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Columbus: Isaac C. Aston.
Cleveland: Ingham, Clarke & Co.
Chicago: E. L. Jansen, Messrs. Jansen, McClurg
& Co.

Detroit: George H. Smith, Messrs. E. B. Smith & Co.

Milwaukee: H. H. West, Messrs. West & Co. Burlington, Iowa: Wesley Jones.

Indianapolis: S. T. Bowen, Messrs. Bowen, Stewart & Co.

Dubuque: G. B. Grosvenor, Messrs. Grosvenor & Harger.

Rock Island: R. Crampton.

St. Louis: Gray, Baker & Co.
Nashville: A. Setliff.

Dayton: A. F. Payne, Messrs. Payne, Holden & Co.

Toledo: George Brown, Messrs. Brown &
Faunce.

New Orleans: James A. Gresham.
Galveston: J. E. Mason.

ful men to remain in the trade, and supply to the younger generation some incentive to educate themselves rightly for a trade which should offer the double opportunity of a high order of usefulness to the community and fair pecuniary return. Looking, therefore, to the adoption of such a policy as shall secure the interests and prosperity of all, it respectfully offers to the publishers-who, being few in number, centralized in position, and in other respects the heads of the trade, are the proper parties to inaugurate the reform-the following sugges

tions:

Ist. That the present system of professional discounts should be discountenanced and abolished by all book dealers, and no discounts from retail price be made to any persons outside the regular trade.

That the only exception, and that advisable as a matter of present expediency, should be in the first introduction and exchange of school

Atlanta: F. G. Hancock, Messrs. Burke, Han- books, which should be done through the resicock & Co.

Richmond: J. T. Ellyson.

San Francisco: S. H. Bonesteel, Messrs. J. G. Hodge & Co.

A Plan of the Fair.

As we write, Messrs. George A. Leavitt & Co. are busily at work in fitting up the commodious rooms they have secured, and assigning spaces to publishing members of the Exchange.

The temporary annexation of the Mercantile Library Reading-Room gives them the full second floor of Clinton Hall, 150 x 75, and here will be all the publishers. Up-stairs, a large room like the regular salesroom is reached directly from the latter, and this is to be occupied by the manufacturing stationers and chromo publishers. We hope to give, in a number previous to the Fair, a plan of the location of houses -possibly we may be able to insert it in the later copies of this supplement.

Platform

OF THE CONVENTION AT CINCINNATI, O., FEBRUARY 12-13, 1874.

THE American Book Trade Union, in con vention assembled, declares its belief that the interests of the public, the publisher, the jobber, and the retailer alike demand reform from the evils that now cripple the trade. Believing that the office of the bookseller is an important one in the true progress of the country, and that the interest of publishers also demands a thorough, capable, and effective distributing system which shall include retailers at every place that can support a bookstore, it sees that this result can be had only by the abandonment of the present unprofitable and fictitious trade system, and a return to one based on sound business principles, giving the public their books cheaper, and the dealer such fair advantages as he who devotes his capital, ability, and time to any business has a right to expect. It does not desire to stifle by combination the competition of enterprise and ability which is the life of trade, but seeks simply to unite the trade under a healthful and rational system of prices and discounts, which shall make it possible for able and use

dent trade or the publisher's traveling agent; the time for introduction prices being limited to thirty days.

That wholesaling live books to newspapers for premiums is especially detrimental to the trade.

2d. That the trade sales are a leading cause of the present demoralization, and detrimental to the interests of the whole trade, an evil which should be remedied by publishers declining to contribute, and by dealers generally abstaining from buying.

3d. That the publishers' practice of sending books by mail upon receipt of published price is an injustice to local dealers which can be fairly remedied by an additional charge of 10 per cent for postage.

4th. That to assure permanence in these reforms, the retail price of books should be reduced so that the largest discount under any circumstances could not exceed one third.

PLEDGE.

