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Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17117, 12 April 1921, Page 6

Sir Ernest Hodder Williams, head of the London publishing firm of Hodder and Stoughton, has been explaining to the American public, through a New York interviewer, why books cost so much more nowadays. than they did six or -seven years ago. The Americans have apparently been thinking, and probably saying, when they have been asked to pay the equivalent of eight or ten shillings for a book that was once procurable for half-a-crown or five shillings, that somebody was profiteering, and that the somebody was the publisher. Sir Ernest, however, assured them that the high coat of production was solely to blame, and that the publisher made more profit out of the old prices than he does out of the present ones. Incidentally he inferred that the Americans were making a fuss about a matter in which they were not greatly concerned, for in proportion to the population, book sales in the States were much less than in England. "Americans," he said, "seem to buy everything else they want, or think they want, before it occurs to them to buy bqpks. And by the time they begin to think about buying a book they decide that they must economise. Cm the whole, Americans do. not patronise bookshops and support book publishers as well as do the people of other educated, intelligent, and progressive nations. The people of Now Zealand," he added, "in proportion to their population, are the best book buyers in the world." That unsolicited testimonial, which received wide publicity in the States and Canada, must have surprised some of the Americans, <

who think of New Zealanders as lialfnaked savages still possessing leanings towards cannibalism. Some further information regarding the working of prohibition in the Unit-' ed States is furnished by recent English and American paperß. One of the former asserts that British distilleries cannot keep up with the American orders for whisky. The quantity exported last year to the States is not mentioned, but. exporters are reported as saying that while it is not so great as in pre-prohibition days, it 13 so large, for a prohibition country, as to excite surprise. This export trade has nothingflto do with smuggling; it is carried on under a system of permits granted by the American Government for the importation of spirits for medicinal purposes, and it was asserted a month or two ago that there were then in Great Britain many New York agents who were prepared to purchase at anj; price, lines of 5000 cases of whisky of any well-known brand. They could ■ afford to pay high prices and outbid other Buyers, because they were assured of securing higher prices in America than could be obtained elsewhere in the world. The result was that those in the trade in Great Britain were prophesying that unless whisky exports decreased; there.wouid be a more severe .shortage, at Home than at any time during the war. It is also noted that the quantity , of whisky exported last year to Canada was an absolute record, amounting to over 1,700,000 gallons, and it is 'suspected that a good deal of this has found, or. will find, its way across the Canadian border into the States. Finally, tho fact that, America last year took over 23,000 dozen of France's finest champagnes has made Boms French people ask whether so largo a quantity was really required for medicinal purposes. •—*-—' ' New Zealand visitors to Canada and the States who have come into contact with Rotafry Clubs will be interested to learn of tho movement in Auckland to establish a Rotary Club in that City. There are now in ( Australia two special commissioners of the International Association of Rotary Clubs, who-have been delegated to extend International Rotary to the Commonwealth. They describe Rotary—which takes its name from the' fact that the founders of the movement held their meetings at different places 'in rotation —as a form of business and professional freemasonry, which has for its aim. the welfare of the whole town or community, rather than that of the individual. The objects of the 'clubj as' set forth in the constitution, were given aB follows by one of the visitors:—"To encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions; the ideal of service, as the basis of all worthy enterprises; the active interest of every Rotarian in the civic, commercial, social, and moral welfare of his community; the development of a broad acquaintanceship as an opportunity for service, as well as an aid to success; the interchange of ideas and of business methods as a means of Increasing the efficiency and usefulness of Rotarian.s;, the recognition of the worthiness of all legitimate occupations, and the dignifying of all legitimate occupations by each Rotarian, as affording him an opportunity to serve society." . ~:.. *,.:'■■■■■ -■ One t>f the unique features of the organisation is that id each Rotary Club there can be only one representative of each line of business and eaoh profession. This ensures that no one business or profession can beqome numerically strong enough in the Club to dominate it. "When a group of men in any city," said the commissioner, "desires to become a Rotary Club* every individual in the group is not only, carefully investigated, but many local conditions must be understood before the international association will accept the organisation and grant the use of the' name Rotary." Membership of a Ro-; tary Club, which is a matter of invitation, is regulated by a Secret committee, which carefully considers the qualifications iof anyone best suited to represent a certain business or profession. There are some 800 Rotary Clubs in existence in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and at the international convention to be held in Edinburgh in June probably 4000 delegates will assemble, 2000 being expected from America. British Rotarians are looking \ forward to this great gathering as affording an opportunity for having a heart-to-heart talk with Americans that will lay the foundation of better business co-operation. So said the president of the London Rotary Club at its sixteenth anniversary dinner, at which Sir Harry Lauder, who was one of the speakers," reminded the members that "the only way to get a friend was to be one"— a little bit of homely wisdom well worth remembering in these days, when the relations between one class and another and nations and their neighbours are inclined to be something short of friendly.