It was in 1841 that an Oxford graduate brought home from the Far East specimens of an extremely thin paper that was more opaque for its thickness than any paper made in Europe. He presented this to the Press, and it made from the paper twenty-four copies of the smallest Bible then in existence, a Diamond 24mo. These books were presented to the Queen and to other people. After many experiments, After many experiments, similar paper was produced in the mill in 1874, and this famous paper has become the basis of much of the fine Bible making of the Press. Some idea of the extent of the Bible production can be had from the fact that over 100,000 skins are used for binding each year; over 400,000 sheets of gold are used for gilt lettering and still larger quantity for the gilt edges. The Press has six hundred employees. Altho the Bibles are the most famous product of the Press, there are eight thousand other titles, including the "Oxford English Dictionary," now being, brought to conclusion at an investment of a quarter of a million dollars and the new revision of the Liddell and Scott Greek Lexicon which cost a hundred thousand dollars to publish. The business now has branches in twelve cities, the American branch being organized in 1896 and is directed by William W. McIntosh. Decorative Arts Exhibit HE International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Art at Paris this summer is of value to those interested in book manufacture as well as in the other industrial arts. The exposition has been confined to work conceived in the modern spirit, and only such works have been admitted as show new inspiration and real originality. Reproductions and imitations of ancient styles have been strictly prohibited. The exhibit is held in the Grand Palais. The United States Government is not participating, and there are no American books there. Individual exhibits are not accepted. Travel Exhibit of Books and IN connection with the summer exhibit of travel posters, the Art Center at 65 East Fifty-Sixth Street has invited the members of the National Association of Book Publishers to send volumes of travel for a summer showing. A jury of six will select from the books submitted, and the judgment will be based on general typographical merit and make-up. The judges include Joseph H. Chapin, art director of Scribner's, Hayworth Campbell, art director of the Condé Nast Publications, Burton Emmett, president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, and others. vir. Each publisher is allowed to havé three books in the exhibit, and the display will be open from July 1st to July 31st. OUR SEVEREST CRITICS "Is that a good novel Penley has just had published?" "It must be. His friends won't believe he wrote it."-New Haven Register. The Publishers of the Little Blue Books HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY Publishers GIRARD, KANSAS Publishers' Weekly, 62 West 45th St., New York City. Gentlemen: I June 10, 1925. HAVE just seen your issue of June 6th, which contains an article that criticises me unjustly because of the fact that my Little Blue Books are being sold at 5 cents per copy. Please let me refer you to a letter I sent to Mr. Kenneth B. Willson, National Vigilance Committee, Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, 383 Madison Avenue, New York City, on June 1st, as follows: "I have your letter of May 29th regarding our selling our books at 5 cents instead of 10 cents. We have made several tests at the 10 cent price, but we found very unsatisfactory results. I refer you particularly to an advertisement in the Current History Magazine for May and June, wherein the books are listed at 10 cents. Our key sheets show that the inquiries resulting from this insertion were very disappointing. Faced by cold facts we were forced, quite hurriedly, to abandon the idea of a 100 per cent increase in price. What our advertising means is simply that it is impossible to get the people to pay 10 cents for books that were previously advertised at 5 cents." On June 4th Mr. Willson wrote me as follows: "This will acknowledge and thank you for your good letter of June 1st. We can readily appreciate the fact that circumstances necessitated the change in your advertising. The explanation which you kindly gave us is perfectly satisfactory." Regarding my announcements that on June 30th I shall quit the Little Blue Books, the simple fact is that this is an accurate statement. On that date the list of Little Blue Books will have reached 1,000 titles, which will mark the end of my activities in this particular enterprise. I then intend to announce a new series to be known as "Big Blue Books," which will contain from 96 to 200 pages, 52x8 inches, and perhaps retail at 50 cents, with the possibility of a reduction when the volume of business warrants mass production. This new series will contain 500 titles, and when I reach that goal I intend to quit again and enter the clothbound field. The work of manufacturing and distributing Little Blue Books will be out of my hands after July 1st. The advertisement that you object to was purely a personal statement and did not commit persons other than myself. Even the order blank and signature carried my own name instead of the name of the company. Very sincerely yours, T E. HALDEMAN-JULIUS. HE Publishers' Weekly of June 6th carried comment on the announced