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    438 . The Publishers' Circular M^y is, '...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    Jiooks For The Present Age Can Rarely Be...

    greatest industrial country in the world , an exhibition of inventions ought to present

    innumerable subjects of the utmost practical Talue for literary treatment . The introductory

    notices embodied in the catalogue , although in some cases well adapted for their purpose ,

    are hardly sufficient in their quantity of information . We would like to see extended

    disquisitions upon new aids to manufactures , and we would like to see a well

    worked-out essay upon the best means of encouraging invention among the

    workingclasses , especially in the direction of improving their imp 3 . lements of craftsmanship ¦*• . Not * arms

    and the men , ' but * tools and the men ' was Carlyle ' s idea for the epic of our times . The

    only part of the present exhibition which deals with books is Group 26 , which includes paper ,

    printing , bookbinding , stationery , & c . The department is by no means rich in its supply

    of exhibits ; but what it lacks in quantity it makes up in interest , and a very profitable

    hour may be passed in examining the display . In the catalogue Dr . Hugo Miller , F . R . S .,

    contributes the introductory ^ notice of these subjects . The notice is necessarily brief , but

    it is at the same time fairly comprehensive . We must , however , take exception to Dr .

    Miller ' s remark that the quality of workmanship in bookbinding is declining . This is a

    common complaint in the present day against workmen , but we are sure that if the proper

    price is given by the public they will get workmanship and materials just as good , or even

    better , now than could have been produced in past times . To prove" this it is only necessary

    to take a fair look round at the exhibition , where examples of beautiful workmanship may

    be seen of which any country and any age might be proud .

    •<>* Those who are prone to mourn over the

    degeneracy of the age , as it is shown in the rampant progress of pernicious literature ,

    should find comfort , and even cheerfulness , from a perusal of the report of the Religious

    Tract Society , which held its eighty-sixth annual meeting in Exeter Hall last week , under

    the presidency of Mr . Francis Peek . The Rev . Dr . L . B . White read the report , which stated '

    that there had been issued during the year 737 new publications , of which 182 were tracts .

    The society had up to the present time published in 172 languages . The total circulation

    from the home dep 6 t , including books , tracts , periodicals , counted in numbers , cards , and

    miscellaneous issues , had reached 70 , 966 , 650 . o The issues from foreign , depdts might be safely

    Boated at 15 , 000 , 000 , making a total circulation 6135 , 966 , 650 , and of 2 , 368 , 277 , 880 since the

    Wte ^ 'R- '"' ' ' ' - ' ¦'¦ ¦ ¦ : i ; - . " : v ; - ¦ ¦•" . ¦ ¦¦¦¦ ' ¦ ¦;¦ ¦ ¦ - ' ¦ ' v

    ^ = 5 formation of the society . The total amount received from sales , missionary receipts a rf

    all other sources , including £ 3 , 556 , the * amount **¦*• cillQ of last year ' s balance , was £ 212 , 032 . 6 s M The total in both

    departments expenditure was £ 210 , 399 , leaving trade and a balance grani

    in favour of the society of £ 1 , 632 . £ 27 ¦'" " ¦ cm 95 ii ^ * had of the been societ receive while d for the the missionary objects

    y , expenditure in that branch of operations had been £ 47675 . The

    report pleaded — for further support , , in order ¦*• l £ v that the society might put forth continued

    efforts . The chairman , in addressing the meeting , said what was wanted in the present

    day irit was into literature the nation that that would would put teach the right the sp ,

    people what was right and just , that would not preach about prestige but about honour ; and

    it was because the Reliious Tract Societ doing its best to supply g this want that it was

    deserved the hearty support of all Christian people .

    The figures given in connection with circulation seem to strengthen the belief that

    with regard to books at least , the world , after all , is not so black as it is painted . In this

    country there is hardly a home that does not know some of the excellent publications of

    the Religious Tract Society , or of other associations having cognate objects .

    Excluding private firms—some of whom show marvellous enterprise—if we take into

    consideration the work performed by religious and temperance societies , in direct connection with

    the promotion of pure literature , it is clearly evident that the support . a . * g mtiven to their efforts

    by the great mass of the people must be enormous . Pernicious literature and its effects

    are invariably glaringly conspicuous in public placeswhile the generous and kindly influence

    of pure , reading is seen in the quiet happiness of home life . Unobtrusive it may be , but its

    beneficent effects are always expanding , and they are bound to endure for the advantage of

    generations to come , while evil works are always bringing with them their corresponding

    punishments . w & Co Noisy recent ., restraininor publishers Trades ly gran . ted , — LovelFs An to injunction Messrs Court . J , . & \ in Paternoster Blackwood Clarkson Chancery iai

    gold "Kow Row - . , beaters restrai , ning 11 Ivy Messrs Messrs Lane . . JL Dean , > fro ean m cc continuing v >*«*«*» , the beating noise gold of hammering operation which on stone the slabs lamtifla w

    as aa comp to to lained ccause ause of , illness illness an as ' so and and harassing . greatl ereatlv y and to to annoying p » interfere " ««««•

    -Mr with . the Justice carrying Pearson on , , of also the plaintiffs granted ' business costs to .

    Messrs . Blackwood . « onnfifttion The Revised with the Vebsion Oambridfife op the edition Bibijb ot .-- tno I » .

    ... . 11 ¦ ' .

    438 . The Publishers' Circular M^Y Is, '...

    438 . The Publishers' Circular M ^ y is , ' __ **

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), May 15, 1885, page 438, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15051885/page/2/