SIR,-1 was very interested in John Rosselli's article in your
issue of last week, but I think he does less than justice to the efforts of the publishing trade to remedy what he calls 'the chaos of its distribution system.' Apart from the centralised warehouse and distribution facilities supplied by The Book Centre in Neasden, which represents thirty-five publishers and stocks some eleven million volumes, there is a high-powered Book Distribution Committee of the Publishers Association which is conducting a special survey, with professional assistance, into publishers' standards of service at a cost of £2,000. Standards ot service do, in fact, vary enormously, but there has been a tremendous effort on the part of the less efficient (or more unmanageable) firms to improve their distribution over the past year or so.
One final correction: the worthy firm of Hart- Davis does not in fact date from the 'low-cost days between the wars.' It was founded in the 'high-cost' days just after the war, as 1 can certainly testify, as I was their first office boy.
JOIN F. F.LKIN
20 Greville Road, NW6
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