change in price of the Little Blue Books of the Haldeman-Julius Company, pointing out that in February it had been announced in large advertisements that the prices were to go up from 5c. to 10c. When the date on which this was to happen had passed, nothing happened to the price, and again in March the same announcement was made in other papers that the price change would come on April 30th. Still nothing happened to the price, and in the New York Times of June 14th it was announced that the price change would come on June 30th. The Publishers' Weekly has had long letters from Mr. Haldeman-Julius, in which he explains that, "When we started our 5c. campaign in February, we realized that it would be a serious mistake if we were to insert our announcements in all newspapers and magazines for a certain day. This would mean simply a deluge of orders. Thus during February we limited. the announcement of an increase in price to the large newspapers. Then we went on to a second group with a closing date of April 30th." This is to say that, when the announcement was made of the increase in price last February, it was not meant that this should happen, but the statement was made merely to increase the business from one 20 TE group of readers. Then the same announcement was made to another group of readers. As these groups inevitably overlapped, one cannot but wonder what the effect on the readers' minds was. The fact seems to be that sales for the Little Blue Books cannot be made if the price is raised from 5 to 10c., and these announcements, as the Publishers' Weekly stated, were simply catchpenny methods to continue the sale as long as possible. The explanation of the June 14th advertisement as made by Mr. Haldeman-Julius is rather extraordinary. He says that, if we will read that advertisement carefully, we will see that when he makes the statement that, "On June 30th I shall quit publishing the Little Blue Books-order till then at 5c," this statement is not signed by E. Haldeman-Julius Company but by E. Haldeman-Julius. Perhaps others besides ourselves did not notice the difference. Mr. Haldeman-Julius himself is going out of the business. He writes us, "On that date (June 30th), the list of the Little Blue Books will have reached 1,000 titles, which will mark the end of my activity in this particular enterprise. The work of manufacturing and distributing the Little Blue Books will be out of my hands after July 1st. The advertisement that you object to was purely a personal statement and did not commit persons other than myself." It seems an extraordinarily frank announcement of a deliberate intention to deceive the readers into thinking that the price limit had been finally reached. Certainly we do not envy the task of the next publisher of the series who will come to his selling problem after the public has had these three misleading statements. As the Publishers' Weekly has said before, we are interested in all phenomena of selling books-5c. books as well as others—but we do regret that, in this case, it has been necessary, apparently, to introduce such methods as these in order to persuade people that they want the books. Mr. Haldeman-Julius further writes, "I shall, on July 1st, announce a new series called "The Big Blue Books' containing from 96 to 200 pages, 51⁄2 x 8 inches each and perhaps retailing at 50c. with the possibility of a reduction when the volume of business warrants mass production. This new series will contain 500 titles, and when I reach that goal I intend to quit again and enter the cloth-bound field." This will certainly be an enterprise interesting to all who have followed Mr. HaldemanJulius's energetic and imaginative campaign. We again express the hope that the public will be interested in such books as he offers without sales arguments that are below the standards which we now hold for American advertising. The New York Times is certainly below its standard of dignity in supplying the space thru which such announcements are made. New Down Town Shop THE Publishers' Weekly for June 27th contained a brief announcement of the opening of a new book shop at 30 Broad Street in the downtown financial district of New York under the name Ball & Brown, Inc. Sarah B. Ball (incorrectly Brown, Inc. reported as Mary E.) is president and treasurer and Marion S. Brown of Plain field, vice president and secretary. Miss Ball has had years of experience with books. For the past two and a half years she has been manager of the Doubleday, Page bookshops at 55 Liberty and 38 Wall St. Previous to that she was, for several years, librarian of the Business Branch of the Newark Public Library, a position which she left to organize a library for the U. S. Rubber Co. The location of Ball & Brown, Inc., is one of the best in the downtown district. It is on the west side of Broad Street, one block south of Wall Street and midway between the New York and Consolidated Stock Exchanges. The pedestrian traffic by the door is very heavy all day long. The Brick Row Book Shop, Inc., of New Haven, Princeton, and 19 E. 47th Street has made arrangements with Ball & Brown, Inc., by which it will have a rare book room on their premises on or about September 1st. The Brick Row will carry rare and choice books in bindery first editions and will supplement Ball & Brown Inc., in making 30 Broad Street the headquarters