CHEAPER BOOKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 768, 14 September 1929, Page 34

CHEAPER BOOKS

Concessions Granted By English Publishers BENEFIT TO PUBLIC Booksellers in Auckland are now able to sell most books at the price at which they are published in England. For some time past they have been working to this end and at last they have persuaded most of the English publishing houses to allow concessions which can be passed on to the public. In some instances books are sold at cheaper rates in New Zealand than they are in England. This applies to 6s colonial editions, which are 7s 6d at Home. During the next two weeks Auckland booksellers will make window displays to bring the recent concessions more prominently before the public. Some instances of the reductions can be gained from the following prices: Formerly books sold at 3s 6d in England were retailed in New Zealand at 4s 6d. These will now be sold at the English published price. Some of the more expensive books, such as “The Day After Tomorrow,” by Sir, Philip Gibbs, will be sold at English prices. In order to pass the concessions on to the Auckland reading public the booksellers pay the primage duty themselves. - Mrs. E. W. Moore, of Rowlatt and Moore, president of the Auckland Booksellers’ Association, said yesterday that the booksellers genuinely desired to roster the appreciation of good literature and had worked steadily to attain this end. “I believe an appreciation of good literature can be cultivated among the book-reading public,” she said, “and it is the aim of the booksellers to encourage this appreciation. Good reading is an essential part of true education, for the man or woman who does not read is mentally naked and cut off from general, well-informed society. In my opinion there is no more unhappy position than this. “Tn order to acquire good books it is necessary that the price should be within the reach of average incomes. The New Zealand booksellers have for years been striving to induce publishers at Home to grant such terms as would enable the booksellers to sell at the English published prices. “They have now been successful to the extent that most of the English publishers have acceded to our representations. The degree to which the publishers will extend those concessions depends on the support given by the reading public. Unless the venture results in a greater demand the publishers will no doubt, withdraw the concessions which have been made. “Naturally we are proud of our achievement. Most people think that the object of trade associations is to keep prices up—our aim is to make books cheaper.”