BOOK MONOPOLY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 14, 1 September 1911, Page 7

BOOK MONOPOLY.

The Auckland booksellers, in common with many others of their trade hi the Dominion, are much concerned by the announcement that a syndicate, in which a New Zealand firm figures prominently, has been formed to obtain sole control of the sale of many English works of fiction. The result, of course, will bo that the retail houses will bo obliged to obtain their books through the medium of the .yndicate instead of getting them direct from the Home publishers. This is the second Australasian syndicate formed in recent years, the first having gained a control over many popular American novels. Speaking to a “Star” reporter on the subject, Mr W. E. Aroy, of Die firm of Wildman and Arey, said his inns, as well as others, strongly protested against the system of New Zealand and Australian publishing .ad bookselling firms getting “a cor'M'" iv* *»n» , . » years the evil had peon creeping in* tiiJUiJj Ui.idbti ctwLlvC «iv;io taken by those suffering, the book trade would become monopolised by a few firms, who carried on business not only as wholesale agents, hut who ran a retail trade as well. “The only way to put a stop to this sort of thing,” said Mr Aroy, in conclusion, “is for the booksellers to hold meetings, and send their united protest to the Publishers’ Association of (1 rcat Britain. If this is not sufficient, we shall have to adopt more drastic measures, and we may, if necessary, go so far as to boycott the fiction controlled by the trust.” Mr H. J. Edmiston, of Champtaloup and Edmiston, was also bitterly opposed to the formation of such syndicates, which he described as a serious restraint to trade. The whole thing was an unfair monopoly, which would not he brooked by booksellers. If the majority of the larger hook■•ellers stood aloof, and refused to sell these controlled works of fiction, the result would lie that lingo stocks would bo loft on the syndicate’s hands. Of -nurse, the public would suffer in not icing able to obtain certain novels, but llio booksellers could not be blam'd for protecting the interests of their trade.