downtown for book lovers. of every taste. This office will be under the direct supervision of E. Byrne Hackett. Obituary Note NATHAN V. TIBBALS NATHAN V. TIBBALS, salesman for the Book Department of the American News Co. for the past thirty-six years, died at his home in Brooklyn on June 12th. Mr. Tibbals was seventy-three years old and was identified with the book business of New York City since boyhood. His first trade connection was assisting his father, a retired minister, who conducted a religious bookstore in Park Row, New York. Later he became connected with a book company in Brooklyn and started his long service with the News Co. in 1888, with whom he remained until a serious illness forced his retirement about a year ago. His many friends in the trade will regret his passing, as he was well-liked by all with whom he came in contact. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Brentano's Make Changes in BRENTANO'S, following their general policy of expansion, have made two important changes in personnel. John T. Witsil, who formerly traveled the larger cities for the Brentano house for fifteen years has been called to the new Brentano retail store on 47th Street. He is to have a supervisory position in this store, one of the most complete and beautiful establishments in the country given over to the retail book trade. Mr. Witsil will have ample opportunity for using his years of experience in book-trade matters to make the 47th street store as well regarded as the 27th Street one. The publishing department, under the management of Charles J. Herold, is planning an aggressive business building program which will far eclipse any former activity. The sales department is to be headed by Earl F. Lederer, formerly with Harper & Brothers. Mr. Lederer is very well known among the trade and has also a background of great practical experience in his field. He entered the house of Harper & Brothers about ten years ago, and after six years' apprenticeship in the various departments joined the sales force. 3 manager he will cover New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. The book-trade extends to these gentlemen its best wishes in their wider fields of activity. The Modern Library, Inc. ON August 1st, the ownership of The Modern Library will pass from Boni & Liveright to a new corporation, The Modern Library, Incorporated, with Bennett A. Cerf, formerly vice president of Boni & Liveright at its head.. Its offices. be 11 at 71 West 45th St. In eight years The Modern Library has grown to a series of over a hundred titles. The Weekly Record of New TH Anderson, Robert J. The metallurgy of aluminum and aluminum alloys. 944p. (bibls.) il. diagrs. O c. N. Y., H. C. Baird & Co., 2 W. 45th St. Andes, Louis Edgar Vegetable fats and oils; their practical preparation, purification, properties, adulteration and examination; 4th rev. and enl. 421p. il. O '25 N. Y., Van Nostrand Anson, Lord A voyage around the world in the years 1740-4; ed. for school use by John C. Allen. 171p. D (Longman's class-bks. of Eng. lit.) '25 N. Y., Longmans Arrhenius, Svante Chemistry in modern life; tr. by Clifford S. Leonard. 300p. il. D (Lib. of modern sciences) '25 N. Y., Van Nostrand "Auro," pseud. Fortune telling by cards, numbers and tea leaves. 108p. il. diagr. D (Renard's popular topics lib.) c. N. Y., Chas. Renard Co., 21 E. 40th St. Baker, Edna Dean Kindergarten method in the church school. 353p. (bibls.) front. (col.) D (Abingdon religious educ. texts) [c. '25] N. Y., Abingdon Balleu, Emmit The neglected message, or, Homeseekers excursion o'er the heroic route. 165p. il. O c. Kirksville, Mo., Journal Pr. Co. $2.95 Barclay, H. Clifford, M.D. Elementary anatomy and physiology for nurses; 3rd ed. 424p. il. O '25 N. Y., Wm. Wood A first-hand account. of journeyings thru Southwest, Newfoundland, Labrador and the Isle of Rum, the least known islands of the Indies, the seldom traveled Demerara, and other parts of America that the average person doesn't know very well. $2.50 Effective regulation of public utilities. 389p. (2p. bibl.) D c. N. Y., Macmillan The author is New York City public utility consultant. Bevans, George Esdras The Master as paymaster; introd. by Roger W. Babson. 160p. D [c. '25] N. Y., Revell $1.25 A book of sermons by the minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Fairmont, West Virginia. "Billiken" The sealed book of roulette and trente-etquarante. 262p. diagrs. (pt. col.) D '25 N. Y., McBride $2.50 "Being a guide to the tables at Monte Carlo, together with simple descriptions of several unique systems. Also chapters dealing with baccarat, chemin-de-fer and la boule." Blaisdell, Allen H., and Estep, Thomas G. Problems in thermodynamics and steam power plant engineering. 163p. O '25 N. Y., Wiley pap. $1.25 The seasoning and preservation of timber. 144p. diagrs. O '25 N. Y., Van Nostrand $3.50 Boccaccio, Giovanni The decameron; tr. by John Payne; il. by Clara Tice; essays by Richard Garnett and others; lim. ed.; 2 v. various p. O '25 N. Y., Liveright bds. $30 bxd. Abbot, C. G. Solar variation and forecasting. 27p. diagrs. O (Smithsonian misc. collections, V. 77, no. 8) '25 Wash., D. C., Smithsonian Institution pap. apply Arnold, Ethan L. Road law procedure in the state of Indiana. 21p. O (Pub'ns of engineering depts., v. 9, no. 2) '25 LaFayette, Ind., Purdue Univ. pap. apply |