THE COST OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20950, 13 August 1931, Page 15

THE COST OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

gjj-,—-The attention of my association has been drawn to correspondence appear ing in the Heb.u.p on the cost of school books and' particularly to your footnut* to the letter signed "W.A.D.." on Sth inst. You mention that although the copyright is hehl by the present publishers this does not prohibit anyone from compiling and printing a new book. While the absence of such prohibition may he said to' accurately describe the position, this statement, in the' of my association, should be amplified. lh<* present syllabus has been approved by the Education Department for a period or five years, of which two .years have still to run. It will thus be seen how futile would .he the efforts of any iirm of printers to secure the introduction -of new books.' In any case, the approval of the department must be obtained and, in. the circumstance?, this would not be forthcom ing. The- views expressed by several of your correspondents to the effect that she copyright should be. the property of the Education Department are sound. My association "approves such proposals m principle and considers that the Govern ment should take steps to ensure this necessary control. The actual cost of the preparation of the matter required and iht» value of the copyright would'then be a defined quantity- * Under such conditions no one firm of printers could create a monopoly for itself, as there would be no difficulty in obtaining competitive prices for the "straightforward jobs of producing and distributing the-books. Such arrangement should prove, acceptable to the public, as all the facts respecting the publication of the school books would be rendered available for the closest scrutiny. My association. believes that there can be no duubt is to the attitude of printers generally to the suggestion referred to, as the opportunity would be presented to all of competing on a fair and equitable basis. H. E. Smmonbs, Secretary, Auckland Master Printers' Association.