Whereas, We all recognize that underselling is the crying evil of the book trade, and that this evil is the result of the exorbitant retail prices of books, the large discounts made to the trade by publishers, and the book trade sales, and

Whereas, We have, by resolution, respectfully but earnestly requested publishers to lessen these prices and discounts and abolish trade sales; therefore

Resolved, That, as retailers, jobbers, and publishers, we pledge ourselves to use all reasonable endeavors to maintain and protect publishers' retail prices.

American Book Trade Association.

OFFICERS. President :

A. D. F. Randolph, New-York.
First Vice-President :
Isaac C. Aston, Columbus.
Second Vice-President:
Martin Taylor, Buffalo.
Third Vice-President:
H. H. West, Milwaukee.

Treasurer:

Timothy Nicholson, Richmond, Ind.

Corresponding Secretary:
James S. Baker, New-York.

Recording Secretary:
John H. Thomas, Dayton.
Executive Committee:
William Lee, Boston.
A. F. Payne, Dayton.
W. D. Baker, St. Louis.
E. L. Jansen, Chicago.
George H. Smith, Detroit.
W. S. Appleton, New-York.
C. S. Bragg, Cincinnati.
A. Setliff, Nashville.
W. Jones, Burlington, Iowa.
T. A. Andrews, Cleveland.

Committee on Assemblies:
Isaac E. Sheldon, New-York.
Joseph Knight, Troy.
A. C. Barnes, New-York.
Henry Holt, New-York.
R. R. Bowker, New-York.

Arbitration Committee.
Robert Clarke, Cincinnati.
George Remsen, Philadelphia.
George B. Brown, Toledo.
S. A. Clarke, Pittsburg.
R. Crampton, Rock Island.

Finance Committee.

S. T. Bowen, Indianapolis.
B. H. Ticknor, Boston.
G. B. Grosvenor, Dubuque.
George E. Stevens, Cincinnati.
W. H. Gross, Hartford.

Constitution

OF THE AMERICAN BOOK TRADE ASSOCIATION.

1. The name of this organization shall be "The American Book Trade Association."

2. Its object shall be the promotion of the interests of the book trade in the United States, and the improvement of its methods of doing business.

3. Its officers shall be a President, three Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Recording Secretary, and a Corresponding Secretary; to be elected at the annual meeting of the Association, by a majority of the members present. Their duties shall be the usual duties of such officers.

4. Its permanent committees shall be elected in the same manner and at the same time as the officers, and shall consist of—

An Executive Committee, of ten;

Trade shall select the places and make all necessary preparations for holding the regular and other meetings of the Association, and shall notify all members of the same in due season, by their Secretary.

8. The Committee on Arbitration shall take cognizance of all complaints made against members, for alleged infractions of the by-laws. They shall endeavor, if possible, to reconcile the parties, and if not successful, shall publish, in the official organ of the trade, a complete statement of the case, with their conclusions, and present the same to the Association at its next meeting.

9. The Committee on Finance shall devise ways and means for paying the necessary expenses of the Association; shall be empowered to levy assessments in addition to the annual dues, if necessary, not to exceed $3 on each member in any one year, and shall audit the Treasurer's accounts

10. The officers and committees shall hold office for one year, or until their successors are elected.

II. The annual meeting of the Association shall be held commencing on the second Tuesday in July of each year; and special meetings may be called by the President on the unanimous request of the Executive Committee.

12. Any publishing or bookselling firm, or author, may become a member by signing this Constitution, and paying annually the sum of two dollars.

13. The Executive Committee of this body shall have the power to fill all vacancies that may occur in committees, and each committee shall have authority to delegate its powers to one or more persons.

14. This Constitution may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds vote.

Platform

OF THE CONVENTION AT PUT-IN BAY, O., JULY 21-23, 1874.

Whereas, The retail booksellers of this country are a most important element of civilization, second only to the church and school-house, and no village or town can be thoroughly prosperous which does not contain at least one good bookstore where the best literature of this country and the world is attractively displayed; and

Whereas, The late controversies and distractions existing in the book trade, and the custom which has grown up on the part of the publishers and larger city dealers of selling books to private consumers at very nearly the same rate at which the local bookseller can purchase them, has rendered it impossible for the local dealer to successfully invest his capital in a stock of books to meet and develop the wants

A Committee on Assemblies of the Trade, of of his own section; and if this evil is not five;

A Committee of Arbitration, of five;
A Committee on Finance, of five.

