An important deputation from those interested in the printing trade
of this country waited on Wednesday on Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, to call his attention to the injurious effect which the new American copyright law would have on the printers of this country. In effect, it will transfer the printing of all books likely to sell well in the United States to the United States, because while the United States give copy- right only to books printed in those States, we do not refuse copyright to American books only because they are not printed in England. Consequently, every author who expects any American sale will have his book printed in America, and bring over the copies needed for England to England; while no converse process of the same kind will bring the printing of American books likely to sell in England to England. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach admitted the evil, but thought that, as the printing • of books is not more than 5 per cent. of the whole English printing business, which depends far more largely on the printing of newspapers, bills, and official docu- ments, we had better be very cautious in measuring the extent of the evil before embarking in remedial legislation. That may beprndent But it is clear that, far from its being a Free- trade measure to sanction a differential duty encouraging the printing of books in a dearer market than our own,—printers' wages are much higher in the United States than they are here,—this is a Protective and not a Free-trade measure.
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