"PRINTED MATTER"

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 9

"PRINTED MATTER"

(THE MAGAZINE MISSION

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER AND

AMBASSADOR

ABOUT " AMERIOANISATION."

Protesting against Mr. Kellaway's proposed increases in British postal rates (since modified), leading British papers argued that the effect of such imports would be to hasten the " Amerieanisation " of the Dominions by the peaceful penetration of the American newspaper, magazine, and book. Canada was specially referred to, but to a less extent the arguments apply to other Dominions. New Zealand is nearer by mail to the United States than to Great Britain, though not so near as is Canada. People (such as tho writer) who occasionally have nothing better to do than gaze into shop-windows may have noticed dnring the war years that the booksellers made a gaudy showing of magazinesl with bright covers. Some of the covers were startling (or would have been to a Victorian conscience), and the magazine titles generally conveyed the impression that the letterpress was "warm," or "■ tepid," or ',' spicy." There were other covers also, not startliner, but attractive in colour —such as the better-class, humorous magazine display^. Tin's wae the American invasion, aud it. appeared to be highly successful. There was great variety in the American magazine selection—technical press, high-class reviows, good fiction, good comics, down to the "more or less." And the choice of British publications was as limited as the variety of the American product was extensive. There was v«ry little British in the window display. What there was lost prominence by the soberness of its cover, and inquiry in the shop was generally met with the answer that the British magazine or paper was "sold out." For suoh an old-established English " institntion " as Punch one might search h ; dozen shops in vain. ,That was eighteen months ago. There has since been a change; but' to find out whether the change was real or apparent the writer made some definite inquiries. SUBTLE PROPAGANDA. Prom one gentleman, who is a close observer of such changes and a keen assessor of their meaning, the writer obtained an admission that the British press had somewhat recovered its hold on ihe New Zealand market. " But thu American publishers have done a great d«tnl," was the qualifying sentence. Lookine at the question as one concerned to see New Zealand remain wholeheartedly British, the observer con> sidered this question had escaped attention too long. It was good te teach youns New Zealand, to sing " God Save the' King" and'to salute the Union Jack; but such teaching did not go deep idown if, the child at home was surrounded by magazines which glorified the Stars and Stripes and everything American. British and American traditions differed, and a thoroughly British child could not be reared on American tradition, American fiction, and American current history. Already, the observer held, the effects of Americanisation by newspapers,' magazines, and pictures was noticeable. Then there was 1 another aspect—trade propaganda Much of the American technical press was splendidlyproduced, particularly in Jhe advertisement sections, and the_" publishers seemed set on a large circulation (for which the advertisers would iwv) apart from the revenne from eubscrip tions.. British technical publishers were more conservative in the ■ matter of price, circulation, and, features which, attracted buyers. This was most im-' portant. for attractive, honest advertisements led to business, especially in lines (for example,,engineering) where professional men in this country regarded the periodicals as a valuable source of information as to the latest machines and the progress in their profession. WHAT STATISTICS SHOW. The' next authority interviewed was one in a paper cover marked "Customs Statistics. Prom this authority no British sentiments were obtained; but some illuminating information. It -was learned that during the war years America made a great advance in the sale to New Zealand of "Books, papers, music (printed) N.0.E." Perhaps it is necessary to explain that "N.OiE." stands for "Not Otherwise Enumerated," and the meaning, in practice, is that _though one may think that is the classification under which one would expect particular goods 'should be enumerated, one cannot be quite certain that -they are not somewhere else. Anyhow, of goods of this class to the value of £252,146 imported in 1914, the United . Kingdom's proportion was £207,122, and America's only £15,220. Great Britain made practically no advance in the war years, though as the value of the goods increased the same bulk should have made a greater value. America, on the other hand, more than trebled her exports. Last year,, however, there was a change, and British goods jumped to about £390,000. American goods also increased in value, but not in anything like the British proportion. There is another section of the Customs Statis tics, which has some bearing on the matter. It is the section concerned with": "Handbills, circulars, programmes, playbills, printed posters, trade catalogues, price-lists, and fashion plates, printed advertising matter N.0.E., paper bags, wrapping paper, and wrappers, printed and lithographed envelopes, and labels." In this section the British proportion of imports fell from three-fifths of the whole in 1914 to about a fourth and less than America's share in 1918. It rose last year to about two-fifths, but still America had almost a-third of the trade, and three times more than she had in 1914. WHAT THE TRADE DOES. Next the inquisitive writer, with the aid of a gentleman who knew all about the business, ascended, figuratively, to a high pinnacle, whence he could see the' whole bookselling trade of New Zealand spread out before him. What he saw was }.his: In the war years British publishers were hard put to it. to obtain for the normal needs of the magazines and papers'. There was not enough to spare for casual circulation to catch new subscribers, for enlargement, and special features. Many writers were also, for the time .being, war propagandists. American publishers had paper to burn, but before burning it they printed words and pictures on it,, which added to its selling value (if not always to its actual ■worth), and did not lessen its value as fuel. When the paper was printer!, the American publishers pushed its sale. American magazines of all classes (high, low, or none) were distributed to booksellers "on sale or return," so that the booksellers could make a good showing and always have spare copies for casual customers. In the years since the war there has been a gradual change. American magazines are dearer (owing to the high exchange), the "on sale" system has been discontinued, and British magazines, with new writers and artists, and old writers free of war's alarms, aro brightening up. They have learnt a lesson from the Golden West, and they paint their covers brightly. The British have now practically regained the trade in fiction and general magazine literature. In the trade and technical press,

America probably' holds a better position than in any other department. This is a department that requires attention for, if the general magazine may be an ambassador of general patriotism, the technical magazine is certainly a commercial, traveller; or a national trade fair, coming out with something new every month. This article began with the Post Office, and it has got somewhat away from its address; but now it comes back. General magazines come out to" New Zealand mainly in bulk. ' The 'mails offer slightly speedier transit, but the advantage, with this class of literature, does not outweigh disadvantages. Yet many technical papers do come through the Post Office. Few have a popular sale, arid, except for this few, the distribution is often by post to subscribers direct from ,the publishers. For such papers, the mail charges are of first importance. In a somewhat similar position are. many of the publications which one seldom sees in the booksellers' windows—the big English daily papers, the weeklies, tho reviows—and Punch. They have a greater circulation here than appears on the surface, as they are stocked to order or mailed direct. That raises just one other question—the last: These maintain the Imperial chain, but when papers and magazines do much to help the present generation of readers dies out, will there be a generation to replace them,'or will that generation be reading the American dailies and weeklies of the corresponding class which are on sale— and in covers that sell?