NEW ZEALAND READERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 83, 4 October 1924, Page 17

NEW ZEALAND READERS

"highest percentage in the world:"

To "The Bookseller and tke Stationery Trades Journal" Mr. H. C. South (Wellington) President of tho New Zealand Booksellers' Association, has been giving somo information about this Dominion. Australia and New Zealand think what they have to say deserves some consideration, for the book-reading public of these countries is, per capita to tho population, "The greatest in the world." He stresses the fact that their population consists of 98 per cent. British stock, and he thinks English publishers might very well bear that fact in mind. American publishers during the last few years have been making special efforts to capture both tho' Australian and New Zealand markets, and are offering very favourable and tempting conditions. Australian and New Zealand booksellers prefer British books, and do all thoy can to push them, but they naturally expect some consideration from British publishers. "A few British publishers are already beginning to realise the importance of the Australian market; they are giving better terms, and I think' I am right in saying they are already finding it is well worth while. This consideration, however, is not as general as it should be, and there is a distinctfeeling among New Zealand booksellers that British publishers do not give them quite the good treatment thoy F.ave a right to 6xpect, and it is to give expression to that feeling that our deputation lias been sent here and that the Sydney Conference has met."

"The Bookseller" did not find it altogether pleasant to hoar from Mr. South, at the Booksellers' Conference in Oxford, that New Zealand, in proportion to its population, buys and reads a great many more books than Great Britain does. The annual import of books Was valued at ono million pounds. This means that each New Zealander spends something like fifteen shillings a year in buying books. Exact figures as to the purchase of books, the paper points out, in Great Britain are not available, but it is safe to say that the average for".each individual is very much less than that. -