Printin officgsand‘bindories Weresocrowdedthat it wasii most impossibleto get work done and the ratm charged were enormous. Of cono theserateswereprofitable, for the demand was 8 great that almost nny pricc could be comhmeaanrddeitd. In my whole acquaiptancc.Hhave pever alleged that book making hero is not Justly profitable. this said that fo reignhousescan coin pets, and therefore this tar it!is sought by menwho. not claimin that their gameare too small. yet Wish to increase t cm by shuttin offcompetition. Npw. on examiningthenatureoft iscompetition.I th ink gutwfll recognizethe truth of my 2ndassertion. a 2. The American book makers would have no right to the kind of protection theysock.evenit thcy ncededit. You know that it is one of our national disgraces that we have never followed the example coofoptyhrcigrhctivilised natiops andmadean international law. This disgracerestsupon us because foofrethigenwealth and influence of certain reprinters of foreignbooks.With the americapbooksthus printed. bookscomeinto competition and With them alone. as our own copyright lalw in Qtects all others againstthe importation of nut e itions. Now it is, fromthe nature of the case, only againstthe original edition of booksreprinted here that our publishers can want protection. In other words. some of the ublishers ave to this day succeeded in making our law sayto them “You may stealasyou Will Without being interferedwith, " and now the want through this tariff‘ to make the law say. “It orcover I will SOQUL‘fBor your stolen goods the monopoly of the mar e. 3. If the American publishers were tosucceedin shutting out foreign books.as this tariffwould, they would beunable to supply the demand by home manufactures. the demnn is sosmallfor manyforeigp and thoscmanyof the mostimportant, that it would never pay to issuea specialedition here. As you are aware the main expenseof book making is in settingup the type and cutting the illustrations. After this is done copies can be produced cheaply. Now. for the most important scientificworks in all depts.the demand is general great enongh throughout the whole world to pay in;original cg: penseonce. In the U.S. the demand is in proportion to our youth and we userather lessthan our share accordingto numerical standardsof opulution. That thesebooksshould hereprqduc licre issimply out.of the question. Our houseistigent for Tbroioibknse, r of London. and we areconstantlyimporting i' one to a dozen copiesof each, tor men who real shapethe thought o the country. when old was about 25, the scholars who had beenso long deprived ofl these booksbeganto make a rush for them. Now With gold at fithey resign themselvestowait. If th eproposedt ari passes.they will have to wait for Wiser legislation. As a publisher. I would think it a better business speculation to throw moneyaway than to attempt to reproduce thesebooks.for in the latter cusoI would have labor addedto loss. It is not for scientific and 1:111b‘o8gks alone. however. that the tariffis to be avoided. ou knowthepublicationsof Bolin. of London. which are really the basisof most of the goodprivate libraries of the country. I selectthemasanexample. Do you realize that the proposed tariffwill increasethe price ofthosu booksto the retail buyer. about 60 cents in cold? The same can be said of the ordinary li hrnrr f‘lllrinllfluf‘FiTYN‘lnlmlfiermnn literature. The idea of producing.Bohn's series or anything like it. here.is asCllllneflcfllas the idea of reproducing the hooksin foreign languages. Very respectfully.yours. Hon. Witniui E. Dunes.