Booksellers Asked To Buy British Books

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1948, Page 5

Booksellers Asked To Buy British Books

WANGANUI, Mar. 3. Because the paper allocations to the Fnited- Kingdotn publishing houses were regulated largely by the. number of books they export, there was a desire that such countries as Npw Zealand should step up their imports ot British literature. This was urged oh the delegates attendlng the annual conference of. the Associated Booksellers' of New J2ealand, which was opened at Wangaiiui to-day b,y AfiT Wren Howard, a'- direc--"tor ,of Jbnathan Cape, Htd., and the president Nfvfhe ' Brifish; PjibUshers ' Aksociation, who daine to the Uominioh for the conference. For exports to be maintained it would be necessary to have an imporU er, and it was not easy to step up imports to New Zealand l)ecause of the restrk-tive licences granted booksellers, said Alr. Howard. " Fnless a benevolent and. thoughtful Goveimment increases its import quota you cannot take any more books, we cannot gez any more paper, and so the circle will narrow. " Alr. Howard explalned that because of this situation British publisherS were needing more help from New Zealand booksellers now than ever before. From about £3,000,000 worth of exports before the war, Britain had built up her literature shipments to £3,000,000 last year. As its contribution to the export drive now, the Board of Trade had told the industry its figure this vear must be £12,000,000.