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APPLETON & COMPANY, THE Nos. 346 & 348 BROADWAY, PUBLISH TO-DAY, BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY, VOLUME ONE, ("A-ARAGUAY"), OF NEW AMERICAN CYCLOPEDIA, A POPULAR DICTIONARY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, EDITED BY GEORGE RIPLEY & CHARLES A. DANA, • Assisted by a numerous but Select Corps of Writers. The object of THE NEW AMERICAN CYCLOPÆDIA is to exhibit, in a new condensed form, the present state of human knowledge on every subject of rational inquiry in SCIENCE, ART, LITERATURE, AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, MANUFACTURES, LAW, MEDICINE, MATHEMATICS, ASTRONOMY, PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION, POLITICS, HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, GEOGRAPHY, With this design, the numerous Encyclopædias, Dictionaries of special branches of study, and Popular Conversations Lexicons, in the English, French, and German Lan. guages, have, of course, been diligently consulted and compared. But the NEW AMERI. CAN CYCLOPÆDIA is not founded on any European model; in its plan and elaboration it is strictly original. 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CHARLES SCRIBNER WILL CONTINUE, as heretofore, the usual PUBLISHING and BOOKSELLING business of AMERICAN BOOKS, &c., under his own name. Greatly Reduced in Price. WILLMOTT'S CAUTION Poets of the 19th Century. persons representing themselves to be our Original English Edition, printed on superfine cream-tinted paper, small 4to., superbly bound, cloth, gilt edges, $4, formerly $6; or, in morocco, full gilt or antique, $6, formerly $8. THE POETS OF THE NINETEENTH Any of the above artists, seeing the feeble and inferior copies presented to the public by another house, might well exclaim with lago, "Who steals my purse, steals trash; but he that filches from me my good name, robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed." For Sale, Wholesale and Retail, by E. BALDWIN, Agent, 18 BEEKMAN STREET. N. B.-Copies of the above, carefully packed, will be sent by mail or express, on receipt of Four Dollars for the cloth copies, or Six Dollars for those in morocco. 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COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS, includ- To Bookbinders and Booksellers. BY MRS. HORACE MANN. NEW JUVENILE BOOKS. BY WALTER SCOTT. In a Western or Southern City, or Town, this Library might be made very attractive, and profitable in connection with a Book and Stationery establishment. It will be sold at ab ar gain. C. S. FRANCIS & Co. BY CAPT, MAYNE REID. A GOOD General Workman, from Lon don, who thoroughly understands his business, and possesses an excellent set of Tools, with from $500 to $800 cash capital, would be glad to obtain a good situation. He has no objection to go South or West. Address Bookbinder, care of Mr. Hirsh, No, 386 Eighth Avenue, New York. $2,000. THE PLANT HUNTERS, with illustra- A MAN of Ten Years' Experience in tions. 1 vol. 16mo., 12 plates. BY GRACE GREENWOOD. STORIES AND LEGENDS of Travel and RAN AWAY TO SEA. An Autobiography Wholesale Publisher's, would take an Interest in a Solvent New or Established Book House, and would invest an equivalent for this amount. He can command credit with Papermen and Printers; is an Accountant, and well acquainted with Country Dealers. Address FINANCE, "Publishers' Circular" Office. ISSUED WEEKLY BY THE BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION. AND Literary Gazette. Temporary Committee. Communications should be addressed to THE AMERICAN PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR, No. 3 Appletons' Building, 348 Broadway. VOL. IV.-No. III. NEW YORK, JANUARY 16, 1858. TO BOOKSELLERS, BOOK-BUYERS, AND BOOK-READERS. THE AMERICAN PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR AND LITERARY GAZETTE, CONDUCTED BY CHARLES R. RODE, Under the Direction of the New York Book-Publishers' Association, Is published every week at $2 per annum, payable in advance; and tor the following reasons clains the favorable consideration of all individuals, companies, and associations, who take an interest in the making, selling, buying, or reading of books. 1st. It is the only journal in the United States which keeps a full and correct record of CÜRRENT PUBLICATIONS. Every number contains the title of books issued during the week, with their SIZE, PRICE, NUMBER OF PAGES, and PUBLISHER. 2d. It contains regularly a list of the most important NEW BOOKS issued from the ENGLISH PRESS. 3d. It is the only journal which gives PUBLISHERS' ANNOUNCE MENCA. 4th. Each number has a copious collection of current LITERARY INTELLIGENCE, concerning Books and BOOK-MAKERS, compiled from the best and most authentic domestic, and foreign sources. 5th. The Circular, besides occasional EDITORIALS upon subjects of interest, has in nearly every number EXTRACTS FROM NEW Books, selected with especial regard to their general attractiveness. 6th. It also gives EXPOSITORY NOTICES of NEW PUBLICATIONS; intended, not as critical commentaries, but as guides to the buyer, explain ing the purpose, and method of each book, without examining into its intrinsic merits. 7th. The American Publishers' Circular is the OFFICIAL MEDIUM of ADVERTISING of the great body of American Publishers, and in that department alone possesses sufficient value to recommend it to the Trade and the Reading Public. Back numbers can be supplied. One Page, Half " One Column, Half 66 Quarter" RATES OF ADVERTISING. PER ANNUM. $400 250 150 100 75 TRANSIENT-TERMS CASH. PRICE $2 A YEAR. IS THE POLICY OF SUSTAINING PUBLISHING SOCIETIES A WISE ONE! From the Independent. The question is not whether it is wise for the churches to sustain the publication and dissemination of the Bible and a religious literature. We are all agreed in the duty of multiplying and scattering the light of the Gospel, till the world is full of it. Nor is the question before us of a religious, but purely of a business character. It is important to make this discrimination; for, to sustain our great publishing establishments as they are, to very many persons who contribute to them, is identical with the religious duty of giving God's Word and truth to a perishing world. Their religious sympathies seem to take hold of the very types and presses of the Bible and Tract Houses; and to attempt any reform in such establishments, is liable to be construed into a war upon the sacred instrumentalities of God's spiritual kingdom. To manufacture a book, be it a Bible or a Shakespeare, is as purely a matter of business, as to manufacture a boot. The question is, How can the business be done to the best advantage? The Holy Ghost does not limit himself to the use of truth printed in Astor Place or Nassau street, or by a religious publishing house rather than by private capital. The question has reference to the best and cheapest modes of manufacturing the Bible and religious books, and may be more fully expressed thus: Is it wise for the churches to adhere to the policy of furnishing a printing and book-making establishments? large capital to our publishing societies, to be invested in permanent That this policy is not wise, we think, appears from the following considerations: have been long engaged in the book-trade. With scarcely an exception, the publishers in New York have their work done by contract. They job it out to such practical printers and binders as will do it best and cheapest. The Harpers have their own manufacturing establishment throughout; but they are practical printers themselves, which, perhaps, makes the policy a wise one for them. It is by no means certain, however, that they would not have been better off to-day, if they had confined themselves to the one branch of printing, and never added to it that of publishing. The Appletons have also a printing establishment; but I am told they engaged in it from another consideration, than that by so investing their capital they would be able to manufacture books cheaper than it could be done by contract. One heavy house, in some cases, purchase their own paper and stereotype plates, and do all the rest by contract. In other cases, they acknowledge they do better by contracting for the book entire, of which they see nothing till it comes into the store, ready for the market. There can scarcely be said to be two opinions on this question among book-publishers. They adopt the course which their experience has demonstrated to be the wise one. The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light-perhaps in this matter as well as in some others. 2. As a general principle, it is not wise to complicate business by mingling separate and distinct branches. The doctrine of a division of labor is orthodox among all political economists. It would be great folly for a merchant to undertake to manufacture all the variety of goods in demand at his counter. I suppose it is generally agreed, that it is not wise for a minister to carry on all the various branches of the work of educating a people, and be at once preacher, teacher, lecturer, author, reviewer, and journalist. If a few men have sufficient genius and learning to do it, they are the rare exceptions in the profession. almost unnecessary to refer to the especial claims of this jour-ing, are branches of business as distinct as tanning leather and making Now, paper-making, printing, bookbinding, engraving and stereotyp nal upon the Trade, for we feel assured that every intelligent Publisher and Bookseller must appreciate its value. The great depression of business during the last several months has, of course, somewhat affected our prosperity; but we may say with great truth, that under all the circumstances, we have every reason to be satisfied with the support extended. shoes. Each is a trade to be learned, and demands practice and skill. Success is attained in these trades only by the close attention of experienced and interested managers, who have the "single eye." There are two methods of conducting the business of publishing books. One proceeds upon this principle of a division of labor, and "every man to his trade." For the accommodation of those who take this method, there are a multitude of establishments built up with the private capital of the mechanies themselves, between whom the salutary principle of competition has full play, and who are ready to contract for any amount of work. The practical paper-maker invests his money in his mill and machinery, obtains his stock where he best can, employs the most economical labor possible, devotes his own talent and skill to the business, as a means of support, and has every facility for doing his work well, quick, and cheap. The same is true of the practical printer, binder, engraver, and stereotyper, and each is ready to do jobs for the Bible or Tract Society, or S. S. Union," in the neatest and most substantial manner, and on the most favorable terms." The other mode is that adopted by our religious publishing societies, and which overlooks the principle of a division of labor, and brings various branches of business under one head. A large capital is contributed by the churches, and invested in a great establishment for printing, binding, engraving, and stereotyping. Prominent men, distinguished for their knowledge of everything but the practical business of printing, book-making, &c., must be appointed, with large salaries, to manage the affairs of a great Society and Corporation. Subordinate officers must be sustained on liberal salaries, to oversee the various departments of the work. The motives which spring from a pecuniary interest in the work they oversee, must be mainly excluded, which cannot be considered favorable to economy. The paper (Tract Society, for example) must be purchased by a dry-goods merchant, the notes of the Society given in payment, and the contributions of the churches, collected by expensive agents, applied to pay them. If the former method were adopted, there would be no occasion for the employment, at a great expense, of a large capital which, in times like the present, is likely to be more or less unproductive. The serious objection to a corporation controlling a large amount of funds would not exist. The operations of the Society would be greatly simplified, its expenses very largely reduced, and yet the same good might be accomplished. 3. As a matter of fact, our religious literature is not furnished cheaper, probably it costs the Christian community much more than it would cost if the policy of publishing by contract were adopted. Take for example the Tract Society. There are doubtless publishers in New York who would gladly take the business and the market of the Society, and agree to sell books as low as the Society does, and give away as much matter annually, and ask no donations from the churches to pay for paper, printing, or to invest in a printing establishment. The Tract Society estimate their publications at 1,500 pages for a dollar. This was once cheap; but is it now? Harpers' Magazine furnishes matter at about half that rate, and pays its writers from five to twenty dollars a page for the manuscript, and ornaments its leaves with expensive cuts. The reading furnished by our widely circulated religious journals comes at a much lower cost than that of the Tract Society. The New York Evangelist says it furnishes 6,000 tract pages for two dollars, while the Tract Society gives but 3,000 pages for two dollars. These papers have an income from advertising, so that this comparison may not be entirely fair. The Tract Society give us no clue to the profits they make on their publications. Their financial report embraces only the items from their cash book, and they present no balance-sheet whatever. Such a way of doing business would not be tolerated outside of the church. We can therefore only arrive at their profits from incidental data. They tell us that they discount from their ordinary prices, to booksellers who buy to sell again, twenty per cent.-to the Maryland Branch at Baltimore, twenty-five per cent., and to the Tract Society at Boston, twenty-seven and a half per cent.-a difference of two and a half per cent. in favor of the North! It is not to be supposed that they give a discount which brings the books below their estimated cost; and it is therefore reasonable to suppose they make a profit of at least twenty-seven and a half per cent. Such a percentage on all their sales would amount to a large sum annually. The Report of the Society last year shows receipts from all sources, $422,895 42. Expended as follows: we purchase it at the sales-room. We have paid for the paper, we have furnished the capital on which the business is done, the interest of which must be from $25,000 to $30,000. Indeed the Christian community have given the Society the last year over $176,000. Add to this the interest on the capital, and you have over $200,000 furnished the Society in the year to enable them to sell books cheap and distribute them far and wide. Add what we pay indirectly to the direct prices of the books, and we need not be surprised to find that the boast of "cheap literature" from the Tract Society is not sustained. But it will occur to those who have read the last Report, that a committee of publishers, Messrs. Harper, Carter, and Wiley, certify that the prices of books charged by the Society are barely sufficient to meet the cost of manufacture and circulation. But these gentlemen evidently mean to include in the cost of manufacture and circulation all the expenses of the establishment as they are, and not as they might be if another system of operations were adopted. In estimating the cost of conducting the business of the Tract Society, over $175,000 must be set down for the salaries of secretaries, colporteurs, collecting agents, treasurer, and clerks; travelling expenses, use of conveyances, horse-keeping, tolls, freight, postage, stationery, rent, insurance, office expenses, and taxes. This is certainly an enormous expense for the amount of business done by the Society; and everything has to be graduated on a scale to meet it. 4. It seems to us that the present policy is unfair toward private individuals in the book trade-a violation of the golden rule. Suppose, as a friend of education, wishing to cheapen school books, I contribute to Ivison & Phinney, or A. S. Barnes & Co., $200,000 per annum, to pay in part for the manufacture of their books, so that they may be able to sell them that much cheaper. The result is they can and will undersell and drive from the market every other similar establishment. Would it be fair for me to do so? I think the right way would be to let all publish their books as cheaply as possible, using their capital and skill to the best advantage. Then let me appropriate my $200,000 to secure that amount of discount from the legitimate prices to the consumers whom I might wish to supply with cheap books. By this plan I should promote a healthful competition in the production of such books and at such prices as would be most likely to come in for a share of my $200,000 cheapening fund; while if I proceeded according to the supposition, I should destroy all competition, establish a monopoly, and run the risk of leading into serious temptation the parties who might receive my donation. I could easily, by the latter method, make the books cheap to those not well able to pay the fair value, and leave others to pay the just market price. Other publishers suffer also from the apparent cheapness of books at the Tract House, which leaves the false and injurious impression upon many minds that the profits of other establishments are much larger than they are. We are aware that the Tract Society formerly published by contract, and that the present policy was adopted some ten years ago. It is not strange that they should think the latter policy much better than that formerly adopted. What publishing house would not think so, if their good friends would give them a capital to invest in a great printing and bookbinding establishment? In the case supposed, the parties receiving the $200,000 would doubtless regard such an arrangement, giving them a large capital without interest, and a monopoly of the school-book business, a very excellent one for them. But the question is, would it be wise for me to go into such an arrangement? Would it be wise for the churches to act upon such a principle? Messrs. Ivison & Phinney would not invest their own capital in that way, and why should I invest mine, or the church of God hers? The Tract Society would be glad of $50,000 more, the Sunday School Union would be greatly relieved by an addition of 100,000 dollars to their capital, (and the greater the capital furnished them the more they can do, of course,) but the previous question to be settled is, whether it is wise to accumulate large pecuniary capital to be controlled by religious corporations? In itself considered, we think it clear that the policy of sustaining publishing societies is unwise. But it is another question, what is wise under the circumstances? What shall we do now that we have such societies? Might they not, at least, be left, with the capital they have, to take care of themselves, and no longer be allowed to draw upon those resources of the living and the dying which are so imperatively needed in other departments of benevolence? BRITISH MUSEUM LIBRARY. From the Correspondence of the Boston Post-" Communiparo" (Pliny Miles.) WHAT IS A LIBRARY, AND WHAT DOES IT COST? Some one was looking at Col. Peter Force's collection of books at Washington-thirty or forty thousand volumes, principally relating to American history-and was pleased to call it "a splendid library." "O! |