CHEAPER BOOKS WANTED

Southland Times, Issue 20080, 18 January 1927, Page 7

CHEAPER BOOKS WANTED

PRICES IN NEW ZEALAND. THE ENGLISH RATES SOUGHT. As a result of the efforts of the New Zealand Retail Booksellers’ Conference during the past few years, books issued by a number of British publishing houses are now sold in the Dominion at the English published prices, and the conference which met in Auckland recently is making every endeavour to get other publishers to reduce their prices. The reductions will mean a considerable saving to booklovers. Mr G. H. Bennett, one of the vice-presi-dents of the New Zealand Booksellers’ Conference, visited England last year and acted as delegate to the British Publishers’ Association. He was empowered to try and make some arrangement whereby it might be possible to bring down the prices of books, and last week’s conference passed resolutions and drew' up suggestions which, if acceptable to the British Publishers’ Association, will have the effect of reducing the prices of books. The change will not take place for some time, as the proposals will have to be forwarded to London for confirmation. Some or all of the books of no fewer than 15 publishing firms are now sold here at the English prices. Among the resolutions passed by the conference was one urging the Minister of Customs to remove the duty on kindergarten material and pictures required for educational purposes only. Another resolution called the attention of the Minister of Labour to the unfair position whereby tobacconists and others may sell periodicals after the hour at which booksellers are compelled by law to close. The conference expressed regret that the Postmaster-General did not accede to the request of retail traders throughout New Zealand to abolish the C.O.D. system and strongly urged that this should be done. The members of the conference were delighted with the arrangements made by Auckland retailers for the entertainment of the delegates. The next conference will be held at Wanganui.