Sta.-No one on our side disputes that authors and publishers
must be properly paid. Leaving aside issues of principle, what are the alternative courses and their practical consequences?
First course. Take £2 million plus from the libraries. Additional staff to check 80 million books each year and record the number of issues. Staff and premises for the Lending Right Association. The libraries spend up to 50 per cent. less on new books. The publishers may sell more best-sellers but they refuse to accept much new work because of the risk of publishing without the guaranteed library sales.
Second course. Charge the borrower 2d. a book. All the additional staff as above plus staff to issue 400 million receipts a year.
Third course. Put an average of 6d. on the price of all new books. No administrative costs whatever. No Lending Right Association. The buyer who never borrows (rare bird!) can console himself with the knowledge that because of the libraries he is already buying most of his hard-cover books more cheaply (see my last letter).
is The Library Association, Chaucer House. Males Place, WC1
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