Page 3 Advertisements Column 2

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15100, 24 March 1911, Page 3

—Tho profession of a "book appraiser" in A.'imrica wouM appear to be a ramiiwra tive one. For tho purpofe of insiiranco, a collector of rare books in Now York reccntly employed an export t.:> oppraiso hia library. It included a. set of t'ruikshankiana, various publications of Iho Grolirr Society, and original editions of Thackeray, lever, and Stevenson, and the (.•sLimatad value of the whole csuiie to about £18,200 in air money. Tho appraiser sent in a biil for £900 for his s-erviees. Payment was refused, and in the subsequent trial Iho sum of £700 was awarded. This, ogcin, w.ts challenged as excessive, ajid tho judpto wli-> heard tihe second suit has reduced the fee to £500, which is said to be calculated at tho rate of £2800 a year. But perliaps an export appraiser dois'not get a job of this kind every day.