5. The Treasurer shall give bonds to the President, in the sum of $1000, and shall pay out moneys only on the order of the Chairman of the Finance Committee.

6. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be the general oversight of the affairs of the Association, and to attend to all business not specially given to any other committees.

7. The Committee on Assemblies of the

checked, at no distant day the whole business of selling books must fall into the hands of large city dealers or peddlers, greatly to the detriment of local communities; therefore be it

Resolved, That the discounts which have heretofore been allowed to ministers, teachers, and libraries, on the ground that they are common workers with us in the distribution of knowledge, be as follows, namely: that a discount not exceeding 20 per cent on miscellaneous and school-books, and 10 per cent on medical books, may be allowed by publishers, jobbers, and retailers, to professional men

and teachers, and on goods sold in quantities to libraries and large buyers outside the trade.

Resolved, further, That we deem it right and for the best interests of book-buyers to make their purchase of, and to sustain the local bookseller, that the business of the locality may be developed for the common good. The business of selling books is not among the profitable kind of commercial enterprises, and yields but a fair living, and requires unusual intelligence to successfully prosecute it.

Resolved, That, in view of the insufficiency of the present system of trade sales, and also of commercial travelers, to meet the wants of the trade, that in lieu thereof this Convention appoint a committee with power to establish and conduct a semi-annual Book Trade Sale or Fair, at which the publishers shall offer their books during the period of the sale or fair at special terms to the trade.

Signers of the 20 per cent Rule. (ARRANGED BY PLACES.)

Simmons.
E. Goodenough.
J. B. Ford & Co.
Clark & Maynard.

NEW-YORK.

J. N. Stearns, Nat. Temp.

Soc.

Thomas Nelson & Son, Jas.

Robertson, Attorney.
James Miller.

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Amer. Tract Society, H. E. Lee, Shepard & Dillingham.
A. D. F. Randolph & Co.
Geo. R. Lockwood.
Scribner, Armstrong & Co.
Scribner, Welford & Arm-
strong.
Dodd & Mead.
Dick & Fitzgerald.
Baker, Pratt & Co.
A. S. Barnes & Co.
E. J. Hale & Son.
F. W. Christern.
D. Appleton & Co.
R. Carter & Bros.
E. P. Dutton & Co.
Smith's Homeopathic Phar.,
H. M. Smith.
Hurd & Houghton.
Jno. Wiley & Son.
Pott, Young & Co.
Warren & Wyman.
T. Whittaker.

J. W. Schermerhorn & Co.
G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Nelson & Phillips, Methodist
Book Concern.
Geo. Routledge & Son, Jos.
L. Blamire, Agt.
Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor &
Harper & Bros.

Co.

Henry K. Van Siclen.
N. Tibbals & Son.
U. D. Ward.

G. W. Carleton & Co.
August Brentano.

G. S. Scofield, Agent Amer.
S. S. Union.
Macmillan & Co.
Sheldon & Co.

Resolved, That the publishers be requested to send, as far as possible, editorial copies through the local bookseller, and that the bookseller exercise due care in the prompt delivery of the books and in the transmission of notices to the publishers. Resolved, That this Convention most cordially Henry Holt & Co. recommend to publishers the project of Mr. E. Steiger of New-York, as set forth in his circular, of compiling and distributing among booksellers classified catalogues of American books and reprints, and hope that the publishers will sustain him by promptly furnishing him with their catalogues and such information as he desires to complete his lists.

Resolved, That this Convention recognize the PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY as the established organ of the entire trade, and recommend it to publishers as the medium through which they should make their "first announcement" of books they propose to publish, and the full title of all books immediately on publication. Resolved, That the Convention appoint a Committee on Permanent Organization of the Book Trade of America.

Resolved, That we mutually pledge ourselves to the maintenance of the discounts and recommendations of the Committee of Thirty, adopted by this Association on and after September Ist, 1874.

Agreement

SIGNED GENERALLY BY THE TRADE OF NEW-
YORK, BOSTON, PHILADELPHIA, ETC.

The Central Booksellers' Association adopts twenty (20) per cent as the maximum discount to be given to libraries, schools, teachers, professional men generally, and other large buyers outside the trade, with the exception of supplies of school-books for first introduction; specimen copies of school-books for examination; school-books for schoolboards and State normal schools created by law and authorized to purchase supplies from public funds; school-books for schools, other than Sunday-schools, supported by religious and benevolent societies, and purchasing their own supplies of school-books; and to such merchants as deal in books and school supplies.

The undersigned publishers and booksellers hereby accept the above by-law of the Central Booksellers' Association, to take effect on the 1st of January next, and agree that the terms herein named shall be the rates of discount thereafter allowed on all sales at our establishment. [Note: This agreement, as signed by those following, is understood to restrict discounts to the classes named, all other retail buyers to be charged catalogue retail prices.]

[The "Note" was added at the Philadelphia meeting, to cover an issue not before raised.-ED.]

H. O. Houghton & Co.
W. B. Clarke.

Noyes, Holmes & Co.
Lee & Shepard.
Thompson, Brown & Co.
J. L. Hammett.
Ginn Bros.
D. Lothrop & Co.
Knight, Adams & Co.
Locke & Bubier.
Geo. E. Littlefield.

Baptist Pub. Society, G. M.
Van Derlip.

B. Westermann & Co.
Albert Mason.
W. J. Widdleton.
Collins & Bros.

R. Worthington & Co.

BOSTON.

D. C. Colesworthy.
Geo. E. Colesworthy.
Carter & Pettee.
Geo. H. Springer, Agt. Amer.
Bap. Pub. Soc.

Eben Shute, Agent Amer. S.
S. Union.

James R. Osgood & Co.
Robert S. Davis & Co.
John L. Shorey.
Roberts Bros.
New-England News Co.,
John J. Dyer, Manager.

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PHILADELPHIA.

Claxton, Remsen & Haffel- | Jas. Hammond.
finger.

Gebbie & Barrie.

Amer. S. S. Union.

Lindsay & Blakiston.

Porter & Coates.

Pres. Board of Pub., John A.
Black.

Ref. Ch. Pub. Board, J. Da-
vid Miller.
Garrigues Bros.

Amer. Baptist Pub. Soc., B.
Griffith.

W. S. Fortescue & Co., by C.
J. Shoemaker.
F. E. Remont.

J. K. Shryock, for Luth.
Board of Pub.
James K. Simon.
Sower, Pott & Co.
Walton & Co.

Friends' Book Association.
W. G. Perry.

Perkinpine & Higgins.
A. J. Holman & Co.

J. B. McCullough, Agt. Con.
Tract Soc.

W. B. Zieber.

H. N. McKinney & Co.

Bailey & Noyes.

Eugene Cummisky.
Rich. McCauley.
Cyrus Carson.
James Cochrane.
Charles Desilver.
H. N. Thissell.
Peter F. Cunningham.
Henry McGrath.
Henry H. Holloway.
Ferdinand Foster.
Cowperthwait & Co.
J. H. Butler & Co.
T. R. Callender & Co.
Hunt & Congdon.
David D. Elder & Co.
Hollowbush & Carey.
Moss & Co.
Henry C. Baird.
Eldredge & Bro.
Behm & Gerhart.
T. P. M. Bennett & Co.
Smith, English & Co.
Charles A. Dixon & Co.
Lutheran Bookstore, G. W.
Frederich.

J. A. Bancroft & Co.
R. Paine.

PORTLAND.

Loring, Short & Harmon.

Hoyt, Fogg & Donham.
Dresser, McLellan & Co.

PITTSFIELD.-Nichols Allen.

CHELSEA.-Daniel Orcutt.

ANDOVER.-W. F. Draper.

PROVIDENCE.-S. S. Rider; Gladding Bros. & Tibbits.
FALL RIVER.-B. Earl & Son.

HANOVER.-J. B. Parker.

CONCORD.-E. C. Eastman; D. L. Guernsey.
BOSTON HIGHLANDS.-John Backup.
NEWPORT.-A. J. Ward.

GLOUCESTER. -Procter Bros.
MANCHESTER.-Wm. H. Fisk.

WORCESTER.-Sanford & Co., by L. Sanford.
EXETER.-George E. Lane.
CAMBRIDGE.-Charles W. Sever.

The Committee felt from the tone of the discussion at the Convention at Put-in Bay, last summer, that it was the almost unanimous conviction of the large number of intelligent booksellers there assembled, that the present trade sale had outlived its usefulness; that' it had failed to accomplish the primary object for which it was started, that of drawing together all the members of the book trade, from all sections of the country; that, in fact, the largest and most enterprising booksellers were those Samuel W. Herman, Agent. who least frequently visited the trade sale; that the auction element enabled a certain class of booksellers in larger cities to lay in semiannually a stock of books at such low prices that they were constantly breaking down the regular prices of books. Indeed, the sentiment seemed to be that no permanent reform could be made while the trade sales were continued.

BALTIMORE.

Cushings & Bailey.

| T. Newton Kurtz.

Turnbull Bros.

Kelly, Piet & Co.

for S. Guiteau & Co.

Publishers' Board of Trade.

RETAIL PRICE RULE.

SUMMARY of minutes of a special meeting, held October 28th, 1874:

The committee appointed at the previous meeting, to consider the request of the Central Booksellers' Association, in regard to discounts on school-books outside of the trade, reported the following proposed by-law, which adopted:

was

XXXI. School-books and other articles enumerated in By-law XI. shall be sold at no greater discount than 20 per cent from the published retail prices, with, the following exceptions:

1. Supplies for first introduction. [See Bylaw XI.]

2. Specimen copies for examination. [See By-law VIII.]

3. To school boards and State normal schools created by law, and authorized to purchase books or supplies from public funds.

4. To schools supported by religious and benevolent societies purchasing their own supplies.

5. To such merchants as deal in books and other articles named in By-law XI. GEORGE R. LOCKWOOD,

Secretary.

Report of Committee on the Book Fair.

THE Committee appointed by the American Book Trade Association at its last Annual Convention, held at Put-in Bay, Ohio, to consider the subject of establishing a Book Fair to replace the present "trade sales," desire to make this preliminary report. As the annual meeting of the Convention will not be held for some time, and there is a natural desire on the part of the trade to know what has been accomplished, we deem this the most suitable way of giving information on the subject.

The Committee have had several sessions, and have given to the subject considerable time and thought. The object sought to be accomplished by the Book Trade Association, although desirable in itself, is not easy to carry

out.

While the Committee felt the full force and justice of these claims, it has yet appeared to them a very difficult task to inaugurate a new system to supersede the old, which would have all its advantages with none of its drawbacks. The objects to be accomplished by the proposed "Book Fair," or 'Booksellers' Exchange and Clearing House," as your Committee have decided to call it, were first, and by far the most important, a general assembling of booksellers from all parts of the country once or twice a

year.

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The advantages of having the booksellers and publishers meet frequently, compare opinions, and modify each other's views and plans, are too obvious to need discussion.

The publisher certainly needs to see his customers in order to conduct his business on an intelligent and liberal basis. Every intelligent publisher feels that he can have no substantial and lasting prosperity while the booksellers of the country are embarrassed and crippled.

Every bookseller who would conduct his business in a liberal and enterprising manner, keep thoroughly posted, and be really worthy of the name of bookseller, should visit the publishing centres frequently. In order to accomplish this all-important object of drawing the trade together, the publishers must offer inducements sufficiently liberal to make it clear to every bookseller that it is to his interest to attend every meeting of the Booksellers' Exchange and Clearing House. This, we believe, the publishers will do.

[Here follows the plan, printed, as more fully developed, elsewhere.-ED.]

The whole success of the movement must depend on the manner in which it is supported by the book trade of the country. The Committee have conferred with many of the leading publishers (both school-book and miscellaneous) and all have cordially assented to the plan. It only requires the hearty support of the booksellers to inaugurate a great success.

WM. H. APPLETON, Chairman. ISAAC E. SHELDON, Secretary.

BOOKSELLERS' EXCHANGE AND CLEARING-HOUSE.

GEO. A. LEAVITT & CO., Managers.

Commencing MONDAY, JULY 19, 1875.

DURING THE HOLDING OF THE EXCHANGE THE MANAGERS WILL OFFER TO THE TRADE

THE ENTIRE

LISTS

LISTS OF ALL THE HOUSES REPRESENTED,

ON A CREDIT OF FOUR AND SIX MONTHS.

These favorable terms, together with such special inducements as publishers may offer in reduction of prices, etc., are made only for the time specified. The publishers do not and will not extend their usual terms of credit, and it is only for this occasion that these unusual advantages of prices and credit are offered to the Trade, and it must be distinctly understood that immediately after the close of the Exchange the usual terms of credit and prices will be maintained. It is hoped, therefore, that the Purchasing Trade of the country will not only avail themselves of these peculiar advantages offered by the publishers through the Exchange (advantages that can not be obtained in any other way), but, at the same time, substantially aid the work of reform.

The Managers are permitted to state that THE AMERICAN BOOK TRADE ASSOCIA'N earnestly desire that the Trade throughout the country will give its hearty and active support in establishing and maintaining the Exchange. This plan of sale is an essential feature of the great movement for reform. It has all the advantages of the Trade Sale, without any of the evils attendant upon that system.

The following Publishers and Manufacturing Houses are, so far, members of (and will be represented at) the Exchange, commencing Monday, July 19th, 1875.

BOSTON.

American Tract Society.

Brewer & Tileston.

Davis, Robert S. & Co.

Ditson, Oliver & Co.

Estes & Lauriat.

Graves, A. F.

Gill, Wm. F. & Co.

Lee & Shepard.

Little, Brown & Co.

Lockwood, Brooks & Co.

Lothrop, D. & Co.

Nichols & Hall.

Osgood, J. R. & Co.

Prang, L. & Co.

Roberts Brothers.

NEW-YORK.

Adams, Victor & Co.

American News Co.

Anthony, E. & H. T. & Co.

Appleton, D. & Co.
Authors' Publishing Co.
Baker, Pratt & Co.

Barnes, A. S. & Co.

Carleton, G. W. & Co.
Cassell, Petter & Galpin.
Clark & Maynard.
Collins & Brother.
Denham, A.
De Witt, R. M.
Dick & Fitzgerald.
Dodd & Mead.
Dutton, E. P. & Co.
Ford, J. B. & Co.
Hale, E. J. & Son.
Happy Hours Company.
Harper & Brothers.
Haverty, P. M.
Hinton, H. L.

Holt, Henry & Co.
Hurd & Houghton.

Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co.
Kehoe, Lawrence,-C. P. Society.
Kenedy, P. J.

Lee, Shepard & Dillingham.
McLoughlin Bros.
Macmillan & Co.

Miller, James.
Nelson & Phillips.

Nelson, Thomas & Sons.
O'Shea, P.

Patterson, F. B.

Potter, Ainsworth & Co.
Putnam's Sons, G. P.
Randolph, A. D. F. & Co.

Routledge, Geo. & Sons.

Sabin, J. & Sons.

Sadlier, D. & J. & Co.

Schmidt, L. W.

Somerby, Charles P.

Scribner, Armstrong & Co.

Scribner, Welford & Armstrong.

Sheldon & Co.

Steiger, E.

Strong, T. W., late E. Dunigan & Bro.

Tompkins Kilbourne.

University Publishing Co.

United States Publishing Co.

Virtue & Yorston.

Van Nostrand, D.
Widdleton, W. J.
Warren & Wyman.
Wiley, John & Son.
Wood, Wm. & Co.
Worthington, R. & Co.

World Publishing